The fog blanketed the wooded area as they left the safety of their shelter behind. Maya shivered when the crisp night air touched her warm skin. She hadn’t even noticed how much her body had warmed in Gabriel’s arms, but the contrast was palpable now.
p. They didn’t speak in order not to attract any attention should Ricky be near. With her hand resting in Gabriel’s large palm, they walked away from the bomb shelter in measured steps, careful not to step on any twigs that might snap and give their position away.
Had she not been so tense and worried about the situation, Maya would have marveled at her night vision. She could see everything as clear as by day – except that not even her night vision could penetrate the dense San Francisco fog. She hoped this also meant that no other vampire could detect them through the thick mist either. For once she was glad for the fog that plagued San Francisco every summer. At least it provided cover if the night didn’t.
She breathed evenly, telling herself that the place where she had smashed Gabriel’s phone was far enough away for Ricky to have lost their trail some fourteen hours earlier. And besides, he would have had to find shelter during the day himself and had hopefully had to leave the area in a hurry.
Maya listened to the sounds of the night, but all she could hear was her own heartbeat and Gabriel’s breathing. She glanced at him from the side and noticed the hard lines around his mouth, his eyes scanning the area around them constantly. She remembered that he’d told her once that he’d started out as a bodyguard, and she was glad for this knowledge now. It gave her confidence. Not that she thought Gabriel wouldn’t do everything to keep her safe, but knowing he had the right skills to do so put her mind at relative ease.
A squeeze by his hand and a nod of his head indicated that he wanted to change direction. She followed without hesitation. In fact, she would follow him anywhere, even to New York, a city she detested. But if he needed to return there, she would go with him.
Maya tried to keep her eyes focused on the path ahead, but her mind wandered. Too many things had happened to her in the last few hours.
Gabriel’s revelation that they were both satyr had stunned her, but she didn’t question it. In the last week she’d learned that no matter how outrageous a claim, if it came from Gabriel she could trust in it being true. And it all made sense now. The emptiness she’d always felt during sex had been taken away by complete and utter satisfaction when Gabriel had taken her the satyr way. She’d never felt more complete in her life. If she’d ever had any doubts as to whether she was satyr, that single act had wiped them from her mind.
The woods seemed to grow more dense as their march progressed.
She knew they were going east toward the botanical gardens and the tennis courts, but her sense of distance was lacking. She realized Gabriel was avoiding the well-used footpaths and had instead opted to continue through the forested areas where the trees would provide some cover.
In the distance, Maya saw a white structure and as they neared it she recognized it as the Victorian era Conservatory of Flowers that housed a vast number of exotic plants. A small gift shop and cashiers hut stood several yards separated from the main structure. Everything was quiet.
Gabriel pointed toward the cashiers hut, indicating it was their destination. She nodded. They crossed the open space, and she felt herself tensing. Despite the thick fog, they would be on display and their dark shadows would be visible. Maya couldn’t help but look over her shoulder, and she noticed Gabriel do the same. Her hands felt clammy, and her heart beat faster than before.
At the hut, Gabriel pressed his face to the glass and peered inside.
“There’s a phone,” he said sotto voce. “Can you open the door from the inside?”
She understood. They could have smashed the glass, but the noise would attract Ricky if he was in the vicinity, or any human who was out walking their dog. Maya concentrated, closing her eyes and imagining the deadlock turning. She heard a click. She was getting good at this.
A moment later, Gabriel tried the door and it swung open. He eased inside the small structure and pulled her with him, closing the door silently behind them.
When he lifted the receiver and dialed, each key seemed to echo loudly in the small space. She hoped it was only her own senses that amplified the sound. She heard one ring, then a faint voice on the other end.
“Yes?”
“Amaury, it’s Gabriel.” Gabriel’s voice was barely audible.
“Thank God.”
“We’re at the glasshouse in Golden Gate Park. Maya is with me.
Come and get us. Be careful, Ricky tracked us to the park.”
“Five minutes.”
The call disconnected and Gabriel turned to her, pulling her into his arms before lowering his lips to her ear. “Can you get us into the glasshouse? We’ll have more places to hide in there.”
She nodded.
The Conservatory was a large structure made entirely of glass and steel. The steel had been painted white and was curved to create a dome the length of a baseball field. A coppola graced the center of the building, reminding her of the coppola of City Hall that was of a similar form.
Gaining entry to it was as easy as unlocking the door to the hut had been. Maya was grateful for the skill she had been bestowed, and while mind control would have been a neat skill to have, this one proved to be more practical and useful at present.
She inhaled the scent of the plants in the tropically
