Julian’s glowing, golden eyes.
He was in front of her. And he had the human. Julian caught her wrist and they kicked toward the surface. Then they were moving—so fast. She used her own speed and strength to help Julian. They didn’t swim back to the dock, but instead they traveled to a small beach just a bit down the shoreline. Julian carried the boy out, and the fellow wasn’t moving. He hung like a rag doll in Julian’s arms. Julian dumped the boy on the beach.
“A deal is a deal.”
She scrambled toward the human. Was he even breathing? She put her fingers to his throat. Rose didn’t feel a pulse. She put her ear next to his mouth. There was no stir of air. And he felt so cold. God. They’d gotten him too late.
She started CPR, pushing down with her compressions. She’d just counted her tenth compression when—
He choked up air.
Yes!
He choked and sputtered and seemed to vomit out water as he turned onto his side. He was alive. They’d saved him and—
And Julian already had his claws at the kid’s throat.
“Julian, seriously, give the guy a minute.” But she kept her voice low. They weren’t
that
far from the flames. Other humans were over there. She could hear their voices. It wasn’t as if folks could just ignore flames shooting into the sky—that show had attracted plenty of attention.
And attention was a bad thing in the paranormal world.
“Who are you?” Julian’s voice was cold and hard as he glared at the kid.
The human trembled.
“I don’t ask questions twice.” His claws cut into the guy’s skin. “Remember that.”
“F-Francis Haddow…” He licked his lips. “Friends…call me Frankie.”
“Do I look like I’m your fucking friend?”
Francis shook his head.
“Why the hell did you try to kill yourself
and
us?”
Francis’s eyes ballooned. “What? No!” His body trembled. “No, no, I—”
Julian yanked him up and pointed toward the flames. “You see that big ball of fire over there?
You
did that, mate. You set off a bomb on the
Pandora
. You nearly killed yourself and you tried to take us to hell with you.”
“
OhmyGod
.” Francis shuddered. He couldn’t seem to stop shuddering. “No, no,
no.
I was just at a bar, I used my fake ID, I got inside and then…” His eyes squeezed shut. “I don’t know what happened, I swear, I don’t
know!
”
“You were mumbling your ‘
Simon says’
bullshit constantly and now you want me to buy that you don’t remember—” But Julian broke off. Then he swore. A lot. And his British accent got thicker.
A sign that wasn’t good. She’d learned that. Usually, his accent just flowed lightly beneath his words—like when he called her love. But when he went all clipped with his voice…she knew that meant trouble.
“Nice one, you dodgy bastard.” Julian glared at the flames in the distance. “Nice one.”
Uh, from where she was standing, there was nothing
nice
about it.
Julian pulled the human up by the scruff of his neck. “You’re coming with us, Francis.”
“No!” Francis was almost yelling. A bad thing considering they didn’t want to attract any attention. “I’m going home.” He tried to run.
Rose winced because she knew that plan wasn’t going to work out for him.
It didn’t. Francis made it maybe two feet before Julian’s fist plowed into his face…and down Francis went. He was out completely.
She crossed her arms over her chest and glowered at Julian. “Did you
have
to knock him out?”
“Absolutely.” Water still dripped down Julian’s body. His shirt clung to his chest like a second skin. He scooped up Francis as if the kid weighed nothing and threw him over his shoulder. “Can’t have him running, not when I need more answers.”
She rather wanted answers, too.
“Come on,” Julian said as he strode down the small beach. “I’ve got a friend nearby. He’ll take us to safety for the night.”
Safety. She could use a bit of that. But… “Exactly where is this safe
He was in front of her. And he had the human. Julian caught her wrist and they kicked toward the surface. Then they were moving—so fast. She used her own speed and strength to help Julian. They didn’t swim back to the dock, but instead they traveled to a small beach just a bit down the shoreline. Julian carried the boy out, and the fellow wasn’t moving. He hung like a rag doll in Julian’s arms. Julian dumped the boy on the beach.
“A deal is a deal.”
She scrambled toward the human. Was he even breathing? She put her fingers to his throat. Rose didn’t feel a pulse. She put her ear next to his mouth. There was no stir of air. And he felt so cold. God. They’d gotten him too late.
She started CPR, pushing down with her compressions. She’d just counted her tenth compression when—
He choked up air.
Yes!
He choked and sputtered and seemed to vomit out water as he turned onto his side. He was alive. They’d saved him and—
And Julian already had his claws at the kid’s throat.
“Julian, seriously, give the guy a minute.” But she kept her voice low. They weren’t
that
far from the flames. Other humans were over there. She could hear their voices. It wasn’t as if folks could just ignore flames shooting into the sky—that show had attracted plenty of attention.
And attention was a bad thing in the paranormal world.
“Who are you?” Julian’s voice was cold and hard as he glared at the kid.
The human trembled.
“I don’t ask questions twice.” His claws cut into the guy’s skin. “Remember that.”
“F-Francis Haddow…” He licked his lips. “Friends…call me Frankie.”
“Do I look like I’m your fucking friend?”
Francis shook his head.
“Why the hell did you try to kill yourself
and
us?”
Francis’s eyes ballooned. “What? No!” His body trembled. “No, no, I—”
Julian yanked him up and pointed toward the flames. “You see that big ball of fire over there?
You
did that, mate. You set off a bomb on the
Pandora
. You nearly killed yourself and you tried to take us to hell with you.”
“
OhmyGod
.” Francis shuddered. He couldn’t seem to stop shuddering. “No, no,
no.
I was just at a bar, I used my fake ID, I got inside and then…” His eyes squeezed shut. “I don’t know what happened, I swear, I don’t
know!
”
“You were mumbling your ‘
Simon says’
bullshit constantly and now you want me to buy that you don’t remember—” But Julian broke off. Then he swore. A lot. And his British accent got thicker.
A sign that wasn’t good. She’d learned that. Usually, his accent just flowed lightly beneath his words—like when he called her love. But when he went all clipped with his voice…she knew that meant trouble.
“Nice one, you dodgy bastard.” Julian glared at the flames in the distance. “Nice one.”
Uh, from where she was standing, there was nothing
nice
about it.
Julian pulled the human up by the scruff of his neck. “You’re coming with us, Francis.”
“No!” Francis was almost yelling. A bad thing considering they didn’t want to attract any attention. “I’m going home.” He tried to run.
Rose winced because she knew that plan wasn’t going to work out for him.
It didn’t. Francis made it maybe two feet before Julian’s fist plowed into his face…and down Francis went. He was out completely.
She crossed her arms over her chest and glowered at Julian. “Did you
have
to knock him out?”
“Absolutely.” Water still dripped down Julian’s body. His shirt clung to his chest like a second skin. He scooped up Francis as if the kid weighed nothing and threw him over his shoulder. “Can’t have him running, not when I need more answers.”
She rather wanted answers, too.
“Come on,” Julian said as he strode down the small beach. “I’ve got a friend nearby. He’ll take us to safety for the night.”
Safety. She could use a bit of that. But… “Exactly where is this safe
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