Page 41 of Kiss Across the Universe
But in the meantime, she had her temper to keep her warm. She rubbed at her ankle, massaging the tendons and keeping the flesh warm…and the mosquitos away. That was another problem with stopping. She slapped at her arm as she felt another Everest-sized mozzie land there.
She dipped onto the timescape again, looking for the man. Not that it helped tell her exactly where he was. The timescape spread across infinity, taking all universes, and all of time. Trying to separate two points only a hundred yards apart was like trying to single out a grain of sand from others from a hundred feet in the air.
There was an odd quality about the timescape that didn’t make her any happier. It wasn’t menacing, or scary, for the timescape was utterly indifferent about mortal humans and their affairs. The strangeness was more of a feeling within her, in response to accessing the timescape. A sensation that seemed to bubble up from her middle, up through her spine, to spill out like a trickling fountain, spreading soothing coolness.
The strangeness made her uneasy. She had always relied on the sameness of the timescape. She found the vast impersonality reassuring. To find it changed did not improve her temper.
Alannah froze when she heard the crack of twigs and rustle of damp leaves. The man wasn’t even trying to sneak up on her. Although, it wasn’t like she could run away from him.
She put her hand on the ground by her hip and looked around.
The man stepped out from between the trees. He wasn’t breathing hard. He lifted his hands, which were empty.
Alannah glared at him. “I was just sitting here minding my own business, not making a sound. Did you track me down by pheromones?”
His brow lifted. She’d surprised him.
Then he smiled.
Alannah nodded. “Yeah, thought so, asshole.”
“Where’s the other?”
“Went ahead to get water for my ankle. He’ll be back in a second.” She made it sound as sincere as she could.
The man rolled his eyes. “This will all be easier if you just cooperate.”
She laughed. “This will all be easier if you just stand still a second.”
“What?”
The branch Kit wielded hit the man squarely on the back of the head. The man fell forward and hit the ground with a solidness that made Alannah wince. He didn’t fold and slide to the ground the way she thought unconscious people would.
“I told you to hit himhard!” She scrabbled to her feet, her irritation building.
“And crack the man’s skull?” Kit retorted. He put his boot on the man’s back, holding him down, then bent using the branch as a prop, and slid his hand under the man’s chin.
“That’ll hold him for about a nanosecond,” Alannah pointed out.
“It worked enough to get away from him last time,” Kit said.
“And now look where we are.”
He frowned, studying her. “You’re angry?”
“Too bloody right I am! Using me asbait. It’s…cliched!” She couldn’t think of a better criticism than that. Besides, what Kit didn’t know, what hecouldn’tknow was that the man was a vampire. She was certain of it, now. The man had all but confirmed he was tracking her by pheromones, something only vampires could do.
Was he also tracking her on the timescape? Was that why he could let them go so far out of sight and still catch up with them?
“Using you as bait worked,” Kit said mildly. He didn’t look at all put out by her anger, which just made her angrier. “We can go back to the truck and sort out getting home.”
“And have him come after us again?”
“He’s out cold,” Kit pointed out.
“That’s whatyouthink!”
“He’s lying pretty damn still for someone who isn’t out,” Kit shot back. “Trust me, he’s unconscious. I know what I’m doing. But he won’t stay that way for long so I suggest we move it.”
