Page 19 of His Fiery Mate

Before Melisandre could respond, a sudden movement caught her eye. She snapped the binoculars back up, focusing intently. "Hold on. I think we've got something."

Tanner leaned forward, squinting through the windshield and grabbing a second set of binoculars. A shadowy figure emerged from the alley, moving swiftly toward the building they were watching. The figure was cloaked in darkness, barely discernible against the dimly lit street.

"Is that our guy?" Tanner's heart rate quickened.

"Only one way to find out," Melisandre said, her tone tense.

She reached for the radio but stopped when Tanner laid his hand on hers. “We’re on our own. I think it’s too early to involve anyone else.”

The almost spectral figure paused at the entrance, looking around cautiously. Tanner's breath caught in his throat as he watched the person pull something from their coat—a small canister. The figure quickly set to work, attaching the canister to the door.

"He's rigging it," Tanner hissed. "We need to move."

Melisandre nodded, her expression grim. "Let's go."

They both burst out of the SUV, sprinting toward the building. Not having guns to pull might have been an issue for a couple of humans, but a hellhound and a dragon were lethal without the aid of weapons. The figure glanced up, startled, and took off running the moment he or she saw them. Tanner and Melisandre gave chase, their footsteps echoing through the streets as they ran from the municipal building towards the harbor.

The suspect darted down a narrow alley, and they followed, their breath forming clouds in the frigid air. Tanner pushed himself to keep up, Melisandre right beside him. The chase led them through the maze-like streets of Kodiak, past shuttered shops and darkened homes. Each footstep took them closer to the harbor, which made no sense as there would be no escape.

As they rounded a corner, the figure suddenly vaulted over a chain-link fence into one of the alleys that led to another street, headed toward the dock. Tanner and Melisandre skidded to a halt, exchanging a quick glance. Without hesitation, they scaled the fence, landing awkwardly on the other side.

The figure was getting away. Tanner's frustration mounted as they continued the pursuit, their quarry always just out of reach. They emerged onto the main seawall that fronted the marina, the figure weaving through coiled ropes, anchors, freezers, and other boat paraphernalia with an agility that belied the bulk of its coat.

"He's fast," Tanner muttered, gritting his teeth.

"But we're faster," Melisandre shot back, determination gleaming in her eyes.

They pushed harder, closing the distance inch by inch. The figure glanced over its shoulder, panic evident in its movements. In a desperate bid to escape, the suspect veered into a side street, heading towards the docks.

Tanner's pulse raced as the figure turned sharply and ran down a narrow dock. The cold, salty air stung Tanner’s face, but he ignored it, focused solely on catching their target. The figure stumbled, losing its balance for a split second before the night split into a contained explosion all around it and from the fire emerged a large bird with wings that were made of shards of ice instead of feathers. Its tail resembled three long stalactite formations with the middle of the trio being the longest. It flapped its wings, gaining distance and altitude as it pulled away from the dock and its pursuers.

Next to him, a blazing mist with shards of fire and ice began to swirl around Melisandre. Tanner reached into the mist and pulled her out.

“What are you doing? You’re letting him get away,” she snarled.

“I’m not letting you go after him by yourself.”

“Last time I checked, you weren’t the boss of me.”

“Then you haven’t checked lately. That bird—what the hell was that anyway, some kind of albatross?”

“Close. An ice phoenix. They were supposed to have died out a long time ago. But it’s a freaking bird, Tanner; I’m a dragon. I’m going after it.”

He still had hold of her upper arm. “The hell you are. It’s too far gone now…”

“Because you stopped me. What the hell were you thinking?”

He didn’t want to fight, and he sure as hell didn’t want to have this fight at this moment, but it would seem he didn’t have much choice. What he did have a choice about was where they had the fight. She wanted to walk between the worlds? Now, seemed as good a time as any.

Closing his eyes, Tanner shimmered, dragging a reluctant Melisandre into the dark corridors of the In-Between where there was no discernible light source. There was only an eerie glow that seemed to light the walls from within. Tanner sprinted towards his own place, as he knew the reapers could not follow them there. Melisandre was not cooperating, but he didn’t care. Their breath came in ragged gasps as they made their way back toward the land of the living.

Behind them, a figure moved with unnatural grace—a reaper, its dark gray monk’s robe billowing like smoke as it pursued them.

Melisandre risked a glance over her shoulder, her eyes widening in fear. "Shit! That thing is gaining on us," she shouted, pushing for them to run faster.

Tanner's face was set in grim determination—at least he was no longer having to drag her. "Keep moving!"

A glance behind them showed Tanner the reaper's hollow eyes seeming to pierce through the darkness, locking onto its prey with an unrelenting focus. It glided over the ground effortlessly, closing the distance with each passing second. The reaper's low, guttural hiss echoed through the passageways, sending chills down their spines.

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