him off. “I’m fine. Did you have
enough time to check the place out?”
He nodded, his mouth curled in a grin.
“What?” I asked.
Luke pointed to an area about thirty or
forty yards out. There were about a half dozen massive boulders
lying at random angles. “You couldn’t have picked a better spot to
meet this demon. Those rocks are a perfect place for me and the
others to take cover—not too far away, and plenty big enough to
hide all of us.”
I rubbed my arms, still feeling grimy from
Limos’ touch. I forced a small smile and took Luke’s hand. “Let’s
go. I can’t stand being here another second. We can talk more back
at your place.”
“Fine, but you’d better just pass out this
time because I don’t think I can handle another memory lapse.”
Like I have any control over that , I
thought. Then, I gave his hand a gentle squeeze and closed my eyes.
Moments later, we were sucked inside a blur of motion, and then
everything went black.
I regained my memory after nearly twenty
minutes of arguing with Luke—I’d been unconscious for a half hour
before that. I sat on his sofa, rubbing my temples with the tips of
my index and middle fingers. My clothes were filthy—ashes and dirt
plastered all over my jeans and tank top, but even they felt
cleaner than my soul. I glanced toward the back of the basement and
saw Luke sitting at the table, arms tightly folded in front of his
chest. Ashy-colored smears coated his black tee shirt, while his
gray jeans seemed to conceal most of the remnant leftovers from
Charon. Even through the dirt and grime, there was an
attractiveness to him, a sincere form of affection expanding from
the depths of my heart, settling on my bones like rich, viscous
honey. He was genuinely helping me, or helping Cole, but either way
he was seeing this through. Some vampires really weren’t bad—I’d
met two of them.
Luke caught me looking at him and I
hurriedly turned away, feeling heat flush my cheeks. I bit my
bottom lip, staring down at the floor. “I need to return to my
charge,” I mumbled under my breath.
“Fine. But if you leave before telling me
what the hell is going on, then you can count me out.”
My hands curled into fists, my breathing
grew shallow. “But you can’t quit. You’re supposed to help get Cole
back!”
Luke stood up and stepped toward me. “I
heard the agreement you made with that demon. You don’t need me to
get Cole back.” There was a blur and then Luke was kneeling in
front of me. He grabbed my chin, held it steady as his eyes
searched mine. “What you need me for is to cover your ass !
If I don’t go with you, then you’ll have to keep your deal with
that demon.”
I felt my eyes widen. “That’s not—” I
stopped before saying “true.” Luke was right. I’d been ready to do
this on my own but he’d stopped me and offered to help. But what I
hadn’t realized—until now—was that Luke was actually helping me . If it weren’t for him, I’d be giving myself to Limos
with no way out. Was Cole worth it? Yes—absolutely. But it was also
awesome having a way out.
Luke’s grip tightened on my chin. “Are you
talking, or leaving?”
If I told him my situation, it would weaken
my position even more than it already was. But I couldn’t afford to
lose his alliance against Limos. Feeling backed in a corner, I gave
him the only answer I could. “I’ll tell you, but, I have a question
of my own for you.”
“Nice try, Angel, but it’s me first on this
one. Now spill it!”
“I’m falling,” I cried out. “I’m falling
because I’m in love with a dark one.” My fists squeezed tighter,
and I could feel my nails digging into my palms. Luke’s position
never wavered. He held my face, his eyes soft and curious. It
reminded me of Cole, the way he looked at me just before everything
changed. Flashbacks of what had happened, and why, appeared with
such clarity, it was as if I were in that moment all over
again.
Cole
enough time to check the place out?”
He nodded, his mouth curled in a grin.
“What?” I asked.
Luke pointed to an area about thirty or
forty yards out. There were about a half dozen massive boulders
lying at random angles. “You couldn’t have picked a better spot to
meet this demon. Those rocks are a perfect place for me and the
others to take cover—not too far away, and plenty big enough to
hide all of us.”
I rubbed my arms, still feeling grimy from
Limos’ touch. I forced a small smile and took Luke’s hand. “Let’s
go. I can’t stand being here another second. We can talk more back
at your place.”
“Fine, but you’d better just pass out this
time because I don’t think I can handle another memory lapse.”
Like I have any control over that , I
thought. Then, I gave his hand a gentle squeeze and closed my eyes.
Moments later, we were sucked inside a blur of motion, and then
everything went black.
I regained my memory after nearly twenty
minutes of arguing with Luke—I’d been unconscious for a half hour
before that. I sat on his sofa, rubbing my temples with the tips of
my index and middle fingers. My clothes were filthy—ashes and dirt
plastered all over my jeans and tank top, but even they felt
cleaner than my soul. I glanced toward the back of the basement and
saw Luke sitting at the table, arms tightly folded in front of his
chest. Ashy-colored smears coated his black tee shirt, while his
gray jeans seemed to conceal most of the remnant leftovers from
Charon. Even through the dirt and grime, there was an
attractiveness to him, a sincere form of affection expanding from
the depths of my heart, settling on my bones like rich, viscous
honey. He was genuinely helping me, or helping Cole, but either way
he was seeing this through. Some vampires really weren’t bad—I’d
met two of them.
Luke caught me looking at him and I
hurriedly turned away, feeling heat flush my cheeks. I bit my
bottom lip, staring down at the floor. “I need to return to my
charge,” I mumbled under my breath.
“Fine. But if you leave before telling me
what the hell is going on, then you can count me out.”
My hands curled into fists, my breathing
grew shallow. “But you can’t quit. You’re supposed to help get Cole
back!”
Luke stood up and stepped toward me. “I
heard the agreement you made with that demon. You don’t need me to
get Cole back.” There was a blur and then Luke was kneeling in
front of me. He grabbed my chin, held it steady as his eyes
searched mine. “What you need me for is to cover your ass !
If I don’t go with you, then you’ll have to keep your deal with
that demon.”
I felt my eyes widen. “That’s not—” I
stopped before saying “true.” Luke was right. I’d been ready to do
this on my own but he’d stopped me and offered to help. But what I
hadn’t realized—until now—was that Luke was actually helping me . If it weren’t for him, I’d be giving myself to Limos
with no way out. Was Cole worth it? Yes—absolutely. But it was also
awesome having a way out.
Luke’s grip tightened on my chin. “Are you
talking, or leaving?”
If I told him my situation, it would weaken
my position even more than it already was. But I couldn’t afford to
lose his alliance against Limos. Feeling backed in a corner, I gave
him the only answer I could. “I’ll tell you, but, I have a question
of my own for you.”
“Nice try, Angel, but it’s me first on this
one. Now spill it!”
“I’m falling,” I cried out. “I’m falling
because I’m in love with a dark one.” My fists squeezed tighter,
and I could feel my nails digging into my palms. Luke’s position
never wavered. He held my face, his eyes soft and curious. It
reminded me of Cole, the way he looked at me just before everything
changed. Flashbacks of what had happened, and why, appeared with
such clarity, it was as if I were in that moment all over
again.
Cole
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