Eve of Warefare by Sylvia Day Read Free Book Online Page B

toyed with the stem a minute, then asked, “Why are we both here in Arcadia Falls? Is the location tied to the hunt in some way?”
    “I’m here because of the resort rental situation. No one expects me to keep regular hours or stick around long term. If the vamp is here in the community, it’s because Adrian, Raguel, and Cain are all running their operations from Anaheim, so there’s a high concentration of angels in the area. Since Raguel owns this property, maybe the vamp thinks that ups his chances of catching an angel here. As for you, I don’t know. Maybe Raguel knows something about this location that roused his suspicions?”
    “I wouldn’t know. He enjoys withholding vital intel from me.” Eve took a drink and was surprised to feel warmth as the alcohol moved through her. The mark prevented mind-altering substances from having any affect. “Do you know why angel blood is in such demand?”
    “No, but it has to either cause a rush – like a drug – or be power-enhancing, because it’s commanding a hefty price on the black market.”
    “I’d expect so, considering the risk.”
    “There’s no risk to you,” he said, his handsome face austere. “I’ve got your back.”
    “I appreciate that. Thank you. Do you have any leads?”
    “I’ve been looking at Jesse. I know Twilight is all the rage with kids these days, but she might be emulating someone else with those veneers of hers. One of her girlfriends? Or a boyfriend, maybe? I’ve been trying to figure out who she’s hanging out with, but it’s tough to ask questions about a girl that age and not look like a pervert.”
    She glanced aside at him. “I can help with that.”
    “I was hoping you’d say that.”
    “In the meantime, we’ll be better guarded from tomorrow night onward,” she improvised, taking the first steps towards the door. “I doubt anyone will come for us so soon after we’ve moved in.”
    Tim fell into step with her. “I agree. There’s reckless, and then there’s stupid. I don’t think we’re lucky enough to be dealing with the latter.”
    “Figures.” She smiled at him. “At least the neighbours are nice.”
    It was three o’clock in the morning, the devil’s hour, when Eve knew her house had been breached. The security system was on and silent and all the doors and windows were locked, but she felt the disturbance in the goose bumps that covered her arms. She slid her legs off the side of the bed and looked at Alec, who reclined against the headboard beside her.
    His gaze met hers and he reached for her hand, his arm flexing in an inherently graceful display of taut muscles rippling beneath olive-coloured skin. He offered a reassuring smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He was worried about her. She wished he’d be more worried about himself.
    Eve stood and padded barefoot towards the open bedroom door. She was dressed in clothing that gave her a full range of movement – loose flannel pants paired with a spaghetti-strapped bra top. She’d prefer to have her Doc Martens on, but they needed their visitor to be as unguarded as possible. They were mortals trying to trap an immortal; they needed all the help they could get.
    Moonlight from the guestroom windows cut alternating swathes across the carpet, affording her enough illumination to walk without fear of running into anything. That didn’t mean she wasn’t afraid of something happening to Alec while she was helpless to protect him. Her heart was racing and her palms were damp; physical reactions that the Mark would have prevented. She missed the rush of aggression and bloodlust that came from the Mark, as well as the heightened senses that would have allowed her to hear even the minutest of noises and to sniff out her quarry. As it was, she wasn’t blind in the strictest sense, but she was definitely guessing.
    A shadow darted across the landing in front of her. Eve stilled and played the role she and Alec had agreed upon. “Hello?” she