Page 19 of Torn Between Two Worlds

By the time she'd stopped laughing, she was laying back on the blanket, eyes watery with unshed tears. She didn't know how, but she'd leaned toward Stryder when she’d lain down, and his hand gently stroked her hair as he looked down at her with that grin of his.

“One more question. Can you die?” She didn't know why fear gripped her as she asked, but it did.

He continued to stroke her hair as he answered. “The short answer is yes. The long answer is it's damned hard. Very little can hurt us severely, and as long as we can feed from each other, think of it like instant rejuvenation. Like when you use an IV to transfuse blood.”

She nodded, immensely upset at the idea that he could be killed. She'd thought him immortal, and it did upset her, despite her unwillingness to want it to.

“Okay, your turn because, after that revelation, I'm too damned stunned to think of my other questions now.”

“Easy. What do you see in the human?”

His question took her off guard. She knew he meant Derrick and wondered if Stryder was jealous, maybe even under the impression they were still together.

She started to sit up and push his hand away, but he gently pushed her down. Instead, he moved her head to his lap and stopped touching her.

“I don't think that's a fair question. But you answered mine. We've just been together a very long time. He had my heart for a time, and I wouldn't change that.” She cringed.

That didn't sound very romantic, even to her ears. That was precisely how they'd realized they weren't right for each other. She supposed she should have said she could write poetic lists about what she loved about him, but she couldn't. Her brow creased at the realization that first love really wasn't necessarily real love.

Instead, she focused on how pleasant and normal her time with Stryder felt. The sun was still warm, and it was quite peaceful around them. She did wonder if anyone was curious as to why she was picnicking alone but decided not to question it. At least they only saw her and not a floating sandwich. Thankfully, for some reason, anything a Guardian touched seemed to vanish to the eye for regular people, except, of course, her.

“Pretty damn stupid if you ask me.”

She was about to bolt up when he continued.

“But as you wish. That doesn't mean you're going to be immune for others. Just remember that, Ciara.”

When he called her Ciara, she melted a little inside. Not that she didn't when he called her sweetheart, but it was rare that he used her name, and she liked it. She would never admit to him that she already wasn't, that she wanted him more than she wanted to or that it didn't bother her as much as it had when they'd first met. She didn't know what had happened, but every second spent with him changed her. Changed what she thought to be true of the world, and her own place in it.

Lost as she was in her own thoughts, she didn't notice his shift in weight as he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. But that was all she didn't notice. The small moan that passed between them was definitely from her. His growl of satisfaction sent heat through her. Without hesitating, she sat up and just barely stopped herself from kissing him again.

It wasn’t because she was worried about being sexually promiscuous, but because of what she would look like. Stryder growled again, angry, and she raised a hand to explain it wasn't what he thought. However, just like another kiss, that didn't happen either.

11

“Well, what do we have here? A little Horseman mimic, who has lost his way? I might not be able to kill you, but I can sure fuck you up, demon.”

The sneer in the Initiative male’s voice had Stryder’s eyes shifting. Stryder breathed deep to keep his focus. Ciara was mere feet behind him. One wrong move and she'd be exposed for the grabbing. He'd jumped up and shoved her behind him at the sound of his enemy.

He wasn't sure what he was doing. He was used to letting his demon do the fighting, but he didn't want his demon to scare her, and he didn't want to be locked in a blood-induced haze with that many Initiative men surrounding his female.

He and Jonathan had a very familiar relationship. That bastard had slipped a toxic coated knife into his arm a few months back. A paltry victory, as he wasn't dead, but enough to give the human group hope there was a way to stop them. He snorted at his own thoughts. The ignorant fucks didn't even realize the angels, and the demons were on the same playing field sometimes, they were so blinded by the damn angels.

“Oh come on. Do I really have to deal with your ignorant ass right after awesome sex? Talk about bringing down the high, Jonathan. Really classy. Mind if I sneak up on you next time you're banging a prostitute?”

The growl in his direction didn't surprise him. Ciara's gasp reminded him that he really needed to watch himself if he didn't want to completely disgust her.Shit, okay, Stryder, lies equal a no go.

“You think you can stop me? The Initiative has been around since the middle ages, hunting the likes of you.”

“Ah, and you're doing a mighty fine job of it, with my brothers and me still breathing.”

“Stryder…” Ciara's voice behind him sounded panicked. He turned to see her flinging her hand outward at the closest Initiative member, but nothing happened.

He wondered what the fuck she'd been thinking flinging her wrist. Some power he didn't know about? Apparently as powerful as she was, she still didn't have a clue as to how she did shit.Wonderful, abso-fucking-lutely wonderful. He didn't waste time thinking when her scream cut into the air.

Grabbing a throwing star from his boot, he launched it into the throat of the human threat. The man dropped, blood oozing around his fingers as he tried to yank the weapon out. In a flash, Stryder had stepped on the throwing star, embedding it in the man's throat and severing his artery.

“Well, who's going to try to touch the lovely lady next?”

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