Free Claimed by Cammie Eicher Page B

Lillian.
    “Of course. I’m not sure I have the answer, but go ahead.”
    “Is this how the rest of my life is going to be, one negative moment after another?”
    Silence.
    Chiana waited as Lillian closed her eyes, steeling herself to hear the “yes” that she felt was coming.
    “Oh, I hope not,” Lillian answered. “I believe you’ll be all right if you can keep your mood changes under control, defeat whoever Odin has sent after you and find a way to keep your human side dominant so others who might follow can’t identify you.”
    “Oh, is that all? Piece of cake. Let me start on it now.”
    “Sarcasm is unnecessary,” Creed said. “You asked for Lillian’s opinion, she gave it to you.”
    “I believe she expected something more constructive and concrete,” Lillian responded. “Like being told that if she turns around three times and mumbles the right words backward, poof! Her troubles will disappear.”
    That was exactly what Chiana wanted to hear. She wanted to turn back the clock to the moment she called in and went off duty. She wanted to get back in her Mustang at that very moment, drop Mick off at his house and find the sanctuary of her own. If they hadn’t stopped for breakfast, if she hadn’t lingered so long over coffee…
    She would still have been tagged. Her rational mind knew that. Odin’s warrior would have located her, touched her, and she’d still be in this mess.
    She dropped her head, afraid they’d see the tears glistening in her eyes.
    “There’s no way out, is there?”
    “Options always exist, my dear.” Lillian cradled Chiana’s hands in hers. “The enemy is time. Most of the world considers the supernatural to be mere myths. Zombies, ghosts, hell’s creatures…those of us who have had a brush with the other beings that populate our plane know the truth.
    “Your pursuer comes from a different reality, but that makes the threat no less serious. He must limit his time in our world and return to his own in order to refresh himself. But each time he comes, he will be able to stay longer, and he will be stronger.”
    “Tell her the rest,” Creed said.
    “Based on my studies, I believe he is most comfortable assuming the form of a raven. His inability to maintain human form may drive the spirit to attempt to inhabit a mortal body to get to you.”
    “Oh, shit.” Chiana’s eyes widened, and her skin turned cold. She could have lived without that little piece of news.
    “Any body except mine.” Creed gave her a tight smile. “Thrills you, huh?”
    Lillian nodded.
    “He’s correct. The spell that binds you to him, and which keeps you from being able to hurt him, also allows you to see him in his true form at all times.”
    “Well, whoopee,” Chiana muttered, realizing how many millions of people there were in the world for Odin’s errand boy to use.
    She didn’t bother asking why they didn’t hole up here, a long dirt road from civilization. The answer was probably something else she didn’t want to hear. Like the ghost chasing her had the ability to walk through walls if the house was made of stone.
    She sighed deeply and shook her head.
    “So what you’re saying is that I might as well go out, stand in the front yard and wait for whoever comes by to fit me for a breastplate and hoist me on a battle horse.”
    Lillian laughed, although Chiana didn’t think what she said was particularly funny. Of course, it was hard to keep hold of your sense of humor when you had a brand burned into your skin.
     
    Creed watched Chiana throw her hands up and stalk out to the porch. As far as he could tell, she was back to her usual self. Or what he assumed was her usual self, since she’d done her share of personality changing since he’d met her.
    “Two shots left,” he told Lillian.
    “Wait here.” She walked toward the kitchen, leaving him to watch Chiana through the open door.
    She returned with a small plastic bag packed full of a brownish-green substance.
    “This