her face, Seth eyed the rapidly fading bruises and scrapes the Casus had made earlier that night. “Your face is already healing from where that bastard hit you tonight. Why are you healing so quickly now, when you couldn’t before?”
She pulled her sleeve back down and shrugged. “I’ve got a few theories, but nothing concrete.”
A scowl wove between his brows. “And nothing you’re going to share, huh?”
“Wow. You’re pretty good at this mind reading yourself,” she drawled. “And this is the norm for me. We vampires heal quickly, but then, I’m sure you already know that.”
Wanting to keep her talking, Seth chose to ignore the sarcasm and kept digging for information. “So your Deschanel abilities are working at full capacity, but your Alacea ones are still on the fritz?”
“Yep.” She shifted in her seat, keeping her gaze focused on anything but him, while he just kept staring at her, unable to look away.
“If your psychic powers are as weak as you keep claiming they are, then how are you managing to track down the Casus?”
Sliding him a dark glare, she said, “I’m managing. That’s all you need to know.”
Refusing to give up, he fired another round of questions. “If you can read them, can they lead us to Westmore? Is that how you plan to find him and get the Markers back?”
She shook her head, but offered no other explanation.
“Come on, Raine. I saved your ass tonight. You owe me this much, at least.”
She took a deep breath, her golden hair catching the soft streams of light from overhead as she turned herhead away from him, staring out that far window again. “Westmore must have anticipated that I would go after the Casus, or assumed I would send someone else to do the job.” She was starting to sound more tired than pissed, and he took that as a good sign. “That’s the most logical explanation for why he’s scattered the bastards across Europe. As far as I’ve been able to tell, he hasn’t allowed them anywhere near him since he left the Wasteland, his location for the moment completely secret. But I’m assuming he’s in Europe. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be keeping the Casus on this continent, where they’ll be within easy reach if he needs them.”
“What about his security?”
“I don’t know. If he has anyone with him, it’s someone I can’t read.”
Well, shit. He didn’t like the sound of that. It just meant there was another asshole out there who could sneak up on her at any time.
“If Westmore learns that you’re the one going after the Casus, Raine, then it stands to reason that he’ll try to set a trap for you.” He tried to school his expression as she brought her gaze back to his, but it wasn’t easy. “You know he wants you back.”
“That’s likely, yes.”
Her I-couldn’t-care-less tone drove him mad. “And you’re willing to take that risk?” he growled.
“I am.” Her chin lifted. “But they won’t be taking me alive a second time.”
Now that was something he really didn’t like the sound of. “What’s your plan?”
She gave a soft, bitter laugh. “Who said I had a plan?”
His nostrils flared. “You’re actually trying to irritate me, aren’t you?”
Another low slide of laughter, and she looked away, staring at the back of the seat in front of her. The train car was empty but for an elderly couple six rows back, their soft snoring keeping perfect time with the rhythm of the wheels racing down the track. “All I know is that I won’t let them take me alive,” she finally said, her hands rubbing down her denim-covered thighs. “Since I’m only half-Deschanel, I’m easier to kill than most of my kind. I’ll take my own life before letting them lock me up a second time. I just… I couldn’t go through it again.”
“If that’s true, then why didn’t you kill yourself tonight?”
She stiffened, as if his question had caught her off guard, before slanting him a slow, mocking smile.
She pulled her sleeve back down and shrugged. “I’ve got a few theories, but nothing concrete.”
A scowl wove between his brows. “And nothing you’re going to share, huh?”
“Wow. You’re pretty good at this mind reading yourself,” she drawled. “And this is the norm for me. We vampires heal quickly, but then, I’m sure you already know that.”
Wanting to keep her talking, Seth chose to ignore the sarcasm and kept digging for information. “So your Deschanel abilities are working at full capacity, but your Alacea ones are still on the fritz?”
“Yep.” She shifted in her seat, keeping her gaze focused on anything but him, while he just kept staring at her, unable to look away.
“If your psychic powers are as weak as you keep claiming they are, then how are you managing to track down the Casus?”
Sliding him a dark glare, she said, “I’m managing. That’s all you need to know.”
Refusing to give up, he fired another round of questions. “If you can read them, can they lead us to Westmore? Is that how you plan to find him and get the Markers back?”
She shook her head, but offered no other explanation.
“Come on, Raine. I saved your ass tonight. You owe me this much, at least.”
She took a deep breath, her golden hair catching the soft streams of light from overhead as she turned herhead away from him, staring out that far window again. “Westmore must have anticipated that I would go after the Casus, or assumed I would send someone else to do the job.” She was starting to sound more tired than pissed, and he took that as a good sign. “That’s the most logical explanation for why he’s scattered the bastards across Europe. As far as I’ve been able to tell, he hasn’t allowed them anywhere near him since he left the Wasteland, his location for the moment completely secret. But I’m assuming he’s in Europe. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be keeping the Casus on this continent, where they’ll be within easy reach if he needs them.”
“What about his security?”
“I don’t know. If he has anyone with him, it’s someone I can’t read.”
Well, shit. He didn’t like the sound of that. It just meant there was another asshole out there who could sneak up on her at any time.
“If Westmore learns that you’re the one going after the Casus, Raine, then it stands to reason that he’ll try to set a trap for you.” He tried to school his expression as she brought her gaze back to his, but it wasn’t easy. “You know he wants you back.”
“That’s likely, yes.”
Her I-couldn’t-care-less tone drove him mad. “And you’re willing to take that risk?” he growled.
“I am.” Her chin lifted. “But they won’t be taking me alive a second time.”
Now that was something he really didn’t like the sound of. “What’s your plan?”
She gave a soft, bitter laugh. “Who said I had a plan?”
His nostrils flared. “You’re actually trying to irritate me, aren’t you?”
Another low slide of laughter, and she looked away, staring at the back of the seat in front of her. The train car was empty but for an elderly couple six rows back, their soft snoring keeping perfect time with the rhythm of the wheels racing down the track. “All I know is that I won’t let them take me alive,” she finally said, her hands rubbing down her denim-covered thighs. “Since I’m only half-Deschanel, I’m easier to kill than most of my kind. I’ll take my own life before letting them lock me up a second time. I just… I couldn’t go through it again.”
“If that’s true, then why didn’t you kill yourself tonight?”
She stiffened, as if his question had caught her off guard, before slanting him a slow, mocking smile.
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