by Dianna Love
“That makes sense.” She said, “Be careful. Love you.”
He winked. “I will. Love you more.”
Once he closed the door and the lock clicked, she hurried to the bathroom. Not as huge as the one they had at home, but nicely appointed. Flipping buttons on her shirt, she shed all of her clothes.
Her hands shook with panic.
No, no, no.
More lines had appeared even from when she’d checked in the morgue bathroom. Why? One patch ran down the inside of her thigh and a new one crossed her abdomen.
This might be a mistake, but she wanted to see if her touch would make them extend again. She placed her finger on a line that started across her abdomen.
Three dissected from the central vein and continued two inches.
No touching the artwork. She yanked her hand back. Her stomach roiled with sick fear.
Grabbing a towel, she tried to block the lines from view, but the wrap couldn’t cover her entire body.
How much worse would this be by morning?
CHAPTER 12
A long hot shower sounded wonderful, but Evalle dashed through a fast one instead and dressed in record time. The central air-conditioning ran, giving the villa a nice chill. Great for sleeping, but she exchanged her nightshirt for one of Storm’s long-sleeved T-shirts that fell halfway down her thighs.
That covered more skin, too.
Plus, Storm liked when she wore his clothes.
Now to ask someone to go hunting for her.
Snagging her mobile phone off the dresser, she crawled onto the bed, piled pillows to lean against, and pulled the cover across her bare legs.
Her body practically sighed at being horizontal.
Normally she wouldn’t text anyone this time of night with it closing in on two in the morning in Atlanta, but she’d really like to talk to Adrianna.
Hopefully her friend wouldn’t smack her long distance with a shot of Witchlock for waking her up.
Adrianna’s reply text read: Yes, I’ll talk, but not until I have tea in hand. Sit tight.
Evalle answered on the first ring. “Sorry. I know it’s late.”
“I wasn’t sleeping that well anyhow,” Adrianna said, sounding half awake.
“Why not?”
“Stupid reason,” Adrianna groused, noncommittal.
Evalle thought about what the culprit could be. “Stupid man reason, witch?” Had Adrianna returned to Atlanta with Evalle and Storm so she could check on Isak and Kit, two humans who knew about preternaturals?
One of which happened to be the idiot male Adrianna had been involved with for a short time.
“Everything does not involve Isak, gryphon,” Adrianna answered in a teasing tone. Then she gasped. “Oh shit, Evalle, I didn’t mean to say that.”
They referred to each other as witch and gryphon all the time. Evalle didn’t want to lose the easy way she and Adrianna had always communicated.
She assured her friend, “It’s okay, Adrianna. You’re one of the few people not treating me like a piece of china. Besides, it was funny to hear you curse.”
“I’m liable to say anything when I’m not fully awake, but the tea will kick in soon. Speaking of your gryphon, how are you doing?”
See? Adrianna didn’t dance around any topic. Evalle leaned back against the fluffy pillows and looked out at the clear black sky beyond the wide windows where stars twinkled. “That’s kind of why I wanted to talk.”
“Did something happen?” the witch asked cautiously.
“Before we left for Arizona, I—”
“Wait. What? You’re in Arizona? Why in the world are you and Storm there?”
Evalle filled in Adrianna on what they were doing because she had zero doubt Storm would tell their friend. With that explained, Evalle said, “So back to why I texted. I have more of those strange jagged lines on my body. I’m dreading going to sleep and waking up to a new surprise. I’m hoping you can find out something for me.”
“Have you shown them to Storm?” Adrianna sounded as if she had more to say but was holding back.
“Yes, back at Treoir. But I haven’t shown him the new spread yet. He left before I took a shower. To be honest, I wanted to talk to you first. Storm has enough on him.”
“He won’t feel burdened,” Adrianna said quietly.
Evalle admitted what she hadn’t shared with anyone. “I know he’ll never show any sign of the strain this is putting on him, but we both know he’s really stressed over my missing gryphon. Also, I’m tired of him constantly thinking I’m going to die. He unloaded all his healing power on me. What else can he do? Well, we can always bond if I run out of options, but that worries me, too.”
When Adrianna said nothing, Evalle took that as agreeing with her points and continued. “I don’t want to be a nonstop repair project for him. So back to the lines. Can you find out anything?”
“I actually do know something.” Adrianna had spoken too quietly. She didn’t sound excited as if she had good news.
“And?” Evalle prodded.
“I started researching as soon as I got home from Treoir. I’m not going to waste our time going through how I got this, but I tapped someone connected to the Sterling witches.”
Evalle’s heart fell.
Adrianna had been born a Sterling witch, but turned her back on her family when they basically sold her twin sister to a crazy witch who cooked her majik.
For Adrianna to contact anyone associated with them was ... hard to put into words.
Swallowing, Evalle said, “I’m sorry to have put you in that position.”
“You didn’t. I’m a big girl. I made the decision.”
“Still, it means more than you know that you’d do that. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Evalle, but you may not like what I found out.”
Preparing for whatever Adrianna had discovered, Evalle said, “Lay it on me.”
The witch hesitated then said, “The bottom line is a mage placed a spell on two different nonhumans, which resulted in similar lines crawling across the bodies until they covered the skin completely.”
“What happened then?” Evalle closed her eyes at the heartbreak in Adrianna’s voice. At least her friend would give her a straight answer.
“When the lines joined, they began tightening until they cut through the body, killing both test examples.”
Evalle opened her eyes and lifted her arm, staring at the inky lines. As an afterthought, she asked, “What kind of nonhumans did the mage put the spell on?”
“Oh, Evalle, that’s what I hate to tell you.” Adrianna’s soft breathing filled the line for a couple seconds. “He used demons. Those lines might be something left from the spell the mage placed on you in Abandinu.”
Evalle barely listened after the word demons.
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears.
She now felt robbed after all the time she’d delayed bonding with Storm. In her foolish heart, she’d always thought she could fix her body then join with him in a special ceremony.
Unless some miracle cure happened, which didn’t sound likely if these lines resulted from the mage’s spell, she could not allow Storm to bond with her.
Ever.
Neither could she tell him what she’d just learned.
Not after she’d given him permission to activate the bond at any moment if she got into dire straits.
She had to breathe in and out, in and out, forcing a calm over her body she didn’t feel. When she could say the words without her voice cracking, Evalle said, “Thank you, Adrianna.”
“I’m sorry, Evalle. I wanted to give you good news when I saw you.”
“Me, too.” She struggled against the pain spearing her. Being found and rescued from Abandinu’s realm had been incredible. Tristan bringing her back to life ranked up there with a true miracle.
All that for naught.
“Do you want me to come out there and give Witchlock a try, Evalle? We should be able to find so
mewhere away from any people in a land that wide-open to experiment.”
Evalle started to laugh, but it wouldn’t have sounded happy. Twisting the tail of Storm’s shirt into a knot, she said, “Thanks, but no.”
“Why not?”
“I gave my word to Storm I wouldn’t let you try unless we bonded first.”
Adrianna cursed again, a record for her. “You don’t think he’d change his mind with this news?”
“No, and I don’t want you to tell him. Nothing would stop him from joining his power to mine if he knew. Not that I have much left, because I lose more as I gain new lines.”
How could it end this way? Evalle couldn’t muster the fighting spirit she’d had until now.
“Listen, Evalle, whatever the mage did to that demon doesn’t mean your lines will kill you.”
“You don’t have to keep reassuring me,” Evalle said, though Storm would have heard the lie in her voice. “I said I wanted the truth and I appreciate it. I really do.”
Angry now, Adrianna grumbled, “Maybe this has nothing to do with the mage and the lines are a sign your gryphon is trying to break out.”
“You think my beast is trying to hatch out of my skin?” Evalle asked with a little of her normal sarcasm. “How is that a good idea?”
“I don’t know,” Adrianna crabbed. “I’m brainstorming. Work with me. I hate having no plan of attack and no idea what we’re fighting.”
“Welcome to my world.” Evalle appreciated Adrianna’s fury on her part. She didn’t want to leave her friend feeling all was lost. It might just be later on, but at the moment Evalle had to find her backbone. She still lived to fight tomorrow.
Determined to keep a strong front for her friend, she said, “Don’t despair, witch. I do have a plan.”
“Oh?” Adrianna perked up. “What is it?”
“Storm is getting me an invitation to meet the tribal seer. According to him, members of the tribe meet with her, then she figures out what’s wrong with their body. They take that diagnosis to their medicine man who heals them.”
“And you don’t think the seer will figure out you’re nonhuman?” the witch asked in a doubtful voice.
“I hope not. They aren’t big on Skinwalkers out here. His uncle knows Storm is one and a guy at the morgue had a demonstration of Storm’s majik, but Storm chanted when he used his majik so the guy probably thinks he’s a medicine doctor. I don’t think I have to bare my soul to the seer, just ask what she sees out of balance with my Hózhó.”
“Your what? Is that what they call a gryphon in their language?” Adrianna teased, probably doing all she could to lighten the mood.
Evalle smiled in spite of her heavy heart. She tried explaining something she had no true understanding about. “No. I can’t let anyone know I’m not human or that pretty much blows Storm’s cover. Hózhó is about a person’s energy. She sees what’s out of whack with a body’s harmony or something. I don’t know if it will work since I’m neither human nor a tribal member, but I’m open to anything at this point.”
Rustling of Adrianna moving around came through the lines. “Sure you don’t want me to just be there during the day when you can’t go out in the sun?”
Life had changed greatly since gaining friends.
Adrianna, in particular, had turned into one of the best.
“Thanks for the offer, but Storm has cloaked a vehicle for us. I’m fine. I’ll let you know when we get back to Atlanta.”
“Call me anytime.” Then Adrianna was gone.
After finishing the call, Evalle studied the inky-looking lines for the longest time. She wanted to tell Storm what she’d learned. Wanted him to wrap her up and tell her they’d beat this.
But that would be selfish and dangerous.
He would bond immediately, even knowing it might kill him.
Nope. She would protect him this time.
The lines covered maybe twenty percent of her body, which meant she didn’t have to face him yet.
She stalked around the room, bored and restless when she’d expected to be ready to sleep. Changing direction, she went downstairs to the great room but dismissed watching the television. She hated to figure out a new remote control.
Had Storm’s uncle put blackout shades on the glass sliding door at the end of the room?
She strolled over to discover this room would be just as light-proof.
Finding the latch release, she opened the glass door and stepped out to a private patio complete with a fire pit surrounded by outdoor furniture. An interesting assortment of desert plants filled containers of all shapes and sizes.
Had the local members made those clay pots?
A half wall matching the house design and color enclosed the space on three sides with a wrought-iron gate exit that lead to the casino hotel and pool area thirty yards away.
She found a lounger and stretched out in it to stare at a star-filled sky she never saw in the city.
Maybe Storm had a point about camping some time if she survived this. She wasn’t ready to give up him or Feenix. Or her friends. Damn. Her heart ached as if she’d been stabbed.
If she didn’t calm down by the time Storm returned, he’d know something was up immediately.
Slowly, she relaxed and let her eyelids flutter shut.
Flapping reached her ears, waking her.
She forced her heavy eyes open.
A large bird swooped by overhead, then was gone. She hadn’t brought her sunglasses down, but no one would see her in the enclosure.
Leaning back, she drifted off again, missing her gryphon. Life sucked.
She wanted the life she’d had, warts and all, before she’d been snatched from Atlanta.
Flapping started again.
She blinked, seeing a large dark bird with a white head come flying down and land on the short wall next to the gate fifteen feet away.
An eagle?
She rubbed her eyes and looked again.
Yep. How fun was that?
The bird sat still and stared straight ahead, paying her little attention.
She opened her senses to it and got ... nothing.
Well, hell. Was she losing her empathic ability now?
She stayed parked on the lounger. At one time, she’d have had confidence in protecting herself from any creature. Not so much these days, but she wouldn’t harm an eagle or any other natural animal that didn’t try to kill her.
The eagle stood an easy three feet tall. It perched with moonlight shining on its back, leaving the bird in silhouette.
Evalle’s natural night vision had always been crisp, especially when she went without sunglasses. This might be how humans saw. With the bird’s back to the light, all she could see on the glowing white head were two black spots for eyes.
Speaking softly so as not to disturb it, she said, “Hey there.”
Slowly, the bird angled its head until the beak pointed in her direction.
What was it about a wild animal or bird that made a person want to pet it?
She had the urge to stroke the feathers, but while that beak might not be as large as the one on her gryphon, it could snap the bones in her hand.
A deep longing for her gryphon hit her again.
Do something, anything, to avoid thinking about it, she coached herself.
Not moving a muscle, they stared at each other for what felt like ten minutes.
When she realized it intended to stay, she leaned back, relaxed. “I envy you. I’ll never shift into a gryphon and fly high above the land again.”
The eagle angled its head in a pose of curiosity.
“You don’t believe me?” She shrugged. “I did shift at one time, but someone wrecked my body. Now I can’t even feel my beast any more.”
The eagle showed no sympathy. No reaction at all.
Fair enough. She didn’t want to be pitied.
Not even by a bird.
Sure, she probably looked stupid talking to a bird, but people told thei
r dogs and cats everything and she needed a friend right now. One she wouldn’t be burdening.
A noise pulled her attention away from her friend.
Evalle lifted up, looking over the wall, but the villas on each side were dark and silent as if vacant.
After a minute, she eased back down, glad the eagle hadn’t spooked.
She needed a little company, especially after Adrianna’s call.
Breathing deeply in and out, the tension slipped from her body. The bird had a calming presence. It didn’t care who she was or that she couldn’t fly. It seemed content to spend this time just being.
That sounded like a sound idea to try.
To be honest, just being able to talk about what bothered her helped, especially the things she couldn’t tell Storm. “Are you mated?”
Stern silence answered her.
Huh, maybe the eagle had a sad story of its own.
Stretching her arms, she crossed them behind her head. “You don’t want to talk about it. I get it, but I could use some advice. I was ready to bond with my mate before I got kidnapped then I put it off. He understands, especially about me losing my gryphon, because he’s got a jaguar inside him.” She longed for the future they should have. “We made a great pair of shifters, but bonding is off the table now.”
The eagle remained in its regal pose, patient as a statue as she unloaded some of the crap on her chest.
More people should listen the way this bird did.
She lay there, watching the eagle for the longest time until her eyelids became heavy again.
The world spun slowly. She floated in gray nothing.
Then clouds in the sky passed by ... no, she passed the clouds.
She was flying.
Wind brushed over her face as she soared high above the ground. A dark-eyed eagle appeared thirty feet away keeping pace with her. No problems existed among the clouds. Nothing could touch her this far above the world.
She lost track of time, content to glide back and forth.
A sharp sound woke her.
She jerked awake and pushed up on one arm, looking around the room in total darkness.
The bedroom?
Hadn’t she been on the patio?
What was she doing upstairs? Shoving hair off her face, she muttered, “Damn, am I sleepwalking now?” She hoped not. “What a weird dream.”
