with unbearable grief. Everything she’d hoped
for, everyone she’d loved—gone. Icy fingers of hate and death
gripped her heart. The urge to run, strike out, and kill consumed
her, anything to get away from her new reality. Yet a tiny voice, a
seedling of something she couldn’t explain held her back. Von
petted her hair with more affection than expected from a man she’d
killed. Maybe it was his hope in her that kept her from bolting
into the streets and releasing her rage on the first deserving
target.
He rested his
cheek against her head. “Now you know why I need your help.
Together we can hunt and destroy.”
“Together? Why
would I help you?” The dawning of this revelation began to take
root. Every muscle in her body tensed. “You want me to use flaming
daggers on Coop. What makes you think I won’t turn around and use
them on you?”
“Your desire to
win. If you kill me, the war will escalate to the next level. It
will never end until one of us wins.”
“You don’t
understand.” She pushed him away. “Get out. I’m not helping you.
You’re taking advantage of my vulnerability. Get out!”
He gripped her
shoulders with both hands. “No, you don’t understand. If you
don’t kill Coop, he’s already selected the next Satellite in the
event I fail. I have been given one last chance to win you to our
side. If you kill me, they’ve already lined up another to take my
place. I should know—he did the same damn thing to me. He was
demoted to recruiter after he failed to get your mother. I was his replacement…but you already put that together.”
“No, no, no,
no!” She clapped her hands over her ears. “Stop talking! I don’t
want to know anything else!”
Taking her
hands in his, he pulled them away and forced her to look into his
eyes. “Do you think you’ll be able to resist Raef if he returns as
a Satellite? He’ll come back with supernatural seductive power and
you’re in love with him. You won’t stand a chance!”
“Nooo…” she
cried while shaking her head. “This can’t be happening.”
“Listen to me.”
His voice was firm. “We have to destroy Coop and find a way out of
this thing. He’s got your boyfriend in holding. If I fail again,
they will send him after you. They use careful calculation
in choosing the tools to use. They pick men who attract women
naturally then they enhance that power. Mark my words—Raef will be
the next Satellite if we fail.”
“I’ll kill Coop
but I’ll do it alone. Now get out.”
“You’ll never
find his camp without my help,” Von growled, clearly determined to
do this together.
“Fine,” she
snarled through clenched teeth. “Right after I drive a fiery blade
through his icy heart, I’m going to turn the same blade on you and
bring Raef back.”
“You’d do that
to the man you love? Allow him to be cursed for eternity?”
“At least we’d
be together.”
“I never
thought a woman of your stature could stoop that low. I thought you
were a rare breed.” Von stared in open bewilderment. “Apparently I
was wrong.”
She stared back
in fury. “Yeah…I guess so.”
With a shake of
his head, he turned to go. “Have it your way, Flame with-no-last-name .” He slanted her a thwarted look. “By the
way, the flaming daggers are no longer a threat to me, only to
Coop. I bet Ian forgot to mention that.” He vanished without a
sound.
Flame slid down
the wall with her back to it and slumped on the hard, cold floor in
the dark. She managed to scrub all the blood from the ceramic tile
until her fingers throbbed with pain. Her mind struggled to process
what Von had said. If his words were true, then Cooper O’Toole was
not only the original Satellite, but also her biological father.
The dawning of such facts overwhelmed her. She had no tears left to
cry so she dragged her weary body upstairs and dropped into Raef’s
bed.
Scruffy,
old, belligerent Coop is my father. The thought nauseated her.
Somehow, she imagined
for, everyone she’d loved—gone. Icy fingers of hate and death
gripped her heart. The urge to run, strike out, and kill consumed
her, anything to get away from her new reality. Yet a tiny voice, a
seedling of something she couldn’t explain held her back. Von
petted her hair with more affection than expected from a man she’d
killed. Maybe it was his hope in her that kept her from bolting
into the streets and releasing her rage on the first deserving
target.
He rested his
cheek against her head. “Now you know why I need your help.
Together we can hunt and destroy.”
“Together? Why
would I help you?” The dawning of this revelation began to take
root. Every muscle in her body tensed. “You want me to use flaming
daggers on Coop. What makes you think I won’t turn around and use
them on you?”
“Your desire to
win. If you kill me, the war will escalate to the next level. It
will never end until one of us wins.”
“You don’t
understand.” She pushed him away. “Get out. I’m not helping you.
You’re taking advantage of my vulnerability. Get out!”
He gripped her
shoulders with both hands. “No, you don’t understand. If you
don’t kill Coop, he’s already selected the next Satellite in the
event I fail. I have been given one last chance to win you to our
side. If you kill me, they’ve already lined up another to take my
place. I should know—he did the same damn thing to me. He was
demoted to recruiter after he failed to get your mother. I was his replacement…but you already put that together.”
“No, no, no,
no!” She clapped her hands over her ears. “Stop talking! I don’t
want to know anything else!”
Taking her
hands in his, he pulled them away and forced her to look into his
eyes. “Do you think you’ll be able to resist Raef if he returns as
a Satellite? He’ll come back with supernatural seductive power and
you’re in love with him. You won’t stand a chance!”
“Nooo…” she
cried while shaking her head. “This can’t be happening.”
“Listen to me.”
His voice was firm. “We have to destroy Coop and find a way out of
this thing. He’s got your boyfriend in holding. If I fail again,
they will send him after you. They use careful calculation
in choosing the tools to use. They pick men who attract women
naturally then they enhance that power. Mark my words—Raef will be
the next Satellite if we fail.”
“I’ll kill Coop
but I’ll do it alone. Now get out.”
“You’ll never
find his camp without my help,” Von growled, clearly determined to
do this together.
“Fine,” she
snarled through clenched teeth. “Right after I drive a fiery blade
through his icy heart, I’m going to turn the same blade on you and
bring Raef back.”
“You’d do that
to the man you love? Allow him to be cursed for eternity?”
“At least we’d
be together.”
“I never
thought a woman of your stature could stoop that low. I thought you
were a rare breed.” Von stared in open bewilderment. “Apparently I
was wrong.”
She stared back
in fury. “Yeah…I guess so.”
With a shake of
his head, he turned to go. “Have it your way, Flame with-no-last-name .” He slanted her a thwarted look. “By the
way, the flaming daggers are no longer a threat to me, only to
Coop. I bet Ian forgot to mention that.” He vanished without a
sound.
Flame slid down
the wall with her back to it and slumped on the hard, cold floor in
the dark. She managed to scrub all the blood from the ceramic tile
until her fingers throbbed with pain. Her mind struggled to process
what Von had said. If his words were true, then Cooper O’Toole was
not only the original Satellite, but also her biological father.
The dawning of such facts overwhelmed her. She had no tears left to
cry so she dragged her weary body upstairs and dropped into Raef’s
bed.
Scruffy,
old, belligerent Coop is my father. The thought nauseated her.
Somehow, she imagined
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