nothing left to lose, he charged to the window.
Chapter Two
Ruby Brannon had been born to do research. Or at least it felt that way most of the time. She loved it, which was how she had become the youngest professor of Ancient Cultures at Columbia University. Of course, Columbia felt very far away from an unnamed island off the coast of Maine.
But even she couldn't fathom how she could possibly make hide or hair out of the mess of her Outsider heritage. She stared down at the ancient texts. If she got two words translated an hour, it would be progress. They simply couldn't go further until they got some sort of translator. Someone who could make sense of the gobbledygook in front of her.
She stroked her blonde hair, desperately needing a cut, and took a sip of her coffee. If she could go back in time, she'd never ever have come to Maine.
Leonardo Gregan, the man whose job she had taken at Columbia after he'd gone on leave and the leader of the Outsiders, sauntered into the room. He'd been awfully cheery all day, and even Ruby, who hadn't known him very long, could tell his current joviality wasn't normal.
"How's it coming?"
"Badly." She stood up to stretch. "What has you so happy?"
"For the first time in years, it's not me sitting in that desk staring at pages that don't make sense."
Yes, he'd given that job to her as soon as he'd returned from a jaunt to New Orleans where he and the whole crew attempted to kill a demon named Sebastian, a strange name for a demon to be sure.
Actually, he'd assigned her the job shortly after threatening to kill her for trespassing.
"I'm glad my current state of misery means you get to be happy."
He laughed, a loud hard sound. "No, you're not, and I don't blame you."
She walked to the window. "Anything exciting happening out there?"
"You know the usual routine. Drew is teaching Demon-Fighting one-oh-one. Eden and Samuel are locked away somewhere probably having sex."
Ruby sighed. They were all so invested in each other's business, and she wasn't used to it. Her grandparents had been incredibly private people. Would she ever be comfortable having everyone know everything about her?
A wind whirled into the room seconds before what looked like hundreds of earmuffs fell all over the floor like they'd been summoned there.
Leonardo gasped before he scratched his head. "Getting cold?"
"No." Her cheeks heated up. Damn her power. She held no control over it. "I think it got sent for another reason."
She'd wanted privacy, and her powers had arranged it so she didn't have to hear anything she didn't want to hear. But where had they stolen them from? Had everyone in a ten-mile radius of the island lost his or her earmuffs?
"Now if only we could get your powers to bring us the keys we need to translate these journals."
"True." She sighed. "If only I had any control at all over them."
"You're hardly the first of us to have trouble with control. This time last year, Eden seemed practically catatonic."
"Hey." Eden walked into the room, holding Samuel's hand. She'd been blinded by the demon, but because of her connection to her other half, she could see through Samuel's eyes. Therefore, they never went anywhere separately. "Don't talk about me behind my back."
Leonardo smiled. "I knew you were standing there."
"Liar."
Samuel snorted and shook his head at his soul mate's remark. "Eden's had a pretty intense vision."
Ruby's ears perked up. Not much had happened since she'd arrived at the Outsider's remote island home off the coast of Maine. She'd heard about great occurrences and tragedies but had yet to experience any of it herself. If the pace remained as slow as it had, she didn't know if she'd be able to stay put permanently on the rock they called home. At least in New York City she could study, teach, and go to Starbucks. So far none of the Outsiders had been able to produce a decent cup of coffee, herself included.
"Tell me." Leonardo moved until he faced Eden.
"There's been
Chapter Two
Ruby Brannon had been born to do research. Or at least it felt that way most of the time. She loved it, which was how she had become the youngest professor of Ancient Cultures at Columbia University. Of course, Columbia felt very far away from an unnamed island off the coast of Maine.
But even she couldn't fathom how she could possibly make hide or hair out of the mess of her Outsider heritage. She stared down at the ancient texts. If she got two words translated an hour, it would be progress. They simply couldn't go further until they got some sort of translator. Someone who could make sense of the gobbledygook in front of her.
She stroked her blonde hair, desperately needing a cut, and took a sip of her coffee. If she could go back in time, she'd never ever have come to Maine.
Leonardo Gregan, the man whose job she had taken at Columbia after he'd gone on leave and the leader of the Outsiders, sauntered into the room. He'd been awfully cheery all day, and even Ruby, who hadn't known him very long, could tell his current joviality wasn't normal.
"How's it coming?"
"Badly." She stood up to stretch. "What has you so happy?"
"For the first time in years, it's not me sitting in that desk staring at pages that don't make sense."
Yes, he'd given that job to her as soon as he'd returned from a jaunt to New Orleans where he and the whole crew attempted to kill a demon named Sebastian, a strange name for a demon to be sure.
Actually, he'd assigned her the job shortly after threatening to kill her for trespassing.
"I'm glad my current state of misery means you get to be happy."
He laughed, a loud hard sound. "No, you're not, and I don't blame you."
She walked to the window. "Anything exciting happening out there?"
"You know the usual routine. Drew is teaching Demon-Fighting one-oh-one. Eden and Samuel are locked away somewhere probably having sex."
Ruby sighed. They were all so invested in each other's business, and she wasn't used to it. Her grandparents had been incredibly private people. Would she ever be comfortable having everyone know everything about her?
A wind whirled into the room seconds before what looked like hundreds of earmuffs fell all over the floor like they'd been summoned there.
Leonardo gasped before he scratched his head. "Getting cold?"
"No." Her cheeks heated up. Damn her power. She held no control over it. "I think it got sent for another reason."
She'd wanted privacy, and her powers had arranged it so she didn't have to hear anything she didn't want to hear. But where had they stolen them from? Had everyone in a ten-mile radius of the island lost his or her earmuffs?
"Now if only we could get your powers to bring us the keys we need to translate these journals."
"True." She sighed. "If only I had any control at all over them."
"You're hardly the first of us to have trouble with control. This time last year, Eden seemed practically catatonic."
"Hey." Eden walked into the room, holding Samuel's hand. She'd been blinded by the demon, but because of her connection to her other half, she could see through Samuel's eyes. Therefore, they never went anywhere separately. "Don't talk about me behind my back."
Leonardo smiled. "I knew you were standing there."
"Liar."
Samuel snorted and shook his head at his soul mate's remark. "Eden's had a pretty intense vision."
Ruby's ears perked up. Not much had happened since she'd arrived at the Outsider's remote island home off the coast of Maine. She'd heard about great occurrences and tragedies but had yet to experience any of it herself. If the pace remained as slow as it had, she didn't know if she'd be able to stay put permanently on the rock they called home. At least in New York City she could study, teach, and go to Starbucks. So far none of the Outsiders had been able to produce a decent cup of coffee, herself included.
"Tell me." Leonardo moved until he faced Eden.
"There's been
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