her hard work, strewn around, like nothing more than garbage.
She didn’t feel like laughing now.
Chapter 6
Jude watched as Ellina stumbled around the desk. She stood in the middle of the room, looking around as if she didn’t know what to do first. Finally, she knelt down and began picking up the papers that were strewn everywhere, nearly blotting out the oriental carpet and mahogany-stained wood floor. Her movements were slow, automatic, and her demeanor concerned him.
Jude didn’t speak. Instead he joined her, crouching down and gathering up the papers. Pages and pages, some handwritten in small, precise lettering, others computer printouts. None of them were even close to being in order.
They worked silently, until Jude realized she’d stopped and sat amid the papers. He couldn’t see her face; her thick, unruly hair falling forward shielded her expression from him. But her slumped shoulders and the collected pages cradled in her lap told him she was distressed.
He continued to clear the floor, casting looks in her direction as he worked. Finally, when she hadn’t moved for several moments, he stood and placed the papers he’d gathered on her desk. Carefully, almost reluctantly, he picked his way through the mess to stand next to her.
He stood there, trying to decide what to do, hoping Ellina would just say she was fine and they could get back to cleaning up this mess. But she didn’t. She remained still, her head bowed.
He cleared his throat, feeling more out of his depth than when facing off two bad-tempered demons.
“Ellina?”
She didn’t respond. Although he thought he detected her shoulders shaking, just barely.
Damn. What if she was crying? He couldn’t deal with crying.
But still he moved closer, dropping to his haunches. She breathed in, the sound a deep, shuddering sigh and the only sign that she might be aware of him. Or crying.
Please, no crying.
Before he even realized what he planned to do, he touched her arm, her skin warm and bare under his fingers. A jolt passed through him; again he was stunned that it was not like the touch of other preternaturals. Not a sticky, distasteful feeling. Quite the opposite, and more unnerving.
He jerked his fingers away from her, and she followed the sharp retreat of his hand, then lifted her head to meet his gaze. Her pale eyes looked flat, hopeless. But no tears.
Jude opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, then hesitated. He could see what was wrong, and what could he say to help her? He didn’t know how to offer comfort.
Protection, yes, defense, yes. Consolation, no.
And he knew what was wrong. Her brothers were dicks, her office was in a shambles, and she was understandably upset.
Still, he should say something.
Before he could summon up some sort of response, Ellina pulled in a deep breath, straightened, and turned her attention back to the scattered papers.
“This is a real mess,” she said, injecting airiness that she clearly didn’t feel into her tone. She started back to work.
He watched her for several moments, then joined her. They worked side by side, neither speaking. He focused on the books, placing them back on the shelves. Books that were obviously a source of friction in her family.
So why did she write them? What drove her to continue something that might cause her actual danger—from very dangerous demons?
Finally the floor was cleared, but now her desk looked like a couple dozen books had exploded on top of it.
“Well at least they didn’t ruin my computer,” she said, her voice filled with feigned optimism. Aside from the keyboard and mouse, the computer hadn’t moved.
She booted up her computer, then tested the keyboard and mouse. “Good. Working fine.”
She smiled, but he could see her discouragement; her shoulders were slumped as if she had more burden on them than she could possibly handle.
The urge to cross the room and pull her against his chest suddenly and distressingly filled him. Jude remained
She didn’t feel like laughing now.
Chapter 6
Jude watched as Ellina stumbled around the desk. She stood in the middle of the room, looking around as if she didn’t know what to do first. Finally, she knelt down and began picking up the papers that were strewn everywhere, nearly blotting out the oriental carpet and mahogany-stained wood floor. Her movements were slow, automatic, and her demeanor concerned him.
Jude didn’t speak. Instead he joined her, crouching down and gathering up the papers. Pages and pages, some handwritten in small, precise lettering, others computer printouts. None of them were even close to being in order.
They worked silently, until Jude realized she’d stopped and sat amid the papers. He couldn’t see her face; her thick, unruly hair falling forward shielded her expression from him. But her slumped shoulders and the collected pages cradled in her lap told him she was distressed.
He continued to clear the floor, casting looks in her direction as he worked. Finally, when she hadn’t moved for several moments, he stood and placed the papers he’d gathered on her desk. Carefully, almost reluctantly, he picked his way through the mess to stand next to her.
He stood there, trying to decide what to do, hoping Ellina would just say she was fine and they could get back to cleaning up this mess. But she didn’t. She remained still, her head bowed.
He cleared his throat, feeling more out of his depth than when facing off two bad-tempered demons.
“Ellina?”
She didn’t respond. Although he thought he detected her shoulders shaking, just barely.
Damn. What if she was crying? He couldn’t deal with crying.
But still he moved closer, dropping to his haunches. She breathed in, the sound a deep, shuddering sigh and the only sign that she might be aware of him. Or crying.
Please, no crying.
Before he even realized what he planned to do, he touched her arm, her skin warm and bare under his fingers. A jolt passed through him; again he was stunned that it was not like the touch of other preternaturals. Not a sticky, distasteful feeling. Quite the opposite, and more unnerving.
He jerked his fingers away from her, and she followed the sharp retreat of his hand, then lifted her head to meet his gaze. Her pale eyes looked flat, hopeless. But no tears.
Jude opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, then hesitated. He could see what was wrong, and what could he say to help her? He didn’t know how to offer comfort.
Protection, yes, defense, yes. Consolation, no.
And he knew what was wrong. Her brothers were dicks, her office was in a shambles, and she was understandably upset.
Still, he should say something.
Before he could summon up some sort of response, Ellina pulled in a deep breath, straightened, and turned her attention back to the scattered papers.
“This is a real mess,” she said, injecting airiness that she clearly didn’t feel into her tone. She started back to work.
He watched her for several moments, then joined her. They worked side by side, neither speaking. He focused on the books, placing them back on the shelves. Books that were obviously a source of friction in her family.
So why did she write them? What drove her to continue something that might cause her actual danger—from very dangerous demons?
Finally the floor was cleared, but now her desk looked like a couple dozen books had exploded on top of it.
“Well at least they didn’t ruin my computer,” she said, her voice filled with feigned optimism. Aside from the keyboard and mouse, the computer hadn’t moved.
She booted up her computer, then tested the keyboard and mouse. “Good. Working fine.”
She smiled, but he could see her discouragement; her shoulders were slumped as if she had more burden on them than she could possibly handle.
The urge to cross the room and pull her against his chest suddenly and distressingly filled him. Jude remained
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