Good question, I added.
Shut up, bitch, Kroger said harshly.
My jaw dropped. Before I could respond, Krogers fist shot out, punching the bigger man in the shoulder. Then he frowned, as if surprised that it had no effect. The intruder caught Krogers fist when he swung at him again.
Kroger stared, disbelief creasing his features as he tried to yank free and couldnt. Then, understanding seemed to dawn.
You must be Adrian, Kroger spat.
In the flesh, my intruder responded lightly.
I was about to ask what the hell was going on when shots rang out. I dropped down right as one of the men hurtled toward me, too fast to see who. I managed to leap away without getting flattened, though I took out the nightstand in my wild lunge.
The room went dark as the lamp broke. My heart pounded at the instant blindness. I hadnt been afraid before, but I was now, trapped in a room with two men who clearly wanted to kill each other. I began to feel my way around the bed again, and this time, stumbled on something big. That something grabbed me, and I freaked out, kicking, punching and clawing to get free.
Then I was yanked away and shoved viciously into the wall. Pain exploded over me, and when I swallowed, I tasted blood. I started to fall, dazed, when a rough grip hauled me up.
A beam of moonlight landed on my attackers face, and I recoiled. Shadows flickered like snake tongues across Krogers skin, turning his features into a sickening mask of evil. Worse, I knew I wasnt hallucinating. The pain I felt was too real.
You want to know what happened to your sister? Krogers voice was harsh. Guttural. Youre about to find out.
Without thinking, I punched him as hard as I could. He looked surprised, but the blow didnt even make him flinch.
Suddenly, he was snatched backward and then flung straight up. As Kroger fell back down, Adrian kicked him hard enough to send him crashing through the bedroom window. Before I could even scream, Adrian leaped after him. Then all I heard were thumping noises and groans before a distinct snapping sound made something primal tense inside me.
One of them had just died, I knew it. But which one?
A dark form rose in the gaping hole where the window had been. I began to back away, every movement painful, when I saw something silvery gleam in the moonlight.
Adrians eyes.
Looks like youre coming with me after all, he said while vaulting through the window.
I wasnt bothered by his casual tone or the fact that hed just killed someone. I was too busy trying to absorb what Id seen on Detective Krogers face, let alone what hed said.
You want to know what happened to your sister? Youre about to find out.
Hope clawed through my reeling emotions. If the snakelike shadows on Krogers face were real, then maybe so was my vision of Jasmine at the bed-and-breakfast!
We need to...get Jasmine, I managed to gasp, feeling something wet where I clutched my abdomen.
Adrian pried my hands away and sighed.
Youre hurt. Sorry, he was one of Demetriuss dogs, so he was harder to kill.
He picked me up. Despite Adrians touch being far gentler than Krogers, I couldnt stop my pained moan.
Dont worry, youll be better soon, he said, carrying me toward the door.
We need to get Jasmine! I wanted to insist, but my tongue seemed to have gone on strike. The tingling in my limbs and buzzing in my ears probably wasnt a good sign, either.
Whats your name, anyway? I heard Adrian ask, his voice now sounding very far away.
I managed one word before everything went dark.
Ivy.
chapter two
A familiar song was playing, but I couldnt remember the name. That bugged me enough to open my eyes. A wall of black met my gaze, slick and smooth like glass. I reached up to see what it was, and thats when I realized my hands were tied.
Silent Lucidity by Queensryche, my mind supplied, followed immediately by, Im in the backseat of a car. One that was well taken care of, going by that flawless, shiny roof. With those details filled in, I also remembered what had happened right before Id passed out. And who I was with.
Why are my hands tied? I said, heaving myself into an upright position.
For some reason Adrian didnt have a rearview mirror, which was why he had to glance over his shoulder to look at me.
Does anything make you panic? he asked, sounding amused. Youre tied up in the backseat of a cop-killers car, but Ive seen people get more upset when Starbucks runs out of Pumpkin Spice flavor.
Anyone normal would panic, not that it would do any good. Besides, I ran out of normal a long time ago, when I realized I saw things no one else did.
Speaking of which, why wasnt I in pain? The lump where Mrs. Paulson had whacked me was gone, and my shirt was red from blood, but aside from a mild kink in my neck, I felt fine. When I pushed my shirt up, somehow I wasnt surprised to see smooth, unbroken skin on my abdomen. Well, that and a bunch of crumbs, like Id eaten a dessert too messily.
Why does it look like I have angel food cake on my stomach? I wondered aloud.
Adrian snorted. Close. Its medicine. You were injured.
You can tell me how Im not anymore, I said, holding out my bound hands, after you untie me.
Another backward glance, this one challenging.
You may be the calmest person Ive ever been sent to retrieve, but if I tell you now what you want to know, that will change. So pickthe truth, or being untied?
Truth, I said instantly.
He let out a laugh. Another first. Youre full of surprises.
So was he. Hed just admitted that he regularly kidnapped peoplewhich was how I translated retrieveso I should be trying my damnedest to get free. But more than anything, I needed answers. Besides, I still wasnt afraid of him, and somehow, that had nothing to do with him magically healing me.
Truth, Adrian, I repeated.
He turned once again and his gaze locked with mine, those odd blue eyes startling me with their intensity. For a moment, I could only stare, all thought frozen in my mind. I dont know why I reached out, awkwardly touching his arm to feel the hard muscles beneath that bulky jacket. If Id thought about it, I wouldnt have done it. Yet I couldnt make myself pull away.
Then I gasped when his hand covered mine. At some point, hed taken off his gloves, and the feel of his warm, bare skin sent a shock wave through me. The touch seemed to affect Adrian, too. His lips parted and he edged over the back of the seats
He yanked on the steering wheel, narrowly avoiding another car. A horn blared, and when the driver passed us, an extended middle finger shook angrily in our direction. I leaned back, my heart pounding from the near collision. At least, thats what I told myself it was from.
Dyate, Adrian muttered.
I didnt recognize the word, and I was at a loss to place his accent. It had a musical cadence like Italian, but beneath that was a harsher, darker edge.
Whats that language? I asked, trying to mask the sudden shakiness in my voice.
This time, he didnt take his eyes off the road. Nothing youve heard of.
I picked truth, remember? I said, holding up my bound hands for emphasis.
That earned me a quick glance. That is the truth, but you dont get more until you meet Zach. Then we can skip all the this isnt possible arguments.
I let out a short laugh. After what I saw on Detective Krogers face, my definition of impossible has changed.
Adrian swerved again, but this time, no other car was near.
What did you see?
I tensed. How did I explain without sounding insane? No way to, so I chose to go on the attack instead.
Why were you in my hotel room? And how did you heal me? There isnt even a mark
What did you see on his face, Ivy?
Despite his hard tone, when my name crossed his lips, something thrummed inside me, like hed yanked on a tie I hadnt known was there. Feeling it was as disturbing as my inexplicable reaction to his clasping my hands.
Shadows, I said quickly, to distract from that. He had snakelike shadows all over his face.
I expected Adrian to tell me Id imagined it, a response I was used to hearing. Instead, he pulled over, putting the car in park but keeping the engine running. Then he turned to stare at me.
Was that the only strange thing you saw?
I swallowed. I knew better than to talk about these things. Still, Id demanded the truth from Adrian. It didnt seem fair to lie in return.
I saw two versions of the same B and B earlier. One was pretty, but the other was old and rotted, and my sister was trapped inside it.
Adrian said nothing, though he continued to pin me with that hard stare. When he finally spoke, his question was so bizarre I thought Id misheard him.
What do I look like to you?
Huh?
My appearance. He drew out the words like I was slow. Describe me.
All of a sudden, he wanted compliments? I might have finally met someone crazier than me.
This is ridiculous, I muttered, but started with the obvious. Six-six, early twenties, built like Thor, golden brown hair with blond highlights, silvery blue eyes...you want me to go on?
He began to laugh, a deep, rich baritone that wouldve been sensual except for how angry it made me.
Now I know why they came after you, he said, still chuckling. They mustve realized you were different, but if theyd known what you could see, you never wouldve made it out of that B and B.
You can stop laughing, I said sharply. I get that its crazy to see the things I do.
Lots of kids had imaginary friends growing up. I had imaginary places, though at first, I hadnt known I was the only one who could see them. Once my parents had realized that what I kept describing went far beyond childhood fancy, the endless doctor visits and tests began. One by one, diseases and psychoses had been crossed off until I was diagnosed with a non-monoamine-cholinergic imbalance in my temporal cortex.
In other words, I saw shit that wasnt there for reasons no one could figure out. The pills I took helped a little, though I lied and said they got rid of all my hallucinations. I was sick of doctors poking at me. So whenever I saw something that no one else did, I forced myself to ignore ituntil Mrs. Paulson and Detective Kroger had tried to kill me, of course.