of nausea swept over him , and his head grew dark as he lifted it. The world shrank into a cold tiny point
and then he knew no more.
Chapter 13
Daniel woke to the feeling of what seemed to be the beginning of a summer rain. Large
warm drops were falling to land heavily on his cheeks and forehead. Warm air caressed
his face, bringing a sweet scent he knew but couldn’t name.
If there’s a heaven this is what it should feel like, he mused. I would have died sooner if I had known it might be like this.
“Please don’t let him die.” The voice that carried those words was Kate’s , and when he opened his eyes he could see her praying over him. The warm raindrops
turned out to be her tears , and the breeze was a product of her heaving chest. Her eyes were squeezed tightly
shut as she prayed , and as he opened his mouth to reassure her , a fresh tear landed on his upper lip. Tasting the salt of it brought a strange peace
to his heart.
“I’m still here, Kate,” he told her quietly.
A flash of viridian impaled him as her eyes shot wide. Soft red curls cascaded down
around him as she released her hair to put her hands on either side of his face.
Leaning down she put her cheek against his and wept some more, letting the sorrow
drain slowly out of her, until at last she was still.
Daniel’s arms seemed to be working much more reliably now , and he used them to cradle her against him. Neither of them spoke. Not daring to
interrupt that one perfect moment, he used his mind to silently explore their surroundings. Ronnie Banks laid not far away, his body utterly still. There was no movement in him, neither his
lungs nor his heart moved. He was dead.
Aston and Billy were nowhere to be found. Seth was close by , and to Daniel’s relief his heart still beat strongly. Seth’s eyes were closed and
his breathing slow , so Daniel thought he must still be unconscious. His aura gave the appearance of
someone who was sleeping.
Blue? Anxiously he sought his dog. He found him not on the slope below but lying beside
him. His first reaction was to think that Blue had returned to lie there, but a second later he knew that Blue was dead.
Kate had gone to find him , and brought him back to lie beside his master. She was still naked and injured,
but that had been her first action after checking on her two male companions. If
Daniel had ever wondered at the reasons he loved her, those doubts disappeared then.
Blue’s death brought out his own tears , and he began to cry along with her, letting the pain tear away the wall he had kept
between himself and his emotions. He cried like a child, without shame or restraint,
until there was nothing left. Still she clung to him.
Her naked skin was smooth under his hands, but his baser instincts never rose to the
fore. When they eventually separated and found their feet he looked at her, studying
the dirt and bruises that had marked her lithe figure.
She stared back at him, unashamed of her nudity. She wore her bare skin with the
dignity of a queen.
“We need to get him up to the house,” said Daniel, looking at Seth.
“I wasn’t strong enough to drag either of you up the hill,” admitted Kate.
That surprised him. He hadn’t realized he had been so completely unconscious. “How
long was I out?”
“Close to an hour,” she told him.
“Damn.” Bending down he worked to arrange Seth’s limbs until he could get his arms
beneath his friend’s knees and shoulders. Letting out a slow groan he stood, lifting
Seth from the ground. “I think I can get him all the way,” he told her, “If you’ll
carry…” His voice choked before he could say “ Blue ” .
She nodded, understanding immediately , and together they carried Seth and the dog up to her house.
Daniel worried about seeing Brenda when they got there, but he dismissed the thought instantly . There were far more important things to think about. “Does your mother know
and then he knew no more.
Chapter 13
Daniel woke to the feeling of what seemed to be the beginning of a summer rain. Large
warm drops were falling to land heavily on his cheeks and forehead. Warm air caressed
his face, bringing a sweet scent he knew but couldn’t name.
If there’s a heaven this is what it should feel like, he mused. I would have died sooner if I had known it might be like this.
“Please don’t let him die.” The voice that carried those words was Kate’s , and when he opened his eyes he could see her praying over him. The warm raindrops
turned out to be her tears , and the breeze was a product of her heaving chest. Her eyes were squeezed tightly
shut as she prayed , and as he opened his mouth to reassure her , a fresh tear landed on his upper lip. Tasting the salt of it brought a strange peace
to his heart.
“I’m still here, Kate,” he told her quietly.
A flash of viridian impaled him as her eyes shot wide. Soft red curls cascaded down
around him as she released her hair to put her hands on either side of his face.
Leaning down she put her cheek against his and wept some more, letting the sorrow
drain slowly out of her, until at last she was still.
Daniel’s arms seemed to be working much more reliably now , and he used them to cradle her against him. Neither of them spoke. Not daring to
interrupt that one perfect moment, he used his mind to silently explore their surroundings. Ronnie Banks laid not far away, his body utterly still. There was no movement in him, neither his
lungs nor his heart moved. He was dead.
Aston and Billy were nowhere to be found. Seth was close by , and to Daniel’s relief his heart still beat strongly. Seth’s eyes were closed and
his breathing slow , so Daniel thought he must still be unconscious. His aura gave the appearance of
someone who was sleeping.
Blue? Anxiously he sought his dog. He found him not on the slope below but lying beside
him. His first reaction was to think that Blue had returned to lie there, but a second later he knew that Blue was dead.
Kate had gone to find him , and brought him back to lie beside his master. She was still naked and injured,
but that had been her first action after checking on her two male companions. If
Daniel had ever wondered at the reasons he loved her, those doubts disappeared then.
Blue’s death brought out his own tears , and he began to cry along with her, letting the pain tear away the wall he had kept
between himself and his emotions. He cried like a child, without shame or restraint,
until there was nothing left. Still she clung to him.
Her naked skin was smooth under his hands, but his baser instincts never rose to the
fore. When they eventually separated and found their feet he looked at her, studying
the dirt and bruises that had marked her lithe figure.
She stared back at him, unashamed of her nudity. She wore her bare skin with the
dignity of a queen.
“We need to get him up to the house,” said Daniel, looking at Seth.
“I wasn’t strong enough to drag either of you up the hill,” admitted Kate.
That surprised him. He hadn’t realized he had been so completely unconscious. “How
long was I out?”
“Close to an hour,” she told him.
“Damn.” Bending down he worked to arrange Seth’s limbs until he could get his arms
beneath his friend’s knees and shoulders. Letting out a slow groan he stood, lifting
Seth from the ground. “I think I can get him all the way,” he told her, “If you’ll
carry…” His voice choked before he could say “ Blue ” .
She nodded, understanding immediately , and together they carried Seth and the dog up to her house.
Daniel worried about seeing Brenda when they got there, but he dismissed the thought instantly . There were far more important things to think about. “Does your mother know
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