The kid pulled Lena back another couple of steps. “Fuck the law, and fuck you! No way I’m going to jail. Neither of you are going to walk out of here alive, so don’t try to bargain with me. I can make it easy for her, or she can suffer. To tell the truth, I hope you do try something. I like it when they struggle.”
That changed the game a bit. Sean’s skills were an unknown quantity, but he clearly had some, the way energy was flickering in his hands. Hell, the kid had Talion talents—strong ones. But he hadn’t been trained to use them, and that would make all the difference.
Sandor slowly blinked back at Lena three times, trying to warn her that he was about to make his move. He waited a few seconds and repeated the same slow cadence. On the third beat, she stomped hard on the kid’s instep and shoved her elbow back into his stomach with all her power. When his hand came away from her neck, she fell and rolled to the side to get clear.
As soon as he had a clear shot, Sandor flung an energy bolt at Sean to bring him down.
But the kid didn’t die. Sandor started forward, determined to wrap his hands around Sean’s neck and drain him dry. Recognizing death headed straight for him, Sean began backpedaling for the gate behind him. In a last-ditch effort to throw Sandor off the track, he threw the knife.
But instead of aiming at Sandor, he threw it at Lena. The blade flashed through the air to land, quivering, in her upper arm. She stared at the bright gush of blood in stunned silence, the suddenness of the attack likely overriding the initial pain. Having successfully distracted Sandor, Sean took off running as if the mouth of hell had just opened up and threatened to swallow him.
That would come later.
Sandor knelt beside Lena as he stripped off his shirt to wrap around her arm after pulling out the knife. Despite the renewed gush of blood, the wound wasn’t fatal, thank the gods. Holding the shirt in place, he pulled out his cell and hit speed dial.
“Kerry, I need your healing skills and a clean shirt. We’re a block south and west of where Lena picked Ranulf up earlier. There’ll be a cedar fence on your left with a gate standing wide open.”
He hung up and shoved the phone back in his pants pocket, ignoring it when it started ringing almost immediately. He was too close to the edge himself to handle any questions.
“Sandor? You’re hurting me.”
“Sorry,” he apologized. He loosened his grip, then helped her to her feet. They walked over to a row of plastic recycle bins, and Sandor flipped two over as seats. “Kerry and Ranulf should be here any minute.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held her close. She might not need the comfort, but he sure as hell did. He could have lost her. Sean’s fate was sealed now.
“Do you know anyone who could take care of my arm without asking too many questions? If not, I can call in a favor from an EMT I know.” Her voice was rough with pain.
“No need. The ability to heal is one of a Dame’s gifts. Kerry will take care of you.”
Which he’d failed to do. Guilt bit at him until he wanted to scream. He flexed his fingers, imag ining them crushing Sean’s neck with a satisfying crunch. Despite the energy he’d burned trying to take out the renegade, he was wired to the gills. His hands crackled with the need to punish the little prick.
“Sandor, calm down.”
Lena gave his glowing hands a pointed look. Despite the gray sheen of pain on her face, she sat up straighter and gingerly placed her fingers on his. He fought for control, letting her soothing touch cool his temper.
“I’m fine, or will be soon.” She gave him a sharp look. “And this wasn’t your fault.”
“Like hell it wasn’t! I figured the renegade was close by, but I didn’t warn you to run.” He slumped back against the rough brick wall.
Her smile was a bit ragged. “And I probably wouldn’t have listened. I was too mad at you and Ranulf for ditching me.”
“And for good reason, as it turns out. I told you that humans have no business hunting our renegades.”
She rolled her eyes. “Remind me—was I the only one he managed to get the drop on? I remember a definite look of shock on your face when he came flying out of nowhere.”
Before Sandor could respond, the gate banged open and an irate Viking appeared. Kerry ducked around his side, giving her husband a dirty look when he tried to block her way. Sandor should have known better than to laugh at the petite Dame bossing around a man twice her size, but he did it anyway.
Two pairs of angry eyes zeroed in on him. Kerry snapped, “What’s so funny, Sandor?”
He held up his hands in surrender. “Sorry. Write it off to exhaustion and hysteria. You know how I hate the sight of blood.”
Kerry ran to them as soon as she spotted the blood-soaked shirt around Lena’s arm. She set down a first aid kit and opened it. “What happened?
“The renegade dropped down behind us and held his knife to Lena’s throat. With some quick thinking, she broke free. But to prevent me from coming after him, he threw his knife and caught her in the arm.”
“How did he manage to surprise you like that?” Then Ranulf frowned at Lena. “And I thought you were going back to Sandor’s house.”
“Plans changed.” She winced as Kerry not so gently unwrapped her arm. “Damn, that hurts.”
The Viking knelt down beside Lena. “I’d point out that if you’d gone back to Sandor’s place, this wouldn’t have happened. But I guess you’ve already figured that out for yourself.”
“Yeah, and nobody likes a know-it-all.” Lena bit down on her lower lip and drew in a sharp breath.
Sandor squeezed her shoulder. “Breathe through it, honey. Deep, slow breaths. Kerry will fix you right up.”
By now she should’ve been used to the way the Kyths’ eyes showed their high emotions. Sandor’s eyes were sparking gold like crazy, as were Kerry’s. Ranulf’s flickered with bright blue flames.
“Okay, Lena, I’m going to pour this bottle of water over your cut to clean it before I try to heal it. I don’t want to trap the dirt inside.” Kerry popped the cap on the bottle. “Let me know when you’re ready.”
“Go for it.”
Using the tepid water and folded gauze, Kerry carefully washed away the dried blood. Fresh blood immediately welled up to drip onto the ground.
“We’ll let it bleed clean before I try my mojo on it. I’m still pretty new at this stuff, so if it doesn’t work right away, we’ll take you for stitches.”
Kerry held Lena’s gaze as she positioned her hand a hair’s breadth above the wound. Lena felt a soft tingle radiating out from deep inside her arm. The pain eased up a little, but the bleeding continued.
Kerry frowned in concentration and spread her fingers wider. The blood slowed to a trickle but didn’t stop. The young Dame’s hand trembled a bit. Then Ranulf squatted down to wrap his powerful fingers around his wife’s wrist. Within seconds, the back of his hand began writhing with those spooky blue sparks under his skin.
Almost immediately, Lena’s pain faded completely. Kerry used her other hand to wipe away the drying blood again. When she did, Lena blinked twice. The cut was slowly closing up, leaving only the faintest hint of red where the wound had been. A few seconds later, it was gone completely.
“I’d say that was impossible, except I saw it for myself.” Lena looked over at Sandor in total wonder. His smile was definitely a bit smug. “What?” she asked.
“Beats stitches and pain medicine, doesn’t it?” He gave her a quick squeeze. “Now, let’s get you to your car so I can get back to work.”
The pain in her arm was gone; the pain in her backside was still sitting right next to her. “Oh, no you don’t, Sandor Kearn. That little jerk stabbed me. I want a piece of him—a big piece.”
“No, Lena! I can’t fight this renegade and protect you at the same time.”
As mad as she was at the kid who’d stabbed her, she didn’t want him dead. The only way to prevent that was to be there when Sandor confronted him. She patted
her gun. “I can protect myself. Now, either we can work together so you know where I am, or we can risk me stumbling into another situation that endangers both of us.”
Sandor stood and glared down at her. “No. And that’s final.”
And intimidation always worked so well with her. The man was a slow learner. She got on her feet and right up in his face. “We’ve had this discussion before.”
“Fine. If it makes you feel better, I’ll take the berserker with me.”
“No can do,” Ranulf said. “While you and I were out patrolling earlier, Kerry and I got a houseguest. We had a hard time slipping away without him noticing, and I’d like to get back to the house before he realizes we’re gone.”
“Company. Who is it?”
“Greyhill Danby. That Talion who serves in England.”
Lena was beginning to feel as if she were watching a tennis match.
“I’ve heard good things about him, but what’s he doing here?” Sandor asked.
Kerry looked thoroughly disgusted. “I suspect our European cousins have a few qualms about me taking over as Dame. I think Danby is here to give them firsthand information on how ill prepared I am to do the job.”
She looked at her husband. “Since Judith served for a thousand-plus years, I assume the Kyth don’t have a history of overthrowing their government.”
“Not so far.” Sandor’s dark eyes were back to sparking again. “And they’re in for a fight if they’re thinking about trying it. They have no idea who they’d be messing with. My money’s on you, Grand Dame Kerry.”
“Thank you. So while we go make nice with our guest, will you be okay on your own?”
“Yes, I will.”
Lena hated being ignored. “He won’t be on his own.”
As Ranulf and Kerry went, leaving her and Sandor to duke it out, he asked, “Why are you doing this? It’s not your business.”
Idiot. “The renegade is not my main concern here. You are.”
Sandor looked insulted. “I can handle my job, Lena.”
“Your ability to do the job has never been in doubt. The question is, what effect will this have on you long term? That jolt of your history I absorbed showed me that you’re still reeling with the pain of executing your friend. This time you might have to kill a kid who’s probably not even old enough to vote, much less drink.”
“He’s a renegade. Our law is clear on what that means.”
But his dark eyes were filled with grief and remembered pain, and she couldn’t bear to see him hurt more.
“Sandor, I understand that your honor demands that you do what you think is right and damn the consequences. But that kind of thinking can ruin your life.”
His face was closed. “I don’t want to hear another word, Lena. Go back to the house or to the hotel, and don’t interfere in my investigation. I’m leaving. Alone.”
He shrugged on the clean shirt Ranulf had brought him and started for the gate.
She sighed, then followed him.
Sean ran until he couldn’t go another step. He ducked into a dark doorway to let his lungs catch up. Where the hell could he go where that scary bastard couldn’t follow him? He knew the guy hadn’t seen him duck into the alley. Even though Sean had set the trap, he’d never really expected the guy to find him.
The woman had been a lucky complication, although he regretted the knife thing. She wasn’t the one trying to fry his ass with freaky bolts of lightning. The memory made his hands burn with blue flames under his skin again, making him queasy.
What was happening to him? He fought for control of his body and his thoughts. As long as he was in panic mode, he wouldn’t be able to think straight.
He looked back, half expecting to see that Sandor guy already sneaking up behind him. It was a relief to see that the street was empty, but it was only a matter of time. Sandor might have been willing to bargain before, but now that Sean had stabbed his woman, he’d come in blasting.
Sean could take care of himself, but what about Tara and Kenny? If Sandor caught their scent like he had Sean’s, he’d be after them next. Sean had brought destruction down on all of them. He had to get to the apartment and convince the other two to grab the first bus out of town. Once they were gone, he’d take to the streets to lead Sandor as far from his friends as possible.
His decision made, he started running again. But it was as if a noose was tightening around his neck with each step he took, making it hard to breathe and even harder to think. Breaking his own rule, he took the most direct route home and reached the door just as his energy failed. His hands shaking too hard to get the key in the lock, he pounded on the door.
He concentrated on breathing as he waited for Tara to let him in, but he couldn’t fill his lungs enough to talk. Spots danced in front of his eyes, and the world faded to gray around the edges. Was he dying? It sure felt like it. No matter, as long as he lived long enough to warn his friends.
An eternity later, the door swung open and he collapsed on the floor at Kenny’s feet. Sean was only dimly aware of the kid yelling for help as darkness clawed at his mind and pulled him under.
Warmth and white light flowed through Sean as he slowly woke up. He knew there was something important he should be doing or saying, but right now he could only lie with his head in Tara’s lap and soak up her soothing touch. As she continued to feed him a steady supply of energy, though, a sense of urgency destroyed his peace.
Something had happened—something bad. Real bad. The fog in his mind finally lifted, and he jerked away from Tara, his heart revving up again.
“You have to pack! Take only what you abso lutely need. Both of you have to go, right now. When you get to the bus station, buy tickets on the first bus to anywhere. He’s coming!”
Tara looked bewildered. “Who’s coming? And why did you take off without telling us where you were going? Where were you?”
Sean propped himself up against the couch and used the hem of his shirt to wipe the sweat off his face. Kenny thrust a glass of water into his hands. The cool drink eased Sean’s throat, making it easier to talk.
“I went to confront the guy who interrupted Kenny in the alley. He was the same one I saw that other time.” Even with his eyes closed he kept seeing Sandor coming straight at him, with death in his eyes and those blistering hot bolts shooting from his hands.
“Honey, you and Kenny need to grab what you can and leave. Now! Please. Sandor—that’s his name—tracked me and tried to kill me.”
He held up his hands to show her the blue lines moving under his skin. She gasped, and Kenny backed away, stumbling over the packing crate they used as an end table.
“His hands did this, too, only a hundred times worse. I’ve never been so scared.”
Tara scooted closer to Sean and reached out to take his hands. “How did you get away?”
He hung his head in shame. “I threw my knife at his woman and ran.”
“Sean! How could you? Tell me she’s all right.”
“I think so, but I didn’t stick around to see. All I could do was run. But if he can find me, he can find you.” He pushed at her, trying to make her go. “Pack now. Take all the money and go!”
Tara’s chin came up in a stubborn tilt. “Not without you. If you stay, we stay.”
“Hey—” Kenny protested, but Tara rounded on him.
“We’re family, Kenny, and family sticks together. Got that?”
Kenny looked from her to Sean and back again. “Fine. We stay.”
Sean’s eyes burned with tears from the combination of frustration and relief. If they wouldn’t leave, though, they needed to make some plans. “Okay, we’ll stay—but you’ll have to do what I say.”
Tara looked to Kenny before answering. “We will.”
“This guy is like us, only on major steroids. He can do things we never knew were possible.”
“Like what?” Kenny kept glancing at the door, as if he thought Sandor was going to burst in any second.
/> “He was able to track me wherever I went, even though he couldn’t see me. I figure he must be able to detect our scent, or maybe the way we burn energy or something. And he can use energy like a weapon from a distance, though I don’t know how far.”
Tara looked so scared that it hurt, but it didn’t show in her voice. “Okay, so we stay inside. We have enough food for several days.”
He didn’t know if that would keep them safe, but at least they were taking the danger seriously. “If we do go out, we go together.”
“I’ve got a knife. I’ll get it.”
Kenny ran for his room before Sean could tell him that they’d never get close enough to Sandor to do any damage. Besides, it might comfort Kenny to have the weapon.
When the boy returned, the three of them sat in grim silence, waiting for the knock at the door. When it came only a few minutes later, Sean stared at his two friends, wishing he’d been able to do more to protect them. Maybe if he offered himself up, Sandor would let Tara and Kenny go.
He stood and offered Tara a hand up off the floor; then he pulled her into his arms for a long hug. “I love you, you know.”
She held on tight. “I know. And Kenny, too.”
Sean looked over to the boy. “Yeah, him, too. Like she said, Kenny, we’re family. Got that?”
The boy swallowed hard and nodded. “Want me to open the door?”
The kid had guts. So did Tara. They were both handling this situation a lot better than he was—but then, he’d actually seen what Sandor could do.
“Thanks for offering, kid, but that’s my job. He’s looking for me.”
Bracing himself for death, Sean opened the door.
Chapter 16
Sandor waited in the hallway of the cheap apartment building, which was filled with the stench of despair. Living here was barely a step up from living on the streets.
Only one of them would walk out of this building, most likely him—but at what price? He’d lose another chunk of his soul, but worse yet, it would cost him Lena. There was no way she’d stick around if he killed this kid.
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