Salt for the Devil's Eye: An Occult Mystery (Lorne Turner Supernatural Thrillers Book 4) by Joe Talon

Author:Joe Talon [Talon, Joe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mirador Publishing
Published: 2022-06-23T16:00:00+00:00

17

It hurt. Dear God, it hurt. The previous damage inflicted by fire on my right arm and some of my hand wailed in response to the gathering heat. What my nerve endings didn’t know, and my brain struggled to comprehend, was Malik’s careful actions. I don’t think the fire touched my skin once, but it didn’t stop my body overreacting. I hovered on the edge of total shock lockdown. I knew I had several of the symptoms: clammy skin, nausea, rising pulse and dizziness; I doubted I looked normal.

Malik closed his lighter then pushed my arms apart, the plastic stretching and giving at last. I slumped and would have toppled if Malik hadn’t caught me.

Once he’d steadied my broken body he rose and crossed to the door. With an ear pressed to the wood he closed his eyes to force out the distractions. Several long moments went by.

He shook his head. “I can’t hear anyone. Can you get up? Move?” His eyes were hard, the PARA training kicking into place despite the passage of years.

I nodded and rolled onto my knees, managing to lever myself off the ground. Standing, I wobbled for a moment, the blood running around my head in the wrong directions. “I’m good.”

“Sure you are,” he said, keeping his voice soft. He tried the door to the stable. It slid back, then caught on a thick chain.

“Bugger and bollocks,” I whispered.

Malik bent to the chain and reached through the five-inch gap. He tugged on the chain, ear pressed to the stone wall. “The chain is new, but I don’t think the bolts in the wall are.” He glanced around the stable, eyes falling on nothing. He cursed but didn’t give up.

Not wanting to make a huge amount of noise, he lay on his back, pushed his foot through the hole and pressed into the chain, forcing it away from the wall. He pushed hard but couldn’t remain still enough to give it real power, sliding back into the stable.

“You need a brace,” I said, limping to his side. I sat with my back to his and dug my boot heels into the rough stone under the straw. He pushed into me, and I pushed back into him.

“It’s working,” he ground out.

I didn’t have the breath to reply. Every bone in my body babbled in discordant harmonies so bitter and acidic I struggled to hold my position.

Malik grunted hard, then the weight behind me shifted and the clank of a chain made me topple to the side.

“Ha! We did it! I didn’t think that would work! The wood gave in the end.”

I lay on my side, gasping.

“Lorne?”

“Go, run. I’ll never keep up.” I’d had it. Truly had it.

Malik growled, “Yeah, that’s going to happen. Come on, mucker. We never leave a man behind.”

“That’s the Americans. We’re far too sensible for such sentimental waffle.”

He chuckled and again with a tenderness I didn’t expect in a man his size, he lifted me off the ground and stood me on my feet.

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