Free Wicked Waves: Solsti Prophecy #2 by Sharon Kay Page A

shorts in a wad over Brooke’s extracurricular activities. He needed to focus. He growled and leapt to the next rooftop, deciding to visit her office. She’d been working a lot lately. Maybe she was still there. Her office fell into his search territory tonight. Just a quick check and he’d move on.

    Brooke stared bleary-eyed at her computer screen for the fifteenth hour of her workday.   Her co-workers left a couple hours ago. Charles made her promise to leave fifteen minutes after he did, but she got wrapped up in the subtle shadings of her latest project. The client wanted an unusual blend of pastels, so she tinkered with her computerized sketch until she was satisfied.
    Now it was almost midnight. She sighed and rubbed her temples. She may as well start her own design firm if she was going to put this much time in. Gathering her things, she left, inhaling the cool air as she walked outside. But the air wasn’t fresh. It held a hint of mold. She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. Am I imagining this?   She focused on the El platform two blocks away and broke into her fastest walk.
    A tingle shot up her spine as a malevolent hiss escaped a nearby alley. She upped her pace to a jog. She didn’t want to think about what might be hissing in the middle of the city.
    Behind her, a rush of air and a grunt sent prickles of dread scuttling across her skin. She whirled, her body surging with adrenaline. Her instinct to fight kicked into overdrive. Whoever was there was about to meet the hard edge of her heeled boots. But the sight before her stopped her cold.
    A monstrous creature stared at her from the mouth of the alley. It was the size of a man, but its skin held a dull orange-red luster, and its flesh resembled scales. She blinked, counting its limbs. It had… four arms.
    Four arms. Orange skin. Neshi.
    No, no, no. This can’t be happening!  
    Brooke’s feet refused to move as the creature stared at her. This thing’s physiology made it difficult for even the fierce Lash demons to kill. How the heck was she supposed to fight it?   She didn’t walk around with one of those dangerous Neshi knives in her bag.
    She reached for her water bottle, desperately wishing Nicole was here. Then they could at least try to pierce the demon’s skin with a spear of ice. For all she knew, this thing loved water.
    Drops flew into the night air as she jerked her bottle upward. She focused on the glistening beads, stretching and multiplying them into an airborne stream. With all the force she could muster, she blasted the water into its eyes.
    The Neshi let out a loud grunt and took a step back. It shook its head and blinked rapidly, then growled. Black eyes gleamed wickedly as its mouth curved into a grin, revealing hundreds of teeth.
    Oh, shit . Brooke turned and bolted toward the El platform, which was still a block away. She wasn’t sure what she would do if it followed her up there. Maybe push it onto the third rail.
    She managed to run all of ten feet before two of its musty-smelling arms clamped around her torso, dragging her back against its scaly skin. She screamed into the deserted street, heart crashing in her chest. Her hair snagged on its rough, scaly skin as she strained against its vise-like grip. It chuckled and pulled her back into the alley, a line of drool dripping onto her shoulder from its open mouth.
    In full panic mode, her arms and legs flailed wildly. She screamed again, and the demon clamped a third hand over her mouth. She kicked backward, slamming her heels into its legs, but it didn’t seem to notice.
    Tears streamed down her face. Yep, worthless talent . Some legend she turned out to be. She was going to die in an alley, dinner for a creature that shouldn’t even exist.
    A fierce, guttural roar pierced the air. The Neshi turned toward the sound with Brooke still gripped tight against its chest. She spied a figure silhouetted at the mouth of the alley, the streetlight behind him keeping his face in