You haven’t been tested
yet. The slingshot was magical on Skyll—but this isn’t Skyll.”
“It’s fine.” But she frowned and glanced down at her
slingshot.
Rune shrugged. “If you say so.”
“And yes, I can handle a gun.”
“Good.”
“Your men.” Roma paused and
swallowed a hunk of candy that would have choked most people.
“What about them?”
“They’re very…”
“Hot?” Rune grinned.
Roma nodded. “Jack, especially.”
“Sexy Jack,” Rune murmured.
“Is he unattached?” Roma studied her fingernails.
Rune bit off a grin. “Jack is single.”
“He’s like a god,” Roma said. “He walks and I think of sex.”
“That’s Jack. He has that effect on women. What about Raze?”
Roma turned up her lip. “Raze is an overly large sexist… kelper .”
“He’s a good man. Just a little rough
around the edges. You can trust every member of Shiv Crew. Once you
become one of us, you’re one of us forever.” She paused. “No
matter what.”
“You’re upset.”
“No. I’m…” Rune shook her head. “It’s not important. We’re
here.” She turned off the engine. “If you need me, give me a yell. Don’t take
chances with your life.”
“ You do,” Roma pointed out.
“I’m immortal.”
“I’m not weak or vulnerable.” Roma’s voice grew stiffer with
each word. “I can take care of myself. And you.” She turned her head to meet
Rune’s gaze. “That’s what I’m here for.”
Rune sighed, but there was no time to discuss it further.
There was a group of humans waiting to be taken to task.
“Just be careful. Humans can be tricky bastards and nearly
every single one of them owns a gun. You might be a badass, but even you can’t
dodge a bullet.” She nodded at Raze and the twins as they got out of their own
vehicles and joined her. “ Can you?”
Roma pursed her lips and hefted her slingshot. “I can dodge
a bullet, protect a princess, and shoot the head off an enemy with a single
stone.” She grinned, and her eyes glowed with excitement. “I’m ready.”
“She’s more like you than I thought, Rune,” Jack said, and
winked at Roma.
Roma blanched, then blushed.
“I...I…”
Jack frowned, keeping stride with Rune. “Is she okay?” he
whispered. Or tried to whisper. Jack wasn’t real good
at keeping his voice down.
Rune giggled. “She’s fine.”
Jack grabbed Rune’s arm. “Did you just giggle? ”
“Holy shit,” Rune said, pressing a hand to her stomach. “I
think I did.”
The twins jogged toward them. “What’s wrong?” Levi asked.
“Rune giggled,” Jack said.
“Are you okay?” Denim asked.
“Maybe the path did something to her,” Raze said, his stare
going from Rune to Roma. “Did you drug her or something?”
“She laughed,” Roma said, her eyes wide and disbelieving. “Why do you think something’s wrong with her
just because she laughed?”
“She didn’t laugh,” Jack disagreed, drawing Roma’s immediate
and adoring glance. “She giggled. Rune Alexander doesn’t giggle.”
“Neither does her monster,” Levi said. “It didn’t leave, did
it?”
Rune shot out her claws. “No.”
“Well…just stop that,” Raze said. “That giggling shit ain’t
right.”
“You’re a moron,” Roma told him.
“Children,” Rune said. “Shut up. I hear—”
“Machine-fucking-guns,” Jack said. “They have machine guns.
No wonder the Others are having trouble.”
Rune dropped the shotgun strap over her head and then shot
out her claws. “Catch up.” She streaked away from them, running full force
toward the slaughter in the woods.
Chapter
Nine
The Others— those still
alive—huddled together, arms around each other, as a firing squad of humans
took aim.
Rune didn’t hesitate. Growling, she threw herself at the
vicious and cruel humans, seeing them through a red haze of rage.
They scattered desperately, yelling, but it was too late for
them.
She didn’t even think to question
yet. The slingshot was magical on Skyll—but this isn’t Skyll.”
“It’s fine.” But she frowned and glanced down at her
slingshot.
Rune shrugged. “If you say so.”
“And yes, I can handle a gun.”
“Good.”
“Your men.” Roma paused and
swallowed a hunk of candy that would have choked most people.
“What about them?”
“They’re very…”
“Hot?” Rune grinned.
Roma nodded. “Jack, especially.”
“Sexy Jack,” Rune murmured.
“Is he unattached?” Roma studied her fingernails.
Rune bit off a grin. “Jack is single.”
“He’s like a god,” Roma said. “He walks and I think of sex.”
“That’s Jack. He has that effect on women. What about Raze?”
Roma turned up her lip. “Raze is an overly large sexist… kelper .”
“He’s a good man. Just a little rough
around the edges. You can trust every member of Shiv Crew. Once you
become one of us, you’re one of us forever.” She paused. “No
matter what.”
“You’re upset.”
“No. I’m…” Rune shook her head. “It’s not important. We’re
here.” She turned off the engine. “If you need me, give me a yell. Don’t take
chances with your life.”
“ You do,” Roma pointed out.
“I’m immortal.”
“I’m not weak or vulnerable.” Roma’s voice grew stiffer with
each word. “I can take care of myself. And you.” She turned her head to meet
Rune’s gaze. “That’s what I’m here for.”
Rune sighed, but there was no time to discuss it further.
There was a group of humans waiting to be taken to task.
“Just be careful. Humans can be tricky bastards and nearly
every single one of them owns a gun. You might be a badass, but even you can’t
dodge a bullet.” She nodded at Raze and the twins as they got out of their own
vehicles and joined her. “ Can you?”
Roma pursed her lips and hefted her slingshot. “I can dodge
a bullet, protect a princess, and shoot the head off an enemy with a single
stone.” She grinned, and her eyes glowed with excitement. “I’m ready.”
“She’s more like you than I thought, Rune,” Jack said, and
winked at Roma.
Roma blanched, then blushed.
“I...I…”
Jack frowned, keeping stride with Rune. “Is she okay?” he
whispered. Or tried to whisper. Jack wasn’t real good
at keeping his voice down.
Rune giggled. “She’s fine.”
Jack grabbed Rune’s arm. “Did you just giggle? ”
“Holy shit,” Rune said, pressing a hand to her stomach. “I
think I did.”
The twins jogged toward them. “What’s wrong?” Levi asked.
“Rune giggled,” Jack said.
“Are you okay?” Denim asked.
“Maybe the path did something to her,” Raze said, his stare
going from Rune to Roma. “Did you drug her or something?”
“She laughed,” Roma said, her eyes wide and disbelieving. “Why do you think something’s wrong with her
just because she laughed?”
“She didn’t laugh,” Jack disagreed, drawing Roma’s immediate
and adoring glance. “She giggled. Rune Alexander doesn’t giggle.”
“Neither does her monster,” Levi said. “It didn’t leave, did
it?”
Rune shot out her claws. “No.”
“Well…just stop that,” Raze said. “That giggling shit ain’t
right.”
“You’re a moron,” Roma told him.
“Children,” Rune said. “Shut up. I hear—”
“Machine-fucking-guns,” Jack said. “They have machine guns.
No wonder the Others are having trouble.”
Rune dropped the shotgun strap over her head and then shot
out her claws. “Catch up.” She streaked away from them, running full force
toward the slaughter in the woods.
Chapter
Nine
The Others— those still
alive—huddled together, arms around each other, as a firing squad of humans
took aim.
Rune didn’t hesitate. Growling, she threw herself at the
vicious and cruel humans, seeing them through a red haze of rage.
They scattered desperately, yelling, but it was too late for
them.
She didn’t even think to question
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