clear, inch by slow inch.
“And who are you, cousin? The police?”
Even from the back, Pierre looked different from Terrence. He dressed differently–Terrence in understated, black clothing and dark jeans, Pierre in more expensive clothes. Pierre’s hair, roughly the same shade as Terrence’s, was just a touch shorter. Not enough to notice unless she looked closely.
Which Lori didn’t have time to do. Inwardly berating herself, she crept forward, stake at the ready. She had to cut off as many escape routes as she could.
Pierre continued, “We are above the law, you and I. There is no one to stop us.”
Lori risked a glance at Terrence. His face was stony, but he seemed to be doing his part. All she had to do was corner Pierre, and Terrence would take care of the rest. At least according to the plan. She hadn’t liked it, but she had to admit, Terrence’s reflexes superseded hers by leaps and bounds.
Terrence took a single step forward. Hemming Pierre in. Pierre seemed as nonchalant as ever. “No one is above the law,” Terrence answered. “Morals are all that keep us human, Pierre.”
“We’re not human. Or did you forget?”
The fierce tone rocked Lori back on her heels. When Pierre spoke like that, he sounded far from human. More like feral. She tried to imagine Terrence’s face twisted into a monstrous expression, but couldn’t. He could be fierce at times, but with just cause. He was only fierce when someone’s life was in danger. Pierre…was something altogether inhuman.
“We were human, and I know there is some humanity left in you yet.”
“Are you waiting for me to confess my sins? Say a Hail Mary or three?”
Terrence ignored the barb. “The Spenta Michos. Is he safe?”
Lori halted in her tracks. Her mouth felt like sandpaper. Everything in her rested on the answer Pierre would give in only a few seconds. Was she already too late?
“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” Pierre replied, his tone lackadaisical.
Terrence stiffened, echoing her outrage at the response. “You know,” he snarled.
Firming her grip on her stake, she launched forward. If Pierre wouldn’t voluntarily confess the answers they needed, she would take more extreme measures. She angled the stake to serve as a threat and pulled back so the tip just brushed her jacket.
But Pierre wasn’t in front of her anymore. In the blink of an eye, he’d disappeared. She stood, frozen. How?
Pain scorched her hand. She howled, cradling it to her chest as a vision replaced her eyesight.
Terrence clutched one side of his face in agony as farmer-Lori looked on, a forbidding expression on her face.
The vision fled. The sound of Lori’s stake hitting the ground rattled in her ears. What had the vision been about? A continuation of the last, surely. But what did it mean?
Twin pricks of agony blossomed along her skull as someone fisted her hair, drawing her back. All thoughts of deciphering the vision dissipated. She glanced as far over her shoulder as she could. Pierre loomed over her. A grisly scar marred the near side of his face.
The scar. Clutching his face. The vision had been about him, all along. He had been the trigger, not Terrence.
Terrence made a choking sound, bringing Lori’s attention back to him. He was closer, too, but still out of arm’s reach. He’d frozen in place, a panicked expression contorting his face.
Something pricked Lori’s exposed neck. Blood whooshed in her ears.
Pierre said, “Move, cousin, and I’ll drain her while you watch.”
Chapter 10
Lori shifted, cautiously searching for her stake with the tip of her boot. Not that she knew what she would do with it once she found it. Unless she’d suddenly become a professional foot juggler, it was far out of reach.
She was at Pierre’s mercy.
“Let her go,” Terrence said. His voice was strained, though he’d schooled his expression into a facsimile of calm. The wild look in his eyes gave him away.
“What
“And who are you, cousin? The police?”
Even from the back, Pierre looked different from Terrence. He dressed differently–Terrence in understated, black clothing and dark jeans, Pierre in more expensive clothes. Pierre’s hair, roughly the same shade as Terrence’s, was just a touch shorter. Not enough to notice unless she looked closely.
Which Lori didn’t have time to do. Inwardly berating herself, she crept forward, stake at the ready. She had to cut off as many escape routes as she could.
Pierre continued, “We are above the law, you and I. There is no one to stop us.”
Lori risked a glance at Terrence. His face was stony, but he seemed to be doing his part. All she had to do was corner Pierre, and Terrence would take care of the rest. At least according to the plan. She hadn’t liked it, but she had to admit, Terrence’s reflexes superseded hers by leaps and bounds.
Terrence took a single step forward. Hemming Pierre in. Pierre seemed as nonchalant as ever. “No one is above the law,” Terrence answered. “Morals are all that keep us human, Pierre.”
“We’re not human. Or did you forget?”
The fierce tone rocked Lori back on her heels. When Pierre spoke like that, he sounded far from human. More like feral. She tried to imagine Terrence’s face twisted into a monstrous expression, but couldn’t. He could be fierce at times, but with just cause. He was only fierce when someone’s life was in danger. Pierre…was something altogether inhuman.
“We were human, and I know there is some humanity left in you yet.”
“Are you waiting for me to confess my sins? Say a Hail Mary or three?”
Terrence ignored the barb. “The Spenta Michos. Is he safe?”
Lori halted in her tracks. Her mouth felt like sandpaper. Everything in her rested on the answer Pierre would give in only a few seconds. Was she already too late?
“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” Pierre replied, his tone lackadaisical.
Terrence stiffened, echoing her outrage at the response. “You know,” he snarled.
Firming her grip on her stake, she launched forward. If Pierre wouldn’t voluntarily confess the answers they needed, she would take more extreme measures. She angled the stake to serve as a threat and pulled back so the tip just brushed her jacket.
But Pierre wasn’t in front of her anymore. In the blink of an eye, he’d disappeared. She stood, frozen. How?
Pain scorched her hand. She howled, cradling it to her chest as a vision replaced her eyesight.
Terrence clutched one side of his face in agony as farmer-Lori looked on, a forbidding expression on her face.
The vision fled. The sound of Lori’s stake hitting the ground rattled in her ears. What had the vision been about? A continuation of the last, surely. But what did it mean?
Twin pricks of agony blossomed along her skull as someone fisted her hair, drawing her back. All thoughts of deciphering the vision dissipated. She glanced as far over her shoulder as she could. Pierre loomed over her. A grisly scar marred the near side of his face.
The scar. Clutching his face. The vision had been about him, all along. He had been the trigger, not Terrence.
Terrence made a choking sound, bringing Lori’s attention back to him. He was closer, too, but still out of arm’s reach. He’d frozen in place, a panicked expression contorting his face.
Something pricked Lori’s exposed neck. Blood whooshed in her ears.
Pierre said, “Move, cousin, and I’ll drain her while you watch.”
Chapter 10
Lori shifted, cautiously searching for her stake with the tip of her boot. Not that she knew what she would do with it once she found it. Unless she’d suddenly become a professional foot juggler, it was far out of reach.
She was at Pierre’s mercy.
“Let her go,” Terrence said. His voice was strained, though he’d schooled his expression into a facsimile of calm. The wild look in his eyes gave him away.
“What
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