suspicion. “How do you—”
“How long before they punish you? Why haven’t they punished you? It should have been immediate—the moment you threatened, never mind actually hurting a mortal.”
“Who are you?”
Heat flared in her amethyst. Ignoring it, and the warning, she stood, kept herself between Annie and Zach. “Your worst enemy, if you do not—”
Before she could finish he sprang forward. Pain tore through her the moment he made contact. His arms caught her in an embrace—and Annie’s scream cut off as he thrust them both into breathless darkness.
They tumbled to the floor. Claire cried out, her bad leg slamming into bare hardwood. Strong hands lifted her, settled her against the wall.
“Forgive me,” Zach whispered. He brushed hair off her face, lifted her chin until she met the fierce blue eyes. Shame and anger fought each other in their depths. “I will not step back, or give in to your demands. I mean to stay, to live. Whatever it takes to have this, I will do.”
He laid his hand on her leg. Claire couldn’t stop him, prayed he couldn’t see, couldn’t feel her power through the widening cracks in Azazel’s wall. Warmth spread from his hand, through her skin and into bone. She had no idea guardians could heal physical wounds—their realm had always been healing the spirit. The pain ebbed, faded, and she let out her breath.
“Thank you.”
“I am not a monster.”
“Someone looking in from the outside would think differently.”
He stood, temper flaring around him like an angry storm. “They will not have the chance. This must end today. I will have my life today.”
He disappeared. Claire waited, until she was certain, and got to her feet. Her leg felt—wonderful. No nagging ache, no stiffness. The euphoria of that carried her to the door, and died when she found it was locked. With no keyhole on her side of the latch.
*
“ C laire—” Annie started to push herself up when her friend disappeared with that bastard. Pain roared across her hip, dropped her. “Damn it—”
“Annie!” The panicked cry snapped her head up. Hillary scrambled down the stairs, dark hair flying around her. “Annie, are you okay? Where’s Claire?”
“I’ve been better. Zach took her.”
“No—this is my fault—we have to—”
“Not your fault, honey. Claire would be the first to tell you not to blame yourself. Hey,” she took Hillary’s hand when she saw tears filling the girl’s eyes. “She’ll be okay.” Or I’ll kill the bastard myself. I don’t care what he is. “Look at my ring. It’s powerful protection, and lets me know when there’s trouble. See how it’s glowing? That means Claire’s okay. If it starts sparking, then we’ll have something to worry about. That, or I’m really mad.” She smiled. “It’s also my own personal mood ring.”
Laughter bubbled out of Hillary. “Seriously?”
“To my constant embarrassment. He can’t take Claire out of the house, because he can’t leave. We managed at least that much before he crashed the party.”
Wincing, she shifted up on her side, tried to assess the damage to her hip. “I can’t get to it—”
Regina knelt next to her. “I’ll do it. There will be pain.”
“Oh, I have no doubt.” She sucked in her breath as fingers touched her hip, told herself she wouldn’t scream.
“I’m sorry,” Regina said.
Annie grit her teeth. “Okay.”
“Do you prefer rip or peel?”
Annie glanced up at her. “What?”
“Which band aid method do you prefer—peel it off, or rip?”
She swallowed, closed her eyes briefly. “Rip.”
“Hil, can you get the aloe out of the bathroom? And a glass of water.” Regina touched Annie’s cheek. “It looks like a bad sunburn. How does it feel?”
“Like I backed into a stove.”
“Ouch. Thank you, honey.” Regina lifted Annie’s head enough for her to take a drink out of the glass. The water cooled her raw throat. “Now, I’m going to pour the
“How long before they punish you? Why haven’t they punished you? It should have been immediate—the moment you threatened, never mind actually hurting a mortal.”
“Who are you?”
Heat flared in her amethyst. Ignoring it, and the warning, she stood, kept herself between Annie and Zach. “Your worst enemy, if you do not—”
Before she could finish he sprang forward. Pain tore through her the moment he made contact. His arms caught her in an embrace—and Annie’s scream cut off as he thrust them both into breathless darkness.
They tumbled to the floor. Claire cried out, her bad leg slamming into bare hardwood. Strong hands lifted her, settled her against the wall.
“Forgive me,” Zach whispered. He brushed hair off her face, lifted her chin until she met the fierce blue eyes. Shame and anger fought each other in their depths. “I will not step back, or give in to your demands. I mean to stay, to live. Whatever it takes to have this, I will do.”
He laid his hand on her leg. Claire couldn’t stop him, prayed he couldn’t see, couldn’t feel her power through the widening cracks in Azazel’s wall. Warmth spread from his hand, through her skin and into bone. She had no idea guardians could heal physical wounds—their realm had always been healing the spirit. The pain ebbed, faded, and she let out her breath.
“Thank you.”
“I am not a monster.”
“Someone looking in from the outside would think differently.”
He stood, temper flaring around him like an angry storm. “They will not have the chance. This must end today. I will have my life today.”
He disappeared. Claire waited, until she was certain, and got to her feet. Her leg felt—wonderful. No nagging ache, no stiffness. The euphoria of that carried her to the door, and died when she found it was locked. With no keyhole on her side of the latch.
*
“ C laire—” Annie started to push herself up when her friend disappeared with that bastard. Pain roared across her hip, dropped her. “Damn it—”
“Annie!” The panicked cry snapped her head up. Hillary scrambled down the stairs, dark hair flying around her. “Annie, are you okay? Where’s Claire?”
“I’ve been better. Zach took her.”
“No—this is my fault—we have to—”
“Not your fault, honey. Claire would be the first to tell you not to blame yourself. Hey,” she took Hillary’s hand when she saw tears filling the girl’s eyes. “She’ll be okay.” Or I’ll kill the bastard myself. I don’t care what he is. “Look at my ring. It’s powerful protection, and lets me know when there’s trouble. See how it’s glowing? That means Claire’s okay. If it starts sparking, then we’ll have something to worry about. That, or I’m really mad.” She smiled. “It’s also my own personal mood ring.”
Laughter bubbled out of Hillary. “Seriously?”
“To my constant embarrassment. He can’t take Claire out of the house, because he can’t leave. We managed at least that much before he crashed the party.”
Wincing, she shifted up on her side, tried to assess the damage to her hip. “I can’t get to it—”
Regina knelt next to her. “I’ll do it. There will be pain.”
“Oh, I have no doubt.” She sucked in her breath as fingers touched her hip, told herself she wouldn’t scream.
“I’m sorry,” Regina said.
Annie grit her teeth. “Okay.”
“Do you prefer rip or peel?”
Annie glanced up at her. “What?”
“Which band aid method do you prefer—peel it off, or rip?”
She swallowed, closed her eyes briefly. “Rip.”
“Hil, can you get the aloe out of the bathroom? And a glass of water.” Regina touched Annie’s cheek. “It looks like a bad sunburn. How does it feel?”
“Like I backed into a stove.”
“Ouch. Thank you, honey.” Regina lifted Annie’s head enough for her to take a drink out of the glass. The water cooled her raw throat. “Now, I’m going to pour the
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