The sound of a knock echoed down the hallway. Aimee startled, her heart racing, but then common sense kicked in and she began to relax. She didn’t think demons would bother to knock. Pushing back her chair, she headed out of the kitchen. Roric was already on his feet beside her, a four-foot steel sword grasped in his right hand. She blinked, not believing her eyes. “Where the heck did that come from?”
“My power,” he reminded her. “This sword has been mine since the beginning of time. I can bring it forth at will.”
She stared at the long, lethal weapon. It had appeared out of nowhere. Handy skill to have, all things considered.
Somewhere in her mind, she knew that she should be freaked out by this latest show of paranormal power, but in another part of her mind, it all made a warped kind of sense. Which only proved just how weird she truly was.
A second, heavier knock landed on the front door.
“Someone is at the door.” She pointed out the obvious. “Wait here.”
Roric stepped in front of her. “I must protect you.”
Aimee felt her heart began to swell. He must feel something for her, something beyond physical attraction. Maybe he felt the same connection toward her as she did toward him.
“Until we know your part in this, you must be kept safe.”
“Of course,” she muttered as she hurried toward the door, Roric by her side. She was a means to an end. Nothing more. “Wouldn’t want me to be inconveniently killed until we know what you need from me.”
Roric shot her a dark glance, but said nothing.
Aimee peeked out the long, narrow window alongside the door and sighed with relief. “You can relax. It’s my friend, Sandra. She probably came to find out why I ditched her at the carnival last night.”
Roric nodded and took a step back, but he didn’t lower his weapon. At least he wouldn’t be visible from the door when she opened it. She didn’t think it would be easy to explain away a six-and-a-half-foot man standing in her foyer holding a very large, sharp sword.
Aimee figured the situation was as good as it was going to get. She unlocked the door and opened it. Sandra looked beautiful, as always, in a short red skirt, topped with a blazer in the same color that hugged her ample breasts and displayed her cleavage to its best advantage. It was impossible to tell if she was wearing anything under the tight-fitting jacket. Five-inch stilettos, also in flaming red, and fishnet stockings completed her ensemble.
“Sandra. I was going to call you.”
Her friend put her hand on the door and tried to push her way into the house, her blood-red nails curling inward and gouging the wood. “Where is he?”
Chapter Ten
Aimee sputtered, shocked by her friend’s aggressive actions. Sandra was always laid back and cool, never showing any sign of impatience. Not until this moment.
“Who?” she asked, striving for complete innocence in her tone.
Aimee stood in the entry, blocking it. There was no way Sandra could know about Roric. It was impossible. As much as she knew she owed Sandra an explanation for disappearing on her last night, she didn’t want her friend inside her house, not with Roric standing just behind her. Her instincts were to protect him at all costs.
Sandra’s lips twisted upward in a parody of a smile. It didn’t look pleasant. Her eyes narrowed and darkened with anger. “Don’t play games with me, little girl. I’ve truly been in hell these past months, trapped in this podunk town, waiting for one of the immortals to be set free.”
She shoved against Aimee’s shoulder, knocking her aside. Only Roric’s hand on her back kept her upright. Sandra wasn’t paying the slightest bit of attention to her now that she was inside. All her attention was centered on Roric.
Sandra’s eyes grew slumberous as she licked her glossy red lips. “Well, hello,” she all but purred. Aimee wanted to scratch her eyes out. Jealous! She was jealous of her friend, which was crazy. Sandra was obviously part of this madness.
“What do you mean, trapped here?” Aimee grabbed her friend’s arm to get her attention.
Sandra jerked away, shooting a look of pure disdain at Aimee. “Just what I said. The big guy himself gave me this assignment after he got into your dreams and realized you might be one of the chosen ones.” She sneered as she said the final two words. “He wanted one of us to make contact with you, figured it might make things go easier and help us keep an eye on the situation. He assures me this assignment is a reward for all my loyal service. Personally, I viewed it as a cruel and unusual punishment until now.”
A long, sharp blade slid between them and Aimee gasped, taking a step back away from Roric’s sword. Sandra simply laughed, and the low, seductive sound grated against Aimee’s nerves. She gritted her teeth to keep from slapping the other woman. She’d never felt so violent toward someone in her entire life.