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"What&039;s there to help ht Cruach? A weapon? An ally? Don&039;t suppose I&039;ll find a dieumort there"
"Nohat&039;s a dieumort?"
"Never mind! Nïx, what&039;s down there?"
"Call me when you arrive on time - otherwise all this could be moot - then I&039;ll reveal the rest to you Unless, of course, I forget" Which was entirely likely
Lucia had known N&iuistics She divvied inforold coins Lucia had learned, like all other Valkyrie, to go on a little faith - and forbearance - with Nïx "At least tell me what the stakes are," Lucia had demanded impatiently "What happens if I fail?"
"The end of life as we know it"
"Nothing else you&039;d like to i you&039;ll need will be aboard the Contessa" A blare of static-like noise crackled "Oh, and beware of the barão da borracha and the guardião"
Lucia knew souardian?"
More static sounds "Can&039;t hear call back good luck"
"N&iu the static" She could picture her sister blowing into her fist directly at the receiver The static abruptly stopped "Why?"
"It seemed less rude than the alternative"
"What&039;s that?"
Click
Lucia slowed, her eyes widening when she spied a wave of riverboats leaving Was she too late?
She asked fisher from the day&039;s runs to direct her to the Contessa They all laughed in answer Once she finally happened upon it, beached on a section of trash-ridden shore, she realized why
The Contessa - such a bold and noble nas, it looked like an old river cruiser from the rubber-boo holes dappled the wood just above the waterline, and the windshield in the pilothouse was fractured froe to the other Any visiblerust down the faded hull like runnels of blood
The roof on the third-story observation deck was thatched
She scrunched her face Departure at three sharp? Nothing concerning this vessel could be classified as sharp Nïx, you little rotter Why would her sister have booked her on this ship?
No, Lucia didn&039;t have to accept this - she could get another ride She stepped back to survey the only other boats still beached Any that remained looked to have been abandoned in haste The closest one still had tablecloths and utensils on its soaked outdoor tables
Aboard the Contessa, voices sounded dimly from indoors, and one - maybe two - males stomped around on deck
At least it had people on it
Beggars can&039;t be choosers She checked the braids she&039;d plaited to cover her ears, then called, "Is anyone up there? I need to board this" - tub, wreck, joke of a - "boat"
A crusty boot sla, bleary-eyed man leaned over it to peer down "Ship, lady This here&039;s a ship," he said defensively, as if she&039;d told him, "Your penis: I find it minuscule" The man&039;s accent was American Southern, his voice raspy
With blood-shot gray eyes, he gave her a once-over, then drawled, "Dr MacRieve, I presuotten elevated fro with humans, Lucia had always used Archer as her last name Since she would never own up to her real one
"Fro a hip flask fro what else Nïx would have told this man, she answered, "Yes, that&039;s me And you&039;re the captain?"
"That I am Captain Wyatt Travis" He wore a white button-down, mostly unbuttoned, and when the wind blew off the river, the ly rock-solid torso
Lucia supposed he wasn&039;t unfortunate looking, with his carelessly ruffled blond hair and stubble, but he was noticeably inebriated - even if she couldn&039;t have s from his pores She conjectured what Travis would blow on a BACa healthy two-point-oh
Why would Nïx book her on a rotted tub with a drunken captain? She could just see N&iu "For fun!" "And ht?"
"We&039;ve held a cabin for you Last one left"
"Air conditioner?"
"One And it ain&039;t in your roo" His accent wasn&039;t just Southern She realized the captain was a Texan
"Wait, the last cabin?" She scanned the decks The ship looked to have at least half a dozen of them, spaced equally on the first two floors
He shoved down a rickety gangplank "You don&039;t have to sound so shocked that we&039;re booked up" Ruffled feathers The only thing worse than a perpetual drunk was a sensitive one "There&039;re three docs like you aboard andthe captain that would make six humans This wouldn&039;t do Unlike some Valkyrie, Lucia shunned mortals whenever possible To reveal secrets of the Lore to one of theods, and Lucia was already in a tenuous position with one Or two "How much for the entire boat?"
"You ain&039;t the brightest bulb in the ers aboard - they&039;re unpacking their scientifical crap in the lab as we speak We&039;ve just been waiting on you"
Weeks on board with et to the deepest Ao The humans would have to be dealt with then
Perhaps Lucia could find a Lorean to captain another ship A river city like Iquitos would be home to countless immortals
But as she debated her options, that awareness returned, the sense of being watched She rubbed the back of her neck and glanced over her shoulder, thought she saw a tallin on her even now? She knew he couldn&039;t be far behind - because he hadn&039;t been for the entire year
Or hed on her until she felt like falling down, and in the past, she&039;d iined hi down at her
For as er froined she had
Her ears twitched Awareness No, he was near "I&039;ll take the cabin!" I can du, holding her graphite bowcase under her arplank
He frowned "Uh, don&039;t you have equipment you need to have loaded?"
"Nope We&039;re all good"
"Orientation and reet is required"
"Yes, of course" She could play along, be sociable, or act like she was "But we need to leave immediately"
"We&039;re on river time here" He offered her a hand she didn&039;t need as she stepped aboard "Now, you&039;re in the seventh cabin, first level, all the way fore in the bow Here&039;s the key - "
She snatched it from him "I&039;ll double - triple - your fare if we leave this instant"
He narrowed those gray eyes "Quadruple it, and you&039;ll see a big-ass boat go fast"
"Agreed" This heartened her Mortals ere motivated by money were controllable
As the captain hastened to the pilothouse, calling out for souts!" Lucia climbed to the observation deck She shaded her eyes with her hand, scanning for MacRieve Iquitos was the most populous city in the world that couldn&039;t be reached by road Only boat and air traffic in or out, difficult to get to in the best of circumstances Maybe she&039;d lost hihing black san reversing froas station, then he increased the speed The ship surged backward, water swa the back platform that stretched the width of the boat
The entire hull groaned, theAs she balanced herself, she craned her head around, eyes wary
Nothing After several heartbeats, Travis shifted gears, and the Contessa ground forward Finally, Lucia breathed a sigh of relief They were under way She was on a boat heading out on the A all the way from across the world, in record time
Really, how could the Lykae have headed her off here? There was no way he could catch her
And her trail would grow colder in the days to co, then headed for cabin seven to stow her stuff Just as she got to the door, her sat-phone chie She peered at the screen, saas froin Gods, she missed her sister and best friend like an ache -
RegRad: We&039;re not BFFs anyhed At tiin in short doses
Suddenly, her ears twitched again, which meant someone aboard was possibly about to attack her or that MacRieve was near She hoped it was the for to her knees beside it, she unfastened the titanium latches and yanked free her bow and quiver fro the bow, she stood onceout of the corner of her eye, solanced up, over toward the shore
MacRieve Just there on the rise To elude hi For the love of gods, his ti!
Could he still make the boat? Oneup swiftly, but fifty or sixty feet of water separated it froht he couldover his body and got that intent look she&039;d become familiar with Wait Did he have blood splattered over one side of his face?
No time to contemplate that; she dashed to the back platform In a flash, she had her bow up and arrow loaded His expression turnedretribution
Damn him! She couldn&039;t shoot, because she kneouldn&039;t even try to dodge her arrows He would still do anything to keep her from harm - even as each tirier
And gods help her, sexier
With a sound of frustration, she lowered her bow MacRieve had already begun sprinting, gaining superhu with the speed and smoothness of an ani the end of the dock but hadn&039;t slowed - was pu his arms for more speed No No way he can make this distance, olf or not
Heart in her throat, she watched hie in an explosive leap A second passed still in the airhim toward her spot -
Just short! He landed chest-first against the side of the platfor into the teakwood
After wincing at the sound of his ribs cracking, she re punt to his head But he snatched her ankle with one hand, tossing her to her ass In a single fluidher ar, soaked Lykae was stretched over her, his body a cage of dahable effort against a being with his strength, but only et as soaked as he was
What would he do to her? What didn&039;t she deserve?
"Now, that&039;s no&039; nice, Valkyrie" His deep voice raked over her as his eyes scanned her face, taking in every feature as if relearning thereet your male"
"You&039;re not led with the water and sweat trickling down his cheek "Let me up!"
He kept her pinned "Missed you thesewas clear when his eyes flickered ice blue "But no longer The gaed now, beauty"
Snared Soround and trapped
No! She was on a et on with it She had to
Or every being on earth would pay for what she&039;d done - and for what she would never do again
At that thought, she renewed her struggles beneath hi hard!
In a hushed, threatening tone, he said, "We&039;ve unfinished business to take care of"
"I want you off this boat, MacRieve!" Lucia snapped
Garreth was growing erect, stiffening for her with a swift heat, and she had to feel it "Do you, then?" His tone was disbelieving - because even now his Lucia was responding to hih cheekbones, and her pupils were dilated with interest Her lips parted as she stared at his own
Then her dazed expression seemed to clear "Get off me, you brute! If you won&039;t leave, then I will!"
"You think I&039;ve searched - and fought and protected you froo now?" Not frohtered two de in wait in an alley - for her They&039;d had their swords raised, intending to take her head He&039;d collected theirs instead
But now Garreth had her safe in his arh overwhel To have her truly under his watch after so er
Satisfaction soared within hilossy hair, taking her scent into hi s hast Or titillated Who could tell with Lucia, the Mistress of Mixed Signals?
His voice was rough when he ads I missed about you" Just as satisfaction mounted, so did lust The s And her body was so soft and warm beneath hie "MacRieve, I&039;m here on important business! Business that doesn&039;t concern you If you&039;re trying to win me over - "
"I&039;m no&039; Gave up on that in the first uiltily, which heartened him Maybe his female wasn&039;t as cold and uneh she&039;d certainly convinced him otherwise over the last year "No, my only aim these days is to keep you alive" They were in the midst of an Accession, and in this treacherous time, she&039;d come here, to his least favorite place on earth
And one of the led to free her arainst his erection A pleasured breath escaped him "I remember the last time ere in this position" Of their own volition, his hips curled, ainst your sex till you came for me You feared I&039;d stop before you could"
She glanced away, her blush deepening, her squir
"Little to the left, sweet And harder"
She cast hilare as she thrashed her arms "I&039;ll shoot you so full of arrows - "
He held her tight "Eventually, you will run out of those"