Wicked Edge by Nina Bangs Read Free Book Online
Authors: Nina Bangs
then picked him up and heaved him against the far wall.
Unfortunately, as he fell, he grabbed the terrified virgin to anchor himself. So when he hit the far wall, she took the impact with him. He staggered to his feet. She didn’t.
Passion froze. Even as she registered the unnatural twist to the virgin’s neck along with her blank staring eyes, something was happening to Passion too. Warmth flooded her. Not normal heat, but a burn that seemed to race through her veins and then pool in her fingertips.
Life.
The word rang in her head.
Life.
It was a pounding at her temples, a blinding light right behind her eyes, an explosion of power that almost brought her to her knees.
Without realizing it, Passion stumbled toward the woman on the floor.
“The bastard. I’ll kill him for this.” Sir Bain crouched beside the woman’s body.
He thrummed with a fury that Passion could feel scraping at her skin, trying to push her away. On some subconscious level, she recognized the deadliness of his anger. But she wouldn’t be pushed back or stopped. Not by him or anyone like him.
“Move away from her.” Passion’s voice seemed to come from far away.
Surprisingly, he obeyed her. He stood and looked around wildly, as though he’d find the object of his anger hiding in the shadows somewhere.
Passion crouched beside the woman. She recognized death, but so recent that her soul still remained. Passion didn’t know how she knew this. The how wasn’t important now.
Life.
The word was thunder in her head, a battering ram crashing against the wall of her mind. She swayed, willing herself to stay conscious. She had to put her hand on the woman. It was a compulsion, one she had no weapons against. Placing her palm flat against the dead woman’s chest, she felt the heat flowing from her fingertips, watched in horror as a glow built around the five contact points.
Behind her, she heard Sir Bain suck in his breath and mutter a curse. One she’d never heard before. Then the woman began to breathe. It was as simple as that. Passion stared at her neck. No longer twisted, it looked normal. The woman opened her eyes.
“What the hell happened?” She pushed her hair away from her face and scrambled to her feet before Passion could help her.
I don’t know. I don’t freaking know.
Passion had never been so scared in her long life. Fine, so fear wasn’t a part of her heavenly experience. But this, this was so weird that she wanted to race screaming from the castle, beg Archangel Ted to take her home,huddle in the darkest corner she could find, and pull forgetfulness over her head.
“You fainted. Have you eaten anything lately?”
Sir Bain’s tone was calm, the voice of reason in a world that had suddenly taken a hard right turn off the normal path. This was a side road that she didn’t want to explore, but she couldn’t find a place wide enough for her to turn around.
“No, I guess I haven’t.” The virgin smoothed down her white flowing dress, and then looked at Sir Bain from under her lashes.
Didn’t the idiot know she’d been
dead
? And now she wasn’t. Why? How? Passion felt panic bubbling up under the surface of her false calm.
“But before you carry me back down those steps, because I still feel a little weak, I want to see you protect me against that wicked vampire.”
The wicked vampire that just saved your ungrateful butt.
Even if said wicked vampire didn’t know how the heck she’d done it. Passion rose from her crouch. Surely Sir Bain didn’t intend to carry on with the whole fantasy thing?
Evidently he did, because he drew his sword and began to stalk Passion. Guess she had to play the game. She did a little of her own stalking as she offered him a few unenthusiastic hisses.
“Looks as though you could use a little help, my lovely vampire queen.”
The husky male voice warmed the sensitive skin behind her ear and sent prickles of awareness skittering down her spine. Passion’s senses recognized him
Unfortunately, as he fell, he grabbed the terrified virgin to anchor himself. So when he hit the far wall, she took the impact with him. He staggered to his feet. She didn’t.
Passion froze. Even as she registered the unnatural twist to the virgin’s neck along with her blank staring eyes, something was happening to Passion too. Warmth flooded her. Not normal heat, but a burn that seemed to race through her veins and then pool in her fingertips.
Life.
The word rang in her head.
Life.
It was a pounding at her temples, a blinding light right behind her eyes, an explosion of power that almost brought her to her knees.
Without realizing it, Passion stumbled toward the woman on the floor.
“The bastard. I’ll kill him for this.” Sir Bain crouched beside the woman’s body.
He thrummed with a fury that Passion could feel scraping at her skin, trying to push her away. On some subconscious level, she recognized the deadliness of his anger. But she wouldn’t be pushed back or stopped. Not by him or anyone like him.
“Move away from her.” Passion’s voice seemed to come from far away.
Surprisingly, he obeyed her. He stood and looked around wildly, as though he’d find the object of his anger hiding in the shadows somewhere.
Passion crouched beside the woman. She recognized death, but so recent that her soul still remained. Passion didn’t know how she knew this. The how wasn’t important now.
Life.
The word was thunder in her head, a battering ram crashing against the wall of her mind. She swayed, willing herself to stay conscious. She had to put her hand on the woman. It was a compulsion, one she had no weapons against. Placing her palm flat against the dead woman’s chest, she felt the heat flowing from her fingertips, watched in horror as a glow built around the five contact points.
Behind her, she heard Sir Bain suck in his breath and mutter a curse. One she’d never heard before. Then the woman began to breathe. It was as simple as that. Passion stared at her neck. No longer twisted, it looked normal. The woman opened her eyes.
“What the hell happened?” She pushed her hair away from her face and scrambled to her feet before Passion could help her.
I don’t know. I don’t freaking know.
Passion had never been so scared in her long life. Fine, so fear wasn’t a part of her heavenly experience. But this, this was so weird that she wanted to race screaming from the castle, beg Archangel Ted to take her home,huddle in the darkest corner she could find, and pull forgetfulness over her head.
“You fainted. Have you eaten anything lately?”
Sir Bain’s tone was calm, the voice of reason in a world that had suddenly taken a hard right turn off the normal path. This was a side road that she didn’t want to explore, but she couldn’t find a place wide enough for her to turn around.
“No, I guess I haven’t.” The virgin smoothed down her white flowing dress, and then looked at Sir Bain from under her lashes.
Didn’t the idiot know she’d been
dead
? And now she wasn’t. Why? How? Passion felt panic bubbling up under the surface of her false calm.
“But before you carry me back down those steps, because I still feel a little weak, I want to see you protect me against that wicked vampire.”
The wicked vampire that just saved your ungrateful butt.
Even if said wicked vampire didn’t know how the heck she’d done it. Passion rose from her crouch. Surely Sir Bain didn’t intend to carry on with the whole fantasy thing?
Evidently he did, because he drew his sword and began to stalk Passion. Guess she had to play the game. She did a little of her own stalking as she offered him a few unenthusiastic hisses.
“Looks as though you could use a little help, my lovely vampire queen.”
The husky male voice warmed the sensitive skin behind her ear and sent prickles of awareness skittering down her spine. Passion’s senses recognized him