Obsidian Flame Read Online Free Page B

her now like nothing he had ever known. He had loved her for a long time in the Convent, but not like this. He spent every last drop his body had made for her, the body pretending to be José, but his seed belonged to him, couldn’t belong to anyone else, and that’s what he put inside her.
    The vibrations were getting stronger now. Despite the fact that he had a powerful desire, even a need to remain connected to her, he had to get away. Now. Or he’d morph back.
    And like hell was he going to reveal this little secret. It might just be the only way he’d keep from killing her lovers if she continued down this path.
    He pulled out. He didn’t like abandoning her like this, but he had to keep up his ruse.
    He grabbed his jeans from the floor and went into the bathroom. He counted to ten. “My brother just left a text,” he called out. “He needs a ride. I gotta go.”
    He dressed in rapid movements. When he reached the door he looked back at her. She looked so beautiful sprawled as she was. She looked confused as well, but he couldn’t help himself as he said, “You know the way out. Call a cab. Just don’t be here when I get back. My brother has a temper and besides, I don’t like women in mi casa in the morning.”
    Okay, maybe that was mean, but she shouldn’t have been bonking José.
    He saw her eyes flash and knew her temper wouldn’t be far behind, so he hightailed it. He ran out to the truck, and because he wasn’t sure if Marguerite would cheat and use her folding skills to reach the front door, he got into the vehicle the old-fashioned way by opening the door and sliding in. He did, however, ignore the key as he touched the ignition to start the truck. He wasn’t surprised that just as he started backing out she opened the front door.
    He almost stalled out, his foot jerking away from the accelerator, because there she was, buck naked, and flipping him off.
    There was so much he enjoyed about Marguerite, but it was her spirit that got him. She stood in the doorway, facing the front yard, without a stitch on and not caring who saw her. She was the kind of woman that would go down battling, nothing less.
    “Asshole,” she shouted.
    He almost put on the brakes. He wanted to head straight back into the house, carry her into José’s bedroom, and do her all over again. But the vibrations were getting stronger and he was sweating into his jeans.
    He looked away and gathered his wits. He pointed the truck in the direction of the bar. When he was at last in a different part of town, and several miles away, he pulled the truck over, morphed back into himself, then released a long deep breath.
    He was covered in sweat and gave one full-body shiver. Well, that was fucking weird.
    He jumped into the back of the truck, woke José up, handed him the keys, and wiped his memory. He folded back to Marguerite’s hotel room and heard the shower running.
    He stretched out on the bed and waited.
    He smelled roses and what do you know, he was smiling.
    Okay, was it wrong to be enjoying himself?
    The truth was, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d smiled like this. Maybe a century ago, before his sister Grace had sequestered herself in the Convent, and before her twin, Patience, had been killed by death vampires. Yeah, maybe that far back.
    *   *   *
     
    Owen Stannett had everything set up, ready and waiting, candles lit, incense burning, shutters drawn to dampen the noise of Mexico City nightlife. He’d even had a new red leather chaise-longue made up for his favorite activity. This would be his first venture into the future streams since leaving Second Earth.
    He’d spent the last three weeks hunting for Seers through all the known rogue colonies on Mortal Earth and hadn’t found a single one. However, since these colonies weren’t in any way hidden from Second Earth, they were accessible to Greaves. The Commander had probably already done his own reconnaissance and removed any Seers he found to his