“Kira, look…”
“Don’t want to talk about it.”
“Dammit, just listen…” He stepped toward her when her name rang out from the gloomy alley.
Grateful for the interruption, knowing that whatever he had to say would only leave her more humiliated, she spun away.
A petite, goth girl with purple streaks in her waist-length dark hair ambled toward them. Despite the horrid weather and the biting cold, her friend totally rocked a short plaid skirt, which she’d teamed with knee-high boots, thigh-high socks, and a zipped-up leather biker jacket.
“Shadow!” Kira darted forward, ignoring Týr’s growl, her footwear squelching in the snow and water from a broken pipe. She hugged her friend. “I didn’t expect to see you.”
“Or you.” Shadow eased back. A wry smile lit her eyes that reminded Kira of a starburst—blue with hints of crimson edged with brown. “You asked me for a favor, one I couldn’t refuse. Besides, it keeps me busy.”
Heck, the girl was single-handedly trying to save every street child in town. “Did you find anything?”
Shadow’s attention shifted behind Kira, and her eyes widened before a look of wariness took over. Kira stifled a sigh, not really surprised by her friend’s reaction. Týr seemed to have perfected the keep-the-hell-away-from-me glare as the evening progressed. There was no sign of the easy-going warrior—probably because of her. And that started the horrible, heaving sensation in her stomach again.
“This is Týr”—Kira stuck a thumb over her shoulder—“he’s helping me search for Tomas, too. Týr, my friend, Shadow,” she said, finally slanting him a brief look.
He gave a short nod, still looking like a storm cloud.
Fighting to keep her expression even, Kira turned to Shadow. Týr shifted closer, his arm brushing hers. Even with her thick jacket on, it was like an electric shock zinging across her naked skin. Kira dug her toes into her boots to keep from stepping away, wishing she wasn’t so intensely aware of him.
Yeah, well, this was her problem, and she would just have to work on that.
Shadow’s nebula-hued gaze came back to Kira. “After your call, I searched the homeless sanctuaries underground and spoke to the people there. It seems Tomas appeared briefly before he took off. I searched TV’s hideout and then HD’s lair, but I couldn’t do more with that asshole, Tolvi, on my back again. So, I’m prowling the streets now.”
TV…HD?Oh, right, Tolvi’s Vipers and Hades’ Disciples.
Shadow had mentioned the underground gangs once. Kira frowned. Those mob names sounded dangerous. She didn’t want her friend putting herself into a difficult situation. “It’s okay, Shadow, I have help looking for Tomas. I don’t want to get you into trouble with your…er, leader.”
Shadow’s attractive features tightened. No, she didn’t like the guy. But for some reason, she remained with the gang.
“Hey…” Kira touched her arm. “Look, I know you said no before, but the offer to stay at my home is still open.”
“Nah, I’m good. I have a place I can go to if I need it. Don’t worry about me, I’m okay, and being underground is safe.” Shadow glanced over her shoulder and then back at them. “I gotta go. Catch you later. If I find the little terror, I’ll personally drag him back to The Shelter and stand guard until you get there.”
“Thanks, Shadow.” Kira watched her friend’s retreating figure, her worry increasing. She couldn’t understand why Shadow insisted on staying with the treacherous mob. And how could underground besafe?
“You know some interesting people,” Týr said from her side.
Her brow creasing, Kira pulled her attention away from the dark, silent alley. “I met Shadow a few months ago. She was at The Shelter with a couple of kids she found—newbies on the street—when Tomas first ran off. She helped me find him.”
He frowned. “You’ve known the boy that long?”
“Yes.” Kira rubbed her cheek, distracted by Týr’s closeness. Then remembering what just occurred between them, she inhaled a deep breath and forced herself to concentrate. “It took me months to coax him back there again. He hates being confined. I think he saw The Shelter as some kind of trap. Then I introduced him to Liam—”
“The boy in the alley.”
At his abrupt tone, she cast him a wary look and nodded. “They seemed to get on, and he stayed. Now, Tomas is gone again.”
“You do realize you can’t save everyone.”
“I know that. But he thinks I lied to him. It’s why I can’t leave just yet.”
“Youareleaving.”
“You just told me about the horrible fate that awaits him if he gets caught. Týr, I need a little more time to search for him. I’ll go catch up with Shadow—”
“Godsdamn, Kira! It’s dangerous out here right now. You think it’s only the boy we must find? We’re hunting for the demons responsible, as well—fuuuck!” Týr flew back without warning. He hit the brick building hard, the thud echoing in the quiet alley.
“Týr!” Kira sprinted over, fear clogging her throat as he fell. She reached for him, but something batted her away like a pesky fly. Kira crashed into the opposite wall and fell into the soggy snow pile, pain slicing across her shoulder blades. She lay there, winded, finding it hard to pull air into her lungs.
In the dim thoroughfare, a gigantic shadow loomed over Týr as he fought to get to his feet. The creature’s spindly claws rose as if to swipe off Týr’s head.
“Hell, no!” Ignoring the ache in her back, Kira freed her iron blade from her boot and lunged forward. The blob of black shot off in a blur. A blazing streak of fire like an arrow hissed past her. A chilling howl that made the fine hairs on her arms stand reverberated through the lane.
Callused fingers snagged her waist, hauling her back against a hard chest. Her breath escaped in a terrified gasp until the familiar scent of bergamot enfolded her. “Týr? Oh, God! Are you okay?”
“I got to get you outta here!” A dark, swirling mist consumed them, and the dank alley disappeared.
