Fatal Sight (Harbingers Of Death Book 2) by LeAnn Mason (universal ebook reader txt) 📗

interested expression adorning her cherubic face. Fiery red hair framed her rosy cheeks, highlighting the few freckles she had standing out, while her overlarge, russet eyes blinked owlishly at me as she waited for my response.

I crossed my arms. “You mean after getting tossed around a bunch of other HD units? After you all kicked me out? Swell. I’ve been just swell. On my own.” Some part of me was happy to see them, but I couldn’t easily forget how we’d ended things.

“You’re Aria’s team?” Gunhilde inquired from her spot against the cracked mirror. Her tone and crossed posture bordered on antagonistic, but she left it at that.

“We realize that we may have been… harsh after Jessica, but I promise we do not wish you ill will,” Cole said in his deep, emphatic way. His amber eyes locked with mine, their unblinking intensity attempting to convey the truth of his words. “Grief and loss can cloud even the soundest mind, the toughest heart.”

“Those are some awfully deep words, hellhound,” Torgny rumbled from his spot where he was propped against the bathroom’s open-door frame.

I guess the valkyrie horse shifter could sense other supes’ breeds. Or maybe Cole carried a certain stench of brimstone and dog that I was too obtuse to pick up on. Animal shifters probably had better olfactory senses.

“One should never turn on his or her partner, no matter one’s pain,” Torgny said with a laser focus on Gunhilde, whose bright eyes bore directly back with a fond smile lifting her lips slightly.

“I don’t believe we’ve met. Who are you two, and why are you here?” Cole returned smoothly with a hint of challenge. His eyes went from bright amber to a dull red as his hound instincts rose in response to Torgny’s derision.

The two male egos collided as the pair puffed up their chests and strode toward one another.

Cutting off the growing tension, I decided to set some ground rules for the sake of time. We needed all the help we could get. Who knew just what we’d be walking into? I mean, it was the Bermuda Triangle… filled with blood-sucking vampires.

“It doesn’t matter. The past is the past, right? Right now, we need to focus on the objective and its many obstacles.” I looked around to meet each pair of eyes, not moving on until I’d received some form of acquiescence from each person.

Since I was the one who’d had the vision, my intel would be vital to this mission. Although it felt strange dictating to the team that had flicked me away like a flea, it was a little easier to take on the role of team lead without Seke in the room.

“Good. Now, let’s get everyone caught up so we can get a solid plan set into motion. Otherwise, I’m going to go off half-cocked and get myself killed… or captured. I’m sure no one wants that.” Who was I kidding? I’d bet three people in the room would probably rejoice. Just because they were here and seemed to be sorry — most likely at Seke’s behest — didn’t mean they wouldn’t be happier if I disappeared or suffered some unimaginably horrendous fate.

My attention was pulled when a hearty knock rang out at the door to the room. Once. Twice. Thrice.

“It’s me. Please allow me to enter, Aria.” Seke. He had decided to make the journey after all.

Taking the advice I’d offered a moment before, I decided not to dwell on his past mistakes and instead be grateful for his help.

Not because you want to ogle him, I scolded my hormones. For her. To help her. To save my mom.

He might be useful in corralling the HDPU anyway. There were a lot of clashing personalities coming together at the moment.

Reaching the door, I peeked through the eyehole just to be safe.

Even distorted by the fisheye lens, Seke looked like the god he was: formidable, unwavering, gorgeous.

Yeah, it was hard to stay mad at him. I was sure the wise, old man had sensible reasons for his secrets anyway. Maybe I’d give him a chance to explain them to me. Maybe.

I mentally slapped myself out of my thoughts and unlatched the security lock, opening the door wide. Moving aside, I motioned the three-piece-suit-clad god into the already overstuffed room where he nodded genially at his team and then Gunhilde and Torgny in turn.

There was little room for him to occupy in the place, and he found a spot to hover just inside the door, his wide stance making his arm brush against my shoulder, sending heat radiating from the innocent contact.

“Have the details been established of yet?” he asked silkily, immediately taking control of the room, his godly air brooking no arguments from the rest of the occupants.

Opening my mouth to give a rundown, I was again interrupted by a heavy thump to the door at my back.

This one was obvious in its tone, the rapid bang-bang-bang indicating whoever was on the other side was not a happy camper. And seeing that everyone I knew was stuck in here with me already, I knew it wouldn’t be a welcome conversation.

Seke and I turned our backs to the room, the closest to the door and the only ones easily able to reach it. He peered out the eyehole and gave me a small nod. Not a vamp, I interpreted.

There was no point in hiding behind the door even if it was a vamp. The thing would give with little more than one swift kick. It would be better to give the supernatural squad at my back the best visibility and access to whatever might try to come through that door. So, I swung it as far open as it would go.

“Can I help you?” I asked the short man on the other side.

Ah, the front office man had put down his phone long enough to creep on the motel surveillance instead of drool over gratuitous videos. His knock had made more noise than I would have thought