that much choice.”
No one said anything to correct that notion.
Her mouth tightened. "Fine." She backed herself up to the nearest armchair and sat, her fingersclenching on the upholstery. She raised her gaze and her eyebrows in Rule's direction. "Do we need towait for the old priest, or are you going to handle this yourself?”
Rule bit back his retort. The whiteness of her clenched knuckles revealed the nerves concealed
by her smart comments. In other circumstances, he'd have relished making her eat her words, but not just then. Stuffing down the inappropriate urges stirring at the back of his consciousness, he took a step forward and placed himself directly in front of her chair.
"No need," he rumbled. "This won't take long.”
Her wide eyes followed every movement as he crouched down before her and reached into his
pocket. He drew out a short silver chain from which dangled three small charms. Flipping one to the forefront, he palmed it before gently prying Abby's fingers from the chair arms and pressing her palm to his. He saw her flinch and her expression shift into the early stages of panic as the metal began to heat between them.
"Shh," he soothed, keeping her gaze locked to his, intentionally blocking out every trace of their fascinated audience. "It's all right. It'll be over in a minute. I promise.”
A slight grimace twisted her mouth, and her breathing sped up, grew shallow. "I'll bet you…say that to all the girls," she hissed just before her pretty, mismatched eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed, folding forward at the waist like a poorly balanced doll left unsupported on a shelf.
Mouth grim, Rule caught her shoulders in his hands and shifted her up to rest against the back of
the chair. Her head lolled against the dark wing, and her breathing was fast and shallow, like an animal panting. The sharp smell of sulfur grew stronger.
"Um, are you sure she's supposed to do that?”
Rule ignored Tess's question and continued to grip Abby's hand in his. Her skin had gone deathly cold, clammy. It took on a sort of waxy grayness that added to the impression of lifelessness, but he figured Tess had been referring to the waves of movement undulating beneath Abby's skin. Up and down her arms, the flesh rippled as if something trapped beneath it were trying to get out.
Which was almost true.
"Show yourself," he growled, his eyes fixed on the young woman's sweat-beaded face. She seemed to flinch at the command. Her shoulders jerked unevenly backward, and her hand fought to free
itself from his grip. He laced their fingers more tightly and held firm.
"Is she okay?" Samantha whispered, only to be shushed by the others.
Rule deepened his voice and repeated himself, his eyes narrowing. "Show yourself now as friend
or fiend.”
Abby jerked again as if she were trying to push through the back of her chair and get away from the harsh presence kneeling before her. That wasn't Abby trying to escape, though, and the knowledge stripped away Rule's last vestige of patience.
"I command that you
Virginia Kantra, Doranna Durgin, Meredith Fletcher
Alexis Abbott, Alex Abbott