pockets, an attempt to escape the cold.
She trudged through the slush until she reached the city center. Just beyond the cluster of shops, the city hospital rose dark and forbidding. She sniffed, pulling her hand from her pocket to rub the end of her nose. She stood there for a moment and watched the activity.
Cars crunched through the ice covered the streets, occasionally stopping to pick up one of the people who hurried along the sidewalk. Thrusting her hands back into her pockets, she stepped into the flow of foot traffic.
Chapter Four
The Smallest Piece
Marked. He had marked her. Farran snarled to himself, as he paced the confines of his cell. Three strides one way, then back. Over and over, he crossed the same distance, growing more and more furious as the time passed. His anger at her needed no explanation, she was human. The fury he felt at his own actions, though. He shook his head at himself.
What in abad had he been thinking? She reeked of him after his display. The marks on her skin absorbing his ator, and loudly proclaiming his threat to any challenger. He let out a loud growl and slammed his fist into the wall near his door. The stone shone silver for a moment before falling back to a dull gray. Farran looked from the wall to his hand.
The bone re-knitted with a solid crack, as the small amount of blood quickly reabsorbed into his skin. He bared his teeth and repeated the action. Over and over, the loud crunch of broken bone followed by the crack of it re-knitting. It was an insignificant pain, but it released his anger. After countless strikes, he let his hand fall to his side.
Cocking his head, his gaze slid from the wall to the door of his cell. The door to the hallway slid open with a quiet rasp and Farran turned to face the corridor. A handler passed his cell without sparing him a glance. He bared his teeth at the disrespect, but focused on the Dem trailing behind the smaller human.
Tradis paused outside his door, turning his head toward him slowly. Their eyes met briefly before his second dropped his gaze. Tradis stood perfectly still until Farran nodded. His blue eyes flicked up to meet Farran's green, a vague question glowing there. Farran bared his teeth and his second quickly dropped his gaze.
"Go," Farran hissed quietly in their tongue. He glanced at the human, who had yet to notice Tradis had fallen behind.
Tradis' gaze flicked to the human and then back to him. He nodded quickly and strode away.
Farran listened to the human bark orders from the end of the corridor. After the sound of chains hitting the stone floor, a pulse of energy engaged the security screens. The human's footsteps approached. As the he passed, he glanced into Farran's cell. The screens made it impossible for the handler to see his feral smile, but the human seemed to feel it. He jerked his eyes away and scurried to the door.
After the door to the hallway slid closed, silence fell in Corridor One. Then, the process repeated. Azzan followed a scrawny human down the corridor. Farran crossed his arms over his chest, watching the human pass. Azzan paused. He slowly turned his head, his grey eyes meeting Farran's for a fraction of a second before lowering. Farran nodded and Azzan continued down the hall.
Balendin, Drusus, Gutyn, Vikram – every Dem paused at his cell to show respect before continuing down the corridor. Ragnar stopped at his cell, despite his handler's furious protests. When the human tried to force him to move from his place, Ragnar turned and growled at him. Farran glanced at the pale human in amusement. When Ragnar turned to face him, bowing his head in respect, Farran nodded. He
She trudged through the slush until she reached the city center. Just beyond the cluster of shops, the city hospital rose dark and forbidding. She sniffed, pulling her hand from her pocket to rub the end of her nose. She stood there for a moment and watched the activity.
Cars crunched through the ice covered the streets, occasionally stopping to pick up one of the people who hurried along the sidewalk. Thrusting her hands back into her pockets, she stepped into the flow of foot traffic.
Chapter Four
The Smallest Piece
Marked. He had marked her. Farran snarled to himself, as he paced the confines of his cell. Three strides one way, then back. Over and over, he crossed the same distance, growing more and more furious as the time passed. His anger at her needed no explanation, she was human. The fury he felt at his own actions, though. He shook his head at himself.
What in abad had he been thinking? She reeked of him after his display. The marks on her skin absorbing his ator, and loudly proclaiming his threat to any challenger. He let out a loud growl and slammed his fist into the wall near his door. The stone shone silver for a moment before falling back to a dull gray. Farran looked from the wall to his hand.
The bone re-knitted with a solid crack, as the small amount of blood quickly reabsorbed into his skin. He bared his teeth and repeated the action. Over and over, the loud crunch of broken bone followed by the crack of it re-knitting. It was an insignificant pain, but it released his anger. After countless strikes, he let his hand fall to his side.
Cocking his head, his gaze slid from the wall to the door of his cell. The door to the hallway slid open with a quiet rasp and Farran turned to face the corridor. A handler passed his cell without sparing him a glance. He bared his teeth at the disrespect, but focused on the Dem trailing behind the smaller human.
Tradis paused outside his door, turning his head toward him slowly. Their eyes met briefly before his second dropped his gaze. Tradis stood perfectly still until Farran nodded. His blue eyes flicked up to meet Farran's green, a vague question glowing there. Farran bared his teeth and his second quickly dropped his gaze.
"Go," Farran hissed quietly in their tongue. He glanced at the human, who had yet to notice Tradis had fallen behind.
Tradis' gaze flicked to the human and then back to him. He nodded quickly and strode away.
Farran listened to the human bark orders from the end of the corridor. After the sound of chains hitting the stone floor, a pulse of energy engaged the security screens. The human's footsteps approached. As the he passed, he glanced into Farran's cell. The screens made it impossible for the handler to see his feral smile, but the human seemed to feel it. He jerked his eyes away and scurried to the door.
After the door to the hallway slid closed, silence fell in Corridor One. Then, the process repeated. Azzan followed a scrawny human down the corridor. Farran crossed his arms over his chest, watching the human pass. Azzan paused. He slowly turned his head, his grey eyes meeting Farran's for a fraction of a second before lowering. Farran nodded and Azzan continued down the hall.
Balendin, Drusus, Gutyn, Vikram – every Dem paused at his cell to show respect before continuing down the corridor. Ragnar stopped at his cell, despite his handler's furious protests. When the human tried to force him to move from his place, Ragnar turned and growled at him. Farran glanced at the pale human in amusement. When Ragnar turned to face him, bowing his head in respect, Farran nodded. He
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