One Immortal - Tia Louise Page 0,57

taking her blood came to me this morning as I watched her sleep. She lay so still beside me, yet her slim brow was still troubled. I thought about her words. She hears his voice in her head. It’s an experiment. She’s only a hybrid, but I had to try. My one regret is not being able to alert Stuart and Patrick beforehand in case there are… unintended consequences.

Pulling my phone out to text my partner, I turn on Bienville Street heading for Bourbon when out of nowhere, BAM!

I’m hit so hard, I almost drop my phone.

Falling back against the wall, I try to catch my breath, looking around for what it was. Nothing… I see nothing around me but tourists.

For a moment, I’m confused. Am I hallucinating?

It happens again—BAM!

An invisible weight slams into my chest. My throat tightens, and my vision clouds as if a fog rolls in around me.

I can’t see anything. Fighting panic, I grip the stucco wall at my back to hold me steady. Hissing fills my ears, and a surge of jealousy slams into my stomach like a fist. I stagger, still trying to hold myself up.

It’s him. I don’t know if he’s here on the street or if I’ve only tapped into his psyche, but he’s here.

I feel you, too.

His words crystallize in my brain.

My breathing picks up, and I look around fast. Still foggy. I flush hot then cold, and sweat breaks out over my forehead. My chest tightens. I’m alone and unarmed. I’m completely vulnerable, and neither of my partners knows where I am. How could I be so foolish?

Holding the stucco at my back, I step slowly toward the corner, making my way to my hotel. I’m only a half block from the door. I’ve got to make it inside.

As I approach Bourbon, the mist starts to clear. I see a wall of moving tourists where Bienville crosses the busy street. Straining my eyes, I scan the crowd for anything suspicious.

It hits me again, just as hard. BAM!

Rage slams into me like a sucker-punch. It’s so strong, it almost bends me in two. I hold my midsection and breathe deeply. As I lift my chin ice floods my veins.

I see him. He’s there.

He’s a silhouette, a slender man standing apart from the crowd. He’s across the street facing me in the shadows, and his features are obscured as if a smear has been put on a camera lens. It makes him appear to have no face, only two black orbs, his eyes glaring at me.

Despite all my strength, I shudder. I’m not ready for this.

You dare touch what’s MINE? His voice is a snake in my ears.

My one gift, my immunity to their glamour has vanished. Drinking her blood mingled with his must have taken it away. Only he isn’t using glamour. He’s blinding me. He’s preventing me from seeing his features. I push away from the wall, trying to move with the stream of tourists, to keep them between him and me.

Still, I know how fast he can move. If he chooses to strike, all anyone would notice is the flutter of a curtain. The sweat on my forehead is cold, and I push on toward the Royal Sonesta.

He isn’t attacking. He’s tracking, figuring out where I’m staying. I thought I’d find him, but the tables have turned. I’m the hunted.

From deep within, my insides rage at that thought. My vow to save Melissa fights back with a powerful anger. Instinctively, I push against the creature with my mind. He might be powerful, but he’s not indestructible. He’s just another monster.

I took back what you stole. My thoughts turn forceful. She’s mine now.

The haze slips from my eyes. I see the line of a smile, hard and sinister on his lips. Oh, yes. You will be fun to kill.

Blinking, I step forward to the street for a better look. As I do, he recedes further into the darkness. His face melts into the shadows, followed by his entire body.

He’s gone.

With a deep sigh, I wipe the sweat off my brow. I stand staring at the empty space, calming my breath, waiting for my adrenaline to cool. A woman bumps into me, snapping me from my daze. She apologizes, and I nod, pushing into the lobby.

I text Stuart, Meet me in my room now. Urgent.

We had planned to meet in the oyster bar attached to the hotel, but I go straight to my room. I’m there five minutes when he’s knocking.

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