all
memories she knew were true, and as she worked through the list, her mind
cleared. In her experience with vampires, when you felt calm speaking to one,
you were about to become their dinner. Vampires did not toy with their food;
they took it without hesitation or mesmerized their victim. Blood now coated
her arms in a sticky crimson lace. A vampire would not be able to contain
himself with the scent available to his sensitive nose.
“That doesn’t sound like such a good idea,” the man
commented.
She chanced a quick look down at him and saw a mop of wind-swept
black hair on a man who, from this angle, looked built to support heavy armor.
His body was all slabs of muscle over a solid, powerful frame. She sucked much
needed air into her lungs, releasing it through dry lips. He wasn’t a vampire,
she was sure of that.
The branch she clung to swayed in the wind and groaned under
her weight. She gulped back her fear, focusing on the man again. No vampire
could tan, and this man’s skin sported the deep, rusty hues of an islander.
Some of the older vampires, ones who avoided the light, had skin so light and
thin their veins were visible near the surface. There were worse creatures in
this city, but for Marian, vamps just gave her the creeps.
“If you have a better idea, I would love to hear it, mate.”
Her eyes closed tight as the ground started dropping away, her mind playing tricks
in its fear.
“You’re afraid of heights.” It wasn’t a question. “So why
did you decide to kill yourself by jumping from a height?”
“No one asked me if I would like to jump, or fall, but that
seems to be what God handed me, so that’s how I’m going to die.” Marian said
this all very fast as she tried not to dwell on the large beef hamburger she’d
had for lunch, which was making a sharp U-turn in her stomach. Her guts
clenched as a wave of nausea engulfed her.
“So you don’t want to kill yourself?”
“Have you not been listening?” she snapped, growing
agitated. Marian tried not to focus on the deep, sexy voice lacing through her
subconscious.
“Why did you climb the tree if you weren’t going to jump?”
Was that the hint of a snicker? “Are you going to
talk to me all night or are you going to ninja up some way to get me down?” She
gulped several times to keep the burger in its place as the sharp taste of bile
rose in her throat.
“Are you going to ask me for help?”
His voice sent tremors through her, which had nothing to do
with fear. As though he spoke to her center, heat built there in response to
the purr as he pronounced each power-laced word.
“You’re laughing at me!” she scolded him. Swallowing, the
heat left her veins. “You’re laughing at me, and I’m going to barf on your
gorgeous head.” She heaved, a low sound deep in her chest.
The smile dropped from the man’s face, but he didn’t attempt
to move from the line of fire. He stood, strong and commanding, as if by sheer
will he could stop her from throwing up on him.
“You’re not going to throw up,” he told her.
“Damn straight I’m not going to throw up.” Why had she
thought she was going to hurl?
“You don’t need my help, you can descend yourself.”
Looking down to tell him to piss off, she saw the ground
fall away with a sharp lurch. Dread gripped her chest. “Oh my God, I’m going to die .” She screamed a little louder than she intended and several people
passing in the street below her turned to look.
“You can just climb down.”
The smooth melody of his voice held such authority, she felt
her body wanting to obey. Muscles flexed and moved as they took her weight,
readying her to jump.
Marian , her mind said, this isn’t what you want to
do. Think. The command slid off her like water over glass as she
subconsciously raised her barriers.
“Fuck off!” She looked down. His angular face turned toward
her, his eyebrows raised in surprise. “What?” Her traitorous voice cracked.
“No one
memories she knew were true, and as she worked through the list, her mind
cleared. In her experience with vampires, when you felt calm speaking to one,
you were about to become their dinner. Vampires did not toy with their food;
they took it without hesitation or mesmerized their victim. Blood now coated
her arms in a sticky crimson lace. A vampire would not be able to contain
himself with the scent available to his sensitive nose.
“That doesn’t sound like such a good idea,” the man
commented.
She chanced a quick look down at him and saw a mop of wind-swept
black hair on a man who, from this angle, looked built to support heavy armor.
His body was all slabs of muscle over a solid, powerful frame. She sucked much
needed air into her lungs, releasing it through dry lips. He wasn’t a vampire,
she was sure of that.
The branch she clung to swayed in the wind and groaned under
her weight. She gulped back her fear, focusing on the man again. No vampire
could tan, and this man’s skin sported the deep, rusty hues of an islander.
Some of the older vampires, ones who avoided the light, had skin so light and
thin their veins were visible near the surface. There were worse creatures in
this city, but for Marian, vamps just gave her the creeps.
“If you have a better idea, I would love to hear it, mate.”
Her eyes closed tight as the ground started dropping away, her mind playing tricks
in its fear.
“You’re afraid of heights.” It wasn’t a question. “So why
did you decide to kill yourself by jumping from a height?”
“No one asked me if I would like to jump, or fall, but that
seems to be what God handed me, so that’s how I’m going to die.” Marian said
this all very fast as she tried not to dwell on the large beef hamburger she’d
had for lunch, which was making a sharp U-turn in her stomach. Her guts
clenched as a wave of nausea engulfed her.
“So you don’t want to kill yourself?”
“Have you not been listening?” she snapped, growing
agitated. Marian tried not to focus on the deep, sexy voice lacing through her
subconscious.
“Why did you climb the tree if you weren’t going to jump?”
Was that the hint of a snicker? “Are you going to
talk to me all night or are you going to ninja up some way to get me down?” She
gulped several times to keep the burger in its place as the sharp taste of bile
rose in her throat.
“Are you going to ask me for help?”
His voice sent tremors through her, which had nothing to do
with fear. As though he spoke to her center, heat built there in response to
the purr as he pronounced each power-laced word.
“You’re laughing at me!” she scolded him. Swallowing, the
heat left her veins. “You’re laughing at me, and I’m going to barf on your
gorgeous head.” She heaved, a low sound deep in her chest.
The smile dropped from the man’s face, but he didn’t attempt
to move from the line of fire. He stood, strong and commanding, as if by sheer
will he could stop her from throwing up on him.
“You’re not going to throw up,” he told her.
“Damn straight I’m not going to throw up.” Why had she
thought she was going to hurl?
“You don’t need my help, you can descend yourself.”
Looking down to tell him to piss off, she saw the ground
fall away with a sharp lurch. Dread gripped her chest. “Oh my God, I’m going to die .” She screamed a little louder than she intended and several people
passing in the street below her turned to look.
“You can just climb down.”
The smooth melody of his voice held such authority, she felt
her body wanting to obey. Muscles flexed and moved as they took her weight,
readying her to jump.
Marian , her mind said, this isn’t what you want to
do. Think. The command slid off her like water over glass as she
subconsciously raised her barriers.
“Fuck off!” She looked down. His angular face turned toward
her, his eyebrows raised in surprise. “What?” Her traitorous voice cracked.
“No one
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