Thorns and Fangs by Gillian St. Kevern

Author:Gillian St. Kevern [Kevern, Gillian St.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General Fiction
Publisher: NineStar Press, Ltd.
Published: 2016-02-13T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

The soil beneath him felt warm. Nate could feel it where his blood had seeped into it, feel the warmth as it called to the branch still in his chest.

This was good because everything else was numb. Colder than numb. Shock? Maybe exposure?

He should probably do something about the stake in his chest. Nate felt for it, but found he couldn’t move his fingers. Not a good sign. Nate took a deep breath, found that he couldn’t do that either. What is going on?

Calm down. It will be okay. I shouldn’t be removing the stake anyway. Puncture wounds, you need a doctor to do that. A paramedic. We covered that in first aid, right? And throat wounds… I probably didn’t want to be breathing with that wound.

Never mind that he shouldn’t be breathing at all.

Nate resolutely quashed that thought. There’s an explanation. I just have to find it.

The clearing was absolutely still. The rain had stopped entirely and even the wind had died down. Those sleeping in wait beneath the surface of the earth shifted restlessly, but made only the slightest vibrations in their discontent.

Peter was gone.

Nate felt for his presence, but the strands of magic had been cut when Peter cut his throat. Fled? Sounds right—he’s not the kind to fight his own battles. Instead, he’d trust the trap he’d set for Ben—

There was an abrupt rustle in the trees, urgent footsteps. Nate’s fear mingled with relief. Right on cue—

“Jesus Christ, Nate.”

Not Ben. Gunn.

Nate felt disappointed—and immediately guilty. Fine way to thank him. Gunn had worked hard to keep Nate out of this situation. The officer was already moving, even as he scanned the clearing, making his way to Nate’s body with unprofessional haste.

There was a strange resignation in Gunn’s eyes, the muscles of his mouth tightening as he crouched beside Nate. “Once. Just once, it would be nice if somebody listened to me.” He reached over, cold fingers oddly gentle as they closed Nate’s eyes.

Nate was unimpressed. Gunn should at least have taken his pulse first—

Then as Gunn lifted Nate’s hand to inspect the crisscross of lines there, Nate realized that he could still see the officer.

That’s not—

Possible? But it was happening, so it had to be—

Hello? Some attention here? Nate tried to move the fingers of the hand Gunn held, but his limbs were so heavy and useless, they didn’t even feel like his. C’mon, Gunn. I’m sorry I got myself into this, but ignoring me’s not going to help any—

There was no sound that Nate heard, but Gunn dropped his hand, pulling a gun from his pocket seemingly instantaneously.

“Show yourself.”

Ben melted out of the shadows, seriousness giving his habitual quietness a hard, unforgiving edge. “Gunn.”

“Bennet.”

There was a long moment of silence. It was obvious that Gunn didn’t like any of Saltaire’s brood, but Nate had not realized how mutual the feeling was. Then Gunn stepped back, lowering his gun. “We’re both too late. Your friends worked him over good. Blood magic, and they took precautions against walking.

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