After that, she’d moved into some kind of strange enthralled state in which all she could do was let the kiss happen. But what stunned her was how she felt, like she could float,
or sing, or fly. She didn’t want the kiss to end.
Finally, she drew back, the dizziness having returned but for a different reason this time. She placed a hand on his chest and in a soft voice asked, “What was that?”
He shook his head slowly, which told her he was as confused as she felt. “I don’t know. I didn’t mean to do that. I don’t think I’m helping my cause very much right now.”
He closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths, maybe trying to regain control of himself.
Shayna took a step back. She needed to do the same thing, to find her rational mind. Besides, she still wasn’t sure the man even existed, although he was becoming more real by the second.
But there was one thing she knew for sure, she had her own life, her own plans, and she wasn’t willing to toss them aside for the sake of problems in a world not even her own. “I’m sorry, Marius, but I can’t go with you. I wish you well, even if I’m still questioning your existence.”
He released her right arm, but only enough to rub the side of his head and squint. He looked like he was in pain.
“Are you okay?”
“No. I’m sensing something or someone nearby.”
Movement beyond his shoulder brought her gaze shifting to a new apparition, a much more complex one. This time several men, a dozen by her count, dressed similarly in black leather and big like Marius, arrived about thirty feet away, landing on the sidewalk and in the street, as though they’d been in flight as well.
To a man, they had the look of military, just as Marius did. Had he brought reinforcements in order to persuade her to get on board with his plans?
“So let’s say I wasn’t slipped some kind of hallucinogenic, or a roofie, or anything else—do you know who those men are? I’m guessing by the way they arrived that they’re from your world. So did you bring them to intimidate me, because it’s kind of working.”
Marius turned and, at that moment, everything changed. For one thing, Marius started cursing up a shitstorm, then, “Daniel sent his troops. We are so fucked.”
He said other words, but when he turned to her he looked really upset, even guilty as hell. “I’m sorry, Shayna, but we just ran out of time.”
She didn’t know what he meant by that until he grabbed her, pinned her to his chest, then launched straight up into the air.
For at least two seconds, she didn’t know what had happened. But as Seattle disappeared below her, she realized he’d abducted her and that she now flew toward a heavy bank of dark clouds that streaked lightning like crazy.
She’d get killed by the storm.
Fear shot through her skull, her heart pounding hard.
She started to struggle, but he held her clamped in his arms. He shifted his flight, angling so that she now had a different, more distant view of Seattle. She screamed long and loud.
No one can hear you. I’ve created a disguise. Let’s just hope like hell it holds. His voice again, once more inside her head.
He started flying faster and faster.
But what she didn’t understand was that despite the thunder clouds, the lightning, the rain, she passed through all that mass as though surrounded by a gentle breeze. How was this even possible?
But the next moment, pain pierced her head like nothing she’d ever known before. She writhed and screamed all over again.
Sorry. Altered flight hurts humans, but it can’t be helped. I had to make this happen fast.
Though she had no idea how she was communicating telepathically, the words formed in her head and she responded. Oh, God, I hurt. You bastard, you’re killing me.
Somewhere in the middle of things, the world turned black.
CHAPTER 2
Marius thanked God when Shayna passed out. He knew the pain he’d caused, but it couldn’t be helped. He didn’t have higher levels of power like some vampires, which was the only thing that could have prevented the pain, and he needed to lose the small army that Daniel sent after him by flying at top speed. If they caught up to him, he’d die and so would the woman in his arms.
Then where would his world be?