Nobela ni Ruth Nalio

Angelica…I jumped and looked at the man smiling at me from outside the cab. Another man stood behind him, both had dark hair and dark eyes. The one was short and stocky, with eyes so dark brown they were nearly black. I quickly turned my attention to the man holding the door open; he was tall and lean, with longish hair that suited him. His eyes were nowhere near as dark, being more of a chocolate brown.“Mornin’, Al,” said the cab driver.My head whipped toward the driver. “You know him?”“Sure do, Al’s my boss. If you don’t mind, I need to go. Al here will take care of you,” the cab driver said with a pleasant tone.“What the hell is going on?” I snapped, looking back at the man holding the door, Al.Al smiled like he wanted to laugh. “You’re a feisty half-breed. Don’t worry, I just want to talk. Please, join me for a cup or two. This place really does have good coffee, and excellent muffins.”“Do I have a choice?” I asked, looking at the man behind Al again, then the cab driver.“

Zander…“So, you didn’t know either of your parents?” I asked, ignoring her question of when she could leave.“Nope. What about you, were you lucky enough to know either of your parents?” she asked.“I had wondered if your mother had hidden you away from this world to protect you from your father. You’re better off not knowing your father. I’ve yet to meet a demon who doesn’t need their head removed from their body. Alright then, what you need to know is that every mythological creature or being you’ve ever heard of is real, some are good, and some are bad,” I told her.“And demons are the bad guys,” she said in a disbelieving tone.I slammed a fist into the desktop, causing her to jump. “You caught fire just over four hours ago, twice, and you’ve seen my face change. Do not take that tone with me.”“I’m trying to forget,” she said in a quiet voice.“Forget what, that you’re half demon, or what my other face looks like?” I demanded.“Both,” she said, looking me directly in the eye.I

Zander…I guided her gently over onto her side so that she was once again unconscious on my couch, this time in a deep sleep that would last five or six hours. I looked at Marcus. “How the hell is she a Valkyrie and a Demon?”Marcus let out a sigh. “You can’t deny it, when you said sleep, she fell asleep. The sandman doesn’t have power over Demons like that.”“But how?” I demanded.“You won’t be happy,” he warned.“We both know I’m never happy when it comes to Demons,” I said stiffly.“From what I can tell, her mother was a Valkyrie who was attacked by a Demon, one in this very town,” he tilted his head. “She’s just now setting into her immortality. By the end of this month or next, her transition will be complete.”I closed my eyes. “So, I have a transitioning half Demon in my basement, one which you say I have to protect.”“Yes. Her mother escaped the Demon and ran. The Demon wants his half-breed daughter to mold into his personal weapon. Think of what she may be capable of—both Dem

Angelica…A look of realization passed over his face. “You don’t know what you are.” His face hardened again. “Damned Demons abandoning their young, leaving them among the humans! Filthy bastards can’t even raise their own!”My eyes widened in shock; my tears stopped. “I’m not a demon, why do you keep calling me that? Demons are red and scary, with nasty faces, and—”He jerked me forward, getting within inches of my face. “Nasty faces? Are you saying I look like a demon?”I felt fear licking through my body and could feel my body heating. “Let go, please let go, I can’t stop it,” I said frantically as I tried pulling away, knowing I had to calm down before I caught fire for the third time in my life.“I’m not a demon, you understand me? I’m a Gargoyle.” He shook me and I squeaked a pathetic sound of fear and weakness before flames began to lick over my body.“Make it stop,” I pleaded as tears spilled down my face. I could hear them hissing, like water on a grill.“Not the couch!” He s

Zander…I was making my rounds, checking on customers, making small business talk, and checking in with the employees when the warning went off. I was hit with a gut feeling, a psychic warning that a Demon had crossed the threshold. I glanced at the others who were tied to the alarm as I made my way to the door without drawing attention; they, too, had felt the alarm. Ash stood at the door with a curvy brunette in a green sweater and jeans. Standing next to Ash’s bald, six-foot, broad-built frame, the Demon looked almost childlike, coming only to his shoulder.“Mr. Stone, this is Angelica Steel, she said she’s here to discuss a job,” Ash said in a stiff voice, having felt the alarm as well as picking up on the slight smell of campfire mixed with cobbler.“We spoke on the phone, I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she said nervously. I smiled and inhaled her scent, the scent of blueberry cobbler, of Valkyrie, was almost strong enough to cover the smell of smoke. “Not at all, why d

Set Fire and Burn Trigger Warnings:Abduction, Violence, Murder/Assassination, Strong Language, Sex, Death, Substance Abuse, Dismemberment, Blood/Gore, Mutilation of Corpse, Sexual Assault, Crude Language, Immolation, Imprisonment, Voyeurism, Illegal Activities, Bondage, Prejudice, and Miscarriage. Not all family is blood, some family is found. Wounds take time to heal. Now shut up, sit down, and read this book like a good little mortal. Set Fire and BurnPrologue The petite blonde had staggered into the emergency room and all but collapsed, holding her stomach. Her skin and hair were bruised and dirty, her lips cracked and split, and her clothes little more than rags. The young woman had been through hell and looked as if she’d been held against her will. When the receptionist tried to call the police, the young mother shot out her hand and stopped her. “Don’t, please!” “Who do you want me to call?” the receptionist asked in concern. “Not the cops, he owns the cops,” she said