“Let him down, Sophie. He can’t tell us anything if you choke him to death.”

Dropping the darkling, Sophie moved backward, almost knocking Ree over. Scott drooped to the floor and grabbed at his throat. Ree went to the little fridge and grabbed a bottle of water before handing it to him. Uncapping the bottle with shaking hands, he spilled water on the ground before managing to get any in his mouth.

“Look, Scott. I don’t feel bad for you. To be real honest, I think you deserve an ass-kicking or worse. If you don’t tell us what we need to know, I’m going to let Sophie do whatever she wants to you. If you answer her questions, then I’ll make sure you get out of Savannah. Got it?”

“Yeah, I’ve got it. Answers, live to see another day. No answers, bloody hunks of Scott. Yeah, pretty clear.”

Snorting, Sophie sat back down in the desk chair and crossed her legs. The door to the back opened for Weylin and Melanie. Scott scampered back against the wall, away from the sunlight streaming through the opening. Irritation pulled the corners of Melanie’s mouth down, but Weylin looked much more like himself.

“So, what did we miss?” Melanie sat down on a chair and pulled a fringe-covered pillow into her lap.

“Yeah, sorry. Nothing more depressing than seeing a man have a midlife crisis. Especially at eighteen.” Weylin sat next to Melanie, but wouldn’t meet anyone’s eyes.

“Don’t think you’re getting out of talking about this, Weylin. But right now, we have more important things to deal with. Scott here is getting ready to tell us about the Dark One pulling Tristan’s strings.” Ree looked back at the darkling. “Isn’t that right, Scott?”

“Sure, yeah. Really helpful, that’s me.”

“Then get on with it.” The dangerous edge to Sophie’s voice made the darkling swallow.

“You wanted to know if anyone spoke directly to her.” His eyes took on a faraway look as he searched his memory. “Um, yeah. I think the blond guy did. Tristan? He spoke to her a few times, but it was really quiet and I didn’t hear much. Only thing I remember is him wanting to know when they would have enough. But I don’t know what he was talking about.”

“Keep going,” Ree said. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Weylin and Melanie move closer to them, their interest piqued.

“She never responded that I heard, but he seemed to know what she was thinking. It was really spooky.” He looked at their group as if to get them to agree with his comment.

“What, that was the spookiest part of the whole ordeal? Really? Not the murdering, blood sucking, or fangs?” Weylin cocked his eyebrow, sounding more like himself. “I think a lady not bothering to talk to a worm like you would be the least odd thing that happened to you.”

“He has a point,” Ree added. “What happened to really bother you? The blood, the gore, the mythical creatures in your V.I.P. room didn’t upset you. So what did?”

“There was something about her, something cold and sinister. Despite being beautiful, she almost didn’t look human. I tried to not look at her too much. I didn’t want any problems.” Ree felt her heart stutter on the word ‘human.’ Could it be possible there was an original Dark One in Savannah? She turned to look at Sophie, who had managed to get a tight rein on her emotions, leaving her beautiful face blank.

“Did she do anything that seemed weird? Compared to the other Dark Ones?” The Greek woman leaned forward, the only hint of her real interest.

“Yeah, there was something else. The others only had two fangs. One set, you know? Kind of like you. But she had four. Two wicked-looking teeth on each side of her upper mouth when she ate. I only saw them once though. She didn’t normally eat when they came to the club.”

“Oh, well, there goes the neighborhood.” Weylin snorted from his chair. When everyone turned to look at him, he threw his arms in the air. “What? Don’t tell me you weren’t thinking the same thing!”

“Do you remember anything else?” Ree returned her attention to the darkling.

“No, but I did notice something.” Unrolling his sleeves, he showed some of the burnt skin on his forearm. The bite marks on his arms were savage, but when Ree looked closer she noticed he had proof of the double fangs he had mentioned. There on his wrist were sets of four puncture wounds oozing a dark, sticky substance. “The other bites I had from the Dark Ones didn’t have this nasty goo. They hurt, but they usually gave me some blood to help heal the bites.”

“Ree, step back please.” Sophie moved quickly so she was between the darkling and the Alastriana. “That is not a normal infection. The Dark One that left those holes meant for you to die, Scott Chaney. If you aren’t turned in the next few days, her venom will finish destroying your soul and move on to the rest of your body.”

“Wait a minute. You’re saying I have to become a Dark One after all?” His eyes lit up a little, as if he was being offered a second chance. “You have to let me go.”

“No, darkling, that wasn’t our agreement. I’m saying that no matter what we do for you, death will be calling your name soon.”

Chapter 13

“No!” Scott launched himself off the floor with superhuman speed. Obviously there was still enough Dark One blood in his system to give him an edge. Ree almost fell over trying to get out of the way. Sophie whipped a dagger loose from her boot and let the darkling rush her. Faster than Ree could comprehend, the tall woman slid her blade under his ribs until the hilt was the only thing sticking out.

An inhuman wail slid through the room, and Ree wanted to cover her ears. With a sickening sound of suction, Sophie pulled her dagger back out of his ribs. Immediately he fell to his knees, his eyes rolling back into his head, but his eyes were still open. His flesh began to blacken and fine cracks ran along his exposed skin. A fine ash drifted to the ground around him, but unlike the Dark Ones she had seen disintegrate, his body seemed to be only halfway to that point.

Turning her head, Ree tried to breathe through her mouth so the stench wouldn’t overwhelm her, but it was too much. For the second time that day, she bolted out the door. Only this time, she ran smack into someone’s chest. She shoved and pushed, but strong hands held her steady. She caught a brief glance of green eyes before she turned her head and heaved. Through it all, she could smell the stench of the rotting corpse that was inside the shop.

Paden’s strong hands shifted her so she was standing in front of him, but never left her arms, offering her support while her body revolted. Once she was finished, someone handed her a cold washcloth. Wiping her face with it, she moved to sit on the curb under a giant oak tree. Her body flashed from hot to cold, and the ground felt unsteady under her feet. Gravel crunched under her Mary Janes as Paden sat next to her and offered her a bottle of water.

“Thanks.” She uncapped the bottle and rinsed her mouth out with the first sip she took.

“What on earth happened this afternoon?” Worry and confusion laced his words, but there was also an underlying tone of anger. “I can smell the death all the way over here. Who died in the shop, and how does it already smell like something has been decaying in the hot sun?”

“Oh, you know us. Brought home some roadkill for kicks.” Ree swished some more water in her mouth before spitting it out.

“You didn’t wait for me? You know how much I love roadkill.” Stretching out his long legs next to her he leaned back, propping himself up on his elbows. “I mean, roadkill is the gift that keeps on giving. Roadkill stew. Possum jerky. Fur blankets and rugs. Raccoon-skin hats. Imagine all of the wonderful homemade Christmas presents we could make.”

Ree snorted, and some of the tension left her shoulders. Paden had a way of always making her feel better, even after watching someone die.

“Where did you get the water and rag from? Carrying them in your pocket just in case?” Ree gave him a small smile.

“Well, I learned very early on it’s best to be prepared.” He gave her a Boy Scout salute before relaxing back again. “Actually, Melanie was right behind you when you barreled out the door. She brought them back once she knew someone else was with you.”

Sighing, Ree mimicked his posture and turned her face upward so she could feel some of the wind that was moving through the tiny parking lot. “Am I the only one that gets sick? Twice now, I’ve thrown up for everyone to see.”

“Well, the first time you had a nasty concussion. Head trauma can really mess with a person, so I don’t think that counts. And even sitting out here, the smell is making me gag.” He sat up and looked at her. “So, tell me what really happened.”

Sighing, Ree got up off the curb and paced in front of her friend. “Melanie and I caught a darkling that was following us.”

Paden moved to his feet slowly, as if trying to keep himself calm. “You caught a darkling?”

“Yeah. We were walking back from River Street and there was one in the alley. Melanie said it was following us, so we had to find out why.”

“Uh huh.” Paden shoved his hands in his pockets. “Had to.”

“Oh, c’mon, Paden. We had to know what he was looking for and if he had any dirt on us.” Ree looked at him, exasperated.

“Yeah, I get it. I just don’t like it, okay?” He ran a hand through his hair, and Ree caught herself staring at him. Even when he was angry, she found him almost irresistible. Her hands itched to touch him, and she felt herself take a step in his direction.

“So, what happened? I’m assuming the smell coming out of the shop is from the darkling?”

That sentence brought her up short and she looked down at the broken concrete under her feet. The roots from the giant oak had burst through the cement and stone, causing the pavement to become uneven.

“Yes. Sophie killed Scott after he told us what he knew.”

Warm hands gently pulled Ree to Paden’s chest, where she rested her head and tried to decide what upset her the most. “It was awful, Pay. He was a darkling, but still human. And Sophie killed him.”

“I’m sure she had a reason.” His breath warmed the top of her head, sending shivers down her spine. “Sophie wouldn’t have done that without good motivation.”

“He was going to die anyways. There was no way around it. The only other thing we could have done would be let him become a Dark One.”

“And she couldn’t have done that. He might have known things at that point that would have hurt you.”

The door opened and Roland stepped out, his cocky grin firmly in place as he examined the couple with critical eyes. Briefly, Ree wondered where he had come from, but figured if school was out, he could have walked right past her while she was being sick. “As much as I hate to break up the smooch fest out here, the rest of us are getting ready to dispose of the nastiness inside. Not that I need your help or anything, but Sophie wants to talk to you first.”

Stepping out of Paden’s arms, Ree could have sworn she heard him grind his teeth. The jealousy that was flowing through the air almost made her nauseated again. My life has become so incredibly weird, Ree thought as she walked past them to the shop door. Taking a deep breath before she opened the door, Ree did her best to ignore the eyes that followed her as she entered.

The stench was much worse inside, even though someone had opened the windows to let in fresh air. Scott was no longer lying on the floor surrounded by a pile of ash. Instead, there was a distinctly human-shaped bundle, wrapped in a rug near the door. The broom and dustpan were leaning against the doorframe, and Ree wondered if Sophie was going to throw that away too. She really hoped that was the plan.

“What the hell is that smell?” Juliette walked into the shop behind Ree, pinching her nose. Bryce was close behind her, holding the collar of his shirt over his nose.

“Yeah, darklings don’t decompose very well.” Weylin walked into the room from the bathroom area and peeled off the latex gloves he was wearing. “On the other hand, if you ever want to get rid of unwanted guests, you now know how to do it.” He threw the gloves at the garbage can like he was throwing a basketball.

“Where the hell did you go today, man? You basically disappeared after first period.” Bryce sniffed in his direction and almost retched. “Gah. Under all the funk in here, you smell like the floor of a bar.”

“Hey. I resent that. I have lots of fond memories of bar floors. Or I will once I go to college, I’m sure.”

Roland and Paden walked into the room, and the tension was almost unbearable. Paden’s face was red, and Roland was wearing a smug smile that didn’t bode well. Not sure what might have passed between them, Ree really hoped Sophie would tell everyone whatever it was she felt was so important.

Thankfully, they didn’t have to wait much longer. Sophie entered from the front of the shop, carrying a wicked-looking shortsword. It was curved like a Middle Eastern sword Ree had seen on TV, but the blade was much sharper than the ancient one the history guy had shown.

“Pack up, kids. We have some scouting to do.”

Chapter 14

Scott’s body was picked up by a couple of humans in a large jeep-type vehicle. They wore camouflaged clothes and grisly expressions. Ree saw the butt of a gun poking out from under a jacket and wondered why he needed it. It wouldn’t stop a Dark One if they set their eyes on him, and it was a definite possibility considering the quickly approaching night.

“What are they going to do with him?”

“Well, the great thing about living in South Georgia is the prevalence of swamps and alligators. I hear they’ll eat just about anything.” Roland moved closer to her, his eyes deep and unreadable. The only way she knew he was hurt was because of the emotion her power allowed her to feel. He didn’t always broadcast like this, but the last few times she had seen him she realized it was growing.

“Oh.” Ree wrapped her arms around herself and watched as the deadly-looking men drove away. A heavy, warm weight wrapped around her shoulders, and from the smell of leather, mint, and eucalyptus, Ree knew that Roland had given her his jacket. “I’m fine, really.”

“I don’t need it, Ree. I only wear it to fit in.” Smiling devilishly, he winked at her. “And because it looks good on me.”

“That’s true.” Ree replied before turning ten shades of red.

“Ah, so you have noticed.” Something warm swirled in the back of his eyes as he looked at her. “I was beginning to think the godling had managed to overshadow everything else.”

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