Tall, Dark & Apocalyptic Read Online Free PDF

same place. Finally expelling a frustrated breath, Yeira said, “Look, I get that you’ve nocked your arrow with an expectation of letting it fly toward reborns. You don’t think about what you’re doing, you don’t consider what happens before, during, or after that preordained activity. You just do it. Killing Edwige’s victims makes your pointy little world go round. I get it. But there comes a time when you have to take a leap of faith. I’m giving you that opportunity. I’ll help you kill my maker and then, if you still want to, you can do what you want with the reborns. I know I can’t stop you anyway.”
    She’d watched the play of several emotions, predominantly anger, over his broad face as she spoke. She was certain he’d never considered himself simplistic or intractable. Simplistic, intractable people never did. But in the end he seemed to be considering her words.
    He stared at her for a long moment. Finally, he stepped closer. She tightened her grip on the knife but he made no move to grab her or his sword. He held her gaze as his wide, full lips opened. Yeira stiffened in anticipation of a scalding rebuke.
    Instead he asked her the question she dreaded most. Because she knew her answer would end in her death.
    “And what of you? What do you hope to get out of this partnership?”
    Yeira shook her head. “Nothing.”
    He clearly didn’t believe her.
    “I only want to clean up Edwige’s mess, along with my part in it, willing or not.”
    He seemed to be carefully reading her expression to discern the truth of her words. “And then what?”
    Her heart beat loudly. Her gut tightened with dread. But she clenched her fists and forced herself to respond. “Then I’ll lay down my weapons and you can kill me yourself.”

CHAPTER FOUR
     
    The woman was mad. Audie forced himself to hold her gaze, though his gut churned and his fists were clenched so hard his knuckles hurt. “You’ll just stand there and let me kill you?” His voice was like gravel on glass and he had to force the words past a clenched jaw.
    She didn’t look happy about it but she nodded.
    “Why would you do that?” Even to Audie his tone sounded choked, unhappy.
    Her delicate chin lifted and anger flashed through her exquisite gaze. “I’d have thought you of all people would understand. You said yourself I’m a monster. If I’m to be true to my goal of clearing away Edwige’s spawn, that would include me, wouldn’t it?”
    Her rationale was perfect, her calm in discussing her own death chilling. Audie couldn’t deny his earlier, hateful words. But in that moment he’d have cut off a hand to be able to. He looked down, no longer able to hold her gaze.
    “Will you help me?” The words were spoken so softly Audie barely heard them. But their meaning made them thrum against his ears. If he agreed to help her he’d be concurring with all of it.
    He wasn’t sure he could deliver on the second part of her deal. But he nodded, knowing that if he didn’t do it she’d find another hunter who would be all too willing to oblige. Audie had a sudden thought that lightened the load on his heart. “I’ll help you destroy Edwige but only if you’ll aid me in exterminating the last of her pets.”
    It would only delay the inevitable but if he tarried—
    Surprise flashed through her expression, followed quickly by suspicion. Lifting a feathery, red eyebrow she asked, “You don’t think you can kill them on your own?”
    “It will go more quickly if you help.” He hoped the lie didn’t sound as weak to her as it did to him.
    Silence throbbed between them and, for a moment, Audie thought she was going to call him on his dishonesty. But then she flipped his long knife in the air and handed it to him, hilt first. “Agreed.”
    More relieved than he should have been, Audie took the knife and slipped it into the sheath on his left hip. “Okay, first I need to know why you’ve accused Grimm of being a zom…”
    “Reborn. If