be far. You said Willow can sense their presence, so I imagine she’ll
find it before too long. Eddy? Have you got a signal on your cell?”
Cell
phones. Another amazing thing on this world. They didn’t even need
telepathy. They could call each other and actually speak. Eddy held up her cell
phone. “I do, Dad. We’ll call you when we can. Hopefully we’ll be ready for you
to come get us by tomorrow. Figure noon, okay?”
“If I don’t hear from you
before noon, I’ll be right here waiting tomorrow night. Got that?”
“Yep. Now don’t forget to call
Harlan. Tell him I won’t be in to work, at least for a couple days.”
“You know, you might lose your
job, sweetie. He’s not going to like it.”
Eddy glanced at Dax and back
at her father. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but if we’re not successful,
we all stand to lose a lot more.”
Ed nodded, but his smile was
strained. “There is that. I’ll call him when I get home. I’ll let him know you
might just have one hell of a story for him.” Ed backed up, turned the little
Jeep around, and headed down the narrow dirt road.
Dax and Eddy stood there,
staring, until Ed’s departure was nothing more than a wisp of red dust settling
to earth. The magnitude of the mission ahead of them hit Dax hard and fast. He
felt the snake tattoo shift under his flannel shirt, and he shuddered against
the painful burn as his body fought the curse of the demon’s fire.
Only six more days. It was
time to get moving. He caught Eddy staring at him. “Are you ready?”
“I hope so.” She grinned,
slung her pack over her shoulder, and started up the draw her father had
pointed out.
Dax followed with Bumper at
his heels and Willow flitting alongside. The enormity of their task almost
brought him to his knees. He wondered if he would have had the courage to make
this journey alone, if not for the tall, slim girl leading the way.
Eddy glanced over her shoulder
at him and smiled without breaking stride. “I’ve always loved any excuse to
hike this mountain, but I have to admit, this is a first.”
Definitely
a first. Everything he did on this world was a first, but Dax merely
nodded. He hoped it wasn’t a last. His heart was
full. He was thankful to whatever gods ruled Earth that he’d been granted Eddy
Marks as a soldier to march beside him…or in front of him.
He watched the slight sway of
her perfectly shaped behind encased in snug denim pants, and, for at least a
short while, put the pain and worry out of his mind.
Eddy adjusted the pack on her
shoulders and shoved sweaty strands of hair out of her eyes. They’d been hiking
for a couple of hours, and before too long they’d be hitting the loose scree
and volcanic rubble above the tree line that was totally impossible to walk on.
This late in the season, even with the light snowfall they’d had, there wasn’t
enough to cover the loose rock on the upper flanks of the mountain. It wasn’t
just difficult—it was downright dangerous.
Like fighting demons wasn’t?
What in
the hell have I gotten myself into?
Eddy stopped and took a drink
from her water bottle. Dax did the same. Then he cupped his hand and poured
water into his palm for Bumper.
The dog lapped it up and sat
at Dax’s feet with a stupid grin on her face. “I think Bumper’s in love.” Eddy
flashed a smile at Dax, but quickly turned away. No way did she want her
mind—or his—shifting along those lines.
She’d tried love a time or
two. It wasn’t at all what it was cracked up to be. If she’d learned anything
in her twenty-nine years in this world, it was the fact she didn’t need another
person to complete the woman she wanted to be.
That didn’t mean she couldn’t
enjoy the occasional relationship—as long as it came without strings. Eddy
Marks was all about lust, not love, but what red-blooded girl wouldn’t fall in
lust with a sexy guy like Dax?
He’s a
demon, you idiot.
Yeah, but
he’s still one of the
find it before too long. Eddy? Have you got a signal on your cell?”
Cell
phones. Another amazing thing on this world. They didn’t even need
telepathy. They could call each other and actually speak. Eddy held up her cell
phone. “I do, Dad. We’ll call you when we can. Hopefully we’ll be ready for you
to come get us by tomorrow. Figure noon, okay?”
“If I don’t hear from you
before noon, I’ll be right here waiting tomorrow night. Got that?”
“Yep. Now don’t forget to call
Harlan. Tell him I won’t be in to work, at least for a couple days.”
“You know, you might lose your
job, sweetie. He’s not going to like it.”
Eddy glanced at Dax and back
at her father. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but if we’re not successful,
we all stand to lose a lot more.”
Ed nodded, but his smile was
strained. “There is that. I’ll call him when I get home. I’ll let him know you
might just have one hell of a story for him.” Ed backed up, turned the little
Jeep around, and headed down the narrow dirt road.
Dax and Eddy stood there,
staring, until Ed’s departure was nothing more than a wisp of red dust settling
to earth. The magnitude of the mission ahead of them hit Dax hard and fast. He
felt the snake tattoo shift under his flannel shirt, and he shuddered against
the painful burn as his body fought the curse of the demon’s fire.
Only six more days. It was
time to get moving. He caught Eddy staring at him. “Are you ready?”
“I hope so.” She grinned,
slung her pack over her shoulder, and started up the draw her father had
pointed out.
Dax followed with Bumper at
his heels and Willow flitting alongside. The enormity of their task almost
brought him to his knees. He wondered if he would have had the courage to make
this journey alone, if not for the tall, slim girl leading the way.
Eddy glanced over her shoulder
at him and smiled without breaking stride. “I’ve always loved any excuse to
hike this mountain, but I have to admit, this is a first.”
Definitely
a first. Everything he did on this world was a first, but Dax merely
nodded. He hoped it wasn’t a last. His heart was
full. He was thankful to whatever gods ruled Earth that he’d been granted Eddy
Marks as a soldier to march beside him…or in front of him.
He watched the slight sway of
her perfectly shaped behind encased in snug denim pants, and, for at least a
short while, put the pain and worry out of his mind.
Eddy adjusted the pack on her
shoulders and shoved sweaty strands of hair out of her eyes. They’d been hiking
for a couple of hours, and before too long they’d be hitting the loose scree
and volcanic rubble above the tree line that was totally impossible to walk on.
This late in the season, even with the light snowfall they’d had, there wasn’t
enough to cover the loose rock on the upper flanks of the mountain. It wasn’t
just difficult—it was downright dangerous.
Like fighting demons wasn’t?
What in
the hell have I gotten myself into?
Eddy stopped and took a drink
from her water bottle. Dax did the same. Then he cupped his hand and poured
water into his palm for Bumper.
The dog lapped it up and sat
at Dax’s feet with a stupid grin on her face. “I think Bumper’s in love.” Eddy
flashed a smile at Dax, but quickly turned away. No way did she want her
mind—or his—shifting along those lines.
She’d tried love a time or
two. It wasn’t at all what it was cracked up to be. If she’d learned anything
in her twenty-nine years in this world, it was the fact she didn’t need another
person to complete the woman she wanted to be.
That didn’t mean she couldn’t
enjoy the occasional relationship—as long as it came without strings. Eddy
Marks was all about lust, not love, but what red-blooded girl wouldn’t fall in
lust with a sexy guy like Dax?
He’s a
demon, you idiot.
Yeah, but
he’s still one of the
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