Free Dawn of a Dark Knight by Zoe Forward

wrapped around her wrist. The Hashishin unexpectedly let go and fell over.
    She screamed as the manifestation of her worst nightmare continued its twirling trek up her arm.
    The magus slammed his choker-attacker into the wall. He pulled his assailant’s head forward. With a pop, the man’s luxated vertebrae echoed in the hall. The magus didn’t turn to watch the body fall. He grabbed the snake and twisted the head off its still writhing body. With a careless toss, viper parts slammed against the wall.
    “I thought I told you to stay,” he thundered.
    “Sounded like you needed some help.”
    “I was fine. Let’s go.” He grabbed her wrist and pulled her downstairs.
    Outside, she shivered in the icy air and hugged her arms to her body. She jogged beside the silent magus to the parking deck. Even shoeless in the wimpy scrubs, he didn’t look at all affected by the arctic chill.
    Her silver nineties Japanese coupe sat like a rotten egg among German beauties in the staff section on the third level. Thank God for the hide-a-key box. Finally, her paranoia about locking her keys in the car was about to pay off.
    The magus cursed when he whacked his head on the passenger door in his haste to claim the seat. He held his hand against renewed bleeding on his forehead.
    “Can you please try not to bleed all over my car? Here, use this.” She pulled a towel out of the laundry bag in the back seat. Guess she wasn’t going to make the coin laundry tonight. “I haven’t got enough left right now to heal that laceration and drive.”
    “I’ll be fine.”
    Before she started the car, she handed him the wristband weighing down her lab coat. The heated energy coming off the item felt to be burning a hole in her side.
    “Thanks, Doc.”
    After a few minutes of tense silence while she maneuvered the lower levels of the parking deck, she asked, “You got a name?”
    “Eric.”
    “Eric, I hope you don’t misinterpret that little healing thing I did. I have no interest in being recruited into your world. So, don’t try it. I do need you to promise me something.”
    “What?”
    “Swear you won’t tell anyone about this little episode, and then we’ll both forget it ever happened.”
    “What? Okay, whatever. I will never reveal this to anyone who would seek to harm you. But I won’t forget. You do know that you belong with us?”
    “I can assure you I don’t belong to you guys.” A spike of pain detonated in her head. Kira swerved the car onto the median and threw it in park.
    She rubbed her forehead. “God, Ashor. This has got to stop.”
    I need you here, Ashor commanded.
    “What the hell are you saying?” Eric asked.
    Unintentionally, she responded to Ashor’s request aloud. “Yeah, I got the message loud and clear over a half hour ago. I’m trying to get to wherever you are.”
    Something twisted inside her abdomen for several agonizing seconds. Then nothing. Gone as abruptly as it began.
    With a relieved sigh, she shifted the car back in gear.
    Eric grabbed the gearshift. “Oh, no, you don’t. What was that? What’s wrong with you?”
    Her face heated when she realized she’d spoken aloud. This telepathy thing was going to take more practice. Eric, however, wasn’t throwing the you’ve-gone-crazy glare, the one Markus gave her all the time.
    “I need your help to get to Ashor. He’s in some sort of trouble.”
    “Is he communicating with you? Is that what just went down?” Eric tapped his head.
    She glanced at him from her peripheral. He leaned forward with a too-keen wide-eye. She gave a quick nod.
    After an eternity of silence he relinquished his hold on the gearshift. “Okay. I’ll take you to him. But if you’re fucking with me, I’ll kill you.” Then his tone relaxed, “Got a cell on you?”
    “No.”
    “Pull into the closest gas station. Fill up while I use the pay phone.”
    “I don’t have my wallet and unless you have a credit card shoved up your ass, I think we’re