Page 105 of The Satyr's Guilt
“He’s still with us. Right?” Ram swiped ahand across his chin.
Without answering, the healer took theportal with Rein in his arms.
Ram stared past Denim, not seeing her. Thetwo Firebrands clashed at times.Hell.All Firebrands werefiercely aggressive, but they were loyal and as close as brothers.He refused to lose Rein Man.
After the gaffers carried off Steven, Ramand Denim traveled to the Ministry of Well Being’s medicalfacility. They waited in the hall outside a room as theover-tranquilized vampire Firebrand settled in for some intensivecare.
In the doom-filled corridor of the medicalfacility with the action over, Ram realized how scared he was tolose Denim. There was no turning back now. She was the female forhim. They were a team, out there and in his heart.
He slouched in the uncomfortable chair.“Gotta say, doll, not pleased how you put yourself in harm’s way.Just sayin.’”
“I hear you.”
“Yeah. Until the next time. You’re gonnamake me die before my time. My hair will turn white and I’ll berocking a heart attack.”
Their heads turned toward the sound ofsomeone running down the hall. Braelyn raced forward, Kole right onher heels.
“He’s okay, right?” Her skin was paler thanRam had ever seen it.
Ram rose to fold his arms around Rein’smate. “They’re working on him now. He’s steel, Braelyn. You knowthat.”
“How?” asked Kole.
Denim sniffed. “He took four of thosetranquilizer bullets.”
Ram exchanged a look with Kole, both knowinga shitload was in Rein’s system.
Braelyn clamped a hand to her mouth,stifling a cry. She hurried through the door to Rein’s room.
“Talk,” Kole said to his two Firebrands.
“Three of them surprised us when we headedback. Rein took one to the shoulder. Afterward he did his arrogantshit, charging, taking three more bullets. Denim and I took thehumans out.” He waved a finger at Denim. “Actually, she took outthe most. I grabbed Rein and the live one. Here we are.”
Kole brushed a hand over his buzz-cuthair.
“With two down, things got interesting,Comm. Denim stunned the remaining guy with a jolt of lightning.When he shook it off, going for a super-human jump, she caught himlike a high infield pop-up. Amazing.”
“The man I snagged mid-flight, Commander, ismy ex.”
“Will it be a problem?” asked Kole.
Ram was as interested in her answer as hiscommander.
After a time, she said, “Not at all.”
Kole nodded, striding toward Rein’sroom.
****
Jace leaned against the trunkof a white oak. It was partially obscured by thick bushes. She slidto the ground, exhausted. Her legs wobbled from having evaded hertrackers for so many days. It was nearly night again, but darknessdid not stop her pursuers.
She held her nose so she wouldn’t puke.Yesterday, at least she thought it was then, she had rolled in pineneedles, dirt, and some kind of animal scat to mask her scent. Shecouldn’t stand her own smell, doubting even sensitive noses couldsniff her out as the escaped human.
This forest seemed to go on forever. She hadrun through endless woods, trapped in some scary fairytale whereshe imagined trees reached out to grab her. Picking herself upafter each short rest, she had pushed to keep moving for days.
Would it be too much to hope for a full moontonight? Sure, her trackers would be able to see better, but theycould see in the dark anyway. At least, she suspected they could.She worried about the nights. Despite her treading carefully, shecould fall, break an ankle or a leg, not get up again.
She was hungry, having lived off onlyberries, fruit she recognized, and other assorted lucky finds. Shediscovered wild asparagus, dandelions, and a marshy area withcattails. All edibles. Thank goodness for the college class onsurvival skills. She never thought she’d use the information from acourse she’d taken for an easy grade.
