Blurred Nights (1st in the Blurred Trilogy)

by Kallysten

  She jumped, startled and more than a little embarrassed to find that the very same person she had been thinking about had sat across the table without her noticing. Trying to pretend she wasn't blushing, she shrugged and tilted her head toward the infernal machine in the corner of the room.

  "Hard to think with that—"

  Abruptly, the wheel stopped. Blissful silence fell on the room.

  "—noise,” she finished, her voice dropping to a normal level again. She glanced at Blake and saw that he was inspecting the blade of his sword. “God, I hope he's done."

  He looked up toward her across the room and said loudly as he stared toward the table, “All you had to do was tell me to stop."

  She winced and turned her attention back to her plate. She hadn't expected him to hear her comment. Without much enthusiasm, she picked at her food. The cook had been serving green beans for the past four meals; she was more than tired of them, even if fresh vegetables were always a treat. She hadn't eaten more than a couple of the tender beans before Blake sat down next to Marc, shouldering him in the process. He placed the sword on the table in front of them. Kate looked up at him; he was beaming.

  "Seneca hasn't been this sharp in years! I hope we find demons tonight!"

  Next to him, Marc caught Kate's attention and rolled his eyes. She hid her grin by taking another bite of food.

  "Do you really?” Simon asked, slightly awed. He pulled up a chair and sat at the end of the table, very close to Blake. “But demons are so dangerous!"

  Blake turned a light frown on him, clearly wondering why Simon was still there. “That's the point,” he said slowly, as though talking to a child. “If they weren't dangerous, it wouldn't be any fun."

  The concept seemed too foreign for Simon. He mouthed the word ‘fun,’ his brow furrowed in confusion, and looked at Kate, then Marc, expecting one of them to explain. Kate busied herself with pushing her food around the plate rather than meet his eyes. She refused to admit to anyone but herself that she understood Blake's thinking. The fight became easier, if you looked at it that way. The idea of losing became easier.

  After only a handful of seconds, Simon threw himself into the breach yet again. He leaned forward to look at the sword on the table, his hand rising to touch the hilt. Blake made a hissing sound, and Simon snatched his hand away. The back of his neck turned scarlet as he leaned a little closer, his mousy bangs hiding his eyes.

  "Is ... is that Latin?” he asked, his voice squeaking a little. Without waiting for Blake's answer, he read aloud the inscription below the hilt. “Quemadmodum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est. Nice."

  He gave Blake a tentative look, and was rewarded with the shadow of a smile.

  "You understand what it says?"

  "Of course I do! Most magic spells use Latin, but even if they didn't, I'd have learned it. The structure of it is—"

  Blake's raised his hands, palms out. “I just thought the quote was cool,” he said, the hint of a laugh in his words. “I can't even pronounce it properly myself."

  Simon seemed to deflate right in front of Kate's eyes. She felt a little sorry for him. No doubt he had thought he finally had something to talk to Blake about, only to be proven immediately wrong. She glanced at the inscription, wondering, yet again, what it meant. Maybe she would ask Simon later.

  "Still no blood?” Blake asked, looking back at Kate, Simon already forgotten. He picked up the sword from the table and slid it back into the scabbard on his back in a fluid movement.

  She shook her head. “We're having trouble getting a supply delivery from Claremont. They've been under an increased number of attacks, and they can't spare the manpower to send us anything. We'll send Aaron to recover there in a couple of days, and we'll get blood in return, but until then..."

  She finished with an apologetic shrug. Short of opening a vein—Blake had jokingly suggested it when he had finished the last blood bag, and she had merely rolled her eyes at him—she couldn't do anything about it.

  "Don't worry about it,” Marc said with a faint smile. “We'll go hunting again after tonight's recon. Or Blake will get his wish, and we can feed from demons."

  Blake made a disgusted noise. “I can't stand demon blood."

  "Don't be silly, blood is blood,” Marc replied coolly. “You'd better go get your shoes; the sun is going to set soon. And while you're at it, bring me my jacket, will you?"

  Throwing Marc a suspicious look, Blake stood. He winked at Kate before walking away. “See you in a bit."

  With Blake gone, Simon wandered off, muttering under his breath about herbs and supplies, hands in his pockets and shoulders hunched. Kate's sudden awareness that she was alone with Marc sent a flash of warmth through her body. She cleared her throat and returned to her studious inspection of her food.

  "I swear, we'll be just fine,” Marc said after a few moments had passed in silence. “You don't have to starve yourself in sympathy."

  "I'm not—” She raised her head and realized from his grin that he was teasing her. She gave him a playful kick under the table. “I'm just not very hungry,” she explained, putting down her fork and pushing the tray away from her.

  Marc shook his head and inched the tray back toward her. “Funny how you haven't been hungry since Aaron got hurt."

  She blocked the tray, frowning at Marc. “It has nothing to do—"

  "I've been in your place, Kate. I know how you feel. Blaming yourself won't mend Aaron's leg any faster."

  Given how quietly he spoke, she looked around to see if anyone was close enough to hear. Only a couple of soldiers played cards at the table behind them, though neither seemed to be paying attention to their conversation. Annoyed, she turned back to him.

  "Don't tell me how I feel,” she hissed. “And while you're at it, stop pretending you know better than I do!"

  She regretted the words as soon as they passed her lips. The wounded expression that settled on Marc's handsome features didn't help. Why did he have to be able to press her buttons so easily?

  "I've never said ... If my attitude—"

  She stopped him with a wave of her hand. “No. Your attitude is fine. I'm just...” She sighed and gave him a pleading look. “Let it drop, OK? I know you mean well, but it's not helping."

  He held her eyes for a few seconds before glancing down at the tray. “You finish your dinner; I keep quiet. Deal?"

  He held out his right hand toward her. She raised her own somewhat reluctantly. “Deal."

  A shiver passed through her when she shook his hand. The cool strength surprised her, and she found herself unable to let go. His raised eyebrow and slight smile only added to her confusion. He squeezed her hand lightly before releasing it. Troubled, Kate looked down at her tray and picked up her fork with a shaky hand. It might be a good thing that they weren't in the same recon team anymore, after all. She'd have to thank Daniel about it, though she doubted his reasons had anything to do with her growing crush on Marc.

  * * * *

  "You two check inside that building. We'll stand guard."

  Elliot nodded and stepped toward the ruins Kate had indicated first, Sky on his heels. Before they even entered the building, the fog swirling around them had made them disappear. Kate turned her back to the ruins and swept her eyes around her. She couldn't see more than a few yards away, but that didn't stop her from trying to see, or hear, approaching demons.

  "Anything?” she asked in a whisper.

  Just feet away to her right, Blake took in a deep breath.

  "Citrus shampoo,” he said after a moment. “Lavender soap. Minty toothpaste."

  The words made no sense. Kate turned to him, frowning in confusion. His impish smile clued her in as to what he was talking about—her. Her frown turned into a glare.

  "Blake! Can you be serious for a minute?"

  "I can. Just not when you stand upwind from me. You're too distracting.” He took a few steps forward and breathed in deeply through his nose again. “Nothing
recent. The freshest trail is at least a day old."

  Still miffed, Kate didn't reply. Her back very straight, she kept watch as attentively as though he had announced that an entire army of demons was advancing on them. She felt suddenly very self-conscious, and couldn't help bringing a strand of hair to her nose. She couldn't smell a thing. She hurriedly let go of her hair when Blake turned halfway toward her, but his fleeting smile made it clear he had noticed. She looked back toward the building. She could hear Elliot's voice, though not enough to understand his words. He seemed to be coming back out.

  "I'll check the building across the street. Be right back."

  Her heart jumped in her chest at Blake's words. She whirled back toward him, but he was already disappearing inside the ruins on the other side of the street—again. Couldn't he understand the simple idea of not going anywhere alone?

  "Stand guard,” she said quickly to Elliot as he and Sky emerged from the building. “We're checking across the street.” She hurried after Blake, her hand clenching over the hilt of her sword. This time, she was going to kick his ass.

  She had to stop just at the entrance of the building. Outside, the gray fog echoed the light of the almost full moon, bathing everything into a penetrating light. With the roof of this house for the most part intact, her eyes struggled to adapt to the sudden darkness. She stepped inside cautiously, her eyes darting around her in search of Blake.

  "This way,” Blake whispered somewhere ahead and to her right.

  Blood thundering into her veins, she advanced a little faster. Had he found the breach? Could it be—

  The attack came from the side, swift, silent and unexpected. Just as she passed through a doorway, a hand closed over her fingers on the hilt of her sword and pulled her forward. She tried to resist, but found herself with her back to a wall, a strong body in front of her, her arm pinned to the side, the sword useless and out of her control. The first flash of fear receded when she realized who had attacked her. This time, Blake had gone too far, she thought. She started telling him as much, but before she could say more than a word, his mouth brushed against hers. She froze in shock, eyes going wide in the near darkness. Blake leaned in again, caressing her lips with his with more gentleness than she had imagined him capable of—not that she had ever imagined how he kissed. His left hand remained on her right, holding her sword away, though not as tightly. The right cupped the back of her head, his thumb caressing her cheek lightly.

  "I've been wanting to kiss you since the first night I saw you,” he murmured, his mouth so close to hers that she felt the words as well as heard them. “Can I?"

  Kate wanted to push him away and punch him for daring take her by surprise like this. She wanted to glare at him, call him a moron, curse him, laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of what he was saying. Yet she didn't move, and all she managed to say was a stuttering, “Wh—what?"

  "Can I kiss you?"

  His lips brushed against hers again. Kate shivered, goose bumps erupting all over her body, both at the touch and at the hesitation in his quiet words. He was joking, she was sure of it, but she still wasn't pushing him back. What was wrong with her?

  "You...” Her lips felt dry enough to crack. She licked them before she continued, her voice shaking in outrage. “You've put me under a thrall! How dare—"

  She fell silent as he laughed quietly.

  "I don't do thralls, Kate. I ask. Nothing more. And you still haven't answered."

  His thumb stroked her cheek again. Kate closed her eyes and tried to focus. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she simply push him away?

  As though responding to her thoughts, his hands suddenly left her and he took a step back.

  "Damn it!"

  His sword almost whistled with the whisper of metal sliding smoothly against metal as he drew it from the scabbard. The sound sent a jolt through Kate, pulling her out of the confusion he had plunged her into.

  "Demons?” she asked, already striding behind him toward the entrance of the building.

  "I think so."

  They met Elliot and Sky just inside the building.

  "Demons,” Sky whispered urgently. “We can hear them, but we're not sure how many."

  She looked at Blake at that. He stepped to the entrance and held himself very still for a few seconds.

  "Three, I think,” he murmured. “Definitely coming this way."

  Three pairs of eyes turned toward Kate, heavy in their expectation. A bead of cold sweat slithered down her back. Indecision paralyzed her. Three demons against the four of them; they could do it, couldn't they? Blake fought better than she did, Elliot was on a level with her, Sky ... Her eyes ran over Sky, gauging her. Would she be OK? Kate wouldn't forgive herself if something happened to her.

  "Kate?” Elliot said quietly. “What do you want to do? We can take three."

  "We can,” Blake repeated.

  To hear the two of them agree on something broke through her fears.

  "We fight,” she said, her resolve firming. “Wait until they pass the door, then rush out at them. Try to separate them so we don't bump into each other. Elliot, Sky, stay close together."

  Firm nods answered her. They remained by the entrance, waiting. Kate tried not to tense in anticipation of what was to come, and tried equally as hard not to wonder what had been going on in Blake's mind just moments earlier. She found it hard not to think about it when he stood inches from her, looking out, ready to give the signal. His hand rose, closed into a fist. Kate's breathing accelerated along with her heartbeat. A few more seconds, and his hand opened, fingers spread out. He ran out first, followed by Elliot, then Kate and Sky.

  The three demons roared in surprise, then again in rage when Blake's sword sliced through the closest one's throat. Blood gushed out, dark as ink, rushing past the demon's fingers when its hand covered the wound. Already, Blake was attacking a second demon, while Elliot swung his sword at the third. Kate didn't hesitate. Wounded demons could still kill. She hit the first demon's arm, drawing a gurgling cry from its throat. It dropped its axe. Without waiting, she attacked again. Demon armor left their sides vulnerable. Her sword slid into the demon's body, scrapping against bone. She withdrew her weapon. The demon fell to its knees, then face down in the fog with a loud thud. At once, Kate raised her sword again, ready to help put another beast down. She looked around her. A few yards to her left, Blake was wiping his sword on a fallen demon's pants. On her right, Sky thrust her sword up through the last demon's jaw and brain. It was over in seconds.

  "We were lucky,” Blake said. He sounded almost disgusted. “These three were already hurt. Probably coming back from battle or something."

  Frowning, Kate looked at the demon at her feet. Through the swirling fog, she could see the deep, bloody slash on its forearm, where neither she nor Blake had hit it. It didn't calm down the adrenaline flowing through her.

  "Lucky or not,” Elliot replied, “that's three demons that won't kill anyone else."

  Kate could feel the tension rising as the two men glared at each other. She should have known they couldn't agree on anything for very long. “Let's move on and finish exploring this street. Fast."

  On the next building, she paired Blake and Sky while she stayed outside with Elliot. Blake threw her a mocking glance that said he knew exactly what she was doing. She tried her best to ignore him. She had a job to do, and she couldn't let him distract her. Still, she caught herself, a couple of times, running her fingers over her lips, where his mouth had touched hers. Whatever had been going on through his mind, he wouldn't leave it there, she was sure of it. She wished she had an idea of how she would respond. She wished, also, that her heart would stop racing at the thought of him trying to kiss her again.

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  Chapter 11

  With every bump and pothole in the road, the truck jumped, sending the ten people sitting in the back bouncing against each other. Blake didn't mind one bit, not when Kate was on his left and fou
nd herself leaning against him all too often. She pulled back every time as fast as she could and clung to the edge of the bench with both hands. It didn't help her much, however. Across from them, Marc's glare only added to Blake's fun.

  "What about the fog?” Daniel asked, oblivious to the tension in the back of the truck.

  "No difference,” Kate said.

  The truck turned and pushed her yet again against Blake. He flashed a grin at her and swung his arm behind her, resting it on the back of the bench. She did her best to ignore him, but the hint of red in her cheek didn't lie. He turned his head toward her and breathed in her scent. The shampoo and soap in the men's bathroom were both generic and scentless. As far as he could tell from the other women's scents, their bathroom wasn't stocked any better. He found it a little amusing that the strongest, toughest woman in the camp was also the one who managed to procure scented bathing products. Every time he thought he had her figured out, he noticed something else about her that made the chase that much enjoyable.

  "Those demons we fought, though, they were already wounded. Weren't they, Blake?"

  The ice in her voice when she said his name brought him back to the present. Blinking, he replayed her last words in his mind.

  "Oh. Yes.” He turned his eyes to Daniel, who was frowning at him, his brow deeply furrowed. “The three of them were hurt. The wounds seemed pretty fresh, too."

  He glanced at Marc. His rising eyebrows gave away that he was figuring out the same thing that had come to Blake's mind earlier. He continued, explaining his theory before Marc could steal his spotlight.

  "Demons retreat from the battlefield when they're hurt. No one has ever seen any sort of medic with them. That means they might have to go to him—"

  "On the other side of the breach?” Daniel finished. The spicy smell of excitement peaked in his scent, but his voice remained even as though he were reining his hopes in. “So these three might have been returning to it."

  Another bump in the road sent Blake against Kate this time. She pushed him back almost absently, clearly thinking along the same lines as Daniel.