Page 87 of Bite of Passage
Cade glanced around.“Stinks in here.”
“This business always stinks.I thought you’d return to the Directorate and give them news of your resignation.”
“I took off in that direction, but then I started thinking about the prophecy,” Cade said.“I figured maybe I failed to stop you from turning her—not saying you were wrong to do it, because if you hadn’t I would’ve.But it is my duty to keep you from messing up the next part.Fail to protect the one you turn, the world will burn.”
Skarde covered his face again and sat hard on the front steps.“Too late on that one too, apparently.”He slammed his fists into the wood.“Someone attacked her.Fuck.Must’ve been at the inn.”He glanced up to find judgment all over his brother’s face.“What choice did I have?Bring her intothis?”
Cade shrugged.“How aboutnotdealing with this business for these ungrateful humans until you sort your own shit?The people of this town obviously don’t want your help if they attacked her.”
“They likely meant for both of us to die.”He fisted his hands and stared at the Hunters as they stumbled out of the church.“I’ve never left a mess like this without finishing the job.”
“I’m afraid there’s far more at stake if you don’t go after her.Did you hear me when I said she’s not here anymore?”
“What?”Skarde stood.He saw no sign of Gemma around the church.He closed his eyes, blocking out everything else as he focused on finding her.He didn’t sense any trace of her.No heartbeat.No scent of her.
Where the hell would she go?
Cade told the Hunters, “We have other things to deal with than this witch.Do what Skarde says and go find her.”
Skarde stalked to the middle of the street and slowly turned.“She’s headed to the Vorche.”
“We should get to her before VanFliet finds her.”
ChapterThirty-Six
The super speed running?Freaking amazing ability… When she wasn’t running into things.On the downside, after an hour of running Gemma panted like she’d completed a marathon without any training and boxed twenty-four rounds.Actually, shehadrun about the distance of a marathon.She’d never been much of a runner or jogger—or anything that had to do with impact activities—before her turn.Holy bejesus did her thighs and calves burn.
Leaning against a tree, she wiped water out of her eyes.No surprise the skies had opened up minutes ago, and lightning flashed nearby.She’d smelled the impending precipitation for the past half hour.At least her leather clothes were more repellant than cotton.Not warmer, though.Not designed to run in, that’s for sure.There was definite chafing in areas where her yoga pants would’ve been much more forgiving.
Boom!
She jumped at the nearness of the lightning strike.
Now in the mountains she’d seen from the church, she wondered how to find the dwarves.Shelter would be nice.What she wouldn’t give for a warm fire and a cup of coffee or tea.
A small person stared at her through the branches several feet away.
She swallowed and wondered how many more watched from hidden places.
“I’m Gemma.I need to talk to Fontaine.Could you?—”
Boom!
She ducked as the sky lit up and the air around her crackled.The lightning struck a tree far too close.Little sparks lit the darkness, but no fire since it was so wet.
The dwarf no longer watched her.Would he bring Fontaine?Should she wait or go?
“Damn you, Skarde,” she muttered.“Next time I see you, I’m going to tie your balls in a knot.I wouldn’t be freezing my ass off if it wasn’t for you.I wouldn’t even be in this ridiculous world.”
“Good thing I’m not Skarde.”
She jumped.A chill slid across her shoulders as she straightened and turned.With a swallow, she met the dark gaze of VanFliet.Periodic movement on his face distracted her as bugs marched across his skin.She shuddered.
He was as tall as Skarde, but the similarities stopped there.His hair was platinum blond, long with braids along the sides of his head to keep the length of it at his back.She wondered how she hadn’t detected him since he gave off one hell of a chilling vibe.Didn’t becoming a vampire grant her some sort of super spidey-senses?
So stupid of her, forgetting this particular vampire lurked near the Vorche mountains.
“You’re new.There hasn’t been a new vampire in a long time.How…” His eyebrows rose.He smiled, which came off more like a leer.“You’rethe one.Skarde turned you.Oh, hell.This is truly unexpected.There’s no vampire with a larger stick up his ass about morals or a greater fear of Magdalene’s prophecies than him.”
