Page 54 of Ransomed to the World
He meant by walking through the afterworld.
Camden touched her elbow to get her attention…and he didn’t pull away. “We should head toward the bazaar. I want to find a place to stay before it gets dark.”
She marveled at the slightly textured feel of his skin. Not calluses, but more like she could trace the edges of the armor that was barely visible. As the rest of the guys fell into formation around them, she looked up and gasped at the sight of the bazaar.
It was a city that hunched dangerously above the cliffs. Soaring walls surrounded the city, the stones weathered by the sea and wind until they were blasted a dull white. The bazaar was a hive of activity, and people were packed into the streets like sardines.
Only when she looked closer, Annora realized that they weren’t exactly people. She allowed the afterworld to cover her vision…and stopped dead. “They’re all…like us.”
Xander grunted and took the lead. “There are a handful of cities around the world that cater to the supernatural. If a human looked at this bazaar, they’d see rundown ruins teeming with thieves. Instead of riches, they’d see tattered curtains, abandoned and burned-out cars, and crumbling buildings.”
Annora jerked her attention away from the glittering city and turned toward Xander. There was something about his tone that itched along her skin. His stride was stiff, not like his normal, loose-limbed gait.
“Xander—”
“I’m going to go ahead and secure us a room.” He picked up his pace and strode away.
When she went to follow him, Camden captured her hand and tugged her back. “Let him go.”
Annora glanced back at him with a frown. “But—”
“His pride lives on this coast.” Logan spoke softly. “I don’t think he’s been back since he joined the university.”
Concern churned in her gut when she remembered what he told her about his family. His father treated him as a punching bag, worse than a slave. She gazed after him, not wanting him to be alone. “I should—”
“Give him time to adjust to the idea of being back.” Camden resumed walking.
Annora sent a pleading look to Prem. The ferret heaved a sigh, grumbling as he jumped down, then loped after Xander to keep an eye on him.
Only then did she fall into step next to Camden, their shoulders brushing every time their arms swung. She waited for him to pull away and maintain their distance.
He didn’t.
If anything, he edged closer, almost like he was flirting with her, warming her heart—and her cheeks.
Silence fell around them as they climbed the steep path to the bazaar. The closer they got to the looming walls, the more it resembled a citadel than simply a place to sell wares. Finally, curiosity got the best of her. “Tell me about your family.”
A puff of air exploded out of him, and he grimaced. “I suppose you deserve at least that.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets. Their pace slowed, falling a few yards back from the rest of the guys. Camden studied the grounds, avoiding her curious gaze, and she clenched her fists, wondering if she was pushing him too far, too fast. She opened her mouth, ready to take back her question, when his soft voice reached her.
“We’re a rare breed, our species close to extinction.” He stared out toward the sea, the wind picking up as the sun began to drop, ruffling his hair until it shimmered in the shadows.
She bit her tongue to keep from interrupting, resisting his enchantment with all her might.
“Since our touch is deadly, we’ve retreated from the world.” He shot her a look from the corner of his eye. “We don’t mingle well with outsiders.”
Anxious to learn more, she prompted him to keep talking, “You don’t talk about them much.”
A muscle in his jaw clenched, his reluctance clear in the way he refused to look at her. “We’re not good people.”
She wanted to protest, but he held up his hand to stop her.
“We can’t work in the real world. Our poisonous touch doesn’t allow it. Our species was literally dying out until the family turned to the one thing that they did so well.” He gave her a bitter smile. “Killing.”
Annora pressed her nails into the tips of her fingers to resist the urge to protest, afraid he would stop talking if she interrupted again.
“We became assassins. The very best in the business.” A scowl darkened his face. Then he turned toward her, no longer hiding. “The family became like the mafia—we didn’t have a choice except to join. I got out as soon as I could and ran away.”
