about them that let her know absolute quiet was necessary for survival.
“Stay behind me,” Roderick whispered as he raised his flail.
Elle glanced at the two wicked looking spiked balls about cantaloupe sized hanging from chains attached to a thick wooden bar with grooves for his fingers. On the handle were the most beautiful Celtic knotwork she had ever seen. There was something different about it, magical almost. Her eyes went to the spikes and noticed they were varied sizes, some as long as three inches.
She would hate to encounter that weapon if it came at her, and by the way Roderick handled it, he was a master at it. Her feet took her a step back to put more distance between her and the ferocious weapon.
Val walked into the apartment first, his boots soundless on the marble. Elle peeked around Roderick’s wide shoulders and saw Val motion for them to enter.
Elle wasn’t one of those people that liked danger. When she visited the Six Flags theme park, she didn’t even ride anything. She liked her adrenaline to stay just the way it was. And yet, here she was walking behind two warriors from another time and realm to see if any evil lurked in wait for them.
A shiver raced down her spine, as though to warn her that her life was about to change.
Glass littered the floor, and furniture was overturned. Elle couldn’t believe the damage to everything as she glanced around the apartment.
“What a mess,” she mumbled as she picked up one of the glasses she and Roderick had drank from just the evening before.
Val disappeared into the hallway while she and Roderick stayed in the front rooms. Roderick went onto the south balcony and looked around. The wonderful part of having the penthouse was the four balconies on each of the four corners of the building.
Elle, not knowing what else to do, stood in the center of the living room and watched Roderick walk from the south balcony to the east balcony.
Her eyes followed the flow of his muscles as they bunched, stretched, and flexed.
It should be against the law for a man to look that good, she thought to herself.
“Nothing and no one is here,” Val said as he returned from the hallway. “They found the hidden doorway.”
Roderick closed the balcony door behind him and nodded. “I assumed they would. They followed the stone.”
And suddenly it hit Elle. “If they came after me because of the stone, wouldn’t they go after Jennifer?”
Roderick’s
eyes
stared
hard at her. “Aye.”
Elle sank onto the sofa, her head in her hands. Jennifer wouldn’t survive. Alex might be good sized, but he was no Roderick.
Her best friend and the only family she had was going to die.
“This can’t be happening. Jennifer won’t know that the necklace controls them.”
“The Harpies will tell her,” Val said as he came to stand at the end of the sofa.
She looked up into his pale green eyes, his long, light brown hair pulled away from his face in a ponytail. He didn’t try to hide the condemnation in his gaze.
“What are you saying?” she asked him as she rose to her feet.
Roderick walked until he stood beside Val. “Have you ever thought that she might have something to do with them?”
Elle laughed and shook her head. “Why would she? Jennifer only thinks about her career and Alex. Trust me, I’ve known her for nearly fifteen years.”
“The stone does odd things to people,” Val said. “It can turn a good person bad.”
“You’ve got it wrong,” she told the warriors. “Alex, her boyfriend, found that necklace and picked it out as a birthday present for me. They bought it in Galveston.” Roderick took a step toward her. “Where?”
“I have no idea. You don’t ask someone that when you receive a gift.”
“Val,” Roderick said.
“I’m going,” Val replied and dashed for the door.
Elle was becoming more confused by the minute. “Where is he going?”
“To see if that necklace was indeed purchased in
“Stay behind me,” Roderick whispered as he raised his flail.
Elle glanced at the two wicked looking spiked balls about cantaloupe sized hanging from chains attached to a thick wooden bar with grooves for his fingers. On the handle were the most beautiful Celtic knotwork she had ever seen. There was something different about it, magical almost. Her eyes went to the spikes and noticed they were varied sizes, some as long as three inches.
She would hate to encounter that weapon if it came at her, and by the way Roderick handled it, he was a master at it. Her feet took her a step back to put more distance between her and the ferocious weapon.
Val walked into the apartment first, his boots soundless on the marble. Elle peeked around Roderick’s wide shoulders and saw Val motion for them to enter.
Elle wasn’t one of those people that liked danger. When she visited the Six Flags theme park, she didn’t even ride anything. She liked her adrenaline to stay just the way it was. And yet, here she was walking behind two warriors from another time and realm to see if any evil lurked in wait for them.
A shiver raced down her spine, as though to warn her that her life was about to change.
Glass littered the floor, and furniture was overturned. Elle couldn’t believe the damage to everything as she glanced around the apartment.
“What a mess,” she mumbled as she picked up one of the glasses she and Roderick had drank from just the evening before.
Val disappeared into the hallway while she and Roderick stayed in the front rooms. Roderick went onto the south balcony and looked around. The wonderful part of having the penthouse was the four balconies on each of the four corners of the building.
Elle, not knowing what else to do, stood in the center of the living room and watched Roderick walk from the south balcony to the east balcony.
Her eyes followed the flow of his muscles as they bunched, stretched, and flexed.
It should be against the law for a man to look that good, she thought to herself.
“Nothing and no one is here,” Val said as he returned from the hallway. “They found the hidden doorway.”
Roderick closed the balcony door behind him and nodded. “I assumed they would. They followed the stone.”
And suddenly it hit Elle. “If they came after me because of the stone, wouldn’t they go after Jennifer?”
Roderick’s
eyes
stared
hard at her. “Aye.”
Elle sank onto the sofa, her head in her hands. Jennifer wouldn’t survive. Alex might be good sized, but he was no Roderick.
Her best friend and the only family she had was going to die.
“This can’t be happening. Jennifer won’t know that the necklace controls them.”
“The Harpies will tell her,” Val said as he came to stand at the end of the sofa.
She looked up into his pale green eyes, his long, light brown hair pulled away from his face in a ponytail. He didn’t try to hide the condemnation in his gaze.
“What are you saying?” she asked him as she rose to her feet.
Roderick walked until he stood beside Val. “Have you ever thought that she might have something to do with them?”
Elle laughed and shook her head. “Why would she? Jennifer only thinks about her career and Alex. Trust me, I’ve known her for nearly fifteen years.”
“The stone does odd things to people,” Val said. “It can turn a good person bad.”
“You’ve got it wrong,” she told the warriors. “Alex, her boyfriend, found that necklace and picked it out as a birthday present for me. They bought it in Galveston.” Roderick took a step toward her. “Where?”
“I have no idea. You don’t ask someone that when you receive a gift.”
“Val,” Roderick said.
“I’m going,” Val replied and dashed for the door.
Elle was becoming more confused by the minute. “Where is he going?”
“To see if that necklace was indeed purchased in
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