Free Otherworld 02 - Stolen by Kelley Armstrong Page A

and witches. How do I know that's what you guys are? Do you know how many wackos out there think they're vampires? Trust me, you don't want to know. It'll keep you up at night."
    "I've seen them," Cassandra said. "Black lipstick, black nail polish, absolutely zero fashion sense. Wherever did they get the idea vampires are color-blind?" She lifted her pen and offered it to me. "You could stab me with this. Just not in the heart, please."
    "Too messy," I said.
    She settled back in her chair, eyes on me as if no one else was in the room. I could feel the curiosity in her gaze now as it moved across my face, studying me. Her lips curved in a smile, still cool, but now tinged with friendly interest.
    "I could bite you," she said.
    "I'd only bite you back."
    The smile touched her hazel eyes. "Interesting thought. What do you think would happen? A vampire/werewolf hybrid? Or would it have no effect? Intriguing idea, but impractical at the moment. We could compare fangs."
    "Definitely a guy thing."
    She laughed. "Quite right."
    "Maybe you can explain something then," I said. "If you
are
a vampire…" I looked at the sunlight streaming through the window.
    "Why am I not exploding in a cloud of dust? I've often wondered that myself. As Adam would say, 'Damn, another myth shot to hell.' I'm quite glad that one isn't true. An eternity without Caribbean beach vacations would be more than I could handle. It was much more disheartening when I discovered I couldn't fly. But as for a demonstration, perhaps this will do."
    Cassandra laid her left hand on the table, lifted the pen, and jammed it down into her outstretched palm, driving it a half-inch into her hand. Ruth shuddered and looked away. Cassandra examined the damage with cool detachment, as if she'd stabbed the tabletop instead.
    "A poor job of it," she said. "Unlike werewolves, we don't have super strength. That's the best I can manage, but it should prove my point."
    She tugged the pen out, then lifted her palm for me to examine. The puncture was as clean as a nail hole through a waxen dummy. As I watched, the edges of the wound moved together, the flesh reconstituting itself. Within a minute, her skin was smooth and unblemished.
    "No pain, no blood, no fuss," she said. "Good enough?"
    "Yes," Jeremy said. "Thank you."
    "My turn?" Paige said. "What can I do to convince you, Elena? Conjure up a demon?"
    "Paige!" Ruth's eyes widened in alarm. She quickly turned to us. "Let me assure you, we do not conjure demons. Besides a few simple self-protection spells, witches practice only benevolent magic."
    "An it harm none, do what thou wilt," Cassandra murmured.
    Ruth whispered something to Paige, who nodded, shrugged, rolled her eyes, clearly adopting the ever-popular defense of the young: "Geez, I was only kidding." Had she been kidding? Not about conjuring a demon, but about being able to do it? Ruth said they practiced only so-called white magic. Was that all they
could
do? Or all they
would
do? Was a certain apprentice spell-caster not too happy with her predefined role as the direct descendant of the Good Witch of the North? Hmmm.
    "That's enough of the demonstrations," Jeremy said. "Right now, I'd like to learn more about these men who stalked Elena."
    "I heard about that," Adam said, grinning at me. "The first casualty of war. Way to go. I'm jealous."
    "You would be," Paige said.
    Ruth glanced at the two with a look 90 percent exasperated affection and 10 percent gentle warning. They shut up as quickly as if they'd received a tongue-lashing. Ruth paused, as if making sure they were going to be quiet, then began her story.

AGENDA
    Five weeks ago, a shaman had been kidnapped and had contacted Kenneth via astral projection-whatever that was. By the time he contacted Kenneth, he was in rough shape. A shaman was never physically strong to begin with, so it didn't take much rough treatment to injure one-or so Ruth explained. Because of his weak condition, his report was patchy and at times