Page 36 of Taken By Raider Kings
“Because I smell good.”
“You don’t just smell good.”One corner of his mouth lifted, again.It looked like a habitual expression.“You smellreallygood.”
I wish he’d stop looking at me like that.“Great.”She pushed the covers down, slid over to the opposite side of the bed.If only he’d stop looking at herthat way, as if she had something weird on her face.“I’m going to get cleaned up.”
“There’s a toothbrush in there, I brought it for you.”Still, he didn’t let up.“Are you going to stay with us, Sophie?Keep us human?”
I wasn’t too great at keeping Marc human.But you guys are something else, aren’t you?If it was true, and they needed her… but did that excuse kidnapping someone?
Or saving her life?
She found she could stand, so long as she didn’t try anything fancy.Arranged her skirt, tried to smooth her blouse.Her suit jacket would probably never be the same.“I want to go home.”And she wanted to bandage her hand, too.“So I can pack, at least.There’re things I have to take with me.”
“All right.So long as it’s during daylight, and we’re careful.”Did he soundrelieved,of all things?“Thank you, Sophie.”
She made it to the bathroom door, looked back over her shoulder, pushing irritably at her hair.At this distance he was an indistinct blur, because her glasses were still on the nightstand.“Don’t thank me, Zach.I’ve been doing what people force me into all my life.This isn’t any different.”
He had no snappy comeback for that, and there was a definite feeling of satisfaction in shutting the bathroom door.Still, it was nice to have a fresh toothbrush, and she wondered about that while she tore it open.There was also a small travel tube of mint toothpaste.It wasn’t like a kidnapper, was it?
And he’d protected her from those… thosethings.She still wasn’t sure if he’d brought them to her apartment in the first place, though.The first one had killed his brother.And then there was Lucy… and the detective.
God, how could everything go so wrong?
I just wanted to have a good time.I should have known.It should be me in the morgue now.They were after me, and they killed Lucy instead.
It’s my fault.
An even more horrible thought occurred and she halted, travel-tube of Crest in one hand, staring at the mirror.
I’m not going to be able to go to Lucy’s funeral.I don’t even know when it is.
The only person who had cared enough to help her was really, truly, irrevocably dead.All that brightness, all that life, poured out in a filthy alley.The monster had lured her out there and?—
Sophie made a small hurt sound, clutching the toothbrush.The faces in the mist all around her sharpened.
It was no use.She could see them even with her eyes closed.They were smoke-pale, nowhere near clear as they’d been last night, but still definitely visible.
It wasn’t a dream.These things werereal.They had killed Lucy, and they were happening to her.
“Sophie?”Zach was at the door.He sounded concerned.
She twisted the water on savagely.I’m fine.Leave me alone.
While the tap ran she cried, as quietly as she could.By the time she prodded the shower into gurgling life, wondering why she bothered because she would have to put dirty clothes back on, the sobs had quieted a bit.Just a little, and it was still hard to force herself to breathe, to stop being a sissy.
It was time to toughen up, like she had a year ago.Time to be a big girl and get some business done.
sixteen
“Jesus,”his shaman whispered, and shivered.Zach had his arm over her shoulders, and there was no use pretending he didn’t like the way she drew closer.A thin freezing rain, more like a mist with pretensions, kissed the blackened shell of her apartment building.“JesusChrist.”
I told you, sweetheart.This isn’t likeupir.This is revenge.“Who hates you this much?”He scanned the approaches.There were still a couple lingering cop cars and firetrucks, so he kept her well out of sight.The entire area was cordoned off with yellow tape and orange traffic cones.Thin traceries of steam lifted into the morning air, and the stench of smoke was overpowering even for bleeders.
It was like the morning after the fire at the farm, when he’d gotten Kyle up on his feet and Ky got all of them moving toward food and shelter.
Only this time the shaman was next to him, breathing and slive.For once, he hadn’t failed.It was another thing to feel almost-good about.
“I don’t… There’s only one person who might.”She shuddered again, and as much as he liked her leaning into him, he hated the sudden sharp drift of fear.
