was that he was going to see me doing something weird. And then you started spouting off about soul mates, and it turns out he's actually an Outsider and…"
Marina interrupted. "Take a deep breath."
Good advice. Deciding to listen to Marina, she took a moment and calmed down. When she could get her pulse steadied, she spoke again. "So you think he's fine?"
"Yes. He saved Leonardo, Izzy, and Kal when they went down to New Orleans last year. If he hadn't popped in to them and then phoned me about it, they'd have died. I'm sure he knows just how to manage his comings and goings."
"Then he has more control over his power than I do."
"Maybe we should go get this business done with the preacher's cane so when Christophe comes back you can speak to him."
She wanted to do more than talk to him. She wanted to wrap her legs around him and…
Forcing that thought from her mind before it brought her to her knees, she focused on the here and now. Drew sauntered out of the coffee house, tugging his coat closer around himself. It took him a moment to notice them, and then he picked up his pace in their direction.
"Speaking of problems…"
Marina laughed. "To say the least. Let's get out of here."
A loud boom sounded before a gush of heat knocked Ruby onto her back. Air left her lungs, and her vision swam red. She gasped for air, desperate to simply breathe. Her ears rang, and her skin burned like she'd been assaulted with tiny needles.
Rocking left and right, she tried to make her body function. Marina. Drew . Were they okay? Adrenaline surged through her veins, giving her strength where she'd, seconds earlier, not had any.
She bolted upward, her muscles aching but at least moving. Marina lay to her left about five feet away. Ruby limped over to her, assessing the scene as she maneuvered.
The coffee shop, where they'd just eaten, burned, large flames, spreading, dancing through the broken glass. As she stared at it, the fire seemed to turn in her direction, to reach out to her with transparent hands that only she could see.
"Come to me ."
The voice beckoned her forward. She didn't move even though she wanted to. There was a reason she stood where she did. What was it? She shook her head to try to clear it of the haze threatening to consume her.
For a second, her world went white in front of her eyes before finally righting itself. The scene rushed back to her, and she almost stumbled forward. What the hell?
She shook her head. When she'd fallen backward, she must have been concussed. It was the only explanation for what had happened.
Marina and Drew . How could she have allowed herself to be sidetracked for even one second?
She couldn't see Drew anywhere but Marina still lay unmoving on the concrete. Sirens sounded in the distance, telling her help would be arriving soon. Unfortunately, they wouldn't be able to help an Outsider.
Ruby bent over Marina. Relief flooded her insides when she felt a pulse. But the woman remained unconscious.
"Marina, can you hear me?" No response, she didn't even budge.
"Excuse me, miss." Yanked backward by paramedics trying to get to Marina, she stumbled out of the way.
Help, she had to find some. Her mind didn't want to work and, for some reason, the wind had picked up, blowing rain directly into her face. A howling covered up the sirens of the ambulances and the fire trucks.
She grabbed the phone in her pocket and pulled it out. With shaking hands, she dialed Leonardo's number. It took her longer than it should have, she couldn't seem to stop hitting the five when she wanted to hit the two.
"Come on," she called aloud to any being in the universe that might be listening to her, "I need a break here."
Finally, she managed to get the number entered. It rang twice before Leonardo picked up.
"Ruby?" He said her name as opposed to hello. She'd never been so relieved to hear his commanding voice in her life.
"Something horrible has happened."
She walked quickly, the phone pressed tightly
Marina interrupted. "Take a deep breath."
Good advice. Deciding to listen to Marina, she took a moment and calmed down. When she could get her pulse steadied, she spoke again. "So you think he's fine?"
"Yes. He saved Leonardo, Izzy, and Kal when they went down to New Orleans last year. If he hadn't popped in to them and then phoned me about it, they'd have died. I'm sure he knows just how to manage his comings and goings."
"Then he has more control over his power than I do."
"Maybe we should go get this business done with the preacher's cane so when Christophe comes back you can speak to him."
She wanted to do more than talk to him. She wanted to wrap her legs around him and…
Forcing that thought from her mind before it brought her to her knees, she focused on the here and now. Drew sauntered out of the coffee house, tugging his coat closer around himself. It took him a moment to notice them, and then he picked up his pace in their direction.
"Speaking of problems…"
Marina laughed. "To say the least. Let's get out of here."
A loud boom sounded before a gush of heat knocked Ruby onto her back. Air left her lungs, and her vision swam red. She gasped for air, desperate to simply breathe. Her ears rang, and her skin burned like she'd been assaulted with tiny needles.
Rocking left and right, she tried to make her body function. Marina. Drew . Were they okay? Adrenaline surged through her veins, giving her strength where she'd, seconds earlier, not had any.
She bolted upward, her muscles aching but at least moving. Marina lay to her left about five feet away. Ruby limped over to her, assessing the scene as she maneuvered.
The coffee shop, where they'd just eaten, burned, large flames, spreading, dancing through the broken glass. As she stared at it, the fire seemed to turn in her direction, to reach out to her with transparent hands that only she could see.
"Come to me ."
The voice beckoned her forward. She didn't move even though she wanted to. There was a reason she stood where she did. What was it? She shook her head to try to clear it of the haze threatening to consume her.
For a second, her world went white in front of her eyes before finally righting itself. The scene rushed back to her, and she almost stumbled forward. What the hell?
She shook her head. When she'd fallen backward, she must have been concussed. It was the only explanation for what had happened.
Marina and Drew . How could she have allowed herself to be sidetracked for even one second?
She couldn't see Drew anywhere but Marina still lay unmoving on the concrete. Sirens sounded in the distance, telling her help would be arriving soon. Unfortunately, they wouldn't be able to help an Outsider.
Ruby bent over Marina. Relief flooded her insides when she felt a pulse. But the woman remained unconscious.
"Marina, can you hear me?" No response, she didn't even budge.
"Excuse me, miss." Yanked backward by paramedics trying to get to Marina, she stumbled out of the way.
Help, she had to find some. Her mind didn't want to work and, for some reason, the wind had picked up, blowing rain directly into her face. A howling covered up the sirens of the ambulances and the fire trucks.
She grabbed the phone in her pocket and pulled it out. With shaking hands, she dialed Leonardo's number. It took her longer than it should have, she couldn't seem to stop hitting the five when she wanted to hit the two.
"Come on," she called aloud to any being in the universe that might be listening to her, "I need a break here."
Finally, she managed to get the number entered. It rang twice before Leonardo picked up.
"Ruby?" He said her name as opposed to hello. She'd never been so relieved to hear his commanding voice in her life.
"Something horrible has happened."
She walked quickly, the phone pressed tightly
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