Beyond the Darkness Read Online Free PDF

considered that for a moment. “I would stay away from the actual finestra, just in case you have enough Callorian DNA to get you through in one piece. The guards on the other side would apprehend you immediately.”
    He thought about what it would be like on their end to have someone like him pop in. Not good. “So you’ll telepathically let me know where you are.”
    “You’ll have time to intercept us at the finestra, or possibly even catch up to us before we reach it. It’s more important that I die than for you to kill Yurek. The danger to the Offspring exists as long as I do. I have even considered simply having you terminate me now to save us all the trouble.”
    Cheveyo shook his head. “I won’t kill you unless I have to.”
    “Which is amusing, considering you had a knife to my throat minutes ago.”
    “Yeah, amusing. I didn’t think Callorians had a sense of humor.”
    “I get twinges now and then. This is an entertaining dimension. Maybe it’s rubbing off on me.” Pope’s pseudo smile faded. “If you do terminate me, know it is for the best. I have nothing.”
    “You have the Offspring. As you said, you’re family.”
    He lowered his head. “But I pose them great danger. Being near them brings even more risk. I cannot do that.” He met Cheveyo’s gaze, his light eyes softening. “I believe you understand this.”
    He nodded, feeling a twist in his chest. “Too damned well.”

Chapter 3
     
    P etra had almost canceled her date, now that her mind was muddled with thoughts of Cheveyo and Pope. And Cheveyo. And Cheveyo. As she sat across from Greg Swenson, however, she was glad she hadn’t. This was a distraction, and more importantly, a test to see if she could push all that away and pretend it never happened.
    A mariachi band wended its way around Margarita’s large, crowded dining room, taking requests at each table. She rolled her eyes as they launched into their next song. How many times would she have to hear the “One Ton Tomato” song? Piñatas hung from the high rafters, and the wait staff would bat them as they passed by so the twenty or so donkeys, parrots, and sombreros were always swinging.
    This was a great place for a first date, filled with opportunities to people watch and chat about surface things. She took in Greg’s blond hair, combed to one side, his bright, blue eyes and easy smile. They’d shared a couple of brief conversations as they crossed paths in the hallways at the Baltimore School of Massage. She’d sensed that he’d had to build up his courage to ask her out, which she totally didn’t understand. Was she that scary?
    After the waitress brought another round of margaritas, he lifted his and said, “To having a salty margarita with a beautiful woman.”
    She touched her salt-rimmed glass to his and murmured a thank-you, but those kinds of compliments felt like empty peanut shells. What she looked like had nothing to do with who she was. Even though she was taking courses to learn skin care and makeup artistry, she didn’t like being judged on her outer appearance. Confidence was key, and she was working on that from the inside out.
    “Did I say something wrong?” he asked, his salt-crusted glass held aloft.
    “No, not at all.” She would rather have him say she was smart or funny, though she wasn’t sure she was either. All her life people had said she was beautiful, but no one had ever made her feel beautiful.
    She’d noticed a man sitting at a booth nearby. He was alone, and apparently the only people he was interested in watching were her and Greg. That he didn’t avert his eyes when she looked over made her uncomfortable.
    She turned back to Greg. “So, what’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you?”
    He rolled his gaze up, chewing on his lower lip as he thought. “I fainted at my high school prom. In my defense, the air-conditioning wasn’t working properly and I hadn’t eaten much.”
    She gave him a genuine smile, though he