Blood Bonds by Adrienne Wilder Read Free Book Online

only a dull ache in her chest. Probably where the Alchemist had hit her with the triton.
    She tested her fingers, toes, and then went on to move a limb. Everything responded. Which meant the falling had been a part of the nightmare.
    Although, after looking at where she was, maybe the falling had been the good part of the dream and this was the nightmare.
    The room was large and looked more like a concrete hole than anything else. There was a pipe sticking out of the far wall. The concave circular dip and drain in the center suggested it was a shower. The large hole, a few yards over, could only be the other appliance normally found in the household bathroom.
    Haley strained her ears, listening to the silence. It was an abnormal, manufactured sense of stillness. The kind which comes from extreme ground depth and about twenty yards of solid concrete. She turned her head hoping the view would change.
    Nope.
    Walls were just as gray on this side as they were on the other.
    She pulled herself up. Her legs felt a little shaky, but what did she expect? Her body had used up almost all her resources healing the injuries she’d gotten from facing off with Niles.
    Haley continued her self-inventory since nothing critical was missing. Her blazer was shredded, as was most of her blouse, thanks to the large burn hole in the front. And her skirt was
so
not coming back from the dead on this one. However, her nine-hundred dollar Pradas looked like they could do a round on the show room floor. Who says you don’t get what you pay for?
    The muffled sound of arguing trickled in from behind the only part of the wall that looked like it could function as a doorway. Haley moved closer and scented the air. Except for the smells she wore on her skin and clothing from the melee, the room offered nothing except damp concrete.
    The arguing got louder.
    Either the people involved were too far away, or the walls were a lot thicker than she imagined.
    Haley was betting on thick walls.
    Really thick walls.
    Silence.
    She strained her ears and heard nothing but the echo of her own body. Her hearts beating, her pulse moving ... the concrete door slid open with a sharp grind and she jerked back.
    An Alchemist stood staring, pin rifle in her right hand and “fuck you” written all over her face. Her black eyes danced up and down like she was surveying the scene and trying to decide the most painful way to do the deed.
    The burning phosphorus smell, associated with Alchemy, permeated the air around her like the tobacco scent of a two-pack-a-day smoker. Haley couldn’t help it. She took a step back. The Alchemist didn’t raise her weapon, but she did step away from the opening.
    It took Haley a moment to recognize the almost seven-foot-tall-line-backer of a Human, her boss Pip Garrett, as he stepped into view.
    Garrett’s cold steely eyes did a quick once over of the room and his lips effectively disappeared into an angry slash across his square jaw. “You all right?”
    “Yeah.” Haley tugged at her blazer’s remains. Humans had hang ups about flashing too much skin, along with all the touchy-feely stuff. Garrett was more used to dragon behavior than most, but there was no need push it. Especially not today. Especially not now.
    “Are you sure?” His gray eyes gave her a quick scan. Not in a sexual way. Not Garrett. His expression said he was just checking to make sure nothing non-Human was hanging out anywhere. “Seems the Alchemy team in charge of this place is convinced you’re in
rage
and need to be contained.”
    “I’m fine, sir.” Haley felt her face flush. Garrett always could make her self-conscious about the nature of her people. Although, with the way so many of them acted, it really wasn’t that difficult.
    “That’s what I told them. ‘Haley Night has been with the Bureau almost as long as I’ve been alive. She has more control than most Kin I’ve seen. Haley Night doesn’t
rage;
she’s a professional, a Female, a Class