Sparks of Blue (Dark Light Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

control her breathing at his touch and let her arms return to her lap. “Nothing else. I just bit my tongue when I fell.” It was a lie, but she could heal herself easier than anyone else, anyway. Wait, was that blood? Her gaze immediately slid back down to Kai’s bicep and, sure enough, there was a line of blood still trickling over the perfectly tanned skin. “Kai,” she mumbled, reaching out on reflex. “You’re hurt.”
    He caught her stretching fingers in his gently, his touch sending jolts of nearly dizzying electricity up her arm. He hadn’t been this gentle with her, or this lingeringly close to her, in … almost a century. Remember what happened, Belle. Her heart was running on adrenaline right now, and adrenaline made people think stupid thoughts.
    “It’s nothing,” he assured her. His voice was as gentle as his touch, and her traitorous, stupid heart flickered with hope.
    Belle looked down as he released her hand and glimpsed something else. Burn marks. Black burn marks on the tips of his fingers. Sucking in a breath, she snatched his hand in both of hers and turned it palm-up. “My God, Kai, you’ve been burned. How did they get you?”
    “They didn’t,” he returned, attempting to pull his hand free. “I used their weapon against them.”
    “No wonder,” she mumbled, holding his wrist tight and laying her palm over his fingers. “Hold still, you stubborn idiot.” There wasn’t nearly enough venom in that statement. What was wrong with her?
    Why did it bother her so much to see him wounded?
    She wasn’t nearly ready to face that answer. She’d fought so hard, for so long, to hate him. She had every right. After what he’d said when he up and left, any woman with half an ounce of self-respect would hate him. But she didn’t, not really.
    ****
    Kai released a breath when Belle released his hand. His fingers were healed, and his shoulder wound had closed up, but he wasn’t surprised. As soon as he’d recognized the look in her eyes, he’d known he would let her heal him. It hadn’t occurred to him that she would be bothered by the sight of his blood after all this time. But there was no denying that expression, no matter how fleeting. He’d seen it several times before. In what felt like another life.
    Distinct throat clearing jarred his focus before he could remember to reprimand her for not admitting to her internal injuries.
    “If you two are done gazing longingly into each other’s eyes,” Gwen said pointedly, “I think I’m feeling light-headed again. Also, I have a sudden raging headache.”
    Fantastic. The woman did have a weakening heart. This was probably more excitement than she was supposed to see right now.
    Belle stood, and Kai glimpsed a pre-lecture look on her face. “I thought you were fine?”
    Gwen shrugged and sat up properly. “I was looking more for bones protruding through the skin.” She paused, grinned, and added, “Of which I have none.”
    “Lay back,” Belle instructed with a hand on Gwen’s shoulder. “Let me examine you.”
    “Belle,” Kai interrupted, also standing. He waited until she was looking at him again before adding, “Are you up for this?”
    Narrowing her eyes at him, Belle replied, “Of course I am. It’s what I do. Meanwhile, maybe you can do something about the demon blood splattered all over? It’s making me nauseous.”
    I’ll have to watch her, then. He wouldn’t call her out more directly in front of a third party. Not over what he suspected was only a minor head wound. So he turned his back as Belle set to work scanning for Gwen’s injuries, pretending to focus on purifying away the demon blood. But such a simple task didn’t require more than a moment’s attention and his mind easily wandered back to the moments before Creed had vanished.
    As soon as he’d realized his error, Kai had flashed upstairs and kicked in the door. He hadn’t expected to find the same demon he’d been hunting before this task had been