“Excuse me,” he apologized. “I sensed something in the helicopter, and…”
His voice trailed off. He’d shielded without meaning to; that never happened.
“What’s wrong?” Francine’s voice was sharp.
Julian cleared his throat, which was suddenly dry. “Whoever is in that helicopter is a powerful shifter. Stronger than any I’ve met. And they’re chasing me.” He clenched his fists. “They must be coming to finish the job.”
Francine’s eyes caught the moonlight as she glanced upwards. “I was worried it might be someone from the agency, but…”
I’m putting her in danger.Whatever had brought Francine to track him down, one thing was clear to Julian. It was his fault. All of this was his fault.If they find you, they’ll find her too.
But if the people tracking him were anything like Harper, then telling her to leave now wouldn’t save her. Harper never left loose ends.
“I’m sorry you’ve been caught up in all this,” he said out loud. “You shouldn’t—”
“This is exactly what I should be doing,” Francine snapped. A shiver of tension gripped her body, then she breathed out slowly. Controlling herself.
Julian’s chest twisted. He recognized her behavior; he’d done the same thing himself. Too many times. Whatever had brought Francine Delacourt to his side tonight, it was eating away inside her.
At least if I stay with her, I can protect her, he told himself.
His dragon roused itself at his thought.Yes, it hissed.She’s hurt. Protect her. Help her heal.
She isn’t injured,Julian replied.You heard her. It’s my blood. Our blood.
Quite a lot of blood, really. Not on Francine, but on the ground and trees where he’d landed. He could still smell it now, half a mile away.
How badly had his dragon been injured?
Francine pointed something at the car and it beeped, lights flashing. A years-old memory surfaced in the back of Julian’s mind. Something Hamish had once said about etiquette in the human world.
Julian cleared his throat. “I’m afraid I don’t know how to drive.”
She turned to him, eyebrows raised. “Luckily I don’t need you to drivemycar,” she retorted. “Get in. Passenger side.”
Julian’s head spun as he pulled open the car door. Remembering his sister and brother-in-law always hurt, but dislodging that particular memory had left him reeling. He steadied himself against the side of the car.
Or maybe it wasn’t the memory.
Energy was draining out of him, leaving him so bone-weary his vision was blurring. Julian closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the car door frame. Francine’s voice echoed in his ears, but he couldn’t make out what she was saying.
Strange. His energy seemed to be draining to somewhere inside him. What was it Francine had said after he’d shifted back into human form? Something about shifting when his dragon was badly injured…
—!!!—
The powerful shifter again. Their attention slammed against Julian’s mind like a hammer, and he fell into darkness.
4
Francine
There was a thud, then silence.
Francine hesitated. Had she heard anything, or imagined it? The traffic on the motorway was a constant drone, and she still wasn’t sure whether she was actually hearing the helicopter or making it up since Julian had mentioned it was following them.
She clenched her fists. She was soweak.Even her own senses were unreliable. That was how she’d gotten caught back at the house, and almost gotten them both killed in the escape passage…
Her lioness moved uncomfortably inside her.Not your fault,she told it quickly. They were still recovering. What she’d done had injured them both, physically and mentally. They were still picking up the pieces.
