The rock, about the size of a golf ball, elevated around three inches off Dannie’s hand. Blood trickled from her nose and down her face. The temptation to clean it away made her fingers twitch. The rock wavered and Dannie forced her full focus back onto it. Holding the rock like that took much more effort than throwing it with her magic.
It hurt. It hurt like a son of a bitch, but it didn’t seem to take as long or hurt as much as the first time. Dannie heard Cass swear, fear in her voice and scent as she stood. Dannie opened and closed her clawed hands.“What-what is she?” Cass asked, again the fea
Sara swore and ducked behind the lab table when Dannie appeared on the medical bed. “What—Danielle, is that you?” She had forgotten she was still in her shifted form. Sara stood up cautiously, her hand over her heart when Dannie nodded. “I thought you were in Cheyenne. Is something wrong?”
Balric walked in, pushed the rocking chair over to Dannie’s bed and sat in it. His forearms rested on his thighs. “I heard you don’t want to do your magic anymore.”“There a question in there somewhere or you just want me to confirm what you heard is right?”
Dannie spent the rest of the evening and some of the night, thinking about how she’d be able to get an advantage over Voss when he would follow the breadcrumbs of her magic. In the library, the next day, Dannie was researching through the many books there when she smelled Balric, a moment before she saw Balric join her. “What can I do for you, Betrayer?”
As Dannie kissed Balric, she realized he wasn’t kissing her back. Her stomach sunk and she pulled back from him. “I’m so-” she started when Balric wrapped his hand around her neck and pulled her back to him. His mouth fell on hers, demanding and hungry. Dannie’s heart stuttered as she kissed him back just as passionate. Their kiss deepened, and the taste of him exploded on her tongue. Balric smelled of musky earth, but his taste was robust and fresh.
Dannie’s vision went white and her back screamed with pain. She groaned and looked up to see Cass was trying to keep a very angry Balric from a very scared Will. She stood up shakily, her whole body now singing with aches and pains. “Stop, unless you want to go flying too,” she told Balric.
The next week, Dannie spent her days developing enough charms for everyone who was going to go to Cody with her, as well as almost thirty magical bombs. During the night, she spent her nights with Balric’s wild side. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of this new side of his or that, after a week, he didn’t seem to tire or be weirded out by her at all. It was something new and kind of scared Dannie a little.
Dannie saw herself, well not herself, but Laina. She paced a sleek, modern-looking living room. Her resolve to go through with the plan was solidified. Laina would save this world from the deabru and Balric perhaps would see her as more than a necessary evil for once.Everything went dark and it cleared Dannie w
“Apparently to save the demon race,” Dannie told him. “Naberius claims he wants to find a peaceful co-existence in this world as werewolves have. He says what Laina did to me is the key. If I tell him what I know about Laina’s spell, it would allow them to survive.”“I see,&rd
Jarret led Dannie up into one of the buildings, to the top floor. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected from a demon lord’s apartment, but certainly not warm and homey. Decorated in whites and grays with wood and glass furniture, that screamed ‘I’m rich.’ Dannie started to relax until she saw the man in the corner. Tall, athletic, he too had that ‘I’m very wealthy’ look to him only it came along with a sense of arrogance.
Dannie stared up at the red sky, watching the clay-colored clouds float past her. What the hell? She groaned as she sat up. Her body ached, but it was more annoyance than anything else. Dannie looked around her, hugging her knees to her chest. The land around her was all too familiar. Iztal. She was in Iztal. Dannie swallowed at the implications of what being there meant. She was dying. Dannie knew that much. So the fact she went there meant she was more deabru than anything else? Could she go back to earth and if she could, would she have to possess someone to do it?
Sara jumped and cried out as Balric appeared in the middle of the infirmary with Dannie in his arms. “Help her,” he demanded.Sara’s eyes widened. “On the bed. What happened?”
Dannie saw herself, well not herself, but Laina. She paced a sleek, modern-looking living room. Her resolve to go through with the plan was solidified. Laina would save this world from the deabru and Balric perhaps would see her as more than a necessary evil for once.Everything went dark and it cleared Dannie w
The next week, Dannie spent her days developing enough charms for everyone who was going to go to Cody with her, as well as almost thirty magical bombs. During the night, she spent her nights with Balric’s wild side. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of this new side of his or that, after a week, he didn’t seem to tire or be weirded out by her at all. It was something new and kind of scared Dannie a little.
Dannie’s vision went white and her back screamed with pain. She groaned and looked up to see Cass was trying to keep a very angry Balric from a very scared Will. She stood up shakily, her whole body now singing with aches and pains. “Stop, unless you want to go flying too,” she told Balric.
As Dannie kissed Balric, she realized he wasn’t kissing her back. Her stomach sunk and she pulled back from him. “I’m so-” she started when Balric wrapped his hand around her neck and pulled her back to him. His mouth fell on hers, demanding and hungry. Dannie’s heart stuttered as she kissed him back just as passionate. Their kiss deepened, and the taste of him exploded on her tongue. Balric smelled of musky earth, but his taste was robust and fresh.
Dannie spent the rest of the evening and some of the night, thinking about how she’d be able to get an advantage over Voss when he would follow the breadcrumbs of her magic. In the library, the next day, Dannie was researching through the many books there when she smelled Balric, a moment before she saw Balric join her. “What can I do for you, Betrayer?”