Page 10 of Licking Fire

When Rayer saw the long, deep gash marks, he stiffened. Those were claw marks from something very large.

Something that wasn’t human.

Timothy wiped away excess blood and then began blotting antiseptic on the wounds. “Miss, you need a hospital and a doctor.”

“No,” she said quickly. “I can’t go to a hospital. He’ll find me there. His men are probably watching it, knowing I’ll need to go there. I took a big enough risk coming here. He warned me not to. When he learned I was watching the building, he sent men to handle me. To tell me I shouldn’t have dared come around here. He warned me to stay far away from Mr. Drackos.”

Timothy bent, still cleaning the wounds, as Rayer stayed back, sensing that she wouldn’t be as open with him as she was his friend. Timothy looked like a sweet old man. He was a war hero and a natural-born witch—or warlock, depending on who you asked. He was also a man who could hold his own in most cases.

“Who are you scared of, miss?” he asked softly, his voice laced with power.

Rayer had seen him use the gift before, and it always made humans begin pouring their hearts out.

“Alondra,” she said softly. “Please call me Alondra.”

He nodded. “Alondra, who are you scared of?”

“I shouldn’t be here. This was stupid. He’s probably got men watching the building as we speak. I’m sure the two who managed to get away during the attack have reported in that I’m not dead.”

When she didn’t offer the name of the person she was scared of, Rayer looked to Timothy. Why hadn’t his push with his voice worked?

Timothy stood and held two bloody towels in his hands. “I have some bandages. I’ll be right back with them. I’ll get the hot chocolate going as well. Rayer is here. He won’t allow anyone to harm you again.”

Rayer didn’t dare move, fearing he’d scare her. She was jumpy, and from the look of her arm, with good reason. A tic in his jaw started as he stared at the damage that had been done to her. He flexed his fingers, wanting to shift forms and seek out whoever had harmed her. He wanted to find them and rip them apart, scattering their pieces over the city as a warning to others.

No harm was to come to his woman.

My woman?

He stiffened.

Alondra picked then to turn and glance up at him, her brown eyes wide.

He sensed fear radiating from her then, and realized he was exuding rage and probably looked deadly. He did his best to appear safe and innocent. Somehow, he doubted it worked.

Timothy finally arrived again, holding bandages in one hand and a steaming mug of hot chocolate in the other. He set the mug before Alondra on the table and then went to work bandaging her arm. When he was done, he handed her the sweatshirt. “Here you go.”

“Thank you so much,” she said, her voice shaking.

Rayer wanted to kill things again.

Timothy took a seat next to Alondra. “What did that to your arm? Looks like a bear had at it.”

Rayer could sense Timothy’s magik riding the air between them. Surely it would work to get the woman to tell them what happened.

Alondra took a sip of the hot chocolate and then touched her lip, wiping away whipped cream. “This is delicious.”

Rayer’s eyes widened.

Timothy winked. “You can trust us, Alondra. Despite his overbearing stance and gruff look, Rayer is a man who can protect you. I think you know that. I think that is what brought you to him. That’s what my gut says, and it’s never wrong.”

She gripped the mug tight. “If I tell you what did this to me, you’ll have me locked up. You’ll say I’m crazy.”

“Because it wasn’t human?” asked Timothy, pushing more magik into the air.

Rayer stepped closer.

She stilled…and then nodded.

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