The Nightwind's Woman Read Free Page B

but like their vampire and revenant cousins, need blood or Sustenance to
thrive. They also require a daily injection of a drug called tenerse to keep
from transitioning out of cycle—which is typically once a quarter.
    “Vampires have a limited span of time they
can be in the sunlight before being harmed by the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
Revenants cannot be in sunlight at all. Both can shift into dragon form.”
    “Not bats,” she said with a ghost of a
smile.
    He chuckled. “I suppose they could if they
wanted to but they prefer dragon form.”
    “And the Night people ones?”
    “Nightwinds,” he stated, “are incubi demons,
very strong, very powerful and highly unpredictable. They serve the females of
a blood-sworn family of witches. Occasionally one will appear who is not
attached to a witch but he’s always looking for a connection to a human female.
Those we keep an eagle eye on for demons are not a trustworthy bunch and their
motives are generally suspect.”
    “Yet one helped you with the fiends in
Antarctica,” she said.
    “He did but Randon Kayle is a different
kettle of fish. As the Supervisor at Tearmann, I have worked with him for
several years now but he is as much an enigma today as he was the first time I
met him. I fear no mortal man or otherworldly creature but where Randon is
concerned, I am careful to watch my back. I don’t trust him any further than I
can see him.”
    “Sounds like a real winner,” she said.
    “He can be…difficult,” her host agreed.
    “Any others I should know about?” she
asked.
    “Oh, we have a plethora of entities at
Tearmann, Dr. Delaney.”
    Kenzi left her chair to pace, something she
often did when trying to make a tough decision. Her eyes were on the sooty
brown carpet, her hands in the pockets of her slacks. She made several
traverses of the room before stopping at the door, twisting her head around to
look at him.
    “You said vacations are paid and I could go
anywhere in the world I like once a year.”
    “For a month, yes,” he replied. “All
expenses paid plus a vacation stipend to use as you see fit.”
    “What’s to keep me from divulging where I
work and what I do when I’m on vacation?” she queried.
    “Who would believe you if you did? You won’t
be able to tell anyone the location of Tearmann anyway so you would run the
risk of being locked up for being a raging nutcase. But let’s just say you did
find someone to listen and take you seriously. How could you be sure they
wouldn’t lock you away and try digging the information out of your brain? That
might prove to be a very painful experience.”
    Kenzi shuddered. “Yeah, I imagine it would
be.”
    “So, as you can see, it is to the benefit
of our employees of the human persuasion to keep silent on the subject. One
slip and you’re back here and you won’t be allowed to leave until it’s time for
you to retire.”
    “Employees of the human persuasion?” she
repeated.
    “Such measures aren’t needed for those who
aren’t entirely human,” he reminded her. “Our lives depend on our ability not
to divulge who and what we are.”
    She thought about that for a moment then
cleared her throat.
    “Okay, what if I ask to go to Tearmann
before I make up my mind?” she asked. “I want to take a look at the facility.” When
he hesitated, she turned to face him. “You’re gonna wipe my mind anyway if I
turn you down so what do you have to lose?”
    “True,” he said, nodding slowly.
    “I don’t buy pigs in a poke, Supervisor,”
she said, using his title for the first time. “I want to know what I’m getting
into.”
    “That’s understandable,” he agreed then
called out to the receptionist again.
    Pearl Gillespie opened the door. “Yes sir?”
    “Is the chopper standing by?”
    The receptionist cast Kenzi a knowing look.
“It is.”
    He stood. “Tell them we’re on our way, to
go ahead and start the engine.”
    “Yes sir.” She came into the room, walked
over to him,