Charlotte & Sebastian Read Free Page A

where he was still pounding away at the bag. Setting her bag of weapons on the floor she stepped onto the machine and cranked up the speed to a fast jog. When that hadn’t done anything to her after several minutes, she put the speed up some more until she was at a steady run. Her breathing grew harsh and unsteady but she kept running, needing to tire herself out.
    Glancing away from her own tiring face in the mirror, she saw that Sebastian was no longer pummelling the bag and had vanished. Good. Looking back at herself, she saw the strain on her face and pressed the large emergency stop button on the control panel.
    As the belt came to a stop, she grabbed the rail on either side and bent her head to suck in deep lungfuls of air.
    Suddenly feeling a presence beside her, on instinct, she backed up and rolled herself backwards over the rail of the treadmill, landing in a crouch on the other side and staring up at whoever it was.
    “Nice move,” Sebastian enthused.
    Charlotte glared at him. “What are you doing here? I thought you'd gone?” She climbed to her feet and folded her arms across her chest.
    “I didn’t go anywhere.”
    “ Obviously!”
    “ Spar with me.”
    She blinked, “Sorry, what?”
    Gliding away from her towards the matted area in the corner, he gestured over his shoulder for her to follow him. She did so slowly, wondering what he was up to. Sebastian stood at one side of the mats and indicated she should stand opposite him.
    “ Sebastian, I'm too tired for this.” He took no notice and seconds later she found herself on her back, winded.
    “ Fight me.”
    “ No.”
    “ Fight me!”
    Pushing to her feet angrily she dove at him, tackling him to the floor. Straddling his waist she drew back her fist and punched him in the face. It did nothing to him at all but sent a flare of pain up her arm. Then just because it had hurt she punched him again, harder.
    His eyes flashed red for a second and suddenly she was transported back, his face morphing into that of her families' murderer and her body froze. Adrenaline began its rush through her and her body acted on impulse and before she was consciously aware, she had driven her small silver switch-blade in the side of his neck.
    Eyes flaring icy blue, he howled in pain and reached up to touch the metal, shrinking back when his fingers touched the blessed silver and it burnt him.
    Blinking, Sebastian's face once more transformed back into his own and she realised what she'd done. “Shit...Oh my God, Sebastian! I'm so sorry!”
    His neck muscles were standing out and his skin was getting a translucent cast to it so she could see his veins beneath the surface and the odd colour that was slowly working its way down from the wound.
    The silver was infecting him, killing him from the inside out.
    Sebastian's throat worked several times before he managed to force any words out, his voice rough with pain, “Out. Pull it. Out.”
    “You'll bleed out,” she said, her throat aching as she tried to hold back her tears.
    His fingers were suddenly wrapped around her wrist, his grip painfully tight. “Pull. It. Out.”
    Charlotte nodded and he released his grip. Leaning forward she gripped the handle and closed her eyes for a second to calm herself. Then with one hard tug, she pulled the blade out of his neck, cringing when she felt the resistance and heard the suction sound of it leaving his skin. He roared his pain and then collapsed on the floor, his chest heaving, eyes closed.
    Blood began to pour from the wound and she pressed her palm against his neck hoping to staunch it somewhat. It worked for several seconds and then began to trickle between her fingers.
    “You need blood,” she said, glancing down at him. “Is there any close by that I can go fetch for you?” He didn’t answer and she began to panic. “Sebastian? Sebastian!” Icy blue eyes flickered open and locked with hers. “Blood? Any close by?” His head moved slowly from side to side and then