Free Stop (Cold Mark Book 3) by Scarlett Dawn Page A

brows snapped together. His breathing had relaxed. “Why did you scream?”
    I stayed silent for a moment, collecting my thoughts. I needed to play it cool. Lie better than I had ever lied before. This meant…I kept my mouth shut. I lifted a finger and pointed at the toilet.
    Both blinked in confusion staring at the harmless white bowl. Phila asked, “Yes?”
    With overly exaggerated, cautious steps, I walked to the toilet. Flushed it.
    The water roared to life inside it with suction that could take my hand with it if it were down in the bowl. Quick thinking. The ‘dangerous’ toilet was all I could come up with. Though, on an honest note, the sound it made the first time I used it had frightened me enough causing me to jump off it. The story wasn’t too farfetched.
    They watched me like I had lost my blessed mind.
    Hmm . It would probably be smart to keep my eyes wide in terror for this ‘show.’
    And damned if they didn’t buy it. Poor defenseless Braita.
    After staring into my doe eyes, Killeg’s head tipped back. He bellowed with deep laughter.
    Phila—at least—managed to contain his hilarity with a hard snort behind a fisted hand.
    I narrowed my eyes and then jammed a finger at the exit. “Get out.”
    Killeg’s lips were tilted up in the most delectable grin. He held up both his hands. “We’re leaving.” A slight head tip toward the toilet. “Don’t fall in next time.”
    Another jab to the exit. I growled, “Now.”
    On silent feet, though their hilarity of their ‘dangerous’ toilet wasn’t as quiet, they both left the bathroom without another word said. When I heard their bedroom door close, I walked to the halo-mirror, the reflection now steady. Ever so deliberately, I peeled my towel away from my body.
    I stared.
    While the hair on top of my head was a profound black, the color I had been born with, the hair at the juncture of my thighs no longer matched.
    It was now snow white.

Pulling Killeg’s gifted cloak tighter around my body, I stilled as he approached. He wore his own cloak, which billowed out from his brisk stride. Underneath it, however, he was attired in all black, very chic in appearance, contrasting greatly with Phila’s borrowed oversized linen white pants and white t-shirt I was trying to cover. I had no clothes of my own here that were wearable—other than my boots—so I was stuck in apparel likely to agitate my Vaq when they saw me.
    Me, wearing clothes of the Plumas of the east. Yes, my Plumas would not appreciate it.
    “Jax is opening the doors.” Killeg pulled the hood of my cloak up over the top of my head. His warm fingers lingered as they brushed against my cheeks. I locked my knees so I wouldn’t squirm as heat unfurled in my gut. He bent at the waist, leveling his glowing crystal blue gaze with my chocolate browns. His words were quiet, unassuming. “Are you ready?” Too bad I could read right through him on this account.
    Are you ready? He meant, don’t you dare attempt to flee.
    I snorted. “I’m not going to escape.” Not right now.
    His head was slightly cocked, his chaotic white hair in perfect disarray. I wondered vaguely if he styled his hair like that on purpose to keep others off-balance. It was definitely eye-catching. His lips curved up at one corner, more than mischievous in nature. “Do I need to use my own drugging potion on you again to get you to a safe location?”
    The blush burning my cheeks was welcome. At least, while we were still on this hov-craft, anyway. He was flirting with me. This…wasn’t so bad. I tilted my head forward a few inches, getting just that much closer to his face, before I grinned and whispered, “Killeg, you can kiss my Human ass.”
    His resulting smile was just as radiant as his glowing eyes. Though, he paused with his lips parted, ready to rejoinder, when his attention altered to the kitchen bar where Stiller sat. The purple-haired Mian was silently sipping on a bottle of water, gazing directly at us.