The Secret Humankind: An Urban Fantasy Thriller (The Discoveries of Julia Xero Book 1) by Gloria Oliver

Author:Gloria Oliver [Oliver, Gloria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: urban fantasy, urban fantasy thriller, The Discoveries of Julia Xero Series, book 1, assassin stalker, secret race, unknown origins
Publisher: Dimension Palace Publishing
Published: 2023-07-19T23:00:00+00:00

My chest constricted, squeezing the air out of my lungs and leaving me breathless. The card fell from my suddenly numb fingers back onto the table. My legs turned to rubber, and I barely managed to fall into a chair rather than the floor.

"Julia? What the hell?"

Still unable to breathe, I bent forward and closed my eyes. Then, counting slowly to myself, I focused on the numbers, on trying to take a slow breath through my nose and releasing it through my mouth.

I almost jumped when Penny put her hand on my back and rubbed it slowly. The unexpected, comforting contact made me want to sob. My world had imploded yet again. Would nothing ever stay the same?

"Anxiety attacks are the worst," Penny said. "Not that I've ever had one. But I've seen plenty of others go through it."

I paid little attention to the words, just latched onto the familiar voice.

As my panic faded and my breathing calmed, my roommate removed her hand and sat on the chair next to me. "I can't believe I'm asking this because, honestly, it makes no sense to me, but Julia, do you have a stalker?"

I almost laughed at the suggestion, then nearly fell into a new panic attack at the thought. No, no, no, no, no, surely not! We'd only met face to face for a second or two! Then came the ice cold stab—he'd known where I worked. He could have followed me home.

"If you know who he is, you need to go to the police, file a report, and fill out a restraining order request at the DA's office," Penny said. "You want to nip this in the bud ASAP. Trust me on this."

I looked up. All the usual airs and subtle haughtiness on my roommate's face were gone. Free of makeup and jewelry, Penny looked deadly serious and world-weary.

"The longer it goes on, the more convinced they are that you belong to them and no one else, and that makes them bold and nasty. And I do not want to be in the middle of that. So take care of it."

I could have hugged or kissed her right then. The world was back to something I understood. I gave her a shaky thumbs-up.

"I need to get ready." Penny stood up. "You're not going to pass out or something if I leave the room, right?"

I waved her off.

Penny swung by the front door long enough to put the chain on and check the deadbolt, then whooshed through the kitchen, setting a glass of ice water on the table for me on her way to the shower.

Taking the hint, I sipped the cold liquid. It gave me something to concentrate on as I tried to shove my emotions back into their proper places.

By the time Penny had finished showering and getting ready, I had done the few dishes in the sink and was feeling calmer and centered. There were things I needed to ask her before she left, because others would soon be asking me for the same information.

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