spilled on the wet pavement. I had to gather her things and throw them in the boot.
It was supposed to be an easy grab. There were two of them, after all. They must have underestimated Kyra, judging by the way Malcolm fled work.
I stepped out of the car and walked up the driveway. I could see the blue truck parked near the house.
I swore under my breath. Malcolm was already here. I hadn’t been fast enough. I’d hesitated and now everything was a mess.
Mia was unconscious on the ground and Pyke was nowhere to be seen. Kyra was sitting in the driver’s seat of the truck, looking out at me.
Malcolm faced her.
I dashed across the yard and Kyra screamed. I tackled Malcolm, wrapping my arms around him and lifting.
He flicked his head back to head butt me and I let go to dodge the blow. I wouldn’t have felt the pain, but Jack had been right; I shouldn’t let myself get hurt just because I couldn’t feel it. I wasn’t invincible.
Malcolm and I circled each other. I watched him move. He knew how to fight but he had gotten old. I was faster.
He lunged at me, but I dodged with a sidestep.
“I know what you’re doing,” he said.
“Just give up,” I replied.
Malcolm shot a gust of wind with a single punch. He had drunk Djinn blood. Was it Kyra’s blood? Did she know what was going on?
I dodged again. “You couldn’t keep her forever. You must have known that.”
Malcolm faltered for a second, but it was enough. I darted in with several blows to his stomach and side. He groaned, hunched over and fell to one knee.
He punched out more blasts of wind, but there was no precision to them. It was the desperate act of a desperate man.
I punched him in the jaw and he fell back into the mud. I had to kill him. Ivan had ordered it. Guardjinn always followed orders.
Something slammed into me. I was knocked sideways with enough force that I slid along the ground.
I looked down.
Kyra had tackled me and was clinging onto my shirt as we moved. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders not wanting her to be hurt. If we hit anything it wouldn’t matter to me, but she didn’t deserve to be in any more pain than we were causing now.
We slid to a stop. Kyra’s gaze was fixed on me. This was the first time she had seen me in my true form and she looked shocked.
What was she thinking? Was she afraid of me? Intrigued? Attracted?
“Are you alright?” I asked.
I felt the slightest bit of pressure in my stomach. Looking down, I saw the knife in my gut, Kyra’s hand on the blade.
So she hated me. Of course she did. I was attacking her and the person she believed to be her father.
Her bright golden eyes bulged, staring at the knife. I didn’t think she’d ever hurt anyone before. The poor girl. Why did she have to be wrapped up in all this?
She pulled the blade out. I didn’t feel it and there would only be a small cut.
“What …?” she breathed and dropped the blade.
She was confused and I wasn’t helping. I wanted to help her. I wanted to pull her in close and continue to feel the warmth of her skin against mine.
Wait.
I could feel her warmth. I could feel? It was only the slightest hint in my arms around her, but it was definitely there like when she’d touched my fur.
Her skin felt soft and wet. The sensation was beginning to fade. I wasn’t in control of it. I’m not even sure how I did it at all.
I pulled a clump of leaves and mud from her damp hair. Our eyes locked and I wanted that feeling to return.
Malcolm’s screams cut like thunder.
“Dad!” Kyra shouted.
Malcolm was on his knees, Pyke standing over him with ice in hand, several wounds already inflicted to Malcolm’s chest. Kyra pushed me away and scrambled toward them.
“Dad!” she screamed again.
We had won this fight. We could take Kyra easily, but that wasn’t the point. We weren’t kidnapping her. We were returning her. How was she ever going to accept the Djinn as her people if she thought we were murderers?
Ivan had
It was supposed to be an easy grab. There were two of them, after all. They must have underestimated Kyra, judging by the way Malcolm fled work.
I stepped out of the car and walked up the driveway. I could see the blue truck parked near the house.
I swore under my breath. Malcolm was already here. I hadn’t been fast enough. I’d hesitated and now everything was a mess.
Mia was unconscious on the ground and Pyke was nowhere to be seen. Kyra was sitting in the driver’s seat of the truck, looking out at me.
Malcolm faced her.
I dashed across the yard and Kyra screamed. I tackled Malcolm, wrapping my arms around him and lifting.
He flicked his head back to head butt me and I let go to dodge the blow. I wouldn’t have felt the pain, but Jack had been right; I shouldn’t let myself get hurt just because I couldn’t feel it. I wasn’t invincible.
Malcolm and I circled each other. I watched him move. He knew how to fight but he had gotten old. I was faster.
He lunged at me, but I dodged with a sidestep.
“I know what you’re doing,” he said.
“Just give up,” I replied.
Malcolm shot a gust of wind with a single punch. He had drunk Djinn blood. Was it Kyra’s blood? Did she know what was going on?
I dodged again. “You couldn’t keep her forever. You must have known that.”
Malcolm faltered for a second, but it was enough. I darted in with several blows to his stomach and side. He groaned, hunched over and fell to one knee.
He punched out more blasts of wind, but there was no precision to them. It was the desperate act of a desperate man.
I punched him in the jaw and he fell back into the mud. I had to kill him. Ivan had ordered it. Guardjinn always followed orders.
Something slammed into me. I was knocked sideways with enough force that I slid along the ground.
I looked down.
Kyra had tackled me and was clinging onto my shirt as we moved. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders not wanting her to be hurt. If we hit anything it wouldn’t matter to me, but she didn’t deserve to be in any more pain than we were causing now.
We slid to a stop. Kyra’s gaze was fixed on me. This was the first time she had seen me in my true form and she looked shocked.
What was she thinking? Was she afraid of me? Intrigued? Attracted?
“Are you alright?” I asked.
I felt the slightest bit of pressure in my stomach. Looking down, I saw the knife in my gut, Kyra’s hand on the blade.
So she hated me. Of course she did. I was attacking her and the person she believed to be her father.
Her bright golden eyes bulged, staring at the knife. I didn’t think she’d ever hurt anyone before. The poor girl. Why did she have to be wrapped up in all this?
She pulled the blade out. I didn’t feel it and there would only be a small cut.
“What …?” she breathed and dropped the blade.
She was confused and I wasn’t helping. I wanted to help her. I wanted to pull her in close and continue to feel the warmth of her skin against mine.
Wait.
I could feel her warmth. I could feel? It was only the slightest hint in my arms around her, but it was definitely there like when she’d touched my fur.
Her skin felt soft and wet. The sensation was beginning to fade. I wasn’t in control of it. I’m not even sure how I did it at all.
I pulled a clump of leaves and mud from her damp hair. Our eyes locked and I wanted that feeling to return.
Malcolm’s screams cut like thunder.
“Dad!” Kyra shouted.
Malcolm was on his knees, Pyke standing over him with ice in hand, several wounds already inflicted to Malcolm’s chest. Kyra pushed me away and scrambled toward them.
“Dad!” she screamed again.
We had won this fight. We could take Kyra easily, but that wasn’t the point. We weren’t kidnapping her. We were returning her. How was she ever going to accept the Djinn as her people if she thought we were murderers?
Ivan had
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