bottom.
Unfortunately, the only thing she was able to find was the dead family. She made a small "eek" noise--she had briefly forgotten they were still at the kitchen table--and Sam turned his crimson eyes on her.
"You see what happens to the Stained."
Julia stepped toward Cayne. He glared at Samyaza and asked, "Stained?"
"Don't play the fool, Cayuzul."
"It's Cayne. And I'm not playing."
Sam snorted. "It matters not what you call yourself. But changing your name does not change your mission."
"My mission?"
Sam glanced at Julia and laughed. "I would like to be there when you remember."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Cayuzul, I tire of this game." Sam's voice was firm. Clearly, for him, the conversation was over. "Give me the girl, or I will take her."
"Not a chance."
Before Cayne had even finished the words, Samyaza was on him. Cayne deflected his first blow, but Sam caught him with an elbow to the chin.
Cayne's head snapped back, and Sam stabbed him in the chest. He staggered, and Sam swiped at his face. He dodged that blow but crumpled as Samyaza's dagger sliced his throat.
Julia screamed as Cayne choked on his blood. It splattered on the rug. Samyaza descended on him like an animal, punching and kicking and cutting in a blur.
Julia's heart seemed to double in size and white light pulsed behind her eyes. She reached for Cayne's aura and screamed as Sam drove his blade into his heart.
Cayne's knees hit the ground, and Julia became a valve. Her energy poured into him like a lake exploding through a dam, taking his pain, healing his wounds.
She watched her bright light flow into the flickering shadow of his aura. Her vision blanked, the scene before her replaced by foreign faces. Lips folding back to scream in agony. Children. Old men. Women. All gasping for a dying breath. And then, as if in memory, she saw Cayne. He was different somehow. Smiling. Watching with joy a head of soft brown curls, eyes blinking in tune with an amber gaze...
As Julia's body gave out, she saw two huge charcoal wings sprout from his back.
For a while she knew only dream things: feathers and blood and snow and feathers and kisses and curls and covers and caves and snow and snow and blood.
Cognizance came, a flash of light.
She was aware of something heavy and soft tucked snugly around her. Other things, soft things, crawled across her cheeks. Stroking. Someone was holding her. Beneath a thorough numbness ran agony, hot and bright. Her eyes flickered back--pink curtains--and forth. And there he was, pale and angry. Maybe heaven wouldn't let him in.
Chapter 20
Nathan scowled. The object of his displeasure smiled sweetly. She even batted her long lashes. Infuriating.
"The common room--"
"Is a common room," she interrupted. Her coffee eyes sparkled as she waved her left arm across the great stone cathedral. "For commoners ."
Nathan clenched his fists to his sides and ground his teeth. Of the two dozen or so people milling about, only a few were paying them any attention. But even one was too many. Why did she insist on undermining him? Why did she continue to insult his position? Because he followed the rules? Because he was dedicated to their cause? It didn't make sense.
Summoning all his patience, Nathan tried to reason with the unreasonable. "Meredith, the common room is a place for fellowship, not sunbathing." He glanced up at the crystal prism that stretched hundreds of feet above their heads. Thousands of stars twinkled in the dark sky. "And the sun went down four hours ago."
She shrugged. "It was up when I fell asleep. And look," she tugged on a filmy sash tied around her waist, "I changed."
Nathan suppressed a sigh. The flimsy fabric did little to hide what was underneath. "Meredith, I--"
"Want to ruin everyone's fun," she supplied with a smile. She tossed her long, black hair over her suntanned shoulder. "Or maybe you can't control Little Nate when there's a girl in a bathing suit around?"
She giggled and bent at the waste, offering
Unfortunately, the only thing she was able to find was the dead family. She made a small "eek" noise--she had briefly forgotten they were still at the kitchen table--and Sam turned his crimson eyes on her.
"You see what happens to the Stained."
Julia stepped toward Cayne. He glared at Samyaza and asked, "Stained?"
"Don't play the fool, Cayuzul."
"It's Cayne. And I'm not playing."
Sam snorted. "It matters not what you call yourself. But changing your name does not change your mission."
"My mission?"
Sam glanced at Julia and laughed. "I would like to be there when you remember."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Cayuzul, I tire of this game." Sam's voice was firm. Clearly, for him, the conversation was over. "Give me the girl, or I will take her."
"Not a chance."
Before Cayne had even finished the words, Samyaza was on him. Cayne deflected his first blow, but Sam caught him with an elbow to the chin.
Cayne's head snapped back, and Sam stabbed him in the chest. He staggered, and Sam swiped at his face. He dodged that blow but crumpled as Samyaza's dagger sliced his throat.
Julia screamed as Cayne choked on his blood. It splattered on the rug. Samyaza descended on him like an animal, punching and kicking and cutting in a blur.
Julia's heart seemed to double in size and white light pulsed behind her eyes. She reached for Cayne's aura and screamed as Sam drove his blade into his heart.
Cayne's knees hit the ground, and Julia became a valve. Her energy poured into him like a lake exploding through a dam, taking his pain, healing his wounds.
She watched her bright light flow into the flickering shadow of his aura. Her vision blanked, the scene before her replaced by foreign faces. Lips folding back to scream in agony. Children. Old men. Women. All gasping for a dying breath. And then, as if in memory, she saw Cayne. He was different somehow. Smiling. Watching with joy a head of soft brown curls, eyes blinking in tune with an amber gaze...
As Julia's body gave out, she saw two huge charcoal wings sprout from his back.
For a while she knew only dream things: feathers and blood and snow and feathers and kisses and curls and covers and caves and snow and snow and blood.
Cognizance came, a flash of light.
She was aware of something heavy and soft tucked snugly around her. Other things, soft things, crawled across her cheeks. Stroking. Someone was holding her. Beneath a thorough numbness ran agony, hot and bright. Her eyes flickered back--pink curtains--and forth. And there he was, pale and angry. Maybe heaven wouldn't let him in.
Chapter 20
Nathan scowled. The object of his displeasure smiled sweetly. She even batted her long lashes. Infuriating.
"The common room--"
"Is a common room," she interrupted. Her coffee eyes sparkled as she waved her left arm across the great stone cathedral. "For commoners ."
Nathan clenched his fists to his sides and ground his teeth. Of the two dozen or so people milling about, only a few were paying them any attention. But even one was too many. Why did she insist on undermining him? Why did she continue to insult his position? Because he followed the rules? Because he was dedicated to their cause? It didn't make sense.
Summoning all his patience, Nathan tried to reason with the unreasonable. "Meredith, the common room is a place for fellowship, not sunbathing." He glanced up at the crystal prism that stretched hundreds of feet above their heads. Thousands of stars twinkled in the dark sky. "And the sun went down four hours ago."
She shrugged. "It was up when I fell asleep. And look," she tugged on a filmy sash tied around her waist, "I changed."
Nathan suppressed a sigh. The flimsy fabric did little to hide what was underneath. "Meredith, I--"
"Want to ruin everyone's fun," she supplied with a smile. She tossed her long, black hair over her suntanned shoulder. "Or maybe you can't control Little Nate when there's a girl in a bathing suit around?"
She giggled and bent at the waste, offering
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