Free Falling Into Place by Brandy L Rivers

maybe even a
little of both.”
    She lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “I guess
we’ll see. I’m Liz, and I already know you’re Edmond.”
    One corner of his mouth lifted. “And what is
it you want to know?”
    “We know you are turning children. Why? Give
me one good reason not to kill you for robbing children of their
lives.”
    “You want a good reason?” He said, taking a
step forward.
    Her brow arched and she raised her hands.
Fire and lightning danced in her palms, warning him that she would
light him like kindling if he made one wrong move. Though with his
age, he would be harder to kill. “Don’t try me, Edmond. My instinct
tells me you have a good reason. I’d like to give you a chance to
explain to my satisfaction.”
    An amused laugh escaped him. “Why is
that?”
    She let out a heavy sigh. “You are wasting
time.”
    “Why don’t you kill me?”
    “You could have bitten me, or tried at the ball. You didn’t. You could have killed me on the way here,
though that might not have gone as you planned. And you could use
your speed to strike now. You still haven’t. Something tells me you
have a valid reason. So prove it, or I can end you now. It’s your
choice, but you should hurry. We don’t have much time before
Tremaine panics and they come for me.”
    “Don’t you mean Robert? The young man who
could hardly let you go when your friend swept in?”
    She sighed. “You can consider Tremaine my
avenging angel. He’s a lot scarier than Robert when you piss him
off.”
    Edmond chuckled. “Interesting, though I have
a feeling the boy would go to the ends of the Earth for you, with
the way he nearly came to put a stop to our dance.”
    “Well, Preston will be the one leading of
them both here. Would you rather meet them? They won’t give you the
chance to persuade them. I will. Make your choice.” She shook her
hands, the fire dying out.
    “Very well.”
    There was a pop. She was whisked off her
feet, traveling too fast to see. She heard Robert scream,
“Elizandra,” but it faded before she could say a word.
     
    * * * *
     
    Tremaine’s hand was still on Robert’s
shoulder when the damned vampire lifted Liz off her feet and
disappeared. The crowd looked around as they breezed past and out
the doors.
    Tremaine shot to his feet the same time
Robert did. Preston wasn’t far behind with a whispered, “Shit.”
    Robert grabbed their shoulders and
translocated them outside. Panicked, he turned to his closest
friend.
    Preston leaned against the wall, his head
dropped forward as he held up one finger warning Robert off.
    “Where is she,” Robert said through gritted
teeth.
    Tremaine shoved Robert. “Calm down. I had a
feeling Liz might give him a chance to explain. So slow down.”
    “He’s a vampire, Trem. He took a sixteen
year old girl to God knows where,” Preston snapped. “That is not
okay.”
    Tremaine spun toward Preston. “I didn’t say
it was, but you both need to calm down. We will find her, and she
will be fine.” He prayed he was right in his assessment.
    Robert saw the concern mixed with doubt on
Tremaine’s expression. “You don’t seem so sure of that.”
    “Trust me, she can handle herself better
than either of you.” Tremaine took a deep breath and pushed both
hands through his hair. He gave Preston a long look. “You ready for
another jump?
    “Yeah. I don’t want that vampire getting his
fangs in Liz, regardless of what she might do.” Preston closed his
eyes and started chanting. When he opened them, they were glowing
an iridescent blue. He pivoted in his spot and lifted his hands.
“Elizandra Delacroix,” he whispered as gold, red and blue
glittering specks whirled around above his palms.
    Preston blew the particles and they sped
forward, illuminating a path. He glanced at Robert. “Don’t mind me
if I puke on you.”
    Robert nodded as he grabbed both Tremaine
and Preston’s arms. “You’ll be forgiven. Hold on.”
     
    * * * *
     
    All Liz could smell