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lunged for the nearest exit. Ceddrick turned his head in her direction and her leg
crumbled beneath her, the audible snap sickening.
Ceddrick fired a warning shot into the air and the dancer yelled,  Don t move,
anyone! He ll kill me. Please just let us leave.
Silence settled over the crowd as Ceddrik continued his backward trek toward the
front door. The dancer didn t struggle, but her gaze pleaded for some sort of miracle.
With a muttered curse, Sean started forward. Rayden grabbed his upper arm.  He s
desperate and unstable. If we push him now, he ll open fire on the crowd. We ll lose too
many. Retreat and regroup. It s the only viable option.
Sean s head snapped to the side and their gazes collided. It took a moment for
recognition to register in his expression.  Rayden? What are you doing here? Shaking
away the shock, Sean watched Ceddrick s retreat, obviously uncomfortable with
Rayden s advice.
 The same thing you re doing, apparently. Rayden released Sean s arm and leaned
back against the bar, amazed by the changes in his friend.  It s been what? Ten years?
 At least.
Ceddrick made it out the door and the crowd let out a collective sigh. People
crawled out from under tables, stunned and unsure. The bouncers migrated to one side
of the dance floor where they offered explanations to their infuriated employer.
 Why are you tracking Ceddrick? Sean asked again.  Do you still work for
Howyn?
 Howyn was arrested, as I m sure you know. Rayden had no intention of
revealing his mission to anyone. Trust was a luxury he couldn t afford.
 Then who s calling the shots in Sanctum?
A lovely blonde woman worked her way through the crowd, a blond man trailing
in her wake.  Why did you let him leave? she asked as she neared the bar.  Allen said
Fane wants that guy badly.
Was her companion Allen or was she referring to someone else?
 There wasn t any other choice, Sean muttered, though he didn t sound convinced.
 It was let him escape with the dancer or watch him massacre half the crowd. I couldn t
flash fast enough to keep him from using his weapon.
 Besides, if the bouncers weren t expecting Sean, they likely would have fired on
him. Rayden looked at the young woman again. Something about her seemed familiar.
She was lovely, fresh and wholesome in a way he seldom saw anymore. Did she belong
to Sean or the silent blond hovering at her side?  The hostage will slow him down,
make him easier to track.
32
Seer
The woman s gaze narrowed with speculation and interest.  Do I know you?
Recognition spread through him with an unexpected surge.  It s been a very long
time. Sarah had been a skinny girl, feisty yet charming before the tragedy. He offered a
stiff nod.  I m Rayden Kolter. I trained with Sean and Kellan in my youth. I m surprised
you remember me at all. You were little more than a child. He stared at her face in
wonder. How had her features been repaired? The last time he d seen her, she hadn t
been aware of his presence. She d been so humiliated by her deformity she d hidden
behind a veil and refused to make eye contact with anyone.
 It has been a long time, but the black zones have a way of creating vivid
memories. Her gaze moved over his face then swept the length of his body,
heightening the awareness arcing between them.
 But you re obviously élite, her watchdog yapped, drawing Rayden s attention.
 Why would you have trained in the black zones?
 I ll tell you his family history when this is over. Impatience made Sean s tone
sharp.
With one last, lingering glance at Sarah, Rayden shook away the past and turned
back to the specter.  What s your interest in my target?
Sean arched his brow.  What claim do you have over Ceddrik?
Needing some semblance of normality, people returned to the dance floor as music
filled the air. Rayden nodded toward the side entrance.  My ship is shielded. Let s get
away from prying eyes and curious ears.
The others had no objection, so they headed outside in a messy line. Rayden took
time to assess the others. Sean looked older and more dangerous than he d been a
decade before. The man molding himself against Sarah s side had the reserved
appearance of an accountant or an academic. Sarah shot Rayden frequent glances, her
wide green eyes filled with curiosity and something warmer.
Well, she was welcome to look. He was certainly taking advantage of her
companion s distraction to register the pleasant changes in her anatomy. The gangly
girl he remembered from those long-ago days had matured into a curvaceous woman,
graceful and innately sensual. He returned his attention to her perfect complexion and
sweetly sculpted features. How would he even broach the issue of her transformation
without being horribly rude?
The night was chilly and damp. He motioned them toward his ship, deactivating
the external shield as they approached the sleek vessel.
 Wow, Sarah murmured.  Fane would give almost anything to get his hands on a
ship like this.
Fane. The name brought with it another rush of memory. She d insisted on
accompanying Sean when he d left the black zones. Kellan had taken the decision
especially hard, brooding for months before aggression replaced his melancholy.
Rayden had completed his training the following year and returned to Sanctum. Sean
33
Aubrey Ross
and Sarah resided in the Underground now. The new location certainly seemed to agree
with them. Sean appeared vital and strong, and Sarah was& beautiful.
He triggered the main hatch and swept his arm toward the interior.  Welcome
aboard. He climbed in after the other three and closed the hatch.  Do you know where
Ceddrik will take the dancer? I d rather they not get too far ahead.
 He won t kill her. He needs her too badly.
Jarred by the unfamiliar voice, Rayden spun around. He bent as he turned, pulling
a slim pulse pistol from his boot. Some sort of apparition had manifested beside Sean.
Rayden aimed at the creature but didn t feel threatened enough to fire. Dressed in the
flowing robes of a cleric, the being appeared ancient and ageless at the same time.
White hair spilled around her shoulders, yet her skin was smooth, her eyes bright.
Sarah and her companion looked mildly suspicious, but Sean only seemed
annoyed.  You know this& ghost? Rayden asked.
 I might be a spirit, General Kolter, but I m as alive as you are, the apparition said.
 My existence is simply different from yours.
How the fuck had she known his name, much less his rank? He commanded a
covert army. Few knew of their existence.  Who are you?
 I m the person who knows the most about your target. You would do well to heed
my advice.
Unwilling to take her word for it, Rayden turned back to Sean.  You know this
person?
 I know this spirit. We ve interacted in the past. Though her methods tend to be
high-handed, she has never lied to me.
 And I won t start now, the spirit assured.  We need each other more than you
know.
 Explain why you re here or let us muddle through on our own. This ship is getting
rather crowded, Rayden told her. Let them share what they knew and he would draw [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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