Night Huntress 03.5 - Devil to Pay Read Online Free
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Paranormal
safe.
Blake did something he hadn’t done willingly for weeks. He let himself fall asleep.
Elise listened as Blake’s heartbeat and breathing became more relaxed with slumber. She kept whistling, even though she wasn’t used to breathing this much. Still, the song seemed to soothe him, though why that mattered to her was a mystery. His being quiet will draw less attention, she told herself, knowing that was a lie. They were in
Arlington
National
Cemetery
. There weren’t many people around to notice if Blake caused a stir, except perhaps the ghosts.
It was so odd, this protective feeling. Once she’d made up her mind to help Blake, her long-dormant emotions awoke. Elise couldn’t help but admire Blake’s concern for other people, even over his own life. You won’t let me hurt anyone, will you? It had been a long time since Elise had cared that much about other people, especially strangers.
When DC’s homeless or criminal element attacked her—which happened every few months—she killed them. It didn’t occur to her not to since she reasoned that by doing so, she was saving someone else from that person’s future attack. Blake wasn’t responsible for what the demon inside him did, but he was willing to die in order to prevent other people from getting harmed. His strength of character under these extreme circumstances held up a mirror to hers, and Elise didn’t like what she saw reflected there. Mencheres is right, she realized. I’ve let myself slip away. How much of the person I was is still left? Can I salvage the remains before apathy eats away at the rest of me?
She’d start with Blake. Maybe by helping to save his soul, she’d earn a reprieve for her own.
Chapter Five
A black Volvo approached, driving along an area where vehicles usually weren’t allowed. Elise felt the encroaching power from inside the SUV.
“Here they are,” she told Blake, waking him.
The SUV stopped next to them, interrupting whatever Blake had been about to say. Two people got out, the man radiating a crackling power that announced him as a Master vampire, and a redheaded woman who seemed human.
“Bones,” Elise said , bowing her head in the deference he deserved as co-sire of Mencheres’s line. Elise might have been out of touch with vampire society, but every undead person knew about Mencheres’s merging lines with Bones several months ago.
“Elise,” Bones replied, with a nod. “This is my wife, Cat.”
Cat smiled and stuck out her hand. Elise shook it, thinking the famous half-breed didn’t appear as she’d pictured her. With Cat’s reputation and nickname of the Red Reaper, Elise had expected a more imposing presence, but Cat looked no more threatening than a Hollywood actress.
Blake looked at the two newcomers warily. “Are they both vampires?” he asked Elise.
“He is,” Elise replied, glancing at the redheaded half vampire again. “She’s more… complicated.”
Cat laughed. “That’s one way to put it.” She extended her hand to Blake, but before he could even twitch, Bones batted it away.
“Don’t touch him, Kitten.”
The cold menace in Bones’s voice had Cat blinking in surprise even as Elise felt her anger flare.
“The demon doesn’t have him now,” Elise said. “There’s no need to act as if he’s foul.”
“It’s all right,” Blake said, looking down at himself with sadness and disgust. “I am foul. If I were he, I wouldn’t want my wife touching me, either.”
“It’s not your filthiness that concerns me, but she’s half-human,” Bones said, his hand still on Cat’s arm. “Demons can’t possess vampires, but so little is known about half-breeds that I’m not risking the possibility.”
“Aren’t you being a tad paranoid, Bones?” Cat asked. “You told me on the way over that the host had to die before a demon could jump. Well, he looks alive to
Blake did something he hadn’t done willingly for weeks. He let himself fall asleep.
Elise listened as Blake’s heartbeat and breathing became more relaxed with slumber. She kept whistling, even though she wasn’t used to breathing this much. Still, the song seemed to soothe him, though why that mattered to her was a mystery. His being quiet will draw less attention, she told herself, knowing that was a lie. They were in
Arlington
National
Cemetery
. There weren’t many people around to notice if Blake caused a stir, except perhaps the ghosts.
It was so odd, this protective feeling. Once she’d made up her mind to help Blake, her long-dormant emotions awoke. Elise couldn’t help but admire Blake’s concern for other people, even over his own life. You won’t let me hurt anyone, will you? It had been a long time since Elise had cared that much about other people, especially strangers.
When DC’s homeless or criminal element attacked her—which happened every few months—she killed them. It didn’t occur to her not to since she reasoned that by doing so, she was saving someone else from that person’s future attack. Blake wasn’t responsible for what the demon inside him did, but he was willing to die in order to prevent other people from getting harmed. His strength of character under these extreme circumstances held up a mirror to hers, and Elise didn’t like what she saw reflected there. Mencheres is right, she realized. I’ve let myself slip away. How much of the person I was is still left? Can I salvage the remains before apathy eats away at the rest of me?
She’d start with Blake. Maybe by helping to save his soul, she’d earn a reprieve for her own.
Chapter Five
A black Volvo approached, driving along an area where vehicles usually weren’t allowed. Elise felt the encroaching power from inside the SUV.
“Here they are,” she told Blake, waking him.
The SUV stopped next to them, interrupting whatever Blake had been about to say. Two people got out, the man radiating a crackling power that announced him as a Master vampire, and a redheaded woman who seemed human.
“Bones,” Elise said , bowing her head in the deference he deserved as co-sire of Mencheres’s line. Elise might have been out of touch with vampire society, but every undead person knew about Mencheres’s merging lines with Bones several months ago.
“Elise,” Bones replied, with a nod. “This is my wife, Cat.”
Cat smiled and stuck out her hand. Elise shook it, thinking the famous half-breed didn’t appear as she’d pictured her. With Cat’s reputation and nickname of the Red Reaper, Elise had expected a more imposing presence, but Cat looked no more threatening than a Hollywood actress.
Blake looked at the two newcomers warily. “Are they both vampires?” he asked Elise.
“He is,” Elise replied, glancing at the redheaded half vampire again. “She’s more… complicated.”
Cat laughed. “That’s one way to put it.” She extended her hand to Blake, but before he could even twitch, Bones batted it away.
“Don’t touch him, Kitten.”
The cold menace in Bones’s voice had Cat blinking in surprise even as Elise felt her anger flare.
“The demon doesn’t have him now,” Elise said. “There’s no need to act as if he’s foul.”
“It’s all right,” Blake said, looking down at himself with sadness and disgust. “I am foul. If I were he, I wouldn’t want my wife touching me, either.”
“It’s not your filthiness that concerns me, but she’s half-human,” Bones said, his hand still on Cat’s arm. “Demons can’t possess vampires, but so little is known about half-breeds that I’m not risking the possibility.”
“Aren’t you being a tad paranoid, Bones?” Cat asked. “You told me on the way over that the host had to die before a demon could jump. Well, he looks alive to
Readers choose
K. S. Ruff
Stephen Gallagher
K.M. Liss
Janne Teller
Gene Wolfe
Rick Mofina
Daria Sparks -
Catherine Dunne
Holly Smale
Margaret L. Carter