Salvation's Kiss (Tales Of Mython Book 1) by Kathryn Jayne (old books to read .TXT) 📗

arranging to meet her from work. He said they needed to talk about what happened last night, and his words had left an empty pit in her stomach. This agreement seemed so long ago now, and her shift had passed all too quickly.

Pulling on her jacket, she grabbed her helmet from behind the reception area, hardly able to believe she was going home already. Her shift had passed without incident, although when it came time to unchain her bike she felt the nervous flutter of butterflies in her stomach. Glancing at her watch, she gave an approving nod. It had been a long time since they had let her leave at seven. They were short-staffed, but after a quick phone call from the administrator, the matron had insisted she take off early. Strange, but not unheard of if the night was expected to be a quiet one.

Her device flashed as she sent the notification to Conrad; nothing complicated, just a quick message to say was starting for home and would meet him there. If nothing else, she knew she could spend the next fifteen minutes preparing herself. Her gaze probed the dim lighting as she unchained her bike, her attention focusing on Whiskers, the nursing home’s adopted stray, as he foraged in the undergrowth, no doubt waiting for his supper.

The moment she found herself on the road, her concerns drifted away. There was nothing else in her world, just her and her bike. She pushed her fears and doubts through her legs, using their power to propel herself forward, faster, harder, as she climbed the hill leading to the park. Closing her eyes for a brief moment as gravity began to take over, she sailed downhill, relishing the feel of the cold wind upon her face, the freedom of her hair billowing behind her. For just a moment, all her worries had been left behind and she felt at peace.

As the downhill road turned into a level run and the park gates made their appearance to her left, her legs began to pump the pedals, her breath quickening from exertion. The crunching of tyres alerted her to a vehicle behind her. Tucking into the curb, she made sure they had plenty of space to pass. The headlights bathed the road before her in their cool glow, and for a moment, as they pulled past her slowly, her stomach churned with tension. Once they had passed, the driver sped up, his tail lights disappearing into the distance, but the uneasy feeling remained, reminding her of what was to come this evening, wondering what exactly Conrad had in mind. It wasn’t as if he could reveal himself to Liam.

When she reached the park entrance, the shadowed silhouettes of a small group of loiterers wolf-whistled. Their darkly clad figures almost blocked the entire entrance, instantly putting her off cycling past them in order to cut through. She decided to stick to the road skirting around the park instead. She found herself pedalling more slowly, unease mounting in her stomach as she reached the halfway point, closer to home. The once-dispelled fears began to rekindle, memories of Liam’s touch, the thought of Conrad’s rejection, all causing her pace to slow. Tonight, she would have to face them both, a prospect she wasn’t looking forward to.

Her bike wobbled slightly, warning her to increase her speed just moments before headlights once more flooded the road before her. The roaring engine showed no signs of slowing as the car rushed past, far too close. She cursed as her handlebars jerked, her balancing faltering as she wrestled to regain control. Unable to recover, she braced herself for the fall. The impact of her body slamming against the pavement knocked her sick. She had been so focused on the horrors awaiting her at home, she hadn’t even noticed the streetlights here were out until the world around her suddenly became bathed in red as the car’s brake lights illuminated the dark street and the passenger jumped out.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you in this darkness, your back light must be out. Are you hurt?” the male apologised. He crouched down, offering his hand. Pulling her to her feet, he patted her arm firmly, before stepping back, checking her over.

Confusion washed over her as she saw the strange fletching left in her arm where his hand had struck. He moved quickly, hooking his arm under her as her legs gave beneath her. “Steady.”

Pins and needles began to spread throughout her body as her eyelids became heavy. She knew then that his words were only meant to satisfy the curiosity of any passers-by. She glanced around for help, but no one, not even the group who had been obstructing the park entrance, was anywhere to be seen. Even the lights had extinguished on the car, bathing everything in a stifling blanket of obscurity. Her bike, abandoned upon the pavement, was the last thing she saw as the figure lifted her into his arms, carrying her towards the car. His voice echoed as she felt herself succumbing to the darkness. “We’ll circle back and deal with the bike once we’ve taken her to Devon.”

Conrad checked the time on his notification against the current time and resumed pacing. Ashley should have been here fifteen minutes ago. He looked at the time again as another minute ticked by. Pushing his helmet on, he hopped onto his bike. She should have been here. His engine purred as he brought his bike around. It would only take him a few minutes to check she was okay, to find her on the route home. He knew he was being paranoid. She had probably had to nip back into work for something, but he would feel safer knowing and, for the last fifteen minutes he had felt a steady chill creeping over him, starting deep in his core, the same place that her presence sang to.

This had gone on long enough. Once she was safe