Read Online Sing for the Dead (London Undead) by PJ Schnyder - Free Book Online
Authors: PJ Schnyder
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teeth. “Why...did...you...leave...us?”
Shocked, Kayden let loose his hold. It shot up toward his neck, grabbed handfuls of his collar. It gave a gurgling cry of triumph, cut short by the sound of steel slicing through the air.
Its head toppled backward, rolled and came to a stop at Sorcha’s feet.
* * *
“If you’re the one who’s gone mad, why are you checking over me?” Despite her logic, Sorcha sat passive as the big cat in human form studied the bite on her arm. The last kill had obviously disturbed him—more than the fact that it’d been a child. And she’d learned a long time ago not to further upset an already stirred-up predator.
“Something different about the effect of biting you as compared to me,” Kayden muttered, his brows drawn together in a deep scowl.
The sky began to lighten from what she could see through the broken glass panes above them.
“Do they always give way to the dawn?” Patience came easier after the hours of killing she’d done. It had been a long time since she’d been able to kill without remorse, her talent for bringing death as a gift to end suffering as opposed to a curse. For the first time in decades, she felt something akin to restful.
Perhaps exhausted was a better description. Still, she had Kayden to thank for it.
“It’s not as if they can’t stand the light, like vampires.” He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and exerted gentle pressure to turn her head so he could study her scalp line. “More, they slow down during the day, become less active.”
Perhaps he had a need to see to her care. None of the dual-natured fae she’d interacted with had exhibited this much concern though. Obviously the mortal shape-shifters were a different breed. It would not surprise her if immortality made fae set a lower value on the lives of others.
“So the zombies didn’t retreat.”
Apparently satisfied, Kayden straightened and offered his hand. “No. We just ran out of walking corpses to kill.”
That would explain how the bloodlust had finally loosed its hold on her. The berserker in her would have kept going as long as there had been enemies to slice apart.
“But there are more.” She took his proffered hand in a firm grasp and let him help her to her feet. He kept her hand, though, and tugged her across the street and down another.
“There are always more.” As he spoke, she wiggled her fingers, wanting both hands free in case of trouble. He looked at her hand in his, brows drawn together, and released her slowly. “There’s a steady supply of daft hunters and tourists coming in, some scientists bent on studying the monsters. The pack can’t keep them all safe. And the homeless, the ones who couldn’t prove they had a place to go if they got out of the city. They’re stuck here.”
Her steps stuttered to a stop, her mind latching onto what he’d said. There was something there. Something important.
“I owe you an explanation for what happened back there with the wee zombie, lass. I know it. But can we let the topic rest until I can get us both settled and safe?” He glanced downward, then took her hand in his again. “Time to get cleaned up and maybe sleep a bit.”
Whatever her intuition had caught in the moment flickered out of being as he pulled her back into a walk. A peculiar tightening in her chest brought her attention to her hand in his. Large hands, strong, and roughly calloused. And yet, his hold wasn’t unpleasant. Rather, she was strangely hypersensitive to his touch. Odd.
“Yes. It can wait.” Curiosity wasn’t one of her drivers in any case. If it upset him this badly, she could wait until he chose to share—or not—as he needed. The long-lived could afford the time to be patient.
Silence fell between them, awkward perhaps, and yet it gave her time to ponder her change in mood. A strange man, Kayden, vibrant and alive where the fae she’d grown up with were pale ghosts of living beings. She’d found him
Shocked, Kayden let loose his hold. It shot up toward his neck, grabbed handfuls of his collar. It gave a gurgling cry of triumph, cut short by the sound of steel slicing through the air.
Its head toppled backward, rolled and came to a stop at Sorcha’s feet.
* * *
“If you’re the one who’s gone mad, why are you checking over me?” Despite her logic, Sorcha sat passive as the big cat in human form studied the bite on her arm. The last kill had obviously disturbed him—more than the fact that it’d been a child. And she’d learned a long time ago not to further upset an already stirred-up predator.
“Something different about the effect of biting you as compared to me,” Kayden muttered, his brows drawn together in a deep scowl.
The sky began to lighten from what she could see through the broken glass panes above them.
“Do they always give way to the dawn?” Patience came easier after the hours of killing she’d done. It had been a long time since she’d been able to kill without remorse, her talent for bringing death as a gift to end suffering as opposed to a curse. For the first time in decades, she felt something akin to restful.
Perhaps exhausted was a better description. Still, she had Kayden to thank for it.
“It’s not as if they can’t stand the light, like vampires.” He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and exerted gentle pressure to turn her head so he could study her scalp line. “More, they slow down during the day, become less active.”
Perhaps he had a need to see to her care. None of the dual-natured fae she’d interacted with had exhibited this much concern though. Obviously the mortal shape-shifters were a different breed. It would not surprise her if immortality made fae set a lower value on the lives of others.
“So the zombies didn’t retreat.”
Apparently satisfied, Kayden straightened and offered his hand. “No. We just ran out of walking corpses to kill.”
That would explain how the bloodlust had finally loosed its hold on her. The berserker in her would have kept going as long as there had been enemies to slice apart.
“But there are more.” She took his proffered hand in a firm grasp and let him help her to her feet. He kept her hand, though, and tugged her across the street and down another.
“There are always more.” As he spoke, she wiggled her fingers, wanting both hands free in case of trouble. He looked at her hand in his, brows drawn together, and released her slowly. “There’s a steady supply of daft hunters and tourists coming in, some scientists bent on studying the monsters. The pack can’t keep them all safe. And the homeless, the ones who couldn’t prove they had a place to go if they got out of the city. They’re stuck here.”
Her steps stuttered to a stop, her mind latching onto what he’d said. There was something there. Something important.
“I owe you an explanation for what happened back there with the wee zombie, lass. I know it. But can we let the topic rest until I can get us both settled and safe?” He glanced downward, then took her hand in his again. “Time to get cleaned up and maybe sleep a bit.”
Whatever her intuition had caught in the moment flickered out of being as he pulled her back into a walk. A peculiar tightening in her chest brought her attention to her hand in his. Large hands, strong, and roughly calloused. And yet, his hold wasn’t unpleasant. Rather, she was strangely hypersensitive to his touch. Odd.
“Yes. It can wait.” Curiosity wasn’t one of her drivers in any case. If it upset him this badly, she could wait until he chose to share—or not—as he needed. The long-lived could afford the time to be patient.
Silence fell between them, awkward perhaps, and yet it gave her time to ponder her change in mood. A strange man, Kayden, vibrant and alive where the fae she’d grown up with were pale ghosts of living beings. She’d found him
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