what were those ten things?”
He gave a small smile. “Maybe it wasn’t quite ten. And only one is worth repeating. I’m sorry.”
She smiled back. “It’s okay.”
Over Cheryl’s shoulder, a shadow flickered. Dimitri materialized, and Audra gasped involuntarily. She opened her mouth to speak, but he lifted a finger to his lips, gave a brief headshake and pointed to Cheryl and Trevor.
Of course. What was she thinking?
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Trevor asked.
“Nothing. Sorry. Everything’s fine.” She tugged his blankets, smoothing them over his legs. “You need anything?”
“No.”
“Call me if you do. I have to go check on some of my less charming patients. I’ll let you visit with your mom.”
“A couple of my friends are stopping by after school.”
Audra grinned at the hopeful lilt to his voice. “That’s great. See you soon.”
She headed toward the supply closet, assuming Dimitri would follow. He was obviously here to talk to her. Unless...Trevor.
Dear God, surely it wasn’t his time this soon. Dimitri couldn’t take him. Panic gripped her heart. She whirled, intending to rush back to Trevor’s room, to try to talk some sense into Dimitri, to beg, plead—
If he’d been solid, she’d have run right into him. He was there, behind her, close enough that she should have felt that cool spark of electricity, even when she hadn’t known he was there.
He lifted his brows. “What’s the matter?”
She let out a breath. She couldn’t answer him, not in public like this. She turned and continued to the supply closet.
Once they were inside and the door was shut, she still kept her voice low. “What are you doing here? Are you...reaping someone?”
His lip curled. “Not today.”
“Not today at all?”
“Well, not right now. Not at this moment. I never know when duty will call, but that’s not why I’m here.”
“Why are you here?”
“I wanted to check on you. Sorry I had to leave so abruptly the other night.”
“No problem. I’m sure you had someone to kill.”
“I don’t—” He shook his head, not finishing the sentence.
“This is all just so crazy.” Her voice quivered, and she swallowed hard. I will not cry in front of a reaper. “Why did you come here, really? If it’s not to take someone, why?”
He moved closer, staring down at her.
The cool sizzle reached out to her, and for a moment, she couldn’t breathe. She flinched and drew back, stopping when she made contact with the shelf behind her. What was wrong with her that this creature could incite sexual longing every time he was near?
“Something the matter?” he asked softly.
Ignoring the understatement of the century, she said, “Why do you always have to get so close?”
“Sorry.” He lifted his hands and backed away. “My bad. Sorry.”
He hadn’t answered her question, but at least he’d given her some breathing room. “Again, why are you here? The real reason.”
“I told you. I wanted to see if you’re okay. I regret having to leave you with Gaylen.”
“Oh yes, the dangerous harbinger of souls. As opposed to the safe one. Wouldn’t want that.”
He grinned. “What did he say to you? He didn’t try to...” He trailed off and frowned. “Well, no. He couldn’t have really harmed you at that time.”
“Why? What do you mean, at that time?”
“He can’t take someone unless they’re in jeopardy.”
“Jeopardy? As in, they’re going to die anyway?”
“Not necessarily. They can be ill, injured, any kind of momentary peril that they’d normally recover from. If Gaylen gets to them while they’re in that state, he can take them.”
“That night in the hospital. When you two...visited me. He was trying to help me. Trying to ease my pain.”
“He wanted to take you.”
“Kill me?”
“Yes. Don’t be fooled by his charming ways. It’s all an act.”
“How do I know it’s not all an act with you? That you’re not the one who’s trying to kill me?”
He
He gave a small smile. “Maybe it wasn’t quite ten. And only one is worth repeating. I’m sorry.”
She smiled back. “It’s okay.”
Over Cheryl’s shoulder, a shadow flickered. Dimitri materialized, and Audra gasped involuntarily. She opened her mouth to speak, but he lifted a finger to his lips, gave a brief headshake and pointed to Cheryl and Trevor.
Of course. What was she thinking?
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Trevor asked.
“Nothing. Sorry. Everything’s fine.” She tugged his blankets, smoothing them over his legs. “You need anything?”
“No.”
“Call me if you do. I have to go check on some of my less charming patients. I’ll let you visit with your mom.”
“A couple of my friends are stopping by after school.”
Audra grinned at the hopeful lilt to his voice. “That’s great. See you soon.”
She headed toward the supply closet, assuming Dimitri would follow. He was obviously here to talk to her. Unless...Trevor.
Dear God, surely it wasn’t his time this soon. Dimitri couldn’t take him. Panic gripped her heart. She whirled, intending to rush back to Trevor’s room, to try to talk some sense into Dimitri, to beg, plead—
If he’d been solid, she’d have run right into him. He was there, behind her, close enough that she should have felt that cool spark of electricity, even when she hadn’t known he was there.
He lifted his brows. “What’s the matter?”
She let out a breath. She couldn’t answer him, not in public like this. She turned and continued to the supply closet.
Once they were inside and the door was shut, she still kept her voice low. “What are you doing here? Are you...reaping someone?”
His lip curled. “Not today.”
“Not today at all?”
“Well, not right now. Not at this moment. I never know when duty will call, but that’s not why I’m here.”
“Why are you here?”
“I wanted to check on you. Sorry I had to leave so abruptly the other night.”
“No problem. I’m sure you had someone to kill.”
“I don’t—” He shook his head, not finishing the sentence.
“This is all just so crazy.” Her voice quivered, and she swallowed hard. I will not cry in front of a reaper. “Why did you come here, really? If it’s not to take someone, why?”
He moved closer, staring down at her.
The cool sizzle reached out to her, and for a moment, she couldn’t breathe. She flinched and drew back, stopping when she made contact with the shelf behind her. What was wrong with her that this creature could incite sexual longing every time he was near?
“Something the matter?” he asked softly.
Ignoring the understatement of the century, she said, “Why do you always have to get so close?”
“Sorry.” He lifted his hands and backed away. “My bad. Sorry.”
He hadn’t answered her question, but at least he’d given her some breathing room. “Again, why are you here? The real reason.”
“I told you. I wanted to see if you’re okay. I regret having to leave you with Gaylen.”
“Oh yes, the dangerous harbinger of souls. As opposed to the safe one. Wouldn’t want that.”
He grinned. “What did he say to you? He didn’t try to...” He trailed off and frowned. “Well, no. He couldn’t have really harmed you at that time.”
“Why? What do you mean, at that time?”
“He can’t take someone unless they’re in jeopardy.”
“Jeopardy? As in, they’re going to die anyway?”
“Not necessarily. They can be ill, injured, any kind of momentary peril that they’d normally recover from. If Gaylen gets to them while they’re in that state, he can take them.”
“That night in the hospital. When you two...visited me. He was trying to help me. Trying to ease my pain.”
“He wanted to take you.”
“Kill me?”
“Yes. Don’t be fooled by his charming ways. It’s all an act.”
“How do I know it’s not all an act with you? That you’re not the one who’s trying to kill me?”
He
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