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2021-01-10 01:38:29Anxiety made her restless, and pacing her small room didn’t help. She needed out, so she threw on some jeans, a navy sports bra and a long sleeved, black shirt. Dressed for success, she scaled her garden wall.
She wasn’t trying to escape the Dark Lands. It was freezing cold on the other side of the gate, assuming she could even find it. Her sense of direction sucked. Even if she could follow the snow machine tracks back, she’d freeze long before she reached civilization.
No, she just needed a break from company, especially Fallon’s. Crossing the grassy spot behind the wall, she took a straight line toward the looming shape of an obstacle course she’d seen in the distance that morning. At the time it had been swarming with Haunt, but now it
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Golden Bell 21
“Matter of time with that one.” To look at him, you wouldn’t think Rykarr was a romantic. He looked like a mercenary with his gunmetal gray hair and black eye patch. Even a Haunt couldn’t heal all injuries.“A bottomless well of interesting turns, I’ll admit. That’s largely her appeal.”“Not her fetching hazel eyes. I understand. Her mind is exactly what I’d pursue, too.” An old veteran who’d served his father and taught Fallon much of what he knew, he got away with a lot of cheek.Fallon just smiled. Rykarr could fish all he liked, he wasn’t going to get a bite. “How are her replacement soldiers doing?”
Last Updated : 2021-01-10Golden Bell 22
He brushed a kiss on her temple and worked over to her ear. “So pretty,” he murmured. “You make me burn from the inside out.”“I think…”He placed one long finger against her lips. “If you’re about to make a comment about me and another woman, I promise you’ll unleash that hidden side you keep wondering about.”She shut her mouth.“Better. Let’s try this again.” This kiss was longer, more satisfying. Hot and restless.“I got a bite!” She grabbed for the
Last Updated : 2021-01-10Golden Bell 23
He might be calm, but she was ready to jump with sizzling awareness. “Y-you know, I haven’t done this before. How ‘bout you give me back my shirt?”“The sensual tension is part of the pleasure,” he murmured, stroking her cheek with a soft brush.“How can you even see what you’re doing in the moonlight?”“I can see. Make a kiss with your lips. Mm. I do love deep red lipstick on you. Such full, sweet lips.” He put away the lipstick and got out a nail file. “Give me your hand.”She was beginning to understand this was going to be a slow torture ses
Last Updated : 2021-01-10Golden Bell 24
Her eyes snapped to his. “Your mother? I didn’t even know you had one!”They’d stopped at the tub, and he whisked off her robe with quick efficiency. “Didn’t want to jinx the deal.”Loathe to stand around naked in front of him, she slid into the water. “Yeah, but you could have dropped a clue! How am I supposed to face the woman, knowing that I just found out about her hours before I met her?” Knowing what she’d just spent the night doing with the woman’s son. Yikes!“I wouldn’t worry about it. She’s been nagging me for years to marry, so she’ll be delighted about you. Oh, she’ll scold me, but she&rsq
Last Updated : 2021-01-10Golden Bell 25
They didn’t make love before the party. She told herself she hadn’t been looking forward to it, anyway. Instead, they talked, and Fallon massaged her feet until she fell asleep on the couch. He woke her with a kiss that almost made them late and then hurried her into a striped sarong of olive, burgundy and black. While not what she would have chosen, together with the sleeveless black top, it looked far better than she expected.“You know, these clothes keep appearing in my closet…” she said tentatively as Fallon helped her dress her hair.“Do you like them?” He closed a hairclip over the back of her hair and brushed the loose ends off her shoulders.Fe
Last Updated : 2021-01-10Golden Bell 26
The laughter attracted his mother. Rain wasn’t sure if that was bad or good, because while she at least knew that Portae liked her for her good sense in marrying her son, she also proceeded to introduce her to everyone in sight, dragging her around the room with dizzying speed. Her traitor husband quickly found a group of friends to hide behind, chatting with them while his mother showed her off, occasionally gesturing to Fallon for emphasis.To Rain’s relief, she got to sit down at a table reserved for Portae, herself and Fallon while those being honored, including Fallon, took turns making speeches at the head of the room. Grateful to be in the shadows, Rain sat back and studied the two elders who were also retiring.Elder Azion took his turn at the pulpi
Last Updated : 2021-01-10Golden Bell 27
Fallon wasn’t going to give her the chance to do something stupid. The minute they entered his rooms, he summoned Rykarr. Rain listened with interest as Fallon brought his captain up to speed.Rykarr heard Fallon out and started issuing orders over his com unit.Rain slouched in her chair and walked a coin through her fingers.Fallon felt a burst of anger as he watched her. She was willing to put herself at risk for the sake of revenge. Justice, she called it. Maybe it was, and overdue at that, but she didn’t need to get herself killed to obtain it. They had plenty of time, and he was patient. They could see this thing resolved easily enough.
Last Updated : 2021-01-10Golden Bell 28
“Just as well, as you were going to use it to leave me!” Fallon’s eyes glowed gold.“Ah…you said there was a second reason?” Jayems said, interrupting a doozy of a brewing quarrel.A little abashed, she looked at him. “I haven’t tested it yet.”“Ah.” He set the Bell carefully on his desk.Fallon picked it up and looked at it. “So this is what I spent so much frustration trying to figure out.”Rain shrugged. “If it makes you feel better, it frustrated Azion for year
Last Updated : 2021-01-10
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Golden Bell 37
“She’s not!”“Fine, but she did us a service just the same. Don’t punish her for it. Have you considered that she might be hurting? Killing is never easy. For all you know, she’s afraid of what we’ll do if we find out.”“We won’t do anything! Well, I might spank her blue, but…”Keilor actually shook him, smoothly dodging Fallon’s thank-you punch. “Fine, now that you’ve got your aggression out, you’d better plan what you’re really going to say to her,” he snapped, and then his face softened. “I’m trying to help you, cuz.”
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Rain closed her eyes against the flash. When she opened them, all that remained of him was a pile of rust colored dust. Her hand clenched on the Bell, closing the connection.Her room was neat and empty. There was no way to trace Azion’s death to her.She felt a little sick. She’d let the man reach out to his own destiny, but knowing he was dead wasn’t the sweet relief she’d hoped for. Abruptly, she got up and left the room.***Fallon was in Jayems’s study, examining a printout of Azion’s rooms. He’
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He kissed the top of her foot. “His brother gave their parents the parts list. He can’t wait to make his own…Guess rifle, was it?”“Gauss. Wait. You mean DJ and Malix are brothers?”“Yes, twins. His dad’s proud of him for not hitting a girl, but he promised to give him pointers about making her stop without hurting her. He also told him to stop teasing girls.”She smiled at that. “Who’s his father?”“My cousin, Keilor.” He snuggled up behind her on the wide wooden lawn chair. It was a tight fit, but not claustrophobic. With his hand low o
Golden Bell 34
Relieved to have the whole business over, Rain nodded and started hobbling back toward home, going the long way around. She didn’t feel like trying to scramble over the wall again.The kids followed her.“Whatcha doing?” Bracelet kid asked.“Going home. You should, too. What’s your name, anyway?”“I’m Malix.” He grinned at her, showing off his missing tooth. He nudged the unknown boy, another red head. “This is Twix. He’s Carri’s older brother.”Rain grinned. Twix, was it
Golden Bell 33
Kial did as Fallon directed. The change itself wasn’t dramatic, just a simple melting of form, accomplished in seconds. Underneath all that fur, Kial was an unassuming brunette of average height and looks. His expression was a little hesitant as he addressed her. “Good morning, my lady.”She stared at him without blinking, wary as a kitten suddenly dropped into a box of pit bull puppies. Her abused muscles were screaming at her to relax, but her mind wasn’t listening. She’d run hurt before.Fallon gestured for Kial to sit. “So tell me, are you still thinking about getting your red sash? You’re more than eligible.”“I don’t know if I wan
Golden Bell 32
Rain opened her eyes and found that she was alone. Lovely. She’d had unpleasant dreams and would have welcomed a distraction, even if it were Fallon’s scowling face. Not that she could blame him. She felt a creeping embarrassment that she’d thrown herself over a four-story waterfall without a good reason. She shifted and winced. She must have hit every rock in that blasted river.The current had been fast, and she was amazed that she’d survived. There had been a couple of times she’d been sucked under and nearly drowned. Maybe somebody upstairs was watching out for her, because there was no way she should have made it out of that river.If a higher power had saved her though, she couldn’t fathom why. Fallon was mad at her, for one. Y
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“My lord, later,” one of the medics snapped at him. “Let’s make sure she lives first.”“I’ll live,” Rain muttered, but it was clear she wasn’t fully sensible.They wouldn’t let him inside the operating room, so Fallon paced. Keilor joined him, keeping silent vigil as they waited for news.“Maybe a flashback?” Fallon offered, when over half an hour had crawled by. “She has panic attacks around Haunt.”While Keilor had not yet met Rain, he’d listened just that morning as Fallon had spilled his guts about his wife. “Maybe.”
Golden Bell 30
The park was too crowded, though by no means full. She felt exposed as curious eyes tracked her progress. It was as she entered the orchard and achieved the seclusion she’d hoped for that she began to worry. Something wasn’t right. Shouldn’t her bodyguards have said something by now, questioned her choice of wandering in the woods? She expected someone to appear, ready to chew her out.A familiar pain gripped her as the change came over her, lengthening her nails, sharpening her teeth and her senses. This time she rode it out, using her nose to test the wind before the change dulled it, blessing the ears that picked up sound unavailable to mere human ears. She stood still, looking, scenting as shiny red fruit swayed gently in the breeze. Something…
Golden Bell 29
She’d hurt him tonight; wanted to hurt him. Part of her was angry with him for making her come here, for railroading her into a relationship she wasn’t ready for. They were both going to cross some rough roads to get to a place where this marriage he’d started could work. He’d taken advantage of her, but she was to blame, too.She hated admitting that, but she was nothing if not fair. Now, they were stuck. She was stuck, because she’d willingly given up her ticket off this planet. For what? To soothe Fallon’s fear. Why had she done that?Maybe it was because she understood fear. He had been kind to her. Maybe the only thing he felt for her was desire, but he’d been generous about sharing that, too. He didn’t make her feel
