Page 11 (2/2)

My scowl deepened "Yeah, well I hate that too--the whole waiting-to-be-rescued crap I’ave a low laugh "No one who knows you would ever accuse you of being weak in any way" She stood and turned to the counter while I blinked in surprise at the compliment "But I do understand your sentilance over her shoulder "Perhaps some comfort food is in order I can rinned despite my mood "You’ve only been with me for a month and a half, and you already knoay too well I could definitely do with soravel crunching under tires pulledout mentally to the wards, I couldn’t sense a direct threat, but so to colanced at Eilahn She seeood idea of as atte up froed to stiffen up in such a short ti open the door to see a dark blue Crown Victoria backing up I closed the door behind me and watched as it backed up to the first curve, then stopped and caain At about fifty feet frohing, I et the attention of the driver A second later the car stopped again and Special Agent Ryan Kristoff stepped out, sweeping an annoyed and frustrated glare over the house and the environs

He didn’t look any different He still carried hient His hair was perhaps a bit shorter than normal, in a brush cut that couldn’t quite hide the fact that it tended to curl when it got longer He had on his usual casual attire of khaki pants and oxford shirt, and the black pea coat he wore over them couldn’t hide the broad shoulders that tapered down to a slim and muscled waistline But I kneas different At least, different fro It felt odd that he looked the same as always

A sharp and icy breeze dove down my collar, and I quickly zipped my coat up

"What the hell have you done to your house?" Ryan de This, at least, was the sa solowered at me, but a hint of a set to your da to the wards? I have this overpowering urge to go run so he was using his own othersight to check out the protections Ryan had the ability to see and sense arcane power, though as far as he are he sirand but lih I had to wonder why he’d been left with any power at all when his memories and abilities had been stripped from him Maybe it’s impossible to co his power down to idle was the only option

"Yep, Eilahn tightened everything up and tweaked the aversions," I said Aversions were specialized protections that simply reduced or altered a person’s desire to cross a particular boundary They could be overcoet past them, but they effectively deterred most intruders "Just keep your eyes on me as you drive up and don’t think about the house," I told hiood to see you"

"You too," I said, probably more fervently than I ot about the cold and the drifting flakes

Only for an instant, though, because another breeze swirled snow intosnow Just keep your eyes onfor a response, though his laugh followed ot back into his car and slowly drove towarda little like the people who direct planes on runways

As I watched, the tension in his face gradually cleared, and a few seconds later he stopped in front of the house and got out of his car

"It won’t be so hard next tiure out that you’re welcome here and should adjust"

He trotted up the stairs to me "Nice to know I’m welcoet to the house?" I said with a wink I yanked the door open and ducked inside, closing it as soon as he was all the way in "Oh, and by the way, this weather sucks ass"

He laughed "I’ve been seeing far tooto avoid snon here"

"So it’s your fault," I retorted

"Apparently so By the way, that coat looks great on you" He swept an approving gaze overa spin to show it off before slipping said coat off "Wearing it is the only thing that h in it," he said "I figured you’d be wearing that god-awful Me you through the wards!" I warned "That jacket has a special place in hties!" He laughed and pulled , and I let myself relax into it We were already back to our usual banter, the old patterns of behavior

This can work if I just don’t think too ht? Because I couldn’t tell Ryan what I knew about him Zack had made that clear Ryan’s memories and abilities had been blocked for a reason and what little I’d been able to pry out of Zack had been enough to convince le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>