A Raven's Heart by K. C. Bateman

Author:K. C. Bateman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Loveswept
Published: 2016-10-17T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

Heloise stilled.

“Me?” she whispered.

The air between them thickened. The look in his eyes stirred something primitive within her, like the warmth of flames or the need for food and shelter. He threw aside his stone, crossed to her in two strides, and gripped her shoulders so tightly she could almost feel the bruises forming on her skin. Heloise lifted her face, anticipating his kiss, craving it.

A cry of alarm and gunfire echoed from outside. Raven released her with a curse and sprinted toward the cave mouth. Heloise grabbed the lantern and followed him, stumbling in her haste. Two more shots rang out, their sound a monstrous echo that filled the cave, as Raven fired his own pistols.

She ran straight into a nightmare.

There was no sign of Mullaney, but Canning lay facedown in the dirt next to the bodies of two men she didn’t recognize. Raven must have shot them. Three more strangers, each armed with a knife, surrounded Raven, who threw down his spent pistols and drew his own blade as he advanced.

“Stay back,” he shouted to her.

One of the men lunged. Raven leaped back as the man slashed, then parried the knife and caught his attacker around the neck. He kicked out a leg and knocked over the second man. While he fell backward onto the ground, Raven put his hands around his captive’s head and gave a quick twist. There was a sickening crack. The man’s shoulders and torso contorted, and his limbs fell limp.

Raven dropped the body to the ground just as the third man leaped forward. The man swung and Raven hissed as the knife caught him across the ribs. He grabbed his assailant’s arm, pushed the blade aside, and punched him twice in the face, breaking his nose. Blood sprayed onto the dusty floor and the man howled in pain, but he didn’t go down. He swung wildly and managed to catch Raven on the jaw.

Heloise pressed herself against the uneven rock at the mouth of the cave, her breathing harsh and uneven. Bile rose in her throat.

The man who’d been kicked to the ground heaved himself up with a groan. Ignoring the fight between Raven and his friend, he advanced on Heloise, an ugly look of determination on his face. She shrank back against the wall, then realized she still held the lantern. As the man came closer she swung her arm with all her might and caught him across the shoulder.

He batted her arm aside with a roar and grabbed her hair, twirling her around to imprison her from behind. His scrawny forearm tightened across her neck and Heloise froze in terror as she felt the cold sting of a blade at her throat. His other arm caught her around the waist and he started to drag her backward into the cave. Heloise clawed his arm, but desperation had lent him a demonic strength. She cringed away from the overpowering stench of him, rank with sweat and dust. His hand cupped over her breast and he squeezed, hard.

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