Read Online Rise of the Gryphon by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dianna Love - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dianna Love
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out of her eyes. “Not exactly. I can’t just walk into VIPER and say I happened upon a Beast Club fighting ring and forgot to call it in, then entered my own fighter in the battles. Oh, and I ended up with a stolen Volonte bone to boot.”
“So what is your plan?”
“First I have to tell Macha what I’ve learned.”
Storm groaned. “Those conversations always end up with you bloody, owing her more, or both.”
Her voice was calm as she explained, “Not this time. I’ve found where Alterants will be congregating. Machawants the Alterants found and Tristan to tell us what he knows about Alterant origins. I’ll point out to her that I had to go into the Beast Club tonight to see Imogenia because of my obligation to her. She’s got pull with VIPER. If she informs them about the Beast Club, they won’t question how she knows.”
Good point, if he trusted that goddess. Not a bit . “What about the armband?”
“She can tell VIPER she’s sending it into headquarters on my arm, which would be true, and that someone needs to take the armband to keep the Volonte safe. That should get this thing off my arm immediately, since Sen wouldn’t trust me with a magical paper clip.”
Storm had to admit that Evalle had thought this through and hoped that meant she was gaining control of the bone.
She finished, “Once VIPER knows what’s going on, they can use the armband to send in a covert team.”
Call him cynical, but that still sounded too easy.
Storm started walking toward his truck again. It should be in sight any time now. “Sen may bar you from being on the covert team that goes into the ABC.” One could only hope.
Evalle fell into step with him again. “Not if Macha demands that I’m on the team, and you know she will, so that I can get to Tristan and maybe some of the other Alterants.”
“I’m still going with you.”
“You’re no longer with VIPER, and Sen may not take you back.”
True and true, but Evalle needed someone else to watch her back besides Tzader and Quinn. Those two Beladors cared for her as if she were a little sister, but they couldn’t watch only her on an op. Storm could and would.
He offered, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
She made a gritty noise that might be an agreement. “How’s your back?”
He let her change the subject. “Fine.”
“I’ll want to see it.”
“You know I’ll heal by the time—”
“I said I want to see it,” she said with determination, which probably came from worry.
Okay, Miss Cranky. “Fine. When we get to the truck.”
She picked up the pace down the rolling elevation to the foot of the mountain, where pine trees swayed in the breeze.
Evalle reached the sport-utility vehicle and turned to him with a stubborn look burning in her eyes. She knew he could draw on his jaguar powers to heal and had already started the process, but she had that single-minded look, and he wanted her calm for the drive back so she might sleep. She’d had no real rest in over three days.
Reaching his SUV, Storm opened the door to the back seat on the driver’s side, shrugged out of his jacket, then tossed it in. No interior lights came on.
He’d disconnected those for situations just like this one.
It would have been simpler to wait until he got hometo remove his shirt and use a healing chant to aid his powers in sealing the cuts, but the smell of his blood might be bothering her, reminding her of the fight, so he yanked off his shirt, ripping open the scab that had already formed.
She walked around to the passenger side and pulled out a bottle of water from the console. When she returned to his side, she snagged the shirt from his hand and ordered, “Turn around.”
Any other time, he’d find her bossiness sexy, but there’d been nothing playful in her tone. Worry poured off of her in angry waves.
The things a man did for a woman.
He complied, closing the door, then putting his crossed arms against the top of the car and
“So what is your plan?”
“First I have to tell Macha what I’ve learned.”
Storm groaned. “Those conversations always end up with you bloody, owing her more, or both.”
Her voice was calm as she explained, “Not this time. I’ve found where Alterants will be congregating. Machawants the Alterants found and Tristan to tell us what he knows about Alterant origins. I’ll point out to her that I had to go into the Beast Club tonight to see Imogenia because of my obligation to her. She’s got pull with VIPER. If she informs them about the Beast Club, they won’t question how she knows.”
Good point, if he trusted that goddess. Not a bit . “What about the armband?”
“She can tell VIPER she’s sending it into headquarters on my arm, which would be true, and that someone needs to take the armband to keep the Volonte safe. That should get this thing off my arm immediately, since Sen wouldn’t trust me with a magical paper clip.”
Storm had to admit that Evalle had thought this through and hoped that meant she was gaining control of the bone.
She finished, “Once VIPER knows what’s going on, they can use the armband to send in a covert team.”
Call him cynical, but that still sounded too easy.
Storm started walking toward his truck again. It should be in sight any time now. “Sen may bar you from being on the covert team that goes into the ABC.” One could only hope.
Evalle fell into step with him again. “Not if Macha demands that I’m on the team, and you know she will, so that I can get to Tristan and maybe some of the other Alterants.”
“I’m still going with you.”
“You’re no longer with VIPER, and Sen may not take you back.”
True and true, but Evalle needed someone else to watch her back besides Tzader and Quinn. Those two Beladors cared for her as if she were a little sister, but they couldn’t watch only her on an op. Storm could and would.
He offered, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
She made a gritty noise that might be an agreement. “How’s your back?”
He let her change the subject. “Fine.”
“I’ll want to see it.”
“You know I’ll heal by the time—”
“I said I want to see it,” she said with determination, which probably came from worry.
Okay, Miss Cranky. “Fine. When we get to the truck.”
She picked up the pace down the rolling elevation to the foot of the mountain, where pine trees swayed in the breeze.
Evalle reached the sport-utility vehicle and turned to him with a stubborn look burning in her eyes. She knew he could draw on his jaguar powers to heal and had already started the process, but she had that single-minded look, and he wanted her calm for the drive back so she might sleep. She’d had no real rest in over three days.
Reaching his SUV, Storm opened the door to the back seat on the driver’s side, shrugged out of his jacket, then tossed it in. No interior lights came on.
He’d disconnected those for situations just like this one.
It would have been simpler to wait until he got hometo remove his shirt and use a healing chant to aid his powers in sealing the cuts, but the smell of his blood might be bothering her, reminding her of the fight, so he yanked off his shirt, ripping open the scab that had already formed.
She walked around to the passenger side and pulled out a bottle of water from the console. When she returned to his side, she snagged the shirt from his hand and ordered, “Turn around.”
Any other time, he’d find her bossiness sexy, but there’d been nothing playful in her tone. Worry poured off of her in angry waves.
The things a man did for a woman.
He complied, closing the door, then putting his crossed arms against the top of the car and
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