Shadow Rising by Kendra Leigh Castle Read Free Book Online Page B

knowing any of this is also creepy. What did they do, keep you locked in a closet for hundreds of years?”
    Elena would never know how close to home those words hit.
    “No. Though I’m beginning to think they might as well have.” Ariane shook her head, pushing back against the resentment that wanted to bubble up more and more since she’d begun to discover all she’d been kept from those many centuries in the desert. “I know it doesn’tmatter, but I’m not here as a Watcher. I’m only looking for my friend. You believe what you like.”
    She felt deflated, and so incredibly tired as she started across the room toward the door. She would run into this again. Maybe hiding among humans would be easier, though it would pose plenty of its own problems. Things to consider…
    Elena’s hand shot out to catch her arm as she brushed past.
    “Wait,” she said as Ariane whipped her head to the side to glare at her.
    It was a struggle to tamp down the flash of fury at being grabbed, restrained. If she thinks to fight me, she’s a fool …
    But Elena simply blew out an exasperated breath, and the hard set of her mouth softened. “Damn it. I had instructions to come in here and toss you out tonight, but you’re making it tough.” She rolled her dark eyes heavenward for a moment, then sighed again. “Okay. You need a place to stay. I’ve got one. Come on.”
    Ariane stared for a moment, not sure she’d heard right. “You’re… offering me a place to stay? Away from here?”
    An edge of annoyance crept into Elena’s voice. “Yes, away from here. I may slum it for the job, but I’ve learned a few things from Strickland. I’ve got my fingers in more than one pie, and one of those pies is income property. Nice income property in vamp-safe areas. One tenant just vacated and headed for Borneo, so I’ve got an opening.”
    Ariane quickly ran through a mental inventory of what little she had left to bargain with. The reality deflated her considerably.
    “I don’t know how much I can pay,” she began, but Elena cut her off with a curt wave of her hand.
    “No. This is gratis. Throwing you out would feel like kicking a damned puppy, which isn’t something I make a habit of doing. Anyway, I could stand to earn a little good karma once in a while. So come with me. Strickland’s holed up in his office. He can get his ass out of it for a while and do something useful while we’re busy. You’ll either get lost or mugged if I don’t take you there, no matter how well you think you can handle yourself.”
    Ariane hesitated for only the barest of instants. Going with Elena was a risk, yes. But staying here was a bigger one.
    “All right. And th—”
    “Don’t,” Elena interrupted, holding up a hand to fend off the gratitude. “Do not thank me. I may toss you out of the place before the week is out. Don’t think I won’t. You make a mess, you attract a news crew, you become a pain in my ass in any way, and out you go. Also, don’t make the mistake of thinking this is permanent. It isn’t. If you’re staying in Charlotte, you have to get your feet under you sooner rather than later and find your own place here. Got it?”
    Ariane fought back a smile at all the bluster and nodded. The words didn’t matter. What mattered was what was beneath them. And so far, all she saw was a good-hearted vampiress who really, really didn’t want anyone to know it. She could live with that.
    Elena eyed the duffel bag. “That’s it?”
    “That’s it.”
    “Only the one piece of freaky-ass medieval weaponry?”
    Ariane hesitated. “The daggers are in my satchel. But they’re small.”
    “Oh. Great.”
    “I’m wearing the larger ones.”
    Elena paused. “That’s… scary.”
    “I do appreciate this, Elena.”
    Elena made a face, but it seemed more for show. “Don’t let anyone else hear that. I’m supposed to be a hardass. That’s why Strickland pays me to keep this place in order.” Then she paused, looked