Darkness Rises(15)

“Hi, Ami,” Sarah called with a smile.
“Hi.”
The men all echoed the greeting.
Every male Immortal Guardian in North Carolina adored the two women. They loved Sarah for being the first gifted one in history to ask to be infected so she could spend eternity with Roland’s antisocial ass. They loved Ami for . . . well . . . being Ami.
She was so sweet and shy. And fucking ferocious on the battlefield. A mere week after being named Marcus’s Second, she had helped him stand against and defeat thirty-four vampires. Thirty-four. No mortal had ever attempted such a feat. Hell, no immortal had either until then. Except, perhaps, for Seth or David. Those two had lived thousands of years. Étienne didn’t know half of what they had done.
“Where’s Marcus?” Sarah asked.
“Out hunting.”
“How did he get out of kitten duty?” Roland asked dourly, even though everyone here could clearly see he had a soft spot for animals.
Ami stroked Slim’s fur. “Slim doesn’t like smelling other cats on him.”
Étienne suspected there was more to it than that, but didn’t say anything. Marcus had been giving off all kinds of stress vibes lately.
“In fact, I’m going to take Slim out for a jaunt until you’re finished in here. I think he needs a break.”
Slim chose that moment to emit a peculiar howl.
Chuckles circled the room as she passed through the kitchen, then exited through the back door.
 

 

Stepping out into the brisk wind, Ami set Slim down on the back deck and gave his skinny little butt a pat. “All right, you crazy kitty. Have fun.”
Perking up, he meowed and trotted down the steps into the darkened yard.
Ami stood still for a moment, enjoying the night.
Quiet engulfed her. Since she didn’t have the superior hearing of immortals, the conversations of those within couldn’t reach her out here. Only the rustling of leaves that fluttered in the breeze broke the silence.
Retrieving the lightweight aluminum ladder kept on the deck, she descended the porch steps and walked around to the side of the house. The ladder was just tall enough to reach the roof. Ami leaned it up against the gutters and gave it a shake to ensure it was steady before she placed her foot on the first rung and began to climb.
At the top, she peered over the edge of the roof, already knowing whom she would find seated upon it.
As usual, he wore black leather pants and nothing else. A pair of beautiful wings, as tan as his skin at their base and darkening to black at their tips, were folded against his back. His shoulder-length, wavy, black hair danced in the wind.
Hi, she greeted him mentally.
He shook his head. How do you always know I’m here? Rising, he strode silently across the roof, took her hand, and helped her the rest of the way up.
I know your energy signature now.
His brow furrowed. I’m glad Seth can’t detect me so easily. I doubt he’d respond well to learning I’ve been . . . visiting.
She thought he might be right on that one. Her husband Marcus wouldn’t either, if he knew.
Seating herself, Ami waited for Zach to reclaim his spot, then withdrew two lollipops from her jacket.
His lips tilted up in a faint smile. Which one do I want tonight?
She offered him a green one. Apple.
The smell of fresh fruit—Granny Smith apples and ripe strawberries—filled the air as they unwrapped their treats and let the flavors coat their tongues.
This was the sixth or seventh time she had met him up here. She alone seemed capable of detecting his presence.
She still didn’t know who he was, but sensed he posed no threat to her.
He rarely spoke. That didn’t bother her though. She hadn’t been much of a talker either after Seth and David had rescued her from her torturers. And the first time she had met Zach he had been riddled with wounds and trembling with pain.
Ami understood pain.
She also understood a reluctance to trust.
Wind buffeted her, rocking her on her perch.
Zach unfurled his wings to shield her from the breeze.
So, he drawled, surprising her, how are you?
She turned her head and found him studying her intently. You know? she asked.
About your pregnancy? Yes.
Only a handful of people had been told, so either he had overheard it or he had detected the baby’s heartbeat and, unlike the others, knew it didn’t belong to one of the kittens.
Dr. Lipton said the baby has a strong, healthy heartbeat.
I didn’t ask about the baby. I asked about you. How are you doing?
Shrugging, she lowered her gaze to the lollipop wrapper and began to fold and unfold it. The nausea is pretty bad. Lollipops are the only sweet things I can stand to smell or eat. Anything else makes me throw up. As did most foods. Marcus was worried that she wasn’t getting enough nutrition, because almost everything she put in her stomach came right back up again.