[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Pushing back her long, blonde hair, the woman smiled. I m Ana. We met at the
MacDuirmads home. Do you remember what happened to you?
There was a fire in my basement. Realization hit like a bullet to her chest. The
MacDuirmad brothers were there. Are they& ?
They re fine. I ll let them tell you about it. I m glad to see you re all right, too. Ana
left then to find the nurse.
Later, a firefighter stopped by to let her know they had saved the house and the
cats, but the basement had been a total loss.
Time blurred as she dozed often. On one of his visits to her hospital room, Baen told
her she would stay with them until repairs were made to her house. After two days in
bed at the tiny Whispering Valley Community Hospital, Sin was released. As Ana
drove her to the MacDuirmad home, a mixture of relief and curiosity filled her. She was
eager to talk to the brothers about the mist and the fire.
In the thin light of dusk, Sin looked out the window of Ana s car, through the trees
at the familiar building that seemed to have grown there in the forest. The house was a
single story, a cross between a log cabin and an old English cottage with thatched roof.
The overall effect was pleasant and unique. She more expected elves and fairies to live
there than vampires.
The brothers came out to meet the car and each one hugged her, holding her
slightly longer than a greeting required. Baen waved to Ana, saying, Thanks for
bringing her here.
My pleasure, Ana said simply before driving away.
80
Demon of Desire
With his arm around her shoulders, Baen led her inside. She was pleased to see the
three cats sitting in the doorway. They greeted her loudly.
The cats aren t too happy about being moved, Gower explained. They ve been
protesting hourly.
Sin inhaled a calming breath of cinnamon and lemon cleaner while turning to face
the three men. So, are you going to tell me what happened? The people in this town
are so secretive. No one will tell me how you survived. And then there s the hospital
staff. They didn t say a thing about my nocturnal habits, and no one offered me food.
But they had a blood drip in your IV, right? Enos asked.
He was right. No saline bags, only blood, two or three bags a day. They knew she
was a vampire. While the guys had told her people in the village considered that
normal, she still expected stares and whispers.
Baen led her to the overstuffed sofa and sat on one side, while Gower took the
other. Baen spoke first. This is a small, close-knit town, as you ve seen. Everyone here
has their own, well, uniqueness, and everyone watches out for each other.
Sin thought she d love to read the medical charts of the town. How did a doctor
know how to treat all the different creatures the brothers claimed lived there? He d
have to go to vet school as well as med school. With a mental grimace, she stopped the
crazy train of thought and focused on the important stuff. Are you finally going to tell
me what happened in the basement?
Enos leaned forward in his wing chair and rested his elbows on his knees. Yeah,
and you can fill us in on what happened upstairs. We were working on the heater s
pilot light when the thing lit, then flared up and scorched the ceiling.
It was a huge flame, Gower added. Singed my eyebrows.
Somehow the ceiling caught and the flames spread as if someone had poured
gasoline across the beams. Baen stroked her arm as they talked. We ran for the
extinguisher that s kept below the stairwell and it wouldn t work. The gauge read
empty, but I know we checked the extinguishers routinely for your aunt.
81
Ari Thatcher
Gower nodded. I ran for the door to get the one from the kitchen, but the door was
jammed. It wouldn t open. I banged on it and yelled for you.
Sin frowned. I never heard. When I saw the smoke, I tried to open the door but it
was locked. I couldn t find a key. I kept pounding on the door and yelling for you guys.
I even tried the outer door.
We couldn t get to it. A wall of flames blocked it off. Baen clasped her hand in
his. When we decided we couldn t get out, we all crouched in the corner of the room
and waited for you to find us.
I tried. There was this thing that didn t want me to.
The men exchanged glances. Baen squeezed her hand gently. Thing?
Yeah. A black mist. Before the smoke escaped the door, a shadow came out around
it and blocked my way. It kept moving in front of me when I stepped closer.
Enos lifted an eyebrow. You moved closer to the shadow?
Well, yeah. I had to get to you guys.
Did it hurt you?
She shook her head. I finally ran through it and ended up covered in goo. Slime. It
smelled as if something died.
All three men said, Demon.
That s what I figured. When I still couldn t open the door, I called to my aunt for
help. A book fell off a shelf and opened to a page, so I started reading. The shadow
didn t like it, apparently. It finally vanished.
Gower ran a hand over her hair. You destroyed it.
I did?
Baen nodded. That must be your gift.
She laughed, dryly, almost a snort. What? Demon slayer?
Smiling, Baen said, Yeah, pretty much. There must be spell books in the living
room, as well as in the attic.
82
Demon of Desire
It did look a lot like the one you took from me up there. Come to think of it, the
first day I arrived at the house, a book fell off the shelf. I wonder if my aunt tried to
warn me then? But how can I be a demon slayer? I m just me. My dad is a computer
programmer and my mom sells cosmetics. We even went to church when I was a kid.
It s inborn, like being psychic, Enos explained.
Huh, was all she could respond. She realized she didn t know how the brothers
had escaped the fire, and asked.
I m guessing about the time you destroyed the demon, your great-aunt was able to
reach us. Something put a bubble around us to keep the smoke and heat away until the
fire department came.
She released her breath, barely aware she d been holding it. Thank God someone
saw the smoke and called it in.
Um, no, they didn t. Gower turned to face her. We told you everyone around
here has a gift. Well, the fire chief is clairvoyant. Come to think of it, maybe he created
the bubble protecting us. No one has ever died in a fire as long as he s been here.
It s rare a fire can burn long enough to do major damage before Chief Yost
becomes aware of it, Enos added.
Sin shook her head. Well, that s handy, I guess.
She wondered what other oddities she would find as she became better acquainted
with the people. Her parents had never talked about the community. Did they even
have a clue what the place was like?
It didn t matter. Whispering Valley was her home now and she was beginning to
feel as if she would enjoy living there. She looked at the three men sitting with her.
They hadn t gotten to talk about their relationship before the fire broke out. She really
needed to be clear what was happening between them all. Squeezing Baen s hand, she
looked up into his eyes.
We still need to talk. About us.
83
Ari Thatcher
Sure. Is something wrong? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl ocenkijessi.opx.pl
Pushing back her long, blonde hair, the woman smiled. I m Ana. We met at the
MacDuirmads home. Do you remember what happened to you?
There was a fire in my basement. Realization hit like a bullet to her chest. The
MacDuirmad brothers were there. Are they& ?
They re fine. I ll let them tell you about it. I m glad to see you re all right, too. Ana
left then to find the nurse.
Later, a firefighter stopped by to let her know they had saved the house and the
cats, but the basement had been a total loss.
Time blurred as she dozed often. On one of his visits to her hospital room, Baen told
her she would stay with them until repairs were made to her house. After two days in
bed at the tiny Whispering Valley Community Hospital, Sin was released. As Ana
drove her to the MacDuirmad home, a mixture of relief and curiosity filled her. She was
eager to talk to the brothers about the mist and the fire.
In the thin light of dusk, Sin looked out the window of Ana s car, through the trees
at the familiar building that seemed to have grown there in the forest. The house was a
single story, a cross between a log cabin and an old English cottage with thatched roof.
The overall effect was pleasant and unique. She more expected elves and fairies to live
there than vampires.
The brothers came out to meet the car and each one hugged her, holding her
slightly longer than a greeting required. Baen waved to Ana, saying, Thanks for
bringing her here.
My pleasure, Ana said simply before driving away.
80
Demon of Desire
With his arm around her shoulders, Baen led her inside. She was pleased to see the
three cats sitting in the doorway. They greeted her loudly.
The cats aren t too happy about being moved, Gower explained. They ve been
protesting hourly.
Sin inhaled a calming breath of cinnamon and lemon cleaner while turning to face
the three men. So, are you going to tell me what happened? The people in this town
are so secretive. No one will tell me how you survived. And then there s the hospital
staff. They didn t say a thing about my nocturnal habits, and no one offered me food.
But they had a blood drip in your IV, right? Enos asked.
He was right. No saline bags, only blood, two or three bags a day. They knew she
was a vampire. While the guys had told her people in the village considered that
normal, she still expected stares and whispers.
Baen led her to the overstuffed sofa and sat on one side, while Gower took the
other. Baen spoke first. This is a small, close-knit town, as you ve seen. Everyone here
has their own, well, uniqueness, and everyone watches out for each other.
Sin thought she d love to read the medical charts of the town. How did a doctor
know how to treat all the different creatures the brothers claimed lived there? He d
have to go to vet school as well as med school. With a mental grimace, she stopped the
crazy train of thought and focused on the important stuff. Are you finally going to tell
me what happened in the basement?
Enos leaned forward in his wing chair and rested his elbows on his knees. Yeah,
and you can fill us in on what happened upstairs. We were working on the heater s
pilot light when the thing lit, then flared up and scorched the ceiling.
It was a huge flame, Gower added. Singed my eyebrows.
Somehow the ceiling caught and the flames spread as if someone had poured
gasoline across the beams. Baen stroked her arm as they talked. We ran for the
extinguisher that s kept below the stairwell and it wouldn t work. The gauge read
empty, but I know we checked the extinguishers routinely for your aunt.
81
Ari Thatcher
Gower nodded. I ran for the door to get the one from the kitchen, but the door was
jammed. It wouldn t open. I banged on it and yelled for you.
Sin frowned. I never heard. When I saw the smoke, I tried to open the door but it
was locked. I couldn t find a key. I kept pounding on the door and yelling for you guys.
I even tried the outer door.
We couldn t get to it. A wall of flames blocked it off. Baen clasped her hand in
his. When we decided we couldn t get out, we all crouched in the corner of the room
and waited for you to find us.
I tried. There was this thing that didn t want me to.
The men exchanged glances. Baen squeezed her hand gently. Thing?
Yeah. A black mist. Before the smoke escaped the door, a shadow came out around
it and blocked my way. It kept moving in front of me when I stepped closer.
Enos lifted an eyebrow. You moved closer to the shadow?
Well, yeah. I had to get to you guys.
Did it hurt you?
She shook her head. I finally ran through it and ended up covered in goo. Slime. It
smelled as if something died.
All three men said, Demon.
That s what I figured. When I still couldn t open the door, I called to my aunt for
help. A book fell off a shelf and opened to a page, so I started reading. The shadow
didn t like it, apparently. It finally vanished.
Gower ran a hand over her hair. You destroyed it.
I did?
Baen nodded. That must be your gift.
She laughed, dryly, almost a snort. What? Demon slayer?
Smiling, Baen said, Yeah, pretty much. There must be spell books in the living
room, as well as in the attic.
82
Demon of Desire
It did look a lot like the one you took from me up there. Come to think of it, the
first day I arrived at the house, a book fell off the shelf. I wonder if my aunt tried to
warn me then? But how can I be a demon slayer? I m just me. My dad is a computer
programmer and my mom sells cosmetics. We even went to church when I was a kid.
It s inborn, like being psychic, Enos explained.
Huh, was all she could respond. She realized she didn t know how the brothers
had escaped the fire, and asked.
I m guessing about the time you destroyed the demon, your great-aunt was able to
reach us. Something put a bubble around us to keep the smoke and heat away until the
fire department came.
She released her breath, barely aware she d been holding it. Thank God someone
saw the smoke and called it in.
Um, no, they didn t. Gower turned to face her. We told you everyone around
here has a gift. Well, the fire chief is clairvoyant. Come to think of it, maybe he created
the bubble protecting us. No one has ever died in a fire as long as he s been here.
It s rare a fire can burn long enough to do major damage before Chief Yost
becomes aware of it, Enos added.
Sin shook her head. Well, that s handy, I guess.
She wondered what other oddities she would find as she became better acquainted
with the people. Her parents had never talked about the community. Did they even
have a clue what the place was like?
It didn t matter. Whispering Valley was her home now and she was beginning to
feel as if she would enjoy living there. She looked at the three men sitting with her.
They hadn t gotten to talk about their relationship before the fire broke out. She really
needed to be clear what was happening between them all. Squeezing Baen s hand, she
looked up into his eyes.
We still need to talk. About us.
83
Ari Thatcher
Sure. Is something wrong? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]