Shift of Time (A Rue Darrow Novel Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

made a run for it after attacking an innocent man. A flash of blue light in my peripheral vision made me spin right, and the second man hit the wall. The Fae was holding his own, but there were two more.
    Two? I wanted to scrub my eyes but decided he could use assistance. I dispatched the second and third enemy, one with each fist, thank you very much. Unfortunately, not without pain. When the Fae and I were alone, I clutched my hands before me, moaning with my eyes half shut. “Are you okay, sir?”
    I was hoping against hope no more weird stinky men would show up in the alley. Although my chin dipped toward my chest, the movement I heard to my right didn’t cause me alarm. The Fae stirred nearer to me, silent and no doubt curious.
    “That will heal,” he said, in a deep and appealing voice. “Give it a sec. Why on earth would you fight with your thumb tucked in?”
    He sounded amused, and it gave me the strength to glare at him. “A thank you would suffice without the criticism.”
    The grin remained. He had no shame whatsoever of laughing at me. Of all the nerve. After he had chuckled a few moments, I found he was right. The pain in my thumbs eased and then was gone without a trace.
    “Better now?” He leaned forward a little, all solicitation and gentleness. He smelled very similar to Orin but slightly different. I put it down to his unique scent as everyone seemed to have.
    “I’m fine.”
    “Good, and thank you for helping me…”
    “Rue Darrow.”
    “Rue. Beautiful name for a beautiful woman.” Unlike Orin when I first met him, this man looked me straight in the eyes. He either didn’t know what I was, or he didn’t care. “I’m Milo Beuron. Glad to meet you, and since you saved me, why don’t I buy you a drink?”
    I hesitated, taking in his tall, slender, but wiry form. “You’re Fae, aren’t you?”
    An odd look came into his eyes that I couldn’t identify, but then he smiled, a practiced one to charm. “I am Fae, yes, and you’re vampire. What’s that to a man and a woman?”
    Chills raced down my spine, or it might have been a memory of chills in situations such as this. Suffice it to say, I was intrigued. “Okay, but first tell me what those men were, and was it my imagination that they multiplied?”
    Another chuckle at my expense. “They were demons, and when you kill them, they give off that odor. To be specific, only the imps have such a disgusting scent, and they’re not technically dead.”
    “Not technically…? Imps?” I blinked at him. This was new to me.
    He reached for my hand and held it as if he would raise it to his lips to kiss. “How about we get that drink? I will tell you all you wish to know.”
    My desire to know what walked the streets of New Orleans encouraged me to accept his offer, and soon we sat in a restaurant with a glass of red wine before me. Milo, fully at ease, sat before a plate of sirloin, baked potato, and vegetable medley. I was aware that older vampires, including Ian, could drink wine, but I had tried it days after I had been turned, and the results were not pretty.
    Milo sliced his steak with vigor and stuffed large chunks into his mouth. He glanced at me and saw that I sat watching him eat. He set his silverware down and leaned back in his chair. “Sorry about that. After a workout such as we had, I needed some sustenance.”
    “I understand.”
    “You’re not drinking?”
    “Not now.”
    “Ah.” He nodded as if he understood. He didn’t of course. No one did. “So, let’s start with fighting, Rue.” He reached across the table and took my hand again. I allowed it for the moment, but I didn’t feel anything in particular for Milo. He was good to look at, but I still loved Ian very deeply.
    “It was the first I’ve ever been in,” I admitted.
    His eyes widened. “You’re kidding?”
    I ducked my head. “I’m sure you could tell.”
    “No, well, except for the thumbs.”
    “The thumbs? Oh, you mentioned…” I was so