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Shadowdance(102)

By:Kristen Callihan


“Key? What bloody key?” Mary’s torso was smooth, too pale, and showed no trace of wearing a key.

“To restart her heart. She’s no longer under my command so I don’t have it anymore.” With that, Lucien went back to touching Mary, tracing the neat little half-moon that was her navel as he muttered. “It ought to be here. We all wear it close.”

Jack gnashed his teeth at the sight of Stone touching her with impunity. The desire to throw him across the room made Jack’s muscles quiver. But he could not. Mary needed the fucking GIM. Jack ran his hands through his shorn hair and locked his fingers behind his head to quell the temptation to strike.

Lucien paused for a moment, then laughed. His fingers went to the tawny peaks of her nipples, and Jack nearly howled. But the bastard stopped with a grin. “Cheeky girl,” he said fondly to Mary before turning back to Jack. “Got it.”

Jack stilled. “What? It’s on her…” Heat coursed through his body as, with a gentle curl of his finger, the GIM lifted something from the tip of Mary’s left nipple. A crystal key glinted in the lamplight. Hanging from a piercing. Like that, Jack’s cock leapt to attention.

“Shit,” he muttered, realizing that he was naked.

Lucien gave him a quick look and sneered. “Christ, man, get some clothes out of my bureau before I am ill.”

Face burning, Jack did as bidden, keeping an eye on Stone while throwing on a too-small shirt and trousers.

More precious seconds were wasted as Lucien struggled to free the tiny key from the nearly invisible hoop that attached it to Mary’s nipple. Once it was free, Lucien ran his fingertips along the golden path between Mary’s breasts. He stopped at a small section and slipped the key into a tiny keyhole.

“You might not want to look,” Lucien murmured.

Bollocks to that. Jack moved forward and grabbed Mary’s hand. It was ice-cold and corpse-stiff.

Lucien turned the key. Immediately a series of clicks went off, sounding over-loud in the room. The golden tracks separated, parting Mary’s flesh as well. Blood welled, and then an ivory length of bone appeared.

Jack had seen a number of things in his time. Had even helped Ian repair the inspector after Lane had fought the soul thief Isley. They had not prepared him for this sight. His head went light.

Mary’s sternum creaked, and then, as if they were merely gates, her ribs began to open.

“Christ almighty.” Jack swallowed hard. Through the blood and gore lay her heart, a miracle that appeared much like a human heart in shape, save it was made of gold. Thick valves attached to the arteries were of gold as well. A glass window dominated the center of the heart, showing the inside where cogs and gears sat unmoving. Just above the window was another keyhole. Lucien slid in Mary’s crystal key and turned it counterclockwise. Blue-white light flashed from the key and traveled in cracking licks of electric current along the arteries surrounding her heart.

Slowly the cogs and gears began to move. A whirling tick-tock filled the silence. The most gorgeous sound in the world. The light increased, the currents zapping outward.

Mary’s body jolted, her back bowing. Lucien moved to hold her shoulders down, but Jack was quicker. He grasped her as gently as he could but had to firm his grip as she writhed.

Lucien leaned on her hips, holding her in place as her ribs closed.

“The key,” Jack protested.

Lucien’s gaze remained on Mary. “Patience.”

Before their eyes, her chest sealed shut. A deep breath lifted her breast, and then, with a shudder of her slight frame, the crystal key was expelled from the tiny slot in the golden teeth that held her chest closed.

Jack grabbed it, lest it fall, and Lucien quirked a brow. Jack ignored him and pocketed the key. Hell if he was letting Lucien touch Mary’s breasts again. The bloom of health was spreading along Mary’s skin. Jack’s shoulders slumped, and he took what felt like his first real breath in over an hour. All he wanted to do was let his head fall to her breast and hold her tight. But she’d be waking soon.

Letting her go was hard. But he did, and with careful hands pulled the ragged edges of her chemise over her nakedness. “She’ll believe that I did this,” he said to Lucien.

Surprisingly, the GIM did not ask if it was true. Instead he studied Jack with those unnerving light-green eyes. “Then it’s best if you stay.” Lucien gave a pointed look to Jack’s stance.

Jack hadn’t realized it, but he was poised for flight, his arse already halfway off the bed. He plunked back down, and Lucien grinned outright. “That way she won’t have to hunt you down before she tears you apart.”