Page 19 of The Haunting
“Indeed,” Vladimir responded as well, pulling out a knife.
“Be quick; it’s still torrential out there,” Phoe said, glancing out of a window.
“I think there was a cloakroom. Let’s see if they had any raincoats.” Vladimir spoke to Inglorious.
I leaned forward and peered at my ankle. Damn, the bruising was already coming up. Drake ran my wounded limb through a series of tests before sitting back.
“Ya lucky, James, it isn’t broken in my opinion. You’ve got a bad sprain and possibly some muscle damage. You need to stay off it,” Drake said finally.
“Good job Inglorious was driving,” I quipped and winced.
Clio shoved some tablets into my hand and passed me a glass of water. “Painkillers, James, take them now because you look like you’re in pain.”
“Thanks, babe,” I said, and the shy wife of Chance smiled and backed away.
“God, I was scared when I heard the crash,” Kate murmured, curling into my side as Drake put a cold compress on my ankle and tied it into place.
“Yeah, me too. I didn’t expect that shit,” I replied.
“Hero man here saved both of us,” Inglorious announced, returning. His hair and the lower half of his jeans were soaked through, but the rest of him appeared dry. Looked like they’d found coats.
“James did?” Kate asked, sitting up.
“Yup, he pushed Inglorious and me out of the way,” Nanci murmured, gazing at me with something akin to hero worship.
“It was nothing,” I brushed it away.
“Bullshit. You got injured protecting my woman. James, I’ll not forget that,” Inglorious retorted. “Stop looking at him like that,” he snapped at Nanci.
Nanci grinned and leaned forward and kissed me on my cheek, and Inglorious growled. I sent him a smug look as Kate giggled.
“Asshole,” Inglorious said, but there was no heat behind his word.
“The link broke on the chandelier; it looks like it’s been cut,” Lucian declared, entering the room with Daniel. Damn, I’d not even noticed they’d been gone.
“What?” Calamity demanded, spinning to face them.
“This wasn’t a random accident,” Daniel added.
“The question is, was it meant for us or Jacques and Eden?” Sabine asked.
“Where are they? Surely the noise should have brought them running?” Maggie inquired, and I agreed.
“The sooner we leave, the better,” Chance stated, and I couldn’t disagree. Whatever was going on here was amping up, and we were in its direct line of attack.
Emmaline
“What do we do?” I murmured as I stood by Vladimir as he dried off by the fire.
“Don’t know. Whatever Jacques and Eden are fighting has nothing to do with us.”
“Should we help?”
“No. Supernaturals tend to stick to their own races and problems unless help is requested. The Vam’pirs haven’t asked for aid,” Vladimir replied. But my husband looked troubled.
“What do you think it is?”
“Again, I’m unsure. I smelt sulphur, which leads me to believe demon. Vam’pirs have crossed paths with other supernaturals, but whatever they are hunting, they reckon they can manage.”
