stop her from being curious. Her mother and several of her patients from both races had told her stories about Tador, and she longed to see it for herself—to walk where her mother had walked and see what she had seen. Not to mention, it would give her a chance to see if the Klatch royals were ready for the reunification of the species that she was convinced was the only way to heal both races.
“Speechless, I see.” He flashed a quick smile, nearly a smirk, and then it was gone before she could study it to decide. “I would’ve thought it would take more than that.”
Kiera ignored the jibe and propped her fists on her hips, the Ruger still cupped in her right palm. “Obviously you aren’t running for prince of the year, or you wouldn’t be considering bringing someone with Cunt blood running through her veins back to sully the sacred soil of Tador.”
He laughed and shook his head in mock sadness. “I doubt with the year I’ve had I’m even in the running.” He sat Shiloh gently on the counter and, still watching Kiera, missed the narrowed orange glare of displeasure from the cat. “Regardless, that’s the one place the assassins can’t get to you.” He glanced away and then back as if deciding his next words carefully. “However, Tador is very much in need of a Healer at present, so we could help each other.”
Kiera started at the word “Healer.” He said it like an office unto itself, not as if he used it as a generic term for a doctor.
A loud hiss sounded from Shiloh, startling them both.
Ryan grabbed Shiloh around the middle and wrapped one large hand around Kiera’s wrist, nearly dragging her out of the kitchen. He shoved open the door to the garage and pulled her through into the darkened, chilly room.
“Hey!” she protested when no alarms sounded as the door opened.
How the hell did he disable my alarms?
Another firm yank pulled her toward the passenger side of the Humvee and cut off anything else she would’ve said.
The sharp spate of gunfire sounded from the back of the house and convinced her to enter the code to open the car door and jump inside the Humvee unasked.
Ryan tossed Shiloh onto her lap and slammed the passenger door. Only then did she realize she sat in the passenger seat and Ryan meant to drive.
More gunfire erased any thought of objecting. She dumped the cat into the back seat, who for once didn’t protest, and clicked her seatbelt into the buckle just as Ryan slid into driver’s seat.
“Keys.” He held out his hand, and she fished inside her front jeans pocket for her keychain. She nearly dropped them on the floor when another round of gunfire sounded from just the other side of the garage door in front of them. Her father had trained her for situations such as these, but tonight was the first time she had ever found herself in a truly life-threatening one.
It was humbling to admit that no matter all her training and knowledge, without her father, she didn’t feel ready or prepared.
Ryan plucked the keys from her hand and started the ignition.
“Wait, the garage door—”
Ryan flashed her a grin and then floored the gas pedal.
The Humvee shot forward, and Kiera closed her eyes.
The wrenching sound of metal drowned out the sound of gunfire for a few long moments. The Humvee lurched as it drove over several bumps, so she opened her eyes and craned her neck to look behind them.
Even in the dim moonlight, she could see that the garage door had come off nearly intact, and they had most likely driven right over it, and possibly over some of the men who had come after them.
Me , she corrected herself. They are after me, not Ryan .
She was considered the traitor to the Cunts, though she had no doubt that killing a Klatch prince would be a rare treat for the treacherous Cunt Council and their assassins. Ryan would be just a perk—she was the real target.
A quick flash of guilt washed over her, but she quickly shoved it aside to worry about later. After all, if it weren’t for his interruption of her meeting with Danen last night, things might not have gotten this out of control.
A car swerved onto the road behind them, the headlights blinding her for a moment while her eyes adjusted. “Shit.”
“We need only to get to an existing portal point, and we’re home free.” The calmness of his voice surprised her and also soothed her for some unknown reason. He sounded as if he were answering her over coffee instead of in the midst of a dangerous car chase.
Kiera glanced over at him, noting that in the excitement of the moment, he had forgotten to drop his chin so his cascade of long dark hair covered his scar. The dappled moonlight that shone through the windows softened the angry pink and red color of the scar. An urge to touch the puckered skin where it met the corner of his lips tingled through her fingers, and she squelched it by clenching her fist.
Unbelievable timing, Kiera! It’s not like we are running for our lives or anything here .
As if he felt her intense scrutiny, he turned his head, and their eyes met for a brief moment before he returned his gaze to the road.
In that instant, she had seen deep vulnerability and pain. She felt like she had intruded on something private and wished she could take it back.
A sizzling blue bolt struck the back of the Humvee and shook the windows so hard she thought they would shatter.
“Damn.” Ryan turned the wheel hard, steering them off the road and into a patch of trees that lined the road.
Kiera gasped and gripped the dash so hard her fingers hurt. She pictured the Humvee crashing into a thick copse of pine trees and leaving them unconscious and at the mercy of whoever followed them.
However, a moment later when there was no crash, only the high-pitched squealing of branches scratching the sides of the car, she breathed a sigh of relief. Obviously Ryan had seen an opening she hadn’t.
Darkness enveloped them now that they were surrounded by thick forest with only a small path to drive through. Weak moonlight filtered in through occasional gaps in the trees, but most of the illumination came from their headlights and the soft glow of the Humvee’s dash panel.
Ryan turned the wheel hard to navigate around a fallen tree, and she grabbed the door handle and dash to keep from sliding, even with the restraint of her seatbelt holding her in place. “I don’t know how familiar you are with energy blasts, but too much will short out every electrical system in the car.”
“Oh,” was all she could think to offer as an answer. At least that explained why they were suddenly off-roading through a seemingly impenetrable forest in the murky dark. She stifled a rather girly squeak as they bounced over a large bump and all four tires were airborne for a long moment until they landed hard.
As the tires hit the ground and Kiera’s breath whooshed out at the impact, another blue blast encompassed the Humvee but only managed a weak blue glow before it dissipated. Apparently casting through all the trees and brush had its disadvantages.
Kiera had treated plenty of energy burns but hadn’t had much experience with the actual beams themselves—until tonight.
