But with the chains on, I was trapped in human form
I wet my sleeve, washed down my arm, then wrapped the cloth around the wound. As bandages went, it wasn’t particularly hygienic, but I didn’t have any other option. Besides, the cool wetness felt good against my feverish skin. I put my coat back on, then rose and studied the surroundings
Where to now?
I rubbed my throbbing head and stared almost blindly at the trees on the other side of the small river. I couldn’t go back to town with the chains on, couldn’t risk going anywhere near the freeway. I needed help and I needed it fast, as I had a vague suspicion my arm was going to get a lot worse. I had the phone, but did I dare use it? Satellite tracking was so sophisticated these days, they could pinpoint to the millimeter anything that had a satellite chip in it—and most phones did
That thought made me pull the phone out of my pocket. It wasn’t on, but did it matter? I didn’t know. Couldn’t think. I stared at it for a moment longer, then threw it onto the ground and stomped on it, before kicking the broken remains into the river. Better safe than sorry
For several seconds, I simply stared at the horizon and swayed, wondering what I should do. Then I made my decision and walked into the river, angling sharply across it. The chains snagged on every rock, and after what seemed the hundredth time, it occurred to me that I should lift them out of the way
I finally reached the bank and pushed myself into a lope. Through the blur that was beginning to overtake my mind came one thought—I needed distance between me and the van
The red flags of dusk faded into night. The chiming of the chains mingled with the chirruping of crickets, and in the long grass to the right and the left, small creatures rustled. Overhead, the moon was rising, a presence I could feel more than see. I ran on. Sweat bathed my body and my muscles shook. Every breath seared my lungs, yet it was nothing compared to the pain flowing from the wound on my arm. It felt like someone was holding a hot iron to my flesh, and just burning, burning
I stumbled across the road before I even realized it was there. I staggered back, chest heaving as I battled to suck in the air my body desperately craved. The sign danced and blurred before my eyes, and I blinked. It didn’t seem to help much. With a shaking hand, I wiped the sweat from my face, and tried to focus. Baker’s Road, God knew where. I looked up and down the dusty expanse, seeing no hint of civilization either way. I sniffed the air. The faint smell of spring caressed the night—jasmine. Not something normally found in the wilds of the bush. There had to be a house somewhere close
I headed back to the trees and walked parallel to the road. Cows mooed nearby and I moved back to the road. A building came into view—it didn’t look to be a house, more a two-story tin shed that had power lines running to it. Maybe—hopefully—a weekend retreat. One that was unoccupied
I stopped and switched to the infrared of my vampire vision. No red splotches indicated life anywhere close —nothing beyond the cows, anyway
Relief surged, leaving me trembling and weaker than ever. I forced my feet to move on and listened intently. There was nothing to be heard beyond the crickets and the cows. The scent of jasmine got stronger, and I sneezed. Half the shed was covered in the vine—obviously, the owners didn’t get hay fever
The door was locked. I stood back and kicked it, almost toppling in the process. The door flew open, and the cow nearest me snorted and leapt away
The scents of vanilla, red gum, and mustiness flowed from the shed but were quickly overpowered by the jasmine. I stepped inside and closed the door. Though it was pitch-black, my vampire vision allowed me to see that the room was a combined kitchen, dining, and living area, all in one big expanse. What looked like stairs were near the back, presumably leading upstairs to the bedroom. And near them, a phone
Relief surged through me and I staggered over. Plonking down on a step, I reached over and picked up the receiver. Dial tone. If I’d had the energy, I would have danced
The numbers were a smudge I couldn’t make out, forcing me to dial through touch more than sight. I called Jack rather than Rhoan, simply because my brother would have felt my distress and would no doubt be out looking for me—soreness or no soreness. And while Liander would be with him, my fuzzy brain couldn’t recall his number. As the phone rang, I leaned against the banister and tried to ignore the pounding in my brain and my arm. Tried to ignore the fact the darkness seemed to be closing in on me
“Parnell here.”
I closed my eyes, never in my life more relieved to hear my boss’s gruff tones. “Jack, it’s Riley.”
“Jesus, girl, where are you? We found your car—”
The world was spinning, burning, darkening, and time was something I didn’t have much of. Not before that darkness claimed me, anyway. I cut him off. “I’m somewhere in the wilds beyond Seymour. In a shed, on a Baker’s Road. There are cows… and jasmine.”
“Riley? Keep the line open, and we’ll do a trace.”
“They’re tracing me,” I said. “Hurry…”
My voice faded, and the blackness sucked me away
I shifted, moaning softly, trying to escape the heat and yet unable to. Cool cotton caressed my skin as I moved, and it was then I realized I was no longer on the stairs, but somewhere warm and soft. Water touched my forehead, icy against my fevered skin
“It’s okay,” a velvet rich voice assured. “You’re okay.”
How could I be okay when it felt like I was lying in the middle of an oven? “Quinn?”
“Yes. You’re safe, Riley.”
I licked dry lips and forced my eyes open. His face hovered above me, angelic face expressionless but dark eyes lit with fury
“I’m sorry,” I croaked, “but I couldn’t let you take Rhoan to Sydney. Not until I’d talked to him.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Where are we?”
“Still at the farmhouse.”
I swore softly and tried to rise, but my muscles felt like water. He held me down easily
“They’ll find us,” I protested
“If anyone finds us here, I’ll deal with them.” Though his tone was flat, his expression left me in no doubt as to
“I can’t.” I sounded like a petulant child, and that’s exactly how I felt. “It feels like I’m on fire.”
“I know.” His voice was grim. “Rhoan will be back soon.”
“From where? Why isn’t he here?”
“Hush,” he said softly. “Just rest and conserve your strength.”
His words were an order my body seemed eager to obey. I closed my eyes, but the burning would not be ignored. I shifted my hand, trying to find a more comfortable place to rest it, and heard the clink of chains. “Why are they still on?”
“Because there’s nothing here strong enough to cut them.” His mind surged into my mind, a cool force that would not be denied.
Against my instincts, against my will, I did
When I next woke, the pain had finally eased. I lay in darkness, and no longer felt like I was under the grill setting in an oven. The ache in my arm had muted, on a par with the pain coming from my ankles and wrists. I shifted, and was relieved to hear only the whisper of the sheets. The chains had finally gone
I opened my eyes. Saw shadows mingling with strings of cobwebs. I blinked, noted the corrugated iron roof beyond the cobwebs, and realized I was still in the shed. The air was dusty, rich with the scent of wood and smoke and vanilla. But overpowering that was the warm scent of spice and leather. A scent I’d recognize anywhere. I smiled and looked left
Rhoan sat in a chair near the bed, his short red hair sticking out at all sorts of angles, his bare feet propped up on the dresser, legs slightly apart. He wasn’t wearing jeans, simply black boxers, but he did have a sweater on. Again, it was black. Considering his love of bright colors, finding him in basic black was quite a surprise
His smoke-colored gaze met mine, and I saw the relief there. “I was beginning to wonder if you’d ever wake.”
