Page 43 of Taken By Raider Kings
Just looking at her this close made him want to kiss her properly, but she wouldn’t be ready forthat.He heard, very dimly, Brenn saying something and the diner’s door closing behind his Family.
They were alone now, just him and his shaman, standing in front of the cash register and a broken newspaper hutch.“We’re going to go visiting.I’ll ask the questions, you just sit and look pretty.Okay?”
Sophie blinked again, losing that dreamy look.She didn’t smell like fear now, which was a blessing.“I… I guess so.Why on earth did you dothat?”
What, you can’t guess?His smile widened.He didn’t quite let go of her arm, and she didn’t resist as he pulled her toward the door, the newspaper tucked safely away.“Maybe I like you, shaman.”
“Maybe?”
You sound so surprised.“Definitely.Try to get used to it.”
She muttered something that sounded vaguely uncomplimentary, and he was surprised into a laugh.He reallydidlike her.And there was an edge of something else creeping through her scent now, replacing that maddening tang of fear.Something warm and familiar, the first thread of a Carcajou’s musk.
All in all, Zach reflected, things were looking up.Though he still had to figure out who was trying to kill her.
nineteen
If I haveto choke down secondhand smoke in one more seedy bar, I’m going to tell him to take this shaman job and shove it.Sophie shook water out of her hair—or tried to, at least.A day beginning in shock as she stared at a burned-out apartment building had devolved into a a patchwork of stale beer-smell, sticky floors, filthy bathrooms...oh, tohellwith it all.
But she couldn’t very well protest.Her home was gone, including all her personal paperwork, and she was depending on Zach for everything.She didn’t much like it, either.They’d explained at the shelter just how an abusive relationship started—how a man could isolate you from your friends and family, so you lost all sense of proportion and ended up thinking whatever he wanted to do to you was natural, normal, even right.
How do I know he didn’t bring those… those vampire things, too?Sophie picked her way after Zach’s broad back, most of her attention taken up with worrying until he stopped short and a low thrumming sound alerted her to the fact that the outside world was, indeed, going on without her.
Sophie looked up.
This bar seemed the same as every other puke-palace she’d suffered so far.Long, low, and dim even in the middle of the day, the only thing separating it from the others was the number of shapes inside.Who knew so many people drank during the day?
The only bright lights were over three pool tables to the rear, refracting through the rain spotting her glasses.The world was full of smudges and those weird ghost-smears, her hair was going to dry in a frizz-cloud, and good luck getting conditioner—unless Julia had some.
Why did he do that?He’d leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, thensmelledher, an intimate little movement paired with an inhalation so deep she was surprised his ribs didn’t crack.
“Carcajou.”A low smoky male voice.“Well met.”
“Ursu.”The thrum under Zach’s tone wasn’t quite a growl.“Well met.”
The man clasping Zach’s forearm was simplyhuge.He had wide muscled shoulders under a wine-colored rugby shirt, dark stubble on a strong-jawed face, and coal-dark eyes.Feathers were tied into his hair, fluttering on a draft from the door Sophie was holding open; he loomed, slump-shouldered, over both of them.
The smell of this place hit the back of her throat like a shot of flaming whiskey.The overwhelming impression wasanimal—healthy, glossy hides under a pale ghost of ancient cigarette smoke.The confusion was immediate, her newly sensitive nose picking out at least a hundred different odors at once, connecting them to strange, vivid mental images of fur and teeth, muscular sleek sides, broad paws bearing claws.The rush of pictures was so intense she actually rocked back on her heels.
“That’s a new shaman.Congratulations.”The huge man was looking straight at her, unblinking.“Welcome, sister.The spirits speak well of you.”
What am I supposed to say to that?“Hello,” she managed, faintly.He was just sobig.And he looked dangerous—not in the sleek, supple way Zach did.
Someone so muscular could cause a great deal of damage without meaning to, just by walking past.She was suddenly very, very glad Zach was between her and the man.
They let go of each other’s forearms, and as her eyes adjusted to the gloom she glimpsed other people, all with that air of zinging vitality and danger.A few women, mostly playing pool, who smelled like cats—slightly oily, dry, an impression of supple grace.Some of the men smelled like the one who had greeted Zach, the others like different kinds of fur and wildness.One tipped a shotglass of something far back, slammed it down, and gave her an odd salute.He had little bones tied in his hair, clicking and clacking as he moved.
Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.Sophie swallowed a lunatic laugh, edging closer to Zach.He was the only one who smelled familiar, and the musk he carried wrapped around her like a warm blanket.
“What a relief.”For the very first time, the perpetual worried edge fled Zach’s expression.The change was very nearly shocking.“I’ve got a bit of a problem—I’m hoping we might be able to find something out.”
“You mean about the price on your shaman’s head?”The big guy grinned, rolling those massive shoulders precisely once.“I’m Cullen, by the way.”
“Zach.”They grinned at each other, toothy white grins that oddly didn’t seem very friendly.Looked like nobody here needed braces.“I hadn’t heard there was a price.”
“Nobody in the Tribes would take it.But… well, why don’t you come in and sit down?”Cullen’s gaze wandered away from Zach, and Sophie let go of the door.The heavy swinging slab eased shut, latching with a small click.Her eyes finished adapting to the dark, details rising from shadow.She wanted to clean her damn glasses, but they might be back out in the rain soon anyway.
“Wait a second.”Her throat didn’t want to work properly.“A price on?—”
