âOf course it did. You...you...â Again, she was so angry that words failed. She planted her hands on her hip and glared.
He smiled, and she stepped close to him.
âStop smirking.â Annie pushed against his chest. She was so small, so petite, the top of her head hit him only chest-high.
Instinctively, he grabbed her arms and pulled her closer into him. She smelled mysteriousâlike herbs and musk and a touch of some flowery scent that was deliciously, dangerously feminine.
He remembered their kiss. Would she ever want to kiss him againânow that she held him responsible for Tiaâs illness? Loss and regret swept through him like an errant breeze.
If circumstances were different. If there wasnât so much at stake. If only... But it did no good to wallow in âifs.â It wasnât as if heâd had any choice in the matter of his destiny and duty. His hands still held her forearms, but they loosenedâand she didnât pull away. He hardly dared move for fear of shattering the magic.
The only sound in the room was their joined breathing, hers lighter and more rapid than his. Her chest gently expanded and contracted. And then, oh-so-slowly, they eased their bodies together, and her cheek lay on his chest. Tombi leaned down and rested his chin on the cinnamon warmth of her dark hair.
Outside, the sky darkened. Leaves and moss would begin to rustle in the ancient oaks. Soon, birds of the night would swoop from branch to branch, screeching and spying and reporting back to Nalusa on the huntersâ movements. Ishkitini, the horned owl, was the most ominous bird of prey, because his screech foretold a sudden death or murder. Will-oâ-the-wisps would glow and skitter about with the energy of the trapped deceased.
The windowpaneâs reflection captured their joined silhouette like a flickering trick of the eye. Nebulous and passing, a fragile thing of impermanence. Tombi closed his eyes and stroked her arms. They were as soft and slender as a robinâs wing.
The phone rang, and she jerked and wiggled out of his embrace, returning to the table to pick up her cell phone.
âHow is she?â Annie asked, face set in tense worry. âUh-huh. Thatâs good...right?â
Reassured the call wasnât death news, Tombi let himself out the front door and stood on the porch. Sheâd appreciate her privacy. The heat and the night pressed down on him, cloying and heavy.
He had to return to the others. His duty was clear. Somehow, he must convince Annie to come with him. This cottage wasnât safe for a young woman alone. Sheâd been lured once by a will-oâ-the-wisp. It could happen again. Their call was almost impossible to ignore.
And then there were Tia Henriettaâs words. Annie is your destiny. Without her, you fail. And as heâd started to straighten, the old womanâs hand had gripped his with surprising strength. Take care of my granddaughter.
Destiny? Destiny be damned. It was enough that the gods had placed this duty on him, this infernal battle with Nalusa and his shadows. No doubt Annie could prove useful with her extraordinary hearing. But that tiny woman wasnât a key to battling evil. She didnât stand a chance against dark forces sheâd never before encountered. If she was an innocent, he reminded himself grimly. And as far as taking care of Annie...wasnât it enough that his fellow hunters depended on him as their leader? He didnât need another burden.
The door creaked open, and she stood beside him.
âHowâs your grandmother?â
âMiss Verbena says her vital signs are stabilized, but sheâs in a coma.â
He tried to find comforting words. âHer brain just needs a rest while she battles the poison.â
âI donât like it.â Her voice was small, weak.
He should say something sweet, something comforting. But he didnât know how. Even his twin, Tallulah, wasnât much good at sweet-talking. If Hanan were here, he would know. His friend was always quick with the comebacks and the right, appropriate thing to say. A real asset in his job as the county sheriff. Tombi stiffened, feeling awkward. âCome with me. Stay with my people.â
She shot him a sideways glance. âWhy?â
âSo you can help us.â
She sniffed and turned for the door.
Heâd said the wrong thing.
âAnd because we could use your gift. We...apparently, need you.â
âWell, I donât need you. Grandma made me promise not to go to the hospital, but she canât make me leave this house. Iâm staying here in case Miss Verbena calls with more news.â
âYou can take your phone with you.â
âCoverage is spotty in the woods. I canât chance it.â
âBut even if thereâs news, good or bad, thereâs nothing you can do,â he pointed out.
She gave him a look that would surely curdle even Nalusaâs milky venom. âI want to know everything the moment it happens.â Her words were slow and deliberate, as if she were talking to a not-so-bright child.
An unexpected warmth flushed Tombiâs cheeks at her condescending tone. He scowled to cover his embarrassment. Time to show his ace in the hole. âYour grandmother asked me to take care of you.â
âWhen?â Her eyes narrowed to suspicious slits.
âThat time you saw me bending over her before the ambulance came.â
âYou said she was incoherent.â
âI was trying to save your pride.â
They glared at one another. In the distance, an owl screeched. A bad sign.
Very bad.
Chapter 5
Annie shivered, breaking the tension. âThat owl sounds creepy.â
âIshkitini,â Tombi grumbled. No good ever came of the horned owlâs cry. It often foretold death. But no sense troubling Annie with that information. Sheâd assume it was an omen about her grandmother, and then sheâd never agree to go with him. Plus, he had to admit, he didnât want to upset Annie.
âA dangerous night to be alone. Youâd be safer on the hunt with me,â he said.
Her eyes shifted to the woods and back to him.
She was weakening.
âBesides, you shouldnât be here alone tonight worrying about your grandmother. Go on the hunt with us. It will take your mind off your problems.â
âWhy should I go? Itâs obvious your friends donât want me around. At least at home, I wonât be insulted.â
Damn Tallulah and the others for their hostility. It had been a mistake to tell them heâd brought Annie to possibly find a traitor. Nobody appreciated a messenger with bad news. âYouâll be by my side during the hunt,â Tombi promised. âThe others follow their own path in the night darkness.â
She glanced over to the woods again. âI have to admit Iâm curious about your hunt.â Her eyes met his. âDoes what you do involve anything gruesome? You know, like, bloody stuff?â
âNot usually.â
âGood.â She pinned him with a hard look. âAnd in return for going tonight, youâll teach me how to control my hearing?â
âFor one nightâs work?â The words tumbled out, unfiltered. Oh, hell. By the look on her face, heâd lost any chance of getting her cooperation.
Annie marched back into the cottage, slamming the door shut.
He opened it and followed her inside. At least she hadnât locked him out. âHow about this? Spend time with us, and let me know if you have suspicions about anyone. In return, Iâll teach you what I can.â
Anger twisted her delicate features. âTeach me? I didnât think Iâd need lessons.â
âHow else did you expect to learn to control your gift?â
âI thought... I thought...â She sputtered to a stop.
âI never said it would be easy.â
âYou never said it would be hard, either.â She rubbed her temples. âJust how long will these lessons take?â
âHard to say.â He folded his arms and considered. âCould take weeks, could take months. That is, if you can follow my teachings. Not everyone can control their energy.â
Annie sat on the sofa and took a deep breath. âOkay, there are a couple of things troubling me about what you just said.â She held up an index finger. âOne, your people can guard against leaking their energy, making it difficult for me to hear their auras. So I canât guarantee Iâll be able to pinpoint this person.â
She held up a second finger, but Tombi interrupted, âLet me take your objections one at a time.â He sat across from Annie, their knees almost touching. Warmth radiated from her slight body, and he clamped down the passion she aroused as he cleared his throat. âAfter a night chasing shadows, we gather back at the campsite and fill each other in on the nightâs events. Weâll eat a light meal and then go to our tents and sleep until the heat of the day drives us out. Usually about noon.â
âI donât see what this has to do withââ
âIâm getting to that,â Tombi promised. âStay alert while they sleep and walk around the camp. See if you hear anything suspicious then.â
Her brow creased and then cleared. She nodded. âThey must let down their guard during sleep.â
âExactly. Now whatâs your next objection?â
âYou said you would teach me what you could. What the hell does that mean exactly? First you claimed you could cure me of this gift. Now it sounds like youâre waffling.â
âNo waffling.â
âThen are you saying Iâm unteachable? I can assure you, thatâs not true. Not at all. Thereâs nothing wrong with my intelligence.â
Tombi raised a brow and regarded her silently.
She had the grace to look sheepish. âSorry. Touchy point with me. I was teased unmercifully in grade school because I had to be taught in a separate room one-on-one with a teacherâs aide. The music from all the other students made it impossible for me to concentrate in a regular classroom.â She took a shuddering breath. âThey used to call me Crazy Annie.â
That must have been tough for a sensitive girl. âKids can be cruel. I promise I wasnât making a comment on your intelligence. What I meant was that Iâll show you how I block my energy. Itâs a skill my parents taught me, so it stands to reason that, with the right training, you can do the same.â
A wistful sadness shadowed her eyes.
âYou donât think you can do it?â he asked gently.
She bit her lip. âOh, itâs silly. But what I was really hoping is that youâd arrange for a shaman to remove it. You know, something quick and easy.â
He fixed her with a hard stare.
Annie flushed. âI know. Thatâs awful of me. I just want to get on with my life.â
âMeaning what? What would you do without your special hearing ability that you canât do now?â Annie was hard to understand. He could control his senses to some degree, yet it didnât change who he was, or his purpose in life.
She threw up her hands. âYou canât laugh.â
At his steady wait, Annie admitted, âI want to be a librarian.â
âThen do it.â He shrugged. âNow. No oneâs stopping you.â
âEven in a library, the noise gets to be too much after a while. Thereâs more peace and quiet there than any other public place, but it still grates. I canât see me working as a librarian forty hours a week.â
Annie stood and walked around the small den, picking up stray items and straightening stacks of books and magazines. âAnd itâs more than wanting to work a full-time job. Iâd like to have friends, a family, a social life.â
âThe music is that disruptive for you?â It might be hell for Annie, but this extraordinary ability could only be good for his hunters. And he would try to help her control her gift.
Eventually.
Once heâd gotten all he could from her. Duty first, always.
For the first time in days, a surge of hope fueled a fire within him. âThen what do you have to lose by helping me?â he asked. âIâll make sure no harm comes to you.â
She carefully placed a book back down on a coffee table. âI really, really, really hate snakes,â she said, dead serious. âSo youâd better protect me like you promised.â
âI will,â he vowed. âWith my life.â This he could say with no guilt or deception.
Annie picked up a picture of her grandma and bent her head over it. Her long, wavy hair covered her face, but her shoulders shook, and he knew she wept. Surprisingly, it made him long to put his arms around her and kiss away her tears. He hardened his heartâthis wouldnât do at all.
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