Demon Fire Read Online Free Page B

you don’t mind, I’d like to ask the ranch hands—the other members of the Warrior Council—to meet us there in the morning.”
    After Meredith got the suitcase that she had packed for the last leg of the book tour out of her car, Dax showed her around the house.
    “You have the loft to yourself,” he said. “Bedroom, bathroom. Office, if you want to use the computer or watch TV.
    “We’ve had a busy day,” he said, using every ounce of his energy fields to detect any presence of the enemy. All he got in return were the vibes of a sexy, smart woman. “Let’s get some sleep.”

Chapter Four
    Meredith showered, then used Dax’s computer to e-mail Elena. Without breaking her promise never to tell anyone what Dax had said, she wrote her cousin that she now remembered the words to the riddle. Just something to think about... she typed. We can figure out what it means when I get back. It got too late to drive home, so I’m spending the night—alone! Darn : )!
    She fell into a deep sleep. Dreamed of Dax with dark hair and a short beard, in richly textured clothing unlike anything the members of her tribe had ever seen. Playfully splashing each other in the frigid water of the creek, then soaking up the sun atop a boulder. Making love in a meadow of wildflowers.
    Meredith’s eyes popped open just as she was opening the drawstring of the buckskin pouch at her waist. Dax was always slipping her trinkets, but this one made her gasp. This one determined the fate of people across the land and linked her to Dax for eternity.
    Meredith’s heart raced as she oriented herself to her surroundings. The room filled with the grayish glow of approaching dawn.
    Something was scratching at the window.
    It couldn’t be tree limbs. In the Hill Country, wildfires are a constant threat and homeowners plant trees some distance from their homes.
    Curious, she got out of bed and pulled back the curtains.
    And screamed.
    The reptilian creature she had convinced herself didn’t exist hovered just outside, lazily flapping giant wings. It scratched its beak against the glass, then tipped back its head. Its mouth opened as if laughing. Iridescent black eyes locked with hers, inviting her to dive into bottomless pools of evil. The stench of sulfur filled her lungs.
    Meredith was still staring out the window when Dax got there.
    “What happened?” he said, pulling her toward him.
    “It was here again,” she said. “That thing.”
    “What thing?”
    “I don’t know exactly,” she said. “A bird or dinosaur—a giant flying thing. It scared the hell out of me last night.”
    “What are you talking about?” Dax took a step back. “We didn’t see anything last night.”
    “Just down the road,” Meredith said. “While I was driving away. That’s the real reason I came back.”
    “You said you had car trouble!” The full force of her words impaled his mind. “Why the hell did you lie?”
    Meredith fought back tears.
    “At first, I thought you were crazy. I wanted to get away. Then pieces started to come together in my mind, but I didn’t want you to think I was coming back just to be with you. That you had that kind of power over me on the day that we met.”
    “You know what it’s like around here!” He was practically shouting. “I told you things last night that no other human has ever known. Trusted you. You owed it to me to tell me.”
    He sat on the bed and shook his head. “Your novel has brought you riches, made you a star. Did you sell your soul in the process? How can I be sure you’re not a damned expediter? Or worse?”
    She was suddenly defiant. Who did Dax think he was, to think she wanted anything to do with his bizarre little universe?
    “How was I supposed to know about all these weird things?” she said. “I certainly didn’t have any flying creatures like that in my book. But I’ll be sure to add them to my next one. Maybe a whole flock or gaggle of them, or whatever you people call it. Turns out