His age was difficult to determine because
his face was hidden behind a long, scruffy beard, but she’d guess he was in his
early twenties at most. He looked pretty strong. But he was also just sort of
lounging where he stood. As if her life wasn’t in danger.
“Your
problem then. Cause I’m taking her out. I got orders.” The kid moved into a
crouch, ready to spring at her.
“Move
and you die. I’ll only tell you once,” her would-be protector said. And
Adelaide believed him.
With
not even a twitch of warning, the kid launched himself at Adelaide.
Instinctively she backed up, putting her hands up to ward off the impact.
But
he never reached her.
With
inhuman speed, the scruffy man was suddenly across the yard. He slammed into
the boy midair. As they came down, he managed to get the kid’s head between his
hands. With a violent twist, he snapped the boy’s neck and then dropped his
limp body to the ground.
Adelaide
remained rooted to the spot where she stood, her mouth hanging open, her heart
pounding a mile a minute. As she watched, her savior crouched down beside his
victim’s still form and checked for a pulse.
After
a minute he lifted his eyes and pinned her with a searching gaze. Very slowly,
he stood up and then took a step forward. But he stopped when Adelaide skidded
back a few feet. Her mind was a jumble of everything that’d happened in the
last few minutes. But despite the fact that he’d helped her, this man was still
a stranger. Her gut was already telling her to trust him, but she didn’t know
if she could rely on her instincts at the moment.
He
held up his hands in a gesture of peace and made no move to come any closer.
“My name is Nate.”
Adelaide
licked her lips and glanced at the body at his feet. “What…?” She took a deep,
calming breath. “What was that all about?”
Nate
followed her gaze, his lips pressed tight. “I’ve been tracking this guy for
almost a week. He’s been trying to find you for a while, I gather. And,
apparently, he had orders to kill.”
Adelaide
looked down at her hands, which were balled into fists at her sides as she
struggled to process everything and control the beast inside her at the same
time.
She
glanced back up at Nate and gasped.
Before
her eyes, glittering, almost electrical, strands of light in different colors
crisscrossed the space between them. But what did it mean?
One
strand in particular caught her attention. It started from her heart and
reached out toward him but didn’t quite make it all the way. It was a color
she’d never seen before… a deep purple, and the ends were black and jagged,
almost as if it was dying. But that wasn’t all. A similar strand of light came
from his heart, reaching toward her. Only this line was shorter, and more of it
had turned black.
Adelaide
walked toward him as though pulled by gravity. She had to see what
happened when their lines crossed. She stopped a few feet away from him and
watched, fascinated, as the strands of light danced around each other. It
looked as though hers would reach for his, and his would push away. Like two
magnets repelling one another.
She
reached out to touch them. Maybe she could put them together. Just inches away
from his end, she felt warmth start to tingle up her hand. Adelaide yanked back
with another gasp. She felt the trembling start inside her and stumbled back a
few steps. Then she looked up to see his astonished frown.
What
have I done? she thought wildly.
“You’re
Svatura, aren’t you?” he asked abruptly.
Chapter 11
Adelaide
stumbled back from Nate as though the impact of his words had physically pushed
her.
When
she didn’t say anything, he repeated the question. “Are you Svatura?”
She
nodded abruptly. “Yes.”
Nate
held his breath. She couldn’t have given him a better opening. This was it. The
key moment when he had to gain her trust.
The
staged fight with Dave had gotten him in the door, so to speak. He glanced over
at
his face was hidden behind a long, scruffy beard, but she’d guess he was in his
early twenties at most. He looked pretty strong. But he was also just sort of
lounging where he stood. As if her life wasn’t in danger.
“Your
problem then. Cause I’m taking her out. I got orders.” The kid moved into a
crouch, ready to spring at her.
“Move
and you die. I’ll only tell you once,” her would-be protector said. And
Adelaide believed him.
With
not even a twitch of warning, the kid launched himself at Adelaide.
Instinctively she backed up, putting her hands up to ward off the impact.
But
he never reached her.
With
inhuman speed, the scruffy man was suddenly across the yard. He slammed into
the boy midair. As they came down, he managed to get the kid’s head between his
hands. With a violent twist, he snapped the boy’s neck and then dropped his
limp body to the ground.
Adelaide
remained rooted to the spot where she stood, her mouth hanging open, her heart
pounding a mile a minute. As she watched, her savior crouched down beside his
victim’s still form and checked for a pulse.
After
a minute he lifted his eyes and pinned her with a searching gaze. Very slowly,
he stood up and then took a step forward. But he stopped when Adelaide skidded
back a few feet. Her mind was a jumble of everything that’d happened in the
last few minutes. But despite the fact that he’d helped her, this man was still
a stranger. Her gut was already telling her to trust him, but she didn’t know
if she could rely on her instincts at the moment.
He
held up his hands in a gesture of peace and made no move to come any closer.
“My name is Nate.”
Adelaide
licked her lips and glanced at the body at his feet. “What…?” She took a deep,
calming breath. “What was that all about?”
Nate
followed her gaze, his lips pressed tight. “I’ve been tracking this guy for
almost a week. He’s been trying to find you for a while, I gather. And,
apparently, he had orders to kill.”
Adelaide
looked down at her hands, which were balled into fists at her sides as she
struggled to process everything and control the beast inside her at the same
time.
She
glanced back up at Nate and gasped.
Before
her eyes, glittering, almost electrical, strands of light in different colors
crisscrossed the space between them. But what did it mean?
One
strand in particular caught her attention. It started from her heart and
reached out toward him but didn’t quite make it all the way. It was a color
she’d never seen before… a deep purple, and the ends were black and jagged,
almost as if it was dying. But that wasn’t all. A similar strand of light came
from his heart, reaching toward her. Only this line was shorter, and more of it
had turned black.
Adelaide
walked toward him as though pulled by gravity. She had to see what
happened when their lines crossed. She stopped a few feet away from him and
watched, fascinated, as the strands of light danced around each other. It
looked as though hers would reach for his, and his would push away. Like two
magnets repelling one another.
She
reached out to touch them. Maybe she could put them together. Just inches away
from his end, she felt warmth start to tingle up her hand. Adelaide yanked back
with another gasp. She felt the trembling start inside her and stumbled back a
few steps. Then she looked up to see his astonished frown.
What
have I done? she thought wildly.
“You’re
Svatura, aren’t you?” he asked abruptly.
Chapter 11
Adelaide
stumbled back from Nate as though the impact of his words had physically pushed
her.
When
she didn’t say anything, he repeated the question. “Are you Svatura?”
She
nodded abruptly. “Yes.”
Nate
held his breath. She couldn’t have given him a better opening. This was it. The
key moment when he had to gain her trust.
The
staged fight with Dave had gotten him in the door, so to speak. He glanced over
at
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