Sword's Blessing Read Free Page B

that.”
    Armand looked out into the busy street. “She’s crazy and they like it. I don’t know. At a guess I’d say they’re using her. Poor woman.”
    “Didn’t you say she killed two of ours?” Gisselle asked, eying him.
    “Yeah.” He smiled sadly. “Think about it. If we must withstand Hell to ascend, what must they withstand to be driven to Hell?”
    She rolled her eyes. “Sometimes I think you’re better at this forgiveness thing than me, Armand.”
    “If you meet Cyrene you’ll understand. She’s not like the other Damned.”
    “I’ll take your word for it.” Giselle said. “Right now our target is on the move.”
    Armand glanced up at Eli and Samantha heading out of the hotel, dressed nicely, smiling, holding hands. He swallowed. To spend a night with Giselle like that. Eli leaned down. With normal eyes, it was only a few inches. As Armand could see it, Eli topped seven feet with the horns. A flash of envy nipped at Armand’s conscience. Eli was a Damned and could hold the woman he loved. They were being chased, but in the end there they were... Together.
    And where was he? Sipping coffee with the woman he loved, unable to breathe a word lest they be immediately separated to preserve their focus and prevent an ancient curse.
    “Armand?”
    He jumped at the sensation of Giselle’s voice next to his ear, and whipped around to face her.
    She smiled. “Come on. If you’re right and they’ve made us they won’t actually be going to dinner.”
    “Yeah, sure.” He got up, and resisted the urge to take her waist. Instead he brushed her hand as they cleaned up their table and left. She glanced up, met his eyes and smiled.
    Breath caught, Armand smiled back. He couldn’t touch her body, but at least, as a bonded pair, their souls were never far apart.
    * * * *
    As they followed Eli and Samantha down the street, their postures grew less relaxed as they bent together, speaking quietly. They didn’t glance behind. They clearly didn’t need to. Giselle pursed her lips. “You think we should back off and let them get a lead?”
    He looked around. “Maybe. Something’s not right though.”
    She frowned as they turned into a carnival taking place in one of the empty lots. It was packed, but he could feel slime on the back of his tongue, a twitch. They definitely knew they were being followed. There was something else though…
    “Besides the fact they already know we’re here?”
    He shook his head. “Let’s face it, Giselle, we’re not very good trackers. I think that one’s our fault. It’s something else.”
    He looked around, hair on end. It wasn’t even that Samantha and Eli were walking ahead of them as if they were unfazed. They probably knew a pair of Angels weren't a threat against them–especially two as young as Giselle and Armand. Provided they knew who they were. He grimaced. “Do you know if Eli and Samantha are being tailed by anyone else?”
    “Besides Cyrene, no,” Giselle shook her head. “The impression I got from the reports was the Damned were letting Cyrene deal with them, since it was a bit of a grudge–”
    Armand hissed and grabbed Giselle’s arm, turning her around and walking away. That was it.
    Her eyes widened. “Armand?”
    “The bad feeling.” He swallowed. How hadn’t he recognized it immediately? That stalking, wailing tension in the air was unmistakable. “I think she’s here, Giselle. She must have realized we were here and followed us straight to Eli and Samantha.”
    “What?” Giselle leaned closer into him. “Can you sense her like that?”
    “Sort of.” Armand turned between two tents, coming out at a darkparking lot, making a beeline for the fence. “But there’s... a miasma, just a terrible feeling of madness right before you see her.” He clenched his hands. “The problem in Chicago was we had no idea she was so powerful. We’d been told twenty thousand souls, twenty five max.”
    “What was she, then?” Giselle asked softly,