day. Why don’t you just ask me whatever it is you want to ask me, so I can answer, and you can go away?”
Julian said, “I want to know what you and Carling talked about.”
Del Torro’s gaze lowered. He moved suddenly and muttered under his breath. “Madre de Dios.”
She looked down.
Black smoke wafted around her, covering her from the waist downward. She drifted fingers through the top of it. It curled and eddied just like real smoke. Khalil was making his presence known to the Vampyres in no uncertain terms. She stirred the smoke with a forefinger. It looked really neat, actually, like she was standing in the mouth of a volcano. Or maybe in the mouth of hell.
“Meet my companion,” she said. “He’s not very friendly.”
Khalil Somebody Important. Which probably meant he was the Bane of More Than One Person’s Existence. He might possibly be the Bane of Quite a Few Peoples’ Existences. For the first time since meeting him, Grace felt almost cheerful.
Khalil’s presence expanded to fill the room behind her. She glanced over her shoulder. Black smoke lifted like gigantic wings over her head. Out of it wicked crystalline eyes watched the males.
Well, ain’t that another kick in the head.
“There are small children asleep in this house,” hissed Khalil. “And the Oracle has made herself quite clear. You are not welcome here.”
She turned back to face Julian, who stood with blazing eyes and his jaw clenched. He stepped forward and moved his angry face closer to the screen. The black smoke that was Khalil came down over her in a transparent veil. Julian said icily, “We do not hurt children.”
Grace rubbed her forehead and tried to think. She could live with not making friends with the Nightkind King, but making an enemy of him would be downright foolish.
“Look, you might not know what happens when the Oracle speaks,” she said bluntly. “But we aren’t really in control of the experience. Sometimes we remember what is said, and sometimes we blank out. I don’t remember what happened with Carling. I went blank, and the next thing I knew, I was on my knees and the whole thing was over. You have truthsense. You must know I’m telling the truth. Supposedly those of you who are so much older than I can tell that sort of thing, so there’s no point in you returning. I’ve got nothing to tell you.”
Julian gave her a long, hard look. She felt the weight of his personality and his age in that look. Surrounded as she was in Khalil’s veil of protection, she still shivered. Then Julian inclined his head and walked away. Del Torro did not linger either but turned on his heel and followed.
Grace watched as the two men traveled down her driveway to disappear beyond the bushes and trees that bordered the front of her property. The veil of black smoke pulled away from her. She could sense Khalil shooting after the two Vampyres, hopefully to make certain they actually left. The rigidity left her spine, and she shook so hard she staggered and might have fallen if she hadn’t clutched at the doorknob.
She felt a sudden need to look in on Chloe and Max. She grabbed the cane that she left by the front door and turned to hurry down the hall as fast as she could.
Their room was shadowed and quiet. She eased over to Chloe’s small bed first and bent down to check on her. Chloe was sound asleep, her thumb half out of her mouth. Grace swallowed hard, tucked Chloe’s light summer blanket around her and eased over to check on Max. He had crawled to the head of his crib and lay sideways, his feet propped up on the side bars. He was also sound asleep.
Her eyes watered. She hated when that happened. She pushed the edge of her fist against the bridge of her nose as she touched the downy wisp of hair on Max’s head. His hair hadn’t really started to grow in yet; he looked like a bald, happy little Charlie Brown.
Maybe the Nightkind King had spoken the truth. Maybe he hadn’t known or approved of what
Julian said, “I want to know what you and Carling talked about.”
Del Torro’s gaze lowered. He moved suddenly and muttered under his breath. “Madre de Dios.”
She looked down.
Black smoke wafted around her, covering her from the waist downward. She drifted fingers through the top of it. It curled and eddied just like real smoke. Khalil was making his presence known to the Vampyres in no uncertain terms. She stirred the smoke with a forefinger. It looked really neat, actually, like she was standing in the mouth of a volcano. Or maybe in the mouth of hell.
“Meet my companion,” she said. “He’s not very friendly.”
Khalil Somebody Important. Which probably meant he was the Bane of More Than One Person’s Existence. He might possibly be the Bane of Quite a Few Peoples’ Existences. For the first time since meeting him, Grace felt almost cheerful.
Khalil’s presence expanded to fill the room behind her. She glanced over her shoulder. Black smoke lifted like gigantic wings over her head. Out of it wicked crystalline eyes watched the males.
Well, ain’t that another kick in the head.
“There are small children asleep in this house,” hissed Khalil. “And the Oracle has made herself quite clear. You are not welcome here.”
She turned back to face Julian, who stood with blazing eyes and his jaw clenched. He stepped forward and moved his angry face closer to the screen. The black smoke that was Khalil came down over her in a transparent veil. Julian said icily, “We do not hurt children.”
Grace rubbed her forehead and tried to think. She could live with not making friends with the Nightkind King, but making an enemy of him would be downright foolish.
“Look, you might not know what happens when the Oracle speaks,” she said bluntly. “But we aren’t really in control of the experience. Sometimes we remember what is said, and sometimes we blank out. I don’t remember what happened with Carling. I went blank, and the next thing I knew, I was on my knees and the whole thing was over. You have truthsense. You must know I’m telling the truth. Supposedly those of you who are so much older than I can tell that sort of thing, so there’s no point in you returning. I’ve got nothing to tell you.”
Julian gave her a long, hard look. She felt the weight of his personality and his age in that look. Surrounded as she was in Khalil’s veil of protection, she still shivered. Then Julian inclined his head and walked away. Del Torro did not linger either but turned on his heel and followed.
Grace watched as the two men traveled down her driveway to disappear beyond the bushes and trees that bordered the front of her property. The veil of black smoke pulled away from her. She could sense Khalil shooting after the two Vampyres, hopefully to make certain they actually left. The rigidity left her spine, and she shook so hard she staggered and might have fallen if she hadn’t clutched at the doorknob.
She felt a sudden need to look in on Chloe and Max. She grabbed the cane that she left by the front door and turned to hurry down the hall as fast as she could.
Their room was shadowed and quiet. She eased over to Chloe’s small bed first and bent down to check on her. Chloe was sound asleep, her thumb half out of her mouth. Grace swallowed hard, tucked Chloe’s light summer blanket around her and eased over to check on Max. He had crawled to the head of his crib and lay sideways, his feet propped up on the side bars. He was also sound asleep.
Her eyes watered. She hated when that happened. She pushed the edge of her fist against the bridge of her nose as she touched the downy wisp of hair on Max’s head. His hair hadn’t really started to grow in yet; he looked like a bald, happy little Charlie Brown.
Maybe the Nightkind King had spoken the truth. Maybe he hadn’t known or approved of what
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