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"I think you should go formless for a day or two. Regain your
strength. By the time you return, I'll have figured out our
next move."
Trepidation skittered down her spine. He didn't give a
damn about her, never had and never would. Her only value
to him was the information she gleaned and the chaos stirred
in her wake. He was up to something. Why did he want her
out of the way?
"I really am tired." She infused her tone with fatigue. "I'm
going to drift closer to home and recuperate."
"But you will return?" Now he sounded concerned.
"If I sever our link you'll feel it." She'd make damn sure he
did. "I'll see you in a day or two."
She slowly faded from view, intentionally decreasing the
intensity of their connection until she could barely feel him.
He blew out a ragged breath and rubbed his hands down
the front of his pants. Were his palms sweaty? His features
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by Aubrey Ross
relaxed, but his shoulders remained tense. He walked across
the nondescript office on the outskirts of Santa Cruz and held
back the heavy drapes so he could look outside.
Cadin drifted up behind him, trying to keep her perspective
similar to his. The poorly maintained parking lot was empty.
No one had been able to find Emit because no one imagined
the head of Duarte clan would subject himself to such dreary
surroundings. His clan was old and wealthy. They had even
been well respected while his father was alive. But Emit was
not his father, far from it. He lacked the ambition and ruthless
focus that had made Edmond so successful.
Allowing the drapes to swish back into place, he moved
away from the window. He pulled a comm crystal out of his
pocket and activated the device with his breath. A rumbling
voice responded in a language she didn't understand, so she
carefully scanned Emit's mind for the meaning.
His brainwaves heaved and twisted, becoming
incomprehensible as his body reshaped itself from the inside
out. Was she this revolting when she shifted?
His skin split, and his limbs bulged, reddish-brown blood
streaming onto the carpet around his claw-like feet. The lower
portion of his body was heavily muscled, while his torso
remained lean and agile. His long, narrow head would easily
touch the ceiling if he unfolded those powerful rear legs and
his upper limbs were uniquely jointed, allowing him to move
as no humanoid could. A charcoal pattern marked his grayish
skin and his eyes were solid black. His thin, reptilian mouth
opened, and he produced a rumbling sound similar to the one
emanating from the crystal.
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Sensuous
by Aubrey Ross
Humanoid vocal cords wouldn't be capable of producing
those sounds. Was this why he'd chosen to shift?
Gradually she found the rhythm of his thoughts,
understanding the meaning if not each individual word. He
apologized for having taken so long in his mission and paused
as the other voice responded.
"I've found them, Father. I told you I would. I wanted to
be absolutely certain before I notified you of my discovery."
She finally assimilated their rumbling language enough to
follow the conversation.
"Them? You've found both his son and daughter?"
"Yes. And I'm absolutely certain this time. Nogafel's last
remaining kin are well within my grasp."
"The male must die. No potential heir to his dynasty can
be allowed to live, but the fate of the female is up to you.
Enjoy her before you kill her, or if she pleases you well, bring
her back as a slave. The continual humiliation of a Nogafel
female would help keep his followers in line."
"She would split in two if I tried to fuck her. She is a pale,
puny thing. Highly favors her human blood."
"You'd be surprised what human females can endure, but
as I said the choice is yours."
"I will see you soon."
The crystal blinked out and Cadin quickly withdrew from
the creature's mind. She couldn't pinpoint his dimension, but
he was obviously what the humans termed a demon.
Reforming Emit's body was nearly as disgusting as
revealing his true appearance had been. Congealed blood and
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by Aubrey Ross
clumps of excess flesh littered the carpet and splattered the
furniture by the time the process ended.
Emit looked at the mess with a careless shrug and headed
for the bathroom. He'd simply move to a similar location,
something shabby and forgettable. When this "crime scene"
was discovered, either the human government or some
paranormal task force would cover up the anomaly.
Cadin vibrated with anxiety and speculation. Had this
demon been masquerading as Emit the entire time she'd been
anchored to him? Did any of the vampires know they had a
spy in their midst? She couldn't warn them. Anything that
harmed Emit harmed her, and she had barely begun to
explore this realm. She needed to figure out what he'd been
talking about and who he intended to kill.
And then what?
How was she supposed to make decisions when she only
understood a fraction of the elements? Demons were hiding
among humans. What else was new? That had been going on
since time began.
It sounded like this brother and sister were being pursued
by their father's successor or perhaps someone in the process [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]