me an ounce of kindness, let alone love. I wasn’t even sure if I knew how to love, but I thought I loved Azriel. He had to love me, as well. He showed me kindness and passion. He protected me and saved my life. If that wasn’t love, I didn’t know what was.
Had Joe’s mistress felt protected?
I left my corporeal form, and Azriel stirred for a moment before settling back into sleep. The gray hour of dawn couldn’t be too far away, so rather than take the chance of being caught without the shroud of shadow to protect me; I dressed in the suit and tucked my hair up into the fedora. I cast one last look at Azriel and brushed my fingers through the silky-soft strands of his hair. He couldn’t protect me forever. I was going to have to learn how to take care of myself.
I wandered invisible, unsure of where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do. It’s not like I was looking for trouble, but for some reason, I almost hoped that trouble would come looking for me.
With nowhere else to go, I found myself standing in front of the building Joe Connolly had used to meet with his mistress. I stared up at the fourth story window, thinking of the emptiness in the man’s eyes when he died. I’d always known that Azriel was dangerous. Deadly. God help any fool who dared to cross him. He’d called Joe’s girlfriend a liability. And though I hadn’t thought anything of it at the time, I’d realized since our meeting with Lorik that I was a liability, as well. I didn’t want to be his weakness, the one thing an enemy could use as leverage. I may have been immortal, but neither Azriel nor I were completely safe from harm.
The sound of a scuffle floated to my ears on the morning breeze, and I turned my attention to the source. I narrowed my eyes, concentrated my preternatural senses and zeroed in on the ruckus that came not from around the block, but further away––closer to the waterfront.
It wouldn’t be long before the sun crested the eastern horizon. The gray hour was upon me, and I used the last minutes of darkness to speed through the city streets past Pike Place Market into the warehouse district. I knew the area all too well. I’d learned some very valuable lessons on this pier fifteen years ago: that I was stronger than I could have ever imagined, and that mercy was a weakness I couldn’t afford.
A woman’s enraged shriek brought me out of my reverie, and I followed the sound from Belltown all the way to Colman Dock. Four men, dressed in ragged sweaters and caps pulled low over their heads, struggled with a slight but furious girl who kicked and scratched at them as they tried to shove her into the baggage room.
Something inside me snapped. It had been almost two decades since I’d been a victim in any form, but I knew the fear this woman felt. I entered the fray, even though mere minutes would see me trapped in my corporeal form. I was substantially stronger than a human man. I could have broken one’s neck, long ago. I didn’t need any other proof than that memory to solidify the belief that I could—and would—end a life before the sun rose if need be.
“Ah! God damn it, she bit me!” One of the men shouted, and a loud crack resounded in the vast covered dock as he rounded on the girl and slapped her.
A snarl tore from my throat as I grabbed the bastard by the shoulder and threw him a good ten feet away. Wood splintered as he crashed into a crate, and his grunt of pain gave me a perverse sense of satisfaction. I kicked at attacker number two, glad I’d worn the pants Azriel bought me tonight. The range of motion was wonderful. I would be hard pressed to go out in a dress ever again. I’d managed to stop two out of the four men, and rather than continue on my violent rampage, I centered my attention on the girl who slapped and kicked and tried her hardest to escape the iron grip of the men who still had a hold of her.
I wrenched her free with no effort whatsoever and sent her stumbling toward the
Had Joe’s mistress felt protected?
I left my corporeal form, and Azriel stirred for a moment before settling back into sleep. The gray hour of dawn couldn’t be too far away, so rather than take the chance of being caught without the shroud of shadow to protect me; I dressed in the suit and tucked my hair up into the fedora. I cast one last look at Azriel and brushed my fingers through the silky-soft strands of his hair. He couldn’t protect me forever. I was going to have to learn how to take care of myself.
I wandered invisible, unsure of where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do. It’s not like I was looking for trouble, but for some reason, I almost hoped that trouble would come looking for me.
With nowhere else to go, I found myself standing in front of the building Joe Connolly had used to meet with his mistress. I stared up at the fourth story window, thinking of the emptiness in the man’s eyes when he died. I’d always known that Azriel was dangerous. Deadly. God help any fool who dared to cross him. He’d called Joe’s girlfriend a liability. And though I hadn’t thought anything of it at the time, I’d realized since our meeting with Lorik that I was a liability, as well. I didn’t want to be his weakness, the one thing an enemy could use as leverage. I may have been immortal, but neither Azriel nor I were completely safe from harm.
The sound of a scuffle floated to my ears on the morning breeze, and I turned my attention to the source. I narrowed my eyes, concentrated my preternatural senses and zeroed in on the ruckus that came not from around the block, but further away––closer to the waterfront.
It wouldn’t be long before the sun crested the eastern horizon. The gray hour was upon me, and I used the last minutes of darkness to speed through the city streets past Pike Place Market into the warehouse district. I knew the area all too well. I’d learned some very valuable lessons on this pier fifteen years ago: that I was stronger than I could have ever imagined, and that mercy was a weakness I couldn’t afford.
A woman’s enraged shriek brought me out of my reverie, and I followed the sound from Belltown all the way to Colman Dock. Four men, dressed in ragged sweaters and caps pulled low over their heads, struggled with a slight but furious girl who kicked and scratched at them as they tried to shove her into the baggage room.
Something inside me snapped. It had been almost two decades since I’d been a victim in any form, but I knew the fear this woman felt. I entered the fray, even though mere minutes would see me trapped in my corporeal form. I was substantially stronger than a human man. I could have broken one’s neck, long ago. I didn’t need any other proof than that memory to solidify the belief that I could—and would—end a life before the sun rose if need be.
“Ah! God damn it, she bit me!” One of the men shouted, and a loud crack resounded in the vast covered dock as he rounded on the girl and slapped her.
A snarl tore from my throat as I grabbed the bastard by the shoulder and threw him a good ten feet away. Wood splintered as he crashed into a crate, and his grunt of pain gave me a perverse sense of satisfaction. I kicked at attacker number two, glad I’d worn the pants Azriel bought me tonight. The range of motion was wonderful. I would be hard pressed to go out in a dress ever again. I’d managed to stop two out of the four men, and rather than continue on my violent rampage, I centered my attention on the girl who slapped and kicked and tried her hardest to escape the iron grip of the men who still had a hold of her.
I wrenched her free with no effort whatsoever and sent her stumbling toward the
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