Lore vs. The Summoning by Anya Breton Read Free Book Online Page B

of me, ready to plague at a moment's notice, I whipped the thing open only to find the next room empty. Throwing caution to the wind, I rushed through it to the next door. It too was empty. The door at the other end looked a bit more promising. The casing was made of thick metal, the handle was larger and sturdier, and there were several heavy locks.  
    My hand went to the keys in my pocket in case I'd need them to get the locks unfastened. When the handle turned easily and I stepped out into the cool, night air I thought that this was far too simple.  
    Of course that was when someone proved me right by pouncing on me from the shadows.

CHAPTER FIVE

    I didn't scream and it wasn't because of the cool hand muffling my mouth. It took a hell of a lot more than someone jumping out of shadows to frighten me. More than that, I was calm.  
    In fact, I was collected enough to calculate that the person pressed up behind me couldn't be much taller than five foot ten, probably wasn't much heavier than a hundred and seventy pounds, and didn't seem to be all that strong. I decided to attempt to fight rather than plague them. I might feel guilty if it turned out to be a punk kid with circulation problems. One human death on my conscience was enough.
    An elbow to the attacker's solar plexus preceded my back kick to their groin. The person behind me grunted, immediately letting go. I whirled around while they were clutching their privates protectively.
    "Was that necessary, Miss Denham?"
    "Aiden?" The hoarse voice had startled me enough that I'd forgotten to greet him formally.
    "Mmm," he purred above a kind of laughing cough.  
    I had no idea what that meant. But apparently the undead were susceptible to kicks to the family jewels. I'd have to remember that.
    "What the hell are you doing here? I could have hurt you," I demanded.
    He unfurled to his full height (of five foot ten, I'd been spot on). "I seriously doubt that," he said with a half smile of his ghostly grey lips.
    I couldn't see him all that well in the shadows of the alley I'd stumbled into but I thought his long hair was straight tonight. It was darker in color, not black but definitely not honey blonde. It was a good choice because Aiden looked better as a brunette.  
    He was wearing one of his many three-piece suits. I didn't need light to know that it was a garment that was no doubt made of the finest fabric and tailored to fit him like a second skin. These were requirements of all his suits.
    What little illumination there was allowed me to see that he'd maintained much of the facial features from the other night with the exception of the nose. He seemed to be experimenting with a narrower sniffer tonight. I didn't approve but I'd never tell him so. It would be admitting that I approved of other versions of him.
    Focus , the little voice in my head screamed. There were five females back inside that I'd yet to free. I couldn't be outside debating with a vampire.
    "Wait a second," I said aloud as if he'd been involved in my internal monologue. "You said the vampires couldn't be linked to this at all. What are you doing here?"
    "Bringing you this," he said simply.
    I looked down at the offer held by his delicately formed fingers. It was a gun nearly identical to the piece I usually carried. The only variance was this one's grip lacked a slash mark from a mutated jungle cat.
    "You brought me a gun," I said dully. "Out here...wherever I am."
    "You're in Jamaican Plain," Aiden said helpfully. "And yes, I did."
    Warily I asked, "How did you know where I was when even I didn't?"
    "I followed you."  
    There was no compunction to that statement. He said it as if it were a foregone conclusion that he'd do such a thing. I opened my mouth to ask another question but clamped it shut without bothering. There were more important things to worry about than why Aiden was following me.
    The gun would be helpful. I took it with murmured thanks and tried my best not to look at him. I