Playing With Fire
Page 31
“You’re just . . . gonna watch . . . her die?” Ryder yanked at the chains and didn’t care when they cut into his wrists. He’d heal. He always healed.
She won’t.
“Yes.” Wyatt nodded and offered an almost-absent smile. “Yes, yes, I am.”
Her eyes were on Ryder—her eyes . . .
He saw the life leave them. Actually saw a veil of nothing sweep into her stare. “No!” He yanked at the chains, twisting his hands, breaking his wrists as he fought to get free. He smashed his fingers as he tried to jerk his hand through the ring that bound his wrist. He didn’t feel the pain as he struggled.
Dead.
“Exit,” Wyatt snapped, “now.”
The guards started hauling ass. They were leaving her like that? Just sprawled on the floor like a broken doll?
Maybe there was still time. His right wrist shattered. Maybe.
“If I were you, I wouldn’t move,” Wyatt advised Ryder with a quick frown as he paused by the door. “This is her first change. I have no idea how powerful it will be.”
Ryder didn’t understand the bastard. He was moving, all right. Won’t give up. Won’t—
The door slammed shut behind Wyatt and his men. And . . . the scent of smoke teased Ryder’s nose.
What the hell?
His gaze snapped back to Sabine. Her eyes were still open, only her eyes weren’t dark brown any longer. The brown was changing, turning to a gold, then seeming to burn red.
Red like fire.
The scent of smoke deepened around him. Ryder pulled his broken right hand free. Now the other—
Her body began to burn.
He yelled then, roaring her name, but the fire didn’t stop. It blazed hotter, higher, and swept over Sabine’s slender form. The white-hot heat from the blaze rushed over his skin, almost singeing him. Sprinklers erupted with a powerful spray from overhead, and the water drenched him but did nothing to stop the blaze that consumed Sabine.
His breath rasped out. Ryder stopped fighting for his freedom. There was nothing to be done now. No one could come back from those flames.
So there was nothing for him to do in the end but watch the fire burn, to hate himself for the monster that he was, and to wish that Sabine Acadia had never had the misfortune to walk into his prison.
But then something began to move within those flames. She moved, and Ryder realized that Wyatt’s experiments were just getting started.
Because even though she’d just died right in front of him, even though Sabine was burning, it sure looked like she was trying to rise from the fire.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
USA Today bestseller Cynthia Eden is the author of paranormal suspense tales—sensual stories with dark twists. Cynthia has always been intrigued by the supernatural, and she loves to answer “what if ” questions in her books. In college, she worked for the school newspaper while she completed her studies in sociology and communication. She freely admits to being a bit of a Lois Lane wannabe. Cynthia lives in the Deep South with her husband and son. She loves to hear from readers, and you can e-mail her at Cynthia@cynthiaeden.com. For more information on Cynthia and her upcoming releases, please visit her website at www.cynthiaeden.com.
BRAVA BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
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New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2014 Cindy Roussos
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
BRAVA and the B logo are Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
ISBN: 978-0-7582-8410-5
First Kensington Trade Paperback Printing: September 2014
First Electronic Edition: September 2014
ISBN-13: 978-0-7582-8412-9
ISBN-10: 0-7582-8412-8