Zora's Dawn (Defender Book 1) Read Free Page A

more.”
    His
expression serious Powers helped her up into the car, catching her gaze as she
settled into her seat. “I know, but something is coming, and you need to know.
Whether you want to or not is no longer important.”
    Sudden
fire lit her eyes and turned them to liquid gold. “God Powers, stop sounding
like one of those paranormal novels! I’m beginning to feel a little two
dimensional here!”
    He smiled
slightly, closed her door and went around to the driver’s side. Saying no more
he turned the car, heading back into town. Zora relaxed with each kilometre
they drove.               Something about getting closer to civilisation made
the whole episode seem more like a freaky dream and less like an actual event in
her life. She was no doubt over reacting since werewolves were one of her
ridiculous phobias. By the time they entered her favourite coffee shop and
placed their order she felt she had the whole thing in perspective.
    Excusing
herself she went to the ladies room to freshen up. She needed to scrub the trip
to the murder scene off her hands, and she just knew her hair was a wild and
frizzy creature. Looking at her reflection in the mirror she sighed, yep her
hair looked like it was alive, and she looked…different. She peered more
closely, trying to pinpoint the difference. Her hair was a wild nimbus around
her face, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were huge and shining. She
looked again, no, they seemed almost to be glowing. She thinned her lips, she
looked like she had just run a marathon, or had some amazing sex. Zora watched
her eyes get even wider at the unexpected thought - where did that come from?
Switching off unwelcome thoughts like that she began to repair the damage,
starting with taming all that hair.
    Sometimes
she gave serious consideration to cutting it all off, it was so wild and curly
and hard to manage. But her mother had loved her hair and had spent a lot of
time combing and styling it, and it was the memory of this that always stopped
her. Even though she knew it was impossible, often when she fought with her
hair she could feel her mother’s hands smoothing the frizz and easing out the
knots.
    Her hair
restored to order she splashed a little cold water on her face and patted it
dry with a paper towel before checking her reflection again. Her cheeks were
still flushed, but her eyes seemed to have lost some of that weird glow which
was a relief as that had looked freaky. Deciding that was probably as good as
it was going to get she went back out to hear whatever it was Powers thought he
needed to tell her. She figured she should do him the courtesy of listening
since he was providing the treats, and she was starving. Mentally rehearsing
her scoffing responses she sat down at the table, delighted to see the coffee
and donuts had beaten her there.
    Powers
said nothing while he watched her eat the foam off her coffee with a spoon and
break the first donut into several pieces. He winced mentally as she dunked the
piece of donut into her coffee before popping it into her mouth, but kept his
expression bland. Once she had finished he asked mildly, “Were you feeling very
hungry?”
    Reaching
for the next donut Zora nodded and said absently, “Starving, and these are the
best donuts I have ever had!”
    “Using
your power is very draining for you, you need to eat more food to sustain your
energy. Sugar is a good way to give you immediate energy but when we leave here
you need to eat a proper lunch with protein, like chicken salad or something.”
    Zora glared
at him, eyes narrowed. The severe expression was marred somewhat by the sugar dusting
her upper lip. She took a big mouthful of her coffee and licked the remnant of
foam off her upper lip, taking the sugar with her tongue into her mouth. Powers
was momentarily mesmerised by this simple action, images entirely inappropriate
to the occasion searing his mind and making his pupils dilate. He should not be
having such