“Here, you are, safe and sound—but you’re bleeding.” He frowned down at the side of her thigh and her breast where the sharp shards of window glass had cut her when they fell into the bathtub. “Have to deal with that later,” he said, as though making a mental note to himself.
“I can deal with it myself—if I can ever move again.” Vicky couldn’t quite keep the worry out of her voice. The alien ray had paralyzed her completely and it was really scary not to be able to feel her arms and legs.
“Don’t worry about that,” the Kindred said easily. “He probably shot you with the light setting just to scare you. It should wear off soon.”
“Well, until it does, I’m completely helpless!” Vicky exclaimed. “Maybe you’d better put me under the bed instead of on it.” She didn’t like to suggest such an option, since she was mildly claustrophobic, but it seemed safer than lying there naked and unable to move out in the open.
“Oh, I think we can do better than that—though it’s a shame to cover such bountiful curves,” the Kindred remarked.
“Hey!” If Vicky could have squirmed, she would have, at the way those midnight-blue eyes were roaming over her naked body. “I told you—don’t look at me!”
He sighed regretfully.
“Forgive me—it’s difficult not to admire you in this state of…shall we say, undress?” He grinned at her unrepentantly when she made another angry noise. “Here—let’s make sure you’re safe while I take care of this other Varian bastard.”
Taking off the long red cloak which had somehow made him invisible, he draped it over Vicky so that it completely covered her body. As a final touch, he pulled the hood over her head. It worried her at first but she found that she could see right through the fabric and could breathe quite easily, though she couldn’t see herself—any of herself—at all.
It was a strange feeling to look down at the bed and not see her body, but she barely had time to think about it because the big Kindred was talking to her again.
“Stay here,” he murmured. “I’ll be back soon.”
“But…will you be okay? Since I took your Harry Potter cloak?” she asked, her irritation giving way to anxiety for him.
“My what?” He frowned and she realized he probably hadn’t read the popular books.
“You know—your magic invisibility cloak,” she said, nodding down at herself though he obviously couldn’t see the motion now that she was completely invisible.
The big Kindred laughed softly.
“Oh, you mean my scatterlight cloak? Don’t worry about me, sweetheart—I can manage even without the stealth tech.” He started to leave again but Vicky called him back once more.
“Wait—I don’t even know your name!” she exclaimed in a low voice. “What if something happens—who do I call?”
“Oh, of course—I forgot we hadn’t exactly been properly introduced.” He pulled the cloak off her face again and gave her an easy, engaging grin that exposed white teeth in his dark face. “I’m Chainor—Chain for short. And I’m an M-Switch Kindred. And you are?”
“Victoria Erickson—Vicky for short,” Vicky said. “I’m a high school language and drama teacher.”
“Drama, hmm?” He raised an eyebrow. “No wonder you got into the part so fast when I picked you to be my female. You really had me going there—especially when you kissed me.”
“I only kissed your cheek,” Vicky protested, embarrassed all over again. She couldn’t believe the way she’d acted at the bar. But then, she’d had three strawberry daiquiris—so it wasn’t really her fault, was it? “You’re the one who kissed me on the mouth,” she pointed out.
“But I didn’t see you objecting, beautiful Victoria,” he murmured. “In fact, if I recall correctly, you kissed me right back.”
“Well…” Vicky could feel herself blushing all over—which made her glad her naked body was covered by his cloak. “You just kind of…caught me at a vulnerable moment—that’s all,” she said.
“That’s right—you told me the male who was supposed to be meeting you hadn’t shown up, didn’t you?” he mused, frowning.
Vicky was surprised he remembered what she’d said, after all the craziness that had followed.
“Something like that,” she admitted. She didn’t want to tell him how Ted had given her the once over and then left, as though she wasn’t pretty enough to tempt him. That was humiliating.
“Well, he’s a fool,” Chain said firmly. “If he doesn’t know enough to come meet a beautiful woman when she—”
Just then there was a muffled but distinct thump from the other room.
“Crap!” Vicky hissed. “Is that—?”
“Probably.” His charming features took on a grim expression and he cursed under his breath. “Shouldn’t have allowed myself to be distracted by your beauty,” he told Vicky. “I’ll cover you again and be right back after I take care of this.”
Vicky wanted to protest, but before she could, he had already thrown the hood of the cloak over her face again, rendering her completely invisible. Quietly, he crept out of the bedroom, closing the door soundlessly behind him.
Vicky was still paralyzed from the neck down—though she was beginning to feel tingling in her fingers and toes which told her the effects of the alien ray were starting to wear off. But at the moment all she could do was wait and watch and pray the big Kindred would be all right.
Please, she prayed, though she wasn’t exactly sure who she was talking to. Please let Chain be okay! Don’t let him get hurt or killed—let us both be safe!
But she got nothing but silence for an answer.
Chapter Seven
Chain crept stealthily down the long hallway, on high alert for any sign of the second Varian scout who’d come after
