Free Fierce Dawn by Amber Scott Page B

Crusoe.
    Hell, even Lyric could be counted on for Crusoe’s sake.
    How much more time before someone else got to her?
    He should have let Lyric get a feed off of her from the start. Why had he waited? It didn’t matter now. What mattered now was Sadie. If the shifter changeling was near, she hadn’t shown herself.
    Elijah’s heart rate slowed. The pendulum of his indecision fell still. A strange relief snuck through him. He had no other choice, no other answer. He had to interfere, not for Crusoe’s sake. For hers. He couldn’t leave her vulnerable to forces that would exploit her.
    He watched through the window as she faked a smile over a meal. Though not visible from his standpoint, he could still recall the exact pale blue of her eyes. The shape of her mouth as it formed an oh. Recalling how strongly he’d repelled her, a fresh layer of guilt came to the fore
    Now, he’d have to do more than watch and wait. He had to keep her safe.
    More than that. If Lyric found Holly was right, Elijah would have to step into her life and upturn it entirely.
    Only one question remained. Could he ease the butterfly from her cocoon without breaking her?
     
     
    ~ ~ ~
     
     
    Chapter Six
     
    Back home and safely inside, Sadie slumped against the door and listened to Remy’s car drive away. With a ragged sigh, she gave in to the shakes she’d fought to suppress all evening. In the dark vacuous quiet of the bottom floor, she stopped denying the facts. She had hallucinated a glowing-eyed, sharp-toothed beast chasing her through the streets.
    Sadie rubbed at her burning cheeks.
    She’d run like a scream queen in a B movie, defending herself with a bag of Ben & Jerry’s. Yeah. Real intimidating, Sadie. One minute she hovered at the brink of hysteria, sprinting for her life, and the next she was standing, panting, alone and safe and sound right in front of Heather and Remy’s home.
    Like she’d blinked herself there.
    Or, more likely, had just overreacted to the whole thing. Except for the ice cream weapon part. At least she’d fought back a little.
    She held onto that strangely comforting thought as she let go of the door behind her and sought out Jen.
    But Jen wasn’t home yet and her cousin’s replying text gave her an hour to kill. Going dancing actually sounded really good. She wondered what she’d wear and figured Jen would help. It was only eight so once in her room, Sadie plunked her iPod headphones in and selected a dance mix to get in the mood. She lay down for a minute to think of outfits, but dozed off after the first imaginary ensemble.
    Tart sunlight filled the corners of her brain and the edges of her room. Dust danced in the daylight streaming in. She sat up, wiping her face. She didn’t feel groggy , making her realize she’d skipped last night’s dose. Oh, well. The medications made life a blur, made her own sense of self go to sleep.
    Right now, she felt rather normal.
    Maybe she’d stop all meds as of today instead of next week , as planned. After all, she was down to half of one of each at bedtime. And what would a few days matter?
    She looked at the clock. “Shit!” It was noon? What had happened with Jen? Why hadn’t Jen woken her up last night?
    Sadie scrambled out of bed. Her shoulders sagged when she found a note in the kitchen: Sorry about last night. I tried to wake you up, but you were sleeping like the dead, girl. Tonight, be prepared! I’m making it up to you. K? K! Love, Jen.
    Had Jen come home at all? Had she ditched Sadie and gone out alone? Was she home now?
    Nope on the last account. No clue on the others.
    Telling herself she had no call to get jealous, Sadie got herself some coffee. Scandalous amounts of fun tended to keep a person out well past midnight , but morning, too? Images of Jen, glorious blond hair swaying in rhythm with her hips on some dazzling dance floor, snapped through her mind. She scrambled eggs. She ate. She glared at her empty plate. Letting the fork clang