Forsaken: The World of Nightwalkers Read Online Free Page B

more than a dozen bedroom suites packed into the enormous house, more than enough room to fit a small army in with them. But then Ram realized what Jackson was doing, and this time both brows swept up high. “You want her here. Her and whomever else you can get your hands on of power from the other Nightwalker races. Jesus, Jackson.” Ram ran an agitated hand through his hair. “Tell me you’re not thinking of inviting Wraiths.”
    “I’m desperate, not stupid.” Both men shook off the sensation of fear that skirted them. It was understandable, considering the subject matter. All one needed was to look into those cold, dead white eyes and you just knew you were staring down something unholy. “The day I have to go to the Wraiths for help is the day I know we are in truly dire circumstances. A day I pray never happens.”
    “As do I.” The thought had Ram frowning darkly.
    “Such serious faces,” Docia tsked as she swept through the screen door. Ram’s serious face disappeared instantly as he smiled up at her.
    “Very likely it was due to my missing you,” he said with obvious charm.
    “Flirt,” she accused him. But she preened under the compliment. She was still new to the idea of being worshipped for every breath she took. It really used to irk Jackson the way his sister thought less highly of herself than he did, and it pleased him very much to see that changing. She had changed a great deal in the month or so since her Blending that they had spent separated.
    There was a clicking sound, the sound of doggy nails on the flooring of the porch, and Sargent, formerly of the Saugerties Police Department’s K-9 unit, sat down at the heels of the woman he had followed out. Docia absently reached down to scrub at Sargent’s ears.
    He really should have stuck to his guns and sent Sargent back to the SPD, Jackson thought with a frown. The dog had turned out to be every bit as fearless and loyal as his former K-9 partner, Chico, had been. If he was confessing truths, he had to admit that once Sargent had stopped goofing off, his training had gone far more quickly than was normal for a K-9. Of course, it didn’t hurt that Menes had something of a sixth sense when it came to animals. Jackson had been having a hard time getting Sargent to listen and behave himself, in spite of him having shown a great deal of affinity for both of those things as a pup. But once Menes had come on board Sargent had fallen over himself to listen and please his altered master. Jackson might have felt put out if not for the pleasure it gave him to have Sargent trained at long last.
    But that didn’t change the fact that he had walked off with thousands of dollars’ worth of investment for the SPD, leaving them a K-9 unit short when they had only had two available to begin with. It wasn’t as though they could ring up the K-9 kennels and instantly have a replacement. That kind of training took time…and even the two expensive pups Jackson had sent them as a replacement wouldn’t be ready for work for over a year.
    “Remind me to make a little donation to the SPD,” he said absently to no one in particular.
    “How much? I’ll take care of it,” Ram said briskly.
    “I need you doing other things besides bookkeeping.” Jackson frowned at him. “Do we have a bookkeeper?”
    “Not on site, but there’s a soft-spoken little Bodywalker female named Nailah who does the heavy lifting where that’s concerned. But she’s not exactly a heavy-hitter power-wise so I don’t know if you’d want her where she might end up in the thick of things.”
    “We all have our part to play,” Jackson said. “And our meek might surprise us one day. As it is—”
    Jackson broke off and an expression Docia had never seen before washed over his face. He lurched up out of his chair, the awkwardness of the movement tipping the beer bottle out of his hand. It hit the deck and bounced, spinning as it did so, spewing its contents over Docia’s