Read Online Timeless (Pandora Book 1) by Kali Argent - Free Book Online
Authors: Kali Argent
Ads: Link
to him.” A wildfire of rage and loathing exploded inside him. “Watch the girl.”
“You don’t even know where he went,” Xavian reasoned, placing himself between Vane and the front exit. “He could be anywhere and look like anyone.”
“Xavian, get out of my way.”
“No. Just listen to me.”
Past rationale and driven by his fury, Vane turned both palms toward his friend, a ball of purple fire burning in each. “I don’t want to hurt you, Xee.”
“Vane, look at what you’re doing.” He nodded to a point over Vane’s shoulder and lowered his voice. “You’re frightening her.”
Charlotte. Shame dampened his ire, and Vane closed his eyes as he took several deep breaths. He regretted that he’d scared her, but worse, he hated himself for putting her in danger.
Clenching his fists at his sides to extinguish the flames, he turned to face her. The sheer terror in her eyes pierced him in the chest, and he gritted his teeth against the wave of unexpected pain it caused him.
“I won’t hurt you,” he promised. “Breathe, Charlotte. It’s okay now.”
As though she’d been waiting to hear those words, Charlotte shuddered and pulled in a huge, gasping breath. “Well, that was intense.” While the statement sounded flippant, her voice quivered when she spoke.
“Don’t be scared.” It came out as more of an order than the plea Vane had meant. “You’re safe, I promise.”
“I’m not scared.”
He admired her courage, but he knew better. Chancing his luck, he took a step forward, encouraged when she didn’t flinch away from him. “Forgive me.”
Sunlight spilled in through the windows, glistening off the moisture in her eyes, but no tears streaked her face. “I’m okay. Startled, a little rattled, but it’s going to take more than some male posturing to send me into hysterics.” Then she closed the distance between them and took his hands—the hands that had just threatened violence. “I trust you, and I’m not afraid.”
From behind him, Xavian cleared his throat. “Uh, I’m just going to go…check…on something. Yeah.”
“No.” Vane appreciated his friend’s willingness to give them privacy, but the moment had passed. “Stay here. I’ll do a sweep around the building.” He returned his attention to Charlotte. “I need you to close the shop and go up to your apartment. I won’t be gone long.”
Charlotte squeezed his hands and rose up on her toes to brush a chaste kiss against his jaw. “Be careful.”
Once she’d disappeared through the kitchen doors, Xavian stepped forward with a heavy sigh. “Vane, you know you can’t—”
“I know.” Timelines were finicky things, and it didn’t take much to set the future on a different course. “Watch her.”
“No, would you stop and just listen to me?” Sidestepping, Xavian placed a hand on Vane’s shoulder to stop him. “I know that look. I get it, okay, I do, but we don’t belong here.”
Batting Xavian’s hand away, Vane stepped around him with a growl and pushed the door open. “Watch her,” he repeated.
Vane did a perimeter check around the building as promised, and then he broadened his search to include the next street over—and the next. He didn’t hold much hope of finding the Morph, but searching gave him a purpose.
Just as he’d done that morning, he searched up and down the streets of the Quarter, past the cathedral, and inside every pub, bar, and night club he came across. At one point, he had come close to assaulting a teenager until the girl had turned to reveal her bright green eyes.
The reminder of what he couldn’t have had affected him more than he wanted to admit, and no matter how far or fast he walked, he couldn’t escape his own thoughts. Logically, he knew he’d have to return to his own time, to his own world. Just as Xavian had pointed out, even if he wanted to, he couldn’t stay.
Long after he’d given up hope of finding the Morphling, Vane continued to wander the
“You don’t even know where he went,” Xavian reasoned, placing himself between Vane and the front exit. “He could be anywhere and look like anyone.”
“Xavian, get out of my way.”
“No. Just listen to me.”
Past rationale and driven by his fury, Vane turned both palms toward his friend, a ball of purple fire burning in each. “I don’t want to hurt you, Xee.”
“Vane, look at what you’re doing.” He nodded to a point over Vane’s shoulder and lowered his voice. “You’re frightening her.”
Charlotte. Shame dampened his ire, and Vane closed his eyes as he took several deep breaths. He regretted that he’d scared her, but worse, he hated himself for putting her in danger.
Clenching his fists at his sides to extinguish the flames, he turned to face her. The sheer terror in her eyes pierced him in the chest, and he gritted his teeth against the wave of unexpected pain it caused him.
“I won’t hurt you,” he promised. “Breathe, Charlotte. It’s okay now.”
As though she’d been waiting to hear those words, Charlotte shuddered and pulled in a huge, gasping breath. “Well, that was intense.” While the statement sounded flippant, her voice quivered when she spoke.
“Don’t be scared.” It came out as more of an order than the plea Vane had meant. “You’re safe, I promise.”
“I’m not scared.”
He admired her courage, but he knew better. Chancing his luck, he took a step forward, encouraged when she didn’t flinch away from him. “Forgive me.”
Sunlight spilled in through the windows, glistening off the moisture in her eyes, but no tears streaked her face. “I’m okay. Startled, a little rattled, but it’s going to take more than some male posturing to send me into hysterics.” Then she closed the distance between them and took his hands—the hands that had just threatened violence. “I trust you, and I’m not afraid.”
From behind him, Xavian cleared his throat. “Uh, I’m just going to go…check…on something. Yeah.”
“No.” Vane appreciated his friend’s willingness to give them privacy, but the moment had passed. “Stay here. I’ll do a sweep around the building.” He returned his attention to Charlotte. “I need you to close the shop and go up to your apartment. I won’t be gone long.”
Charlotte squeezed his hands and rose up on her toes to brush a chaste kiss against his jaw. “Be careful.”
Once she’d disappeared through the kitchen doors, Xavian stepped forward with a heavy sigh. “Vane, you know you can’t—”
“I know.” Timelines were finicky things, and it didn’t take much to set the future on a different course. “Watch her.”
“No, would you stop and just listen to me?” Sidestepping, Xavian placed a hand on Vane’s shoulder to stop him. “I know that look. I get it, okay, I do, but we don’t belong here.”
Batting Xavian’s hand away, Vane stepped around him with a growl and pushed the door open. “Watch her,” he repeated.
Vane did a perimeter check around the building as promised, and then he broadened his search to include the next street over—and the next. He didn’t hold much hope of finding the Morph, but searching gave him a purpose.
Just as he’d done that morning, he searched up and down the streets of the Quarter, past the cathedral, and inside every pub, bar, and night club he came across. At one point, he had come close to assaulting a teenager until the girl had turned to reveal her bright green eyes.
The reminder of what he couldn’t have had affected him more than he wanted to admit, and no matter how far or fast he walked, he couldn’t escape his own thoughts. Logically, he knew he’d have to return to his own time, to his own world. Just as Xavian had pointed out, even if he wanted to, he couldn’t stay.
Long after he’d given up hope of finding the Morphling, Vane continued to wander the
Similar Books
