Page 47 of Snow's Charming
The words from Armand almost didn’t register. Yeah, I was pissed, but that didn’t mean I wanted Armand dead. But why was he suddenly praising me like a father figure? Did he realize he was caught and wanted to get on my good side? He picked a shitty time to do it since we were battling Accius.
A massive amount of energy grew within my belly. It was anchoring me to the street as if I were a living statue cemented to the ground I was standing on. I tried to understand the energy, fully aware of my surroundings. I couldn’t let my wolf out on the city streets.
The last thing any of us needed was my risking exposure. Humans weren’t meant to know shifters existed—let alone vampires and all the other creatures that go bump in the night.
But? Something kept telling me this energy differed from anything I’d known within the pastweek. The sensation was that of being thrown to—well—for lack of a better word, the wolf inside me! It was as if even the wolf was pissed at everyone because they kept her out of the loop, too.
The protective barrier now radiated a reddish hue as opposed to the white one from the past week. I wasn’t sure if I liked what was transpiring, especially since I wasn’t all that comfortable being half… No, that isn’t right. A third of Jackie. Yeah, that’s it. But if this new power could stave off Accius’s attacks, I’d welcome it!
The bile rose within my belly, and I wasn’t sure I appreciated it. Something was pissing me off; that much I could tell. Because—let’s face it—I was furious right now. Too many people who care for me have kept things from me. And these things were too big to sweep under the rug like they did.
I mean, I guess I couldn’t blame them. They were trying to protect me—something that I totally get since I’m here now trying to do the same for them. But why shield me from knowing that Armand and I were related? Especially since they knew I’d meet him. I don’t understand why.
Accius’s latest energy ball ricocheted off my dark red shield and hit the dumpster. Shrill screams pierced my ears as they emitted from the direction of the dumpster. Then, a distinct cry followed.
A baby?
“Don’t hurt us! I promise I won’t tell anyoneabout you! It’s not like anyone would believe me. Just don’t hurt me or my baby.”
Fuck! Humans were hiding in the dumpster!
I knew it in my gut, and suddenly my shield reached out to this woman’s voice and her child’s cries as she let herself out of the dumpster.
“You’re safe from danger,” I told her with my palms outstretched.
I wasn’t sure if she’d believe me, but at least I was trying to make some kind of sense of what was going on. Unlike my family, who’d left out a lot about magic and the paranormal. Accius, though? He kept firing energy balls at me, and as each one hit against the shield, the woman cradled a protective huddle over her baby more and more.
I turned to face him.
“Hey bright boy—haven’t you figured out by now that shit doesn’t work on me?”
His eyes widened as he saw my protective barrier surrounding the woman and her baby.
“No magical species ever yielded the power to shield humans from harm! I was right. You are an abomination.”
He raised his hands over his head, and an energy ball the size of a compact car rose above him, lighting the dark alley as if the sun rose inches away from us.
It was the largest ball of energy he had sent so far. I wasn’t sure if I could take the blow, but I had to try. The size alone might destroy the buildings on eitherside of us, and I wouldn’t allow him to hurt any mortals.
My shield spread to form a protective barrier with the bricks of each building between us before he let out a guttural cry. The ball was then hoisted from his hands and headed my way. Just as the thing connected with my barrier, a woman appeared.
“Sesi, quickly, place a separate barrier around this energy ball.”
I looked at the woman in amazement. How did she know my name, and why did she look so familiar?
“Sesi! Listen to me. You need to form the barrier now, or the entire street block will crumble.”
Her eyes were as deep as the color of the Aegean Sea. Her hair was a gorgeous shade of platinum blonde, and I couldn’t help but comply with her. I held out a hand, and soon, a second and separate barrier formed around the energy ball. Within seconds, it imploded inside the second barrier. I gasped with a sigh of relief once I realized we were all safe.
“Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Goddess, how can you side with such an abomination? No matter. You are a goddess, and we all have free will. I will make this right another day!”
Accius said this as the implosion dissipated. He then waved his hand and disappeared into a red mist.
CHAPTER 16
The Moon Goddess’s Blessing
“Why did he call you a goddess? Who are you?”
