slipped on a patch of ice and hit her head.”
Christian shook his head. “You can’t let a Vanir witch mess around inside her head. It’s too dangerous.”
“What’s dangerous is her snooping around. You were supposed to get rid of her.”
“Did you want me to slit her throat and dump her in the lake? I didn’t know she was planning this. Last I knew she was headed out of town. Let me talk to her and find out why she came back. Maybe something’s changed with the case.”
“It’s too risky.”
“You’re going to wipe her anyway. What do we have to lose?”
Aiden gave him a disgusted look. “Everything. We have everything to lose if she talks. I’m calling in Kamis. You have until he gets here.”
Jacey opened her eyes to an unfamiliar room. She was lying in bed staring at a flat, cream-colored ceiling. The ceiling in the apartment she rented was popcorn white. This wasn’t a familiar room, but she wasn’t in a hospital either. She was fully clothed, with the blankets underneath her. Her boots and coat were missing, but otherwise everything else seemed to be in place. She blinked, and this time when she opened her eyes she was able to focus a little better. Along with that focus came an awareness that her head was throbbing. She raised her hand to touch it gingerly.
“Jacey?” That was Christian’s voice, followed by the sound of his footsteps across a hardwood floor. A moment later, Christian’s perfect face came into her line of sight. His brows were drawn together in a frown and his blue eyes were filled with worry. She managed to give him a smile that was meant to be reassuring. He didn’t seem particularly reassured by it. In fact, his frown only deepened as he studied her.
“Where am I?” Everything seemed foggy. She couldn’t quite remember how she’d gotten here. The motel and driving out to the woods…
“You’re at Aiden’s house,” Christian said, voice strained. “Remember we stopped by here earlier today?”
When she tried to sit up, a wave of nausea rolled through her and she groaned. Christian placed his hand upon her shoulder and pressed her back down to the mattress. His other hand gently smoothed her hair from her forehead. “What are you still doing in town? I thought you were on your way back to Des Moines.”
“My head…”
“You fell in the woods and your head struck a rock. Banged it up pretty good.”
That call to Mark. The empty parking lot at McGuire’s. She’d decided to check out the road to the lake, and then she’d seen lights. Strange lights, an odd, vibrant blue, almost neon bright. She remembered getting out of her truck to investigate, and…
It all came back to her in a rush of frantic images. The strange animal creeping from the shadows. The howling. A pale horse thundering toward her and Christian holding a blazing sword. Literally blazing with a cold, ghostly light. She felt the blood drain from her face. Her skin went cold and she closed her eyes to fight back the swell of panic that threatened to overwhelm her.
“Alan,” Christian said sharply, moving aside to let another take his place.
When she opened her eyes again, it was to find a young man in his early twenties eying her with a concerned frown. He glanced over his shoulder at Christian. “Aiden said—”
“I don’t give a fuck what he said. Fix this.”
Alan sighed heavily and leaned over her. He pressed his cold fingertips to her forehead, catching her even when she tried to flinch away. The room blurred and she fell. At least, it felt like falling. She could still feel the mattress beneath her, but her stomach dropped like she was on one of those freefall rides at the amusement park and, for a moment, everything went black.
Next she knew, Christian was slipping an arm beneath her shoulders and pressing a glass to her mouth. “Drink this. It’ll help.”
Obediently, she swallowed when he tipped the glass, only belatedly realizing that maybe she ought to be
Christian shook his head. “You can’t let a Vanir witch mess around inside her head. It’s too dangerous.”
“What’s dangerous is her snooping around. You were supposed to get rid of her.”
“Did you want me to slit her throat and dump her in the lake? I didn’t know she was planning this. Last I knew she was headed out of town. Let me talk to her and find out why she came back. Maybe something’s changed with the case.”
“It’s too risky.”
“You’re going to wipe her anyway. What do we have to lose?”
Aiden gave him a disgusted look. “Everything. We have everything to lose if she talks. I’m calling in Kamis. You have until he gets here.”
Jacey opened her eyes to an unfamiliar room. She was lying in bed staring at a flat, cream-colored ceiling. The ceiling in the apartment she rented was popcorn white. This wasn’t a familiar room, but she wasn’t in a hospital either. She was fully clothed, with the blankets underneath her. Her boots and coat were missing, but otherwise everything else seemed to be in place. She blinked, and this time when she opened her eyes she was able to focus a little better. Along with that focus came an awareness that her head was throbbing. She raised her hand to touch it gingerly.
“Jacey?” That was Christian’s voice, followed by the sound of his footsteps across a hardwood floor. A moment later, Christian’s perfect face came into her line of sight. His brows were drawn together in a frown and his blue eyes were filled with worry. She managed to give him a smile that was meant to be reassuring. He didn’t seem particularly reassured by it. In fact, his frown only deepened as he studied her.
“Where am I?” Everything seemed foggy. She couldn’t quite remember how she’d gotten here. The motel and driving out to the woods…
“You’re at Aiden’s house,” Christian said, voice strained. “Remember we stopped by here earlier today?”
When she tried to sit up, a wave of nausea rolled through her and she groaned. Christian placed his hand upon her shoulder and pressed her back down to the mattress. His other hand gently smoothed her hair from her forehead. “What are you still doing in town? I thought you were on your way back to Des Moines.”
“My head…”
“You fell in the woods and your head struck a rock. Banged it up pretty good.”
That call to Mark. The empty parking lot at McGuire’s. She’d decided to check out the road to the lake, and then she’d seen lights. Strange lights, an odd, vibrant blue, almost neon bright. She remembered getting out of her truck to investigate, and…
It all came back to her in a rush of frantic images. The strange animal creeping from the shadows. The howling. A pale horse thundering toward her and Christian holding a blazing sword. Literally blazing with a cold, ghostly light. She felt the blood drain from her face. Her skin went cold and she closed her eyes to fight back the swell of panic that threatened to overwhelm her.
“Alan,” Christian said sharply, moving aside to let another take his place.
When she opened her eyes again, it was to find a young man in his early twenties eying her with a concerned frown. He glanced over his shoulder at Christian. “Aiden said—”
“I don’t give a fuck what he said. Fix this.”
Alan sighed heavily and leaned over her. He pressed his cold fingertips to her forehead, catching her even when she tried to flinch away. The room blurred and she fell. At least, it felt like falling. She could still feel the mattress beneath her, but her stomach dropped like she was on one of those freefall rides at the amusement park and, for a moment, everything went black.
Next she knew, Christian was slipping an arm beneath her shoulders and pressing a glass to her mouth. “Drink this. It’ll help.”
Obediently, she swallowed when he tipped the glass, only belatedly realizing that maybe she ought to be
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