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 Well, if you haven t tried anything by now, you re probably
not going to, she said tartly.
That wasn t what he was asking, but he shut up anyway,
simply staring at her. Her cheeks were blushed from the chill in
the air, and the damp mist was beginning to weigh her hair down,
turn it dark. He played the game, memorizing the curve of her
cheek, the line of her jaw, the exact arch of her eyelashes, the
shape of her mouth. Memorized it again, storing it in that secret
place inside his head. And again.
 Hanson? she asked, now looking puzzled.
 I can anchor you, Mari, he said.  Just tell me what you
want done, and I ll do it.
He meant it to come out lightly. Instead, he heard the
seriousness in his own voice and cursed himself for it. His body
wound tighter and tighter, like a guitar string before breaking.
If she keeps looking at me like that I m going to& What?
Mari watched his face, thoughts moving behind her blue,
blue eyes. It would be so easy to reach out, to feel around the
edges of her mind, find a corner to slink into, to watch. He had
some psionic ability, most Watchers had a little, and she was
the only witch who didn t make his entire body feel dragged
through broken glass and rusty nails.
Yet he couldn t. If he violated her trust, she might send him
back to Circle Lightfall. And he would have to go, knowing
he d screwed up his very last chance.
 You sound so serious. She impulsively tucked her arm
through his.  Come on, let s get out of the rain. I feel the need
34 Lilith Saintcrow
for some hot chocolate.
 I have a serious job, Hanson said, trying not to mumble.
She s touching my arm. She s touching me. Damn coat, if I
felt her skin& Stop it. She s touching me. That s what s
important. She s walking with me as if she&
 You could loosen up once in a while, she suggested.
 Have some fun. You know, you re too grim all the time. It s
like the world is this constant battle for you. I wish I could
teach you how to relax.
He scanned the vicinity again, making sure. Nothing Dark
inside the radius of his awareness.  If I relaxed, something might
slip through and hurt you, he said.  That s what the training is
for. I don t think I even remember what relaxed feels like.
She grimaced. He slowed his pace to match hers.  That s
really sad. They did awful things to you. And to Dante.
He shrugged.  You don t understand, he said.  I wasn t a
nice person, Mari. This is my last chance to make something of
myself. To be something. That s serious, isn t it?
 You never talk about& before.
Don t ask me about that, Mari.  It s not necessary.
 What happened to you? Who were you before they did
that to you?
 Mari&  For a moment he imagined telling her, played
with the idea of letting her see.  That person s dead, he said
finally.  He died a long time ago. Before I was even a Watcher.
She looked down at the pavement, and then slowly slipped
her hand out of his arm. Hanson set his jaw and his shoulders.
 Would it be so bad to tell me even a little bit about yourself?
she said finally, her steps slowing even more.
 Can we go somewhere safe? he suggested.  It s too
exposed out here.
 Please? She was persisting, of course. Mari might be
gentle and fluid, but her stubbornness was also fluid; water over
rock, wearing away even the strongest resistance. She was
doggedly persistent, usually at the worst possible time.
 Hanson?
 Please, Mari. Don t ask me that. I can t tell her no. His
fingers itched whether for a weapon or the touch of her skin,
he couldn t tell.
The quiet of the rain-misted night grew close and dense.
Mari slowed still further and glanced up at the sky.  What s
that? she asked.  Something s out there.
 Storm Watcher 35
Hanson cast his senses out one more time. Nothing. Quiet.
Too quiet. But he knew better than to doubt her sensitivity.
 Come on, Mari, he said, daring to slip his arm over her
shoulders and hurry her along.  Let s get you home, and I ll
tell you anything you want to know.
 Promise? She deliberately dragged her feet, looking up
at him. Even here, out in a potential battlefield with the Dark
perhaps drawing near, he still wanted to touch her. How was
that for crazy?
 I promise, he said. Astrid also used to tell me I was too
grim, he thought, and then cursed himself. That was the worst
possible thought to have right now.  It s too quiet, I don t trust
this. Can we speed it up a little, please? You know you don t
like to see me fight.
That worked. At least, she sped up, her boots clicking against
the pavement.  You really think something s out there?
 It s too quiet, he replied, leaving his arm over her shoulder.
Her light sank into his skin, painful pleasure spreading into his
nerves.  And I trust your instincts.
 You do? Oddly enough, that seemed to please her. She
walked a little faster, their steps in unison now, Hanson s red-
black aura spreading out at the edges of her clear light. It
wouldn t deter a truly hungry predator, but it might make some
of the weaker ones think twice about attacking her. Street lamps
paraded down the street, their circles of light showing mist
drifting in the air.
 Of course I do. You re my witch. He said this almost
absently, scanning the street, even more uneasy when no visible
threat appeared.
 I am nervous, she admitted.  What do you think it is?
 If I knew, I wouldn t be on edge like this. Let s get you
home. He immediately regretted the harshness in his tone, but
she didn t pull away from him. Instead, she shivered and drew
closer, and that thorny pleasure was worth any uneasiness.
 Hanson?
Maybe she s going to ask me again. I can t lie to her, I
can t.  Hm? He settled for an affirmative sound, his free hand
curling around a knife hilt.
 Thank you. For making sure Brandon got a cab. I know
you don t like him. And thank you for keeping me out of the
street. She watched the pavement unroll under their feet, either
not daring or not wanting to look up at him, and he let out a soft [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]