Free UnholyCravings by Suzanne Rock

sealed
off.”
    “What?”
    “We can’t use the door.” Tara raised her voice, but it was
getting more and more difficult to hear anything over the roaring fire and
creaking wood. Sirens cut through the air and Tara guessed that the local first
responders were on the scene. Lovely. How were they going to explain
this mess to a bunch of humans? She’d have to call Sparrow and have a cleanup
crew come in the area. That is, if she could get out of this place in one
piece.
    “Come on, I have an idea.” Soren lead her a short distance
to the bathroom and then shut the door. The smoke was thick and heavy, but
there were no flames. They were safe for the moment.
    Soren poked his head out the window and peered down at the
street below. He swore and slipped his head back in the window, his pale skin
turning green.
    “What is it?”
    “We’re too high up to jump. There’s nothing below us to
break our fall. It would be suicide.”
    “Is there a fire escape or something?”
    He nodded “There’s one, but we’d have to balance ourselves
on a ledge to get there.”
    “Or we could use my wings.” Tara started to take her jacket
off, but he put his hand on her arm and stopped her.
    Something didn’t look right about him. “What is it?” she
asked.
    He sat on the ground and leaned his head back against the
wall. “We’re not flying.”
    “Why?”
    He hesitated for a moment. “It’s too dangerous. The alley is
too small.”
    Tara peered out the window. “It looks fine to me.”
    “No wings.” He turned around and glanced out the window once
more. When he returned, his skin turned slightly greener. “We cross the ledge
to the fire escape and climb our way down.”
    “But—”
    “Wings will attract attention.”
    “Okay.” He had a point. “I’ll go first.”
    “No, I’ll go first.” He stood up so fast that Tara leaned
back in surprise. He turned his back to her and stared out the window.
    “Soren, are you okay?” She could sense something wasn’t
quite right with him. Even his inner darkness, his deahman , seemed
apprehensive.
    “I’m fine,” he said through clenched teeth.
    “Are you sure you don’t want me to go first?”
    He flashed her an irritated glance. “No. I’ll go across the
ledge and help you over.”
    “I’m perfectly capable of—” Tara stopped as Soren climbed
out on the ledge. He teetered for a moment, his arms flailing. Tara’s breath
caught in her throat as she watched his body lean from side to side. What the
heck was he doing? This was no time for jokes.
    Then he leaned forward and plastered his himself against the
wall. He closed his eyes and pressed his cheek against the aging brick.
    “Soren?”
    “Yes?” He didn’t open his eyes.
    “What are you doing out there?”
    “I don’t like heights.”
    Tara blinked in surprise. “You’re scared of heights?”
    He steeled his jaw and opened his eyes. “It’s not as if it’s
an uncommon phobia.”
    “I know, it’s just…” She struggled for the right words. How
do you tell someone that they appear too big and menacing to have any fears? “I
thought that with you being a member of Venom and all…”
    “Venom?” He steeled his jaw.
    “You know, Venom.” She played with her earlobe, pointing out
the diamond stud in his ear. “The underground group of elite assassins. You and
Donar were a part of it before you went to work for Darien at the FBI. That’s
how you got your earring and tattoo.”
    He frowned in concentration. “I don’t remember it.”
    “It doesn’t matter. You should have told me before you went
out that window.”
    “There’s no other way out.” He shimmied three steps down the
ledge and then stopped. His breathing appeared labored and sweat glistened on
his brow. At this rate, he was never going to make the fire escape.
    “Yes, but I could have helped you.”
    “Helped by a woman?” Soren snorted. “Not likely.”
    Tara crossed her arms in front of her chest. “What’s