Free A Fall of Silver by Amy Corwin Page B

It’s not safe.” He held up a hand when both women turned to face him. “Trust me. It would be a mistake for you to go alone.”
    Damn you ! She knew he was right after confronting that dark figure in the street, but she couldn’t give up and hide. She had to do something to bring Kathy back safe. A sense of urgency filled her. Part of her realized that there was more to it than she was willing to acknowledge. Saving Kathy, bringing her back safe and unharmed felt like she’d be bringing herself back from what she’d suffered, as if she could only move forward and heal if she rescued this girl who was so much like she’d been at one time.
    “Not safe for her?” Theres a’s dark eyes flickered over Quicksilver’s face, searching for an explanation, making sure she didn’t mean that Kathy wasn’t safe because Quicksilver was paranoid or out of control.
    A flush rise burned her cheekbones. She wasn’t the one Kathy needed to fear. Quicksilver would never hurt her or lose control to the point where she’d kill innocent children.
    How could she even think such a thing?
    Especially since Quicksilver suspected Theresa was no stranger to violence. She’d lived through her own horrors when the convent had been all but destroyed. She knew vampires existed and rumors said Theresa was pretty handy at killing them. If she feared Quicksilver’s judgment, well, Kethan looked as if he could handle anything. Just looking at his massive body was intimidating. His wide shoulders and thick arms looked as if he could rip an oak tree up by the roots if the urge struck him.
    But negotiators relied on words, not strength. Self-control.
    “I —” Theresa touched her arm.
    “It’ll take too long to expla in the situation,” Quicksilver interrupted. “I can do this. I can bring her back.”
    “No— wait,” Theresa said. “You two take my car. I can take your motorcycle.”
    “No way.”
    “Why don’t you wait here, Theresa? In case she returns,” Kethan suggested. “Quicksilver and I will take your car, if you don’t mind.”
    “There are other teachers to watch over the kids,” Theresa’s lips thinned as she considered his offer.
    Quicksilver thrust her helmet on to her head, flipping up the visor to see in the fluorescent light of the entryway. “I’m going.”
    Kethan caught her wrist . “No. You’re not taking the motorcycle. You’re either coming with me in Theresa’s car or not going at all.”
    His hard grip roused the sleeping demon of anger. It erupted, snapping and ferocious through a mist of fear. As they stood there arguing, Jason might be draining Kathy of blood.
    She could be lying in an alley, bloodless and feeble, seconds away from death. Or weakened from blood loss, she might stumble into the street, too disoriented and dizzy to realize the danger from the cars speeding toward home. If she tried to flag someone down for help, they’d probably ignore her, not wanting to get involved and happy to leave her to her fate.
    No one stopped for hitchhikers anymore, no matter how young or vulnerable they seemed, not if they valued their lives.
    Jittery, Quicksilver wiped a damp hand over her hip. She had to get going while Kathy still had a chance….
    However, t he set expression on Kethan’s face indicated that no good would come of arguing. The sharp metallic taste of bitterness filled her mouth. How correct she’d been about the uselessness of negotiations. Someone always got what he wanted and the other person lost.
    But at the moment, finding Kathy alive was more important than winning. She yanked off the helmet and threw it onto a bench. It clacked with the muted sound of plastic against wood before rolling over like a severed head. Just before it fell to the floor, it stopped, wavering on the edge of the seat. The neck opening faced her, the void inside looked as dark and empty as a grave.
    She shivered, suddenly superstitious, almost glad to have Kethan’s heavy grip on her wrist.