always managed to say something snarky. First time he’d visited our home after Tom and I married, he stood in the doorway and gazed down the hall. “When I was in the army, I went through the house with white gloves on and if the fingertip turned even the slightest bit grey, we cleaned everything again. Tops of doorjambs included.” He gave me a look I figured meant he didn’t even need to do the white glove trick to know my doorjambs were dirty. Alice had smiled and patted her husband on the chest. “You aren’t in the army any more, Bill. Quit bitching.”
Her strategic use of profanity instantly endeared her to me the first time I ever met them. “Don’t mind Tom’s father. He’s a real son-of-a-bastard.” She looked like Mrs. Claus so when she did let one rip, it usually made an impression.
Someone banging on the door confirmed my fears of visitors. Ann rose. “I can get it. Do you want me to tell them to come back another time?”
I was tempted to say yes. “No, that’s all right. It might be Tom’s parents.” I gave her a quick hug then went out to the door, taking a deep breath before I opened it. Not sure why I didn’t check the peephole first but I didn’t. The man on the porch had pale grey eyes and messy, shoulder length hair. He leaned against the house as if he didn’t have enough strength to stand on his own. Deep in my gut I knew he had something to do with the heart, Midia, or the Slip so I opened my Magic Eye. Brilliant light exploded, dulling everything else in comparison. I slammed shut my senses and stumbled outside, shutting the door behind me. I realized I was barefoot the minute my foot hit a patch of unmelted snow we hadn’t gotten scraped off the stoop. “Who are you?” I danced from foot to foot, breathing shallowly as I tried to ignore the icicles that used to be my feet.
His eyes shone before he bowed his head and fell to his knees. “Mistress. I come. To beg for your protection.”
“ Uh.” I looked down the street and up, not wanting anyone to see him kneeling before me. “Get up!” He didn’t move so I grabbed his arm and tugged him to his feet. He sagged against me and I sucked in my breath as a shock of pure energy hit me. What the hell was he? Good? Bad? Shit. “Who are you?”
“ Jasper, she called me.”
I shivered. “Ravana?”
“She used us to keep her spawn in line. I managed. To escape. But they will come for me again soon. Or Ellison will find me and kill me to take your place.”
Ellison. Ravana’s favorite torture toy. Which meant Jasper was his soul. Fuck. “Come on, get inside before I get frostbite.” I opened the door and helped him inside, my feet burning from the cold. Ann heard the noise and poked her head in the hallway. When she saw Jasper her eyes bulged. I took another look at him. Tall. Lean. Muscled. Blue from cold and hurt. “Let’s get you upstairs.” I gestured Ann toward the living room where I could hear Liam and Bethany arguing over the TV. “Keep them busy,” I whispered.
She nodded but didn’t move right away. Seriously? Ogling now?
“ Go, Ann.”
“ Oh! Oh yes.” She disappeared but not without another backwards look.
Good grief. I helped Jasper down the hall and up the stairs, taking it slow, sure one of the kids would race up the stairs and see him. I had to think of some plausible reason why he was here. Then again, if I could get him upstairs in the guest room, I could figure out what to do with him without nosy children poking around.
Guest room. Ann’s room.
I eased him onto the bed, the scent of patchouli thicker inside. She’d draped red scarves over the bedside lamps and that’s where the smell was coming from. Sighing, I shut the door behind me and leaned against it, picking up one foot and then the other to rub the bitter cold from them. “What’s wrong with you?”
He struggled to sit up and I pointed a finger at him. “Down.”
He eased back, wariness etching his face in worry. “I
Her strategic use of profanity instantly endeared her to me the first time I ever met them. “Don’t mind Tom’s father. He’s a real son-of-a-bastard.” She looked like Mrs. Claus so when she did let one rip, it usually made an impression.
Someone banging on the door confirmed my fears of visitors. Ann rose. “I can get it. Do you want me to tell them to come back another time?”
I was tempted to say yes. “No, that’s all right. It might be Tom’s parents.” I gave her a quick hug then went out to the door, taking a deep breath before I opened it. Not sure why I didn’t check the peephole first but I didn’t. The man on the porch had pale grey eyes and messy, shoulder length hair. He leaned against the house as if he didn’t have enough strength to stand on his own. Deep in my gut I knew he had something to do with the heart, Midia, or the Slip so I opened my Magic Eye. Brilliant light exploded, dulling everything else in comparison. I slammed shut my senses and stumbled outside, shutting the door behind me. I realized I was barefoot the minute my foot hit a patch of unmelted snow we hadn’t gotten scraped off the stoop. “Who are you?” I danced from foot to foot, breathing shallowly as I tried to ignore the icicles that used to be my feet.
His eyes shone before he bowed his head and fell to his knees. “Mistress. I come. To beg for your protection.”
“ Uh.” I looked down the street and up, not wanting anyone to see him kneeling before me. “Get up!” He didn’t move so I grabbed his arm and tugged him to his feet. He sagged against me and I sucked in my breath as a shock of pure energy hit me. What the hell was he? Good? Bad? Shit. “Who are you?”
“ Jasper, she called me.”
I shivered. “Ravana?”
“She used us to keep her spawn in line. I managed. To escape. But they will come for me again soon. Or Ellison will find me and kill me to take your place.”
Ellison. Ravana’s favorite torture toy. Which meant Jasper was his soul. Fuck. “Come on, get inside before I get frostbite.” I opened the door and helped him inside, my feet burning from the cold. Ann heard the noise and poked her head in the hallway. When she saw Jasper her eyes bulged. I took another look at him. Tall. Lean. Muscled. Blue from cold and hurt. “Let’s get you upstairs.” I gestured Ann toward the living room where I could hear Liam and Bethany arguing over the TV. “Keep them busy,” I whispered.
She nodded but didn’t move right away. Seriously? Ogling now?
“ Go, Ann.”
“ Oh! Oh yes.” She disappeared but not without another backwards look.
Good grief. I helped Jasper down the hall and up the stairs, taking it slow, sure one of the kids would race up the stairs and see him. I had to think of some plausible reason why he was here. Then again, if I could get him upstairs in the guest room, I could figure out what to do with him without nosy children poking around.
Guest room. Ann’s room.
I eased him onto the bed, the scent of patchouli thicker inside. She’d draped red scarves over the bedside lamps and that’s where the smell was coming from. Sighing, I shut the door behind me and leaned against it, picking up one foot and then the other to rub the bitter cold from them. “What’s wrong with you?”
He struggled to sit up and I pointed a finger at him. “Down.”
He eased back, wariness etching his face in worry. “I
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