had not expected. At all. He
muttered a curse in his own language.
Unfazed, she turned her back on him and
entered her kitchen. He followed, wondering why she had to make
everything more difficult. Kayo slipped inside before the back door
closed, staying close to Carly.
Pulling out a chair at the table, she was
about to sit when she apparently changed her mind. Instead, she
went to the fridge box on the wall and retrieved two metal cans.
Popping them open, she poured their contents into glasses, where
the liquid fizzed.
He simply stood where he was and watched
her.
“Come on,” she said finally. “Eat. I got you
a cola.”
Six steps carried him to the table. The chair
scraped as he pulled it out. He sat. She slid one of the glasses,
still fizzing, across the table to him. “Here you go.”
Still wary, he took a drink. Bubbles filled
his mouth. He swallowed quickly, covered a sneeze, and placed the
glass carefully on the table.
“You didn’t like it?”
He shrugged, trying to ignore the way his
eyes were watering. “I’m not sure. What is it?”
“Cola.”
The name meant nothing to him. Instead of
questioning her further, he reached for the sandwiches. Grabbing
three, he stuffed half of the first one in his mouth.
Ambrosia.
Kayo evidently thought so too. He watched
Alrick with the intent stare of a master hunter. Ignoring the dog,
Alrick kept eating.
Carly waited until he’d finished chewing the
last of his second sandwich. “Are you sure you can keep me safe?”
She looked at him over the top of her bread. “This Warlord guy
looks pretty bad-ass.”
“Here? No. He’ll only attack again. Each
time, he’ll grow stronger. I think it’s best we leave.”
“Leave?” Horrified, she dropped her
half-eaten sandwich back on her plate. “I’m not leaving. No Name
Ranch is all I have.”
Kayo whined. Carly passed him the rest of her
sandwich, which he ate in one gulp. “And Kayo and TM.”
Desperate measures made for desperate
promises. “We can take the dog and the horse with us.”
“No. I’m staying here.”
Frustrated, Alrick grabbed another sandwich.
“The next time he comes, we might not get away so easily.”
“I’ll take my chances.” She pushed herself up
from the table, disappearing into another room. In a moment, she
returned with a long, wood and metal object. “Liam left me his
father’s old rifle.”
Alrick eyed the thing. “Is that a
weapon?”
“Yes.” She grinned. “Works great.”
“You said you’d never kill, even to eat.”
“Self-defense is different.”
“Do you know how to use it?”
Her smile faded. “Liam showed me once. But
it’s been a couple of years. I’m not sure I remember.”
He was shaking his head even before she’d
finished talking. “Shooting a man is not the same as aiming at
targets. A weapon – of any sort – is useless unless you’re entirely
comfortable with it. You’re not. Leave the rifle here. He’ll turn
it against you.”
“You know, that’s what everyone says about
knives too. Try and use one to defend yourself, and your attacker
can stab you with it. That won’t happen. This is a Winchester. A
gun. This Warlord guy will never get close enough to turn it
against me.”
“Do you use it as a club?”
“It’s a gun,” she repeated. Then, when he
still shrugged, she elaborated. “It shoots bullets. Sort of like a
bow and arrow. The bullets are made of metal and cause a lot of
harm to a body.”
Alrick crossed his arms. “He has magic. Your
gun will be worthless against him.”
“Magic.” She blanched, but set her weapon
down. “Great. So much for my attempt to regain control of my
life.”
Chapter Four
HE COULD well understand her desire for
control. Alrick hadn’t felt in control of his life ever since the
Mage appeared and his father had decreed Alrick must cross the veil
and save a human woman’s life.
He reached for the last sandwich and
hesitated. “Do you want this?”
“Go for it.
muttered a curse in his own language.
Unfazed, she turned her back on him and
entered her kitchen. He followed, wondering why she had to make
everything more difficult. Kayo slipped inside before the back door
closed, staying close to Carly.
Pulling out a chair at the table, she was
about to sit when she apparently changed her mind. Instead, she
went to the fridge box on the wall and retrieved two metal cans.
Popping them open, she poured their contents into glasses, where
the liquid fizzed.
He simply stood where he was and watched
her.
“Come on,” she said finally. “Eat. I got you
a cola.”
Six steps carried him to the table. The chair
scraped as he pulled it out. He sat. She slid one of the glasses,
still fizzing, across the table to him. “Here you go.”
Still wary, he took a drink. Bubbles filled
his mouth. He swallowed quickly, covered a sneeze, and placed the
glass carefully on the table.
“You didn’t like it?”
He shrugged, trying to ignore the way his
eyes were watering. “I’m not sure. What is it?”
“Cola.”
The name meant nothing to him. Instead of
questioning her further, he reached for the sandwiches. Grabbing
three, he stuffed half of the first one in his mouth.
Ambrosia.
Kayo evidently thought so too. He watched
Alrick with the intent stare of a master hunter. Ignoring the dog,
Alrick kept eating.
Carly waited until he’d finished chewing the
last of his second sandwich. “Are you sure you can keep me safe?”
She looked at him over the top of her bread. “This Warlord guy
looks pretty bad-ass.”
“Here? No. He’ll only attack again. Each
time, he’ll grow stronger. I think it’s best we leave.”
“Leave?” Horrified, she dropped her
half-eaten sandwich back on her plate. “I’m not leaving. No Name
Ranch is all I have.”
Kayo whined. Carly passed him the rest of her
sandwich, which he ate in one gulp. “And Kayo and TM.”
Desperate measures made for desperate
promises. “We can take the dog and the horse with us.”
“No. I’m staying here.”
Frustrated, Alrick grabbed another sandwich.
“The next time he comes, we might not get away so easily.”
“I’ll take my chances.” She pushed herself up
from the table, disappearing into another room. In a moment, she
returned with a long, wood and metal object. “Liam left me his
father’s old rifle.”
Alrick eyed the thing. “Is that a
weapon?”
“Yes.” She grinned. “Works great.”
“You said you’d never kill, even to eat.”
“Self-defense is different.”
“Do you know how to use it?”
Her smile faded. “Liam showed me once. But
it’s been a couple of years. I’m not sure I remember.”
He was shaking his head even before she’d
finished talking. “Shooting a man is not the same as aiming at
targets. A weapon – of any sort – is useless unless you’re entirely
comfortable with it. You’re not. Leave the rifle here. He’ll turn
it against you.”
“You know, that’s what everyone says about
knives too. Try and use one to defend yourself, and your attacker
can stab you with it. That won’t happen. This is a Winchester. A
gun. This Warlord guy will never get close enough to turn it
against me.”
“Do you use it as a club?”
“It’s a gun,” she repeated. Then, when he
still shrugged, she elaborated. “It shoots bullets. Sort of like a
bow and arrow. The bullets are made of metal and cause a lot of
harm to a body.”
Alrick crossed his arms. “He has magic. Your
gun will be worthless against him.”
“Magic.” She blanched, but set her weapon
down. “Great. So much for my attempt to regain control of my
life.”
Chapter Four
HE COULD well understand her desire for
control. Alrick hadn’t felt in control of his life ever since the
Mage appeared and his father had decreed Alrick must cross the veil
and save a human woman’s life.
He reached for the last sandwich and
hesitated. “Do you want this?”
“Go for it.
Similar Books
