Katie's Hellion

Only to find herself staring at the bubbles of blood forming from within his fist, which was clamped around the blade of a knife a few inches from her face.

"Jade, no!" Kris shouted too late.

Silence surrounded them, not the good kind, but the heavy kind that made her want to hold her breath lest she break it and all hell erupt. There were many still forms around them, with only Kris moving. She saw Ully, Jade, Ileana, Gabriel…and a dozen more she didn't know. The walls were made of uneven, massive stones, the same kind beneath her feet. The air was chilled, still and damp, like she imagined a castle dungeon would feel.

"Rhyn is our…guest," Kris said, as if eating glass shards. "And Katie."

Rhyn tossed the blade back to Jade, who caught it with a look that made Katie want to hide. The tension in the room ratcheted up a notch.

"Katie," Ully hissed, as if they were kids hiding under the porch and not in the obvious line of sight of everyone in the room. "C'mon."

He held out a hand, motioning toward the door. She went. Rhyn refused to release her, and she sighed, leaning her head back against his shoulder in defeat. His arm loosened, and she hurried to Ully, who grabbed her hand and pulled her from the room.

He shoved the massive oak door closed.

"I do not want to see what happens next!" he said, breathing out hard. "Kris told us you both were coming. I think they have some things to discuss with your…"

His gaze went to her neck as he fell silent.

"As long as he's okay," she said with a frown.

He gave her an odd look and started down the hall, waving for her to follow.

"You don't know much about us yet, do you?" he asked.

"Nope."

"Rhyn's mother was a powerful demon, and his father is the same as Kris's. There isn't an immortal out there who'd face off against Rhyn now that Andre's gone. Have you done much to civilize him?"

"There's no civilizing a man like him."

Even as she spoke, her thoughts went to what Gabriel told her. Compared to how Rhyn had been, she had made him civilized.

"Probably not," he agreed. "I'll show you to the women's wing. I'd stay there if they let me!"

His step grew quicker, and his face brightened as they wound their way through the compound.