Page 27 of Dark Shadow of Guilt

Dom sank further into his cushion, relaxing. This talking shit wasn’t as hard as he’d thought.

“Do you all have wings?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Parents?”

“Not as you think of them. The OneCreator gives us life. Afterward, we hang out in a haven until we are mature. Then we go forth.” Talk of havens always brought unwanted memories of Gareth. He shoved them aside.

“What’s a haven?”

“A nursery. A group home. A nurturing environment until maturity. Don’t you want to rest quietly for a while?”

“Not really. The news said the man who saved Earth, Ohngel, was an Immortal.”

Ohngel again. “He is. He’s like me. A winged assassin of the OneCreator. We’re also called the Feard.” They had been five, but after Gareth, they were now four.

“And you extinct bad guys like Praevus?”

“Yes.”

“He isn’t dead. Did you screw up?”

“The OC deems some Scourges can get back onto the straight and narrow.”

“Big mistake in Praevus’s case. When are you taking me home?”

Dom scrubbed a fist across his jaw. “If you keep asking so many questions, never. I’ll be too tired.”

“Funny.”

He grinned. “I’m rarely accused of having a sense of humor.”

She studied him, tilting her head to the side as if trying to understand what made him tick. “Perhaps your friends can’t see behind your frown. Will you return me to St. Louis soon?”

“When I’m certain you’re okay.”

“How will you know?”

“I’ll observe and ask certain questions.”

“Start quizzing. Let’s get this over with.” She held out her glass for a refill.

Dom rose to fetch the bottle. He tipped it, poured from it, and set it on the table. After kicking off his boots, he stripped his socks from his feet. Flopping into a cushion, he twisted onto his side and rested his cheek in his palm, elbows deep in the pillow. “What do you remember about how you got here?”

She fluffed the pillow at her back. “I’m a librarian in St. Louis, where I specialize in research.” She paused. “I help find answers to questions.”

Dom grinned, getting more comfortable with his lips curling. “Fitting labor. You’re good at asking them.”

“Occupational hazard. Anyway, it was quitting time. I exchanged my heels for winter boots and grabbed my purse. My purse.” She glanced around as if it would pop up beside her. “Somebody probably picked it up. My credit cards and driver’s license are in it. A thief could be charging stuff right now.”

She waved a dismissive hand through the air. “Oh, well. After I closed up, I walked home. Since it was freezing cold, I wore a long, heavy coat. Because I scrunched into it to stay warm, I didn’t see where I was going. A man bumped into me when I crossed the street. He grabbed me.” She swallowed a large gulp of wine. “Then nothing until I woke up in the warehouse tied to a wall. No. That’s not true. I think I was somewhere else first. I remember a woman.” She pressed a palm to her head. “I don’t know. Maybe not.”

Dom leaned toward the human, his nostrils quivering with her scent. “Describe the female.”

“I can’t. I’m not even sure it happened.”

“Okay. We’ll skip that for now. What did Praevus do to you?”

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