Free Mistwalker by Naomi Fraser Page A

of night.
    Vampires, eh? She wondered if he could read her thoughts, then didn’t think that so impossible. She built a wall around her mind.
    Juliun stalked back to his seat and leaned back, totally relaxed. “My men will release you from the chains. Please accept the truth of who you are. It is for your own safety. Remember, you will need to slake your thirst. You could kill yourself. We will have to search for you, and your friend in hospital needs our resources at this time.”
     Simone stared up at him aghast. “You mean you’re watching Tammy? What do you want with her? Why would you want to find me?”
      “Your friend is under our surveillance.” He leaned forward, his eyes glittering, resting his muscled arms on the desk. “And I thought I had been overwhelmingly clear about why you are needed here.”
      Fire burst into her face. Energy surges ran hot in her veins. She bounced against the chair, but it was too solid to break. What was it made out of—packed concrete and steel? The thought made her angry as all get out.
    “No,” she said. “No. No.”
    “Not even to save your friend?”
    Realisation struck, and heat drained from her face. What tortures had they devised for her best friend? Wetness dripped to Simone’s face. She needed to leave. She sent out a thought to be with Tammy. “You’re threatening that?”
    “No.” He rose to his feet, his eyes widened. “No, I did not
mea—”
    “The first tears of blood,” Lissanne shouted and lurched forward. “Juliun—”
    Too late.
    Simone screamed and disintegrated. Swift as thought, she became mist, and the chains clattered against the chair.
     

Chapter Ten
     
     
     
    Simone patted various parts of her body in shock. She’d disappeared. Every single, little, itty-bitty part of her. Her heart refused to slow. An old man lay on the hospital bed she’d occupied earlier, and luckily his eyes were closed; otherwise she might have a geriatric coronary to add to her conscience along with bringing Tammy into one hell of a mess.
    Like the bad dreams from Simone’s childhood, the faster she ran, the slower she moved down the corridor. She swished aside curtain after curtain in the rooms, looking for Tammy.
    In the reception part of the hospital, two silhouettes stepped together; looming at the end of the wide corridor, and Simone skidded to a halt, her heart pounding. They took one look at her and started running. She spun around and sprinted for the lifts.
    Their footsteps pounded on the hard floor, their harsh voices echoing. “Wait. Stop right there! We aren’t going to hurt you.”
    She focused on the quickest exit, and panic mushroomed in her chest. How could she escape them? She must fade…disappear…or whatever the hell stunt she’d just pulled. The elevator appeared in front of her, and she pressed the down button with a manic tapping.
    The image of her bedroom all the way back in Michigan filled her mind. Now. Do it now. Take me home. I am there.
    Her body burned with a sickening rush. She screamed , gasped, and then coughed, opening her eyes to find herself sitting on the edge of her bed, the soft pink comforter spread beneath her trembling fingers. The alarm clock on her bedside table read 9 pm in red digits.
    Home. Michigan.
    Where could she go now?
    Juliun’s men would go to her holiday rental in Whitby, but would they come all the way to the U.S? If they went to the trouble to kidnap her from the hospital, then a different country would offer no trouble. She needed to find somewhere safe and dark.
    A place to hide.
    She recalled the black wind that had brushed against her in town when Juliun first appeared. That had been him, and he’d somehow given her that ability when his teeth pierced her skin, and then he ordered her kidnapping. She flung open her wardrobe door in a burst of speed and ripped the hospital gown over her head. In record time, she’d dragged on clean panties, a pair of jeans, sneakers, blouse and a white