Free Stricken (The War Scrolls Book 1) by A.K. Morgen Page A

fun?”
    “A blast.” Mel cursed under her breath. “Did you know people actually get seasick on cruises? I thought that was a myth.”
    “Oh no! You’re seasick?”
    “No,” Mel said. “Dean is. He hasn’t left the room since we pulled out of port in Fort Lauderdale.”
    “Poor Dean,” Aubrey said.
    Mel and Dean hadn’t been dating long, but Aubrey kind of hoped they’d marry someday. Dean was good for her aunt.
    “Yeah,” Mel said and then, “Listen, hon, we’re thinking about ditching the cruise when we dock in Lisbon, hopping a train to Cadiz, and then making our way to Barcelona. This boat is awful.”
    “Can you do that?” Aubrey asked.
    “Dean had to sign a bunch of paperwork—apparently the cruise line doesn’t want to be held liable for us if we disappear in a foreign country, the self-serving jerks—but we got the go-ahead to disembark at Lisbon.” Mel paused. “We’ll be home later than expected.”
    Aubrey’s stomach sank. “How much later?”
    “Two weeks. Will you be okay? I can tell him no if you need me.”
    Aubrey desperately wanted to be selfish and tell her aunt to come home. “Don’t worry about me, Aunt Mel. I’ll be fine,” she lied. “Please have fun.”
    “You’re sure?” Mel’s worry seeped through the line.
    “Positive,” Aubrey said, injecting as much false cheer as she could muster into her tone. “Go. Have fun.”
    “You’re the best, hon! These roaming charges are ridiculous, so I’ve gotta go. Love you, and I’ll call you when we dock, okay?”
    “Love you too, Aunt Mel.”
    Aubrey stared down at the phone for long moments after the line disconnected, feeling lonely and miserable. And then she felt guilty. Mel was safer in Spain than she would be here. Besides, Aubrey wouldn’t even know what to tell her aunt if she did come home.
    The gorgeous giant following me around? Oh, he’s a half-angelic warrior trying to help me figure out why the human descendants of angels infected with an angel-killing virus are after me.
    Yeah, no way would Aubrey be saying that to her aunt anytime soon. Mel wasn’t stupid, but she didn’t know what horrors lurked in the shadows. Aubrey preferred to keep it that way. The less she knew about angels and demons, the better.
    Zee poked his head out of the bedroom and mewled. He glanced around and, satisfied the scary ringing monster was gone, scurried across the floor to Aubrey.
    She reached down and picked the kitten up then brought him to eye level. “Looks like it’s just you and me, Zee.”
    “Meow,” he replied.
    Aubrey smiled, glad the kitten, at least, hadn’t abandoned her.
     
    ***
     
    That evening, Aubrey and the kitten were engrossed in a movie when someone began pounding on the door. Zee’s ear twitched once, but he didn’t otherwise move. Aubrey set him on the arm of the couch and climbed to her feet, her heart pounding with fear.
    She hadn’t stepped foot outside the apartment since returning, and no one had come looking for her since Killian left. She didn’t know if he ever planned to return or not.
    “Who is it?”
    “Open up,” Killian answered, still thumping on the door.
    Aubrey hesitated with her hand on the knob, trying to decide if she wanted to let him in or not. She’d honestly thought he’d changed his mind and left for good. Apparently, she’d been wrong.
    Dealing with him again now didn’t appeal to her.
    She felt a little like a traitor to herself for feeling relieved to hear him anyway.
    “I brought food.”
    Her rumbling stomach decided the matter. She pulled the door open.
    Killian stood on the other side with two brown takeout bags in his hands. An air of exhaustion clung to him. Dark shadows ringed his blue eyes. He still wore the same outfit from yesterday.
    Had he slept at all since he left?
    “Hey,” he said.
    “Hey.” Aubrey moved away from the door, locking her eyes on his black boots. The toes were scuffed, and dried mud was splattered against the