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hand, things could also go terribly wrong.
* * * *
Aly stood in front of the counter as Jules rustled through a small bag made of
crimson cloth on the counter. She pulled out items and named them as she went.
One was for protection, another to ward off vampires. The men waited outside
since the cloves overwhelmed their senses.
Trés bon. Do you believe in God, Alyson?
Aly s eyes widened. She hadn t expected the woman to ask that. Somehow,
that word and Jules just didn t go together. Yes.
Don t lie to me. Are you sure?
Yes. I m sure.
Then this should work well for you. An enchanted silver cross. It is very old,
one that my Rocheleaux had before he changed. She held it up and the cross
began to shake. The silver shined brighter. Jules gasped and stuffed it back into
the bag. She whispered, Mon dieu.
Why did it do that?
It must be the cicatrice. That is the reaction it has to vampires. She tucked
the bag under the counter. This is not normal, Alyson. I must research it.
Aly laughed. Nothing s normal about this whole situation.
Jules took her hand. In your world, it is not. In the real world, this world, it is
as normal as one gets. You must learn to trust yourself and the will of those who
protect you. They are your only hope.
Aly nodded.
No, young one. I have been where you are. I loved one of the La Famille du
Sang. It was not easy, but it was real. Hold onto that. From this moment on, there
is nothing left of your old life. Trying to go back will only give you heartache.
I will.
Jules patted her hand. If you make it through the night, come back and I will
give you books to study.
Aly nodded.
This life is not all bad. Like your friend out there. She pointed toward the
door. He s very loyal.
Aly smiled and scooped up the trinkets. Yes, he is.
Take care of him, ami. Good luck with this. I hope to see you soon.
So do I.
Chapter Eleven
READY? ALY ASKED, AND HOPED TORIN COULD HEAR HER EVEN THOUGH
they couldn t see each other. She stared at the rusted dockside warehouse and
squeezed her hands on the steering wheel. If the werewolves and Torin were
hiding out there, she couldn t see them.
Let s get this over with, she said to herself and took off the seatbelt.
The vehicle crept forward. Nervous just didn t describe the feeling she had, an
overall sense of impending doom was more like it. Her throat was so tight she
could hardly breathe.
She stopped just short of the graffiti painted garage door. Then, she pressed
her hand to the horn until it beeped three times. When the door rolled up
overhead, she slipped her foot off the brakes and let the car roll forward.
Inside the warehouse, shadows and light from fires burning in oil drums
danced around the periphery of the room. Two young men stood, one to the right
and one to the left, in gray camouflage with matching combat boots. The one on
the left had spiky hair. He waved her forward while another, larger man with long
white hair, a black shirt, and jeans stared at her from the center of the space.
She eased into the building while the garage door closed behind her. The man
from the forest suddenly appeared at her door and opened it. Her heart thudded
against her ribs. Up close, his soft features and pale blue eyes were almost sweet.
Even though he d been close enough to kiss her, she d never clearly seen his face.
Please step out, Miss Wingate. He motioned toward the room. Our mistress
would like to speak with you.
What s your name? She didn t want to, but she slid her legs out the door.
Wouldn t you like to know? He closed the car door behind her and she
sidestepped once to put distance between them.
Aly kept her back close enough to the car that no one could squeeze between
her and it. When the guys came in, she wanted to be able to move. Worst-case
scenario, the car would burst through the metal doors to get her out.
She took a steadying breath, and remembered to swallow her feelings, too.
Smart wolf of yours. He s taught you well. A female voice called from the
darkness.
Aly squinted, then closed her eyes and opened them. A female form draped in
a sleeveless black dress that hugged her form and dragged the ground moved into
the light. Slits snaked up both sides of the skirt, so that when she walked most of
her thigh was visible. The top dipped so low that it threatened to show her navel
at its lowest point. The woman s black mane flowed like silk to her chin, and then
stopped abruptly, making Aly wonder if someone had hacked it off in a fit of rage.
The woman s face was pale as milk; her eyes painted dark, and her lips were the
color of fresh blood.
Yes, I can read your thoughts. But I don t have to. I know William quite well.
The woman s words were like a hard slap in the face.
Oh, didn t he tell you?
Wil didn t tell her a lot, but this wasn t true. No sooner than she questioned it,
a thought came to her. Wolves hate us. Someone spoke, even through the blocks.
Has the cat got your tongue? Nocturne was close now, but still not quite far
enough to reach her.
No. I was just thinking about what a liar you are.
The woman smiled and revealed tiny white fangs. You should watch your
tongue if you don t want to lose it.
They didn t have time for this. Any minute, the guys would bust the doors
down. Where s my sister?
Oh, she s around here somewhere. The woman glanced right and left.
Kayla, dear?
Kayla stumbled from the dark as if pushed. How many were there? Four for
sure, but certainly there were more lurking in the darkness?
When the light struck her, it was clear that they'd beaten her. She was pale
with dark, anemic circles under her eyes. On her neck and wrists were the
remains of dried blood. She looked the same as in the vision and it made Aly s
body ache with memory.
She straightened and turned toward Nocturne. Kayla had to go. She didn t ask
for any of this. All right. Let her go and I won t even struggle.
Well, aren t we one for demands? The woman snorted. What if I take both
of you?
Aly s heart dropped to her stomach. No. That wasn t the deal. Let her go.
The woman laughed, that same ear-shattering laugh. When Aly reached to
cover her ears, it stopped.
We can t do that, Love. We need you both. Nocturne shrugged. Besides,
either I keep you two, or take you two and your wolf. It s up to you.
Aly glanced at Kayla, then back to the woman. Could Wil save them fast
enough or would Kayla die in the process? It was a big risk to take and her money
was on the latter.
Someone whistled from the rafters. It s a trick. She brought the wolves.
No, it s not, Aly threw up her hands. They re only here to make sure Kayla
goes free like you said.
Nocturne bit her lip and crooked a finger in her direction. Come here then.
With the other hand, she motioned toward the door. Take this one outside. Give
her to the wolves.
Aly took a steadying breath and stepped away from the vehicle. She smiled at
the sight of Kayla stumbling toward the garage door with spiky hair. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] - zanotowane.pl
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