Free Shadow's Light by Nicola Claire Page B

the street?” he asked, quietly.
    I thought about that for a moment and then said, “Angry.”
    “Not what you were feeling towards me, Ms. Monk. What did you sense around you?”
    I shook my head. “Nothing. But, I knew it was a fairy as soon as I came face to face with him.”
    “So, you acknowledged what he was immediately, but were unable to fight his influence despite that knowledge?” Avery asked.
    I felt a blush creep up my cheeks.
    “Yeah, that about covers it,” I said, my voice cracking slightly. So much for the big, bad hunter I'm supposed to be. I walked straight up to a fairy and almost let him abduct me, spiriting me off to another realm altogether.
    I sat down in an undignified lump on the couch. “How the hell am I going to fight them?”
    Avery didn't say anything for a while, then finally, “It's not all lost, Ms. Monk. You did recognise what he was, after all. We'll just have to train you to be more aware of what is around you.”
    “And how do you plan to do that, Avery?” I asked, feeling a little overwhelmed by the task ahead.
    “We'll stake out the portal and have you sense them before they sense you. Repeatedly. Until you can sense them in your sleep.”
    “And then what? Because, in case you didn't notice, that fairy didn't have much trouble getting me to believe something different from reality and...” I trailed off, feeling a sudden, shocking emptiness in my chest for what I had felt and then lost all over again. Michel.
    Avery stood and came over to the couch. He didn't sit down next to me, which was probably a good thing. I was still extremely raw from what had happened. I'd even wrapped my arms around my stomach in an effort to hold myself together. He just stood in front of me for a minute and then ran a frustrated hand through his hair. Quickly reorganising it again as soon as the motion had been completed.
    “How did you block my influence when I was feeding from you?” he asked, his voice a low growl. I'm betting he wasn't happy I was able to block him. Most vampires use feeding as an opportunity to service many of their needs. If I had responded to Avery then, I'm sure he would have taken advantage of me further. I am not an animal , aside.
    I looked up at him and stared back at his hard gaze. “I used shields and my Light.”
    “Your shields would have tumbled with little effort from me. They are satisfactory under normal circumstances, but when feeding they will not provide much of a hindrance. I am betting they won't be to the Fey either. But, your Light on the other hand, may.”
    I'd never tried to use my Light as a shield before. It had just been instinctive at the time. I had almost felt remote from the action. From the events unfolding. Avery sucking on my vein. I hadn't allowed myself to get wrapped up in the moment. If I had done that, too many painful memories would have come flooding back in. Despite the fact that I had moments before been craving them. I had kept aloof and cool and managed to cloak myself in my Light. Could I do it again though?
    “We will need to practice,” Avery said, still standing there looking down at me.
    “Okay,” I said slowly. “So, when you feed, I'll just try to shield with my Light again.”
    “And what happens tomorrow, when you insist on going to work in daylight and I am not there to protect you from the Fey?”
    Well, yeah, that kind of sucked. But, if he asked me to stay home until the sun set I don't know that I could. I needed some semblance of normality. My job at the bar did that. Not to mention the money to pay the rent. Even though we would probably have to leave here before too much longer, I was not going to run until I really had to. They hadn't beaten me yet.
    “We can attempt to increase your awareness of them at the portal tomorrow after dark,” Avery offered. “But, tonight we work on your shields.”
    “Right now?” I asked, my voice hitching in alarm. Just how much of my blood did he want to