Deadly Captive (30 page)

"You want the panda."

"Yeah."

"The game's rigged."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, I know that. So, take a shot and compensate for the next. It worked for me at the shooting range."

Daederich's lip slanted. "You missed."

My brow furrowed. "So?"

Setting the bow so he was aiming exactly three inches to the left and down half an inch from the target, he closed one eye and drew the bow back. "So,
I
don't miss."

The image of him reminded me of my favorite movie, so much that I couldn't help playing it out. Leaning close I whispered in his ear. "You know how you were teaching me to shoot, no matter what the distraction."

Daederich grunted and ground his teeth.

I smiled. "Let's see you do it."

Brow arched, he gave a curt nod. His muscles tensed as he prepared to release the bow. I blew softly on his ear. The arrow flew.

"We've got a winner!" The carnie came over to us with a huge stuffed brown bear.

I shook my head and pointed at a panda, much cuter and more reasonably sized.

"I want that one."

The carnie frowned. "But he won this one."

Eyes flashing, Daederich lunged for the man. I held him back, trying not to laugh as the little man scrambled out of reach and tossed me the panda, apologizing profusely before ducking out of sight.

Shaking my head, I hugged the panda tight and gave Daederich a playful shove.

"You're a big bully."

Pulling me against his side, Daederich led me through the crowd. "He deserved it. He had some nerve trying to deny you."

I laughed. "You deny me all the time!"

Squeezing me without slowing his pace, Daederich shrugged. "That's different.

I'm your sire. It's my right."

I scoffed and ducked under his arm, giggling when he tried to grab me. Skipping back a few steps, I swirled around to run and knocked a young boy from his feet.

Gray-blue eyes wide, he gazed up morosely as his balloon took flight.

I jumped up and tried to catch the string, missing it as the breeze caught it and pulled it out of reach.

An apology on my lips, I looked back down, ready to promise to replace the balloon. The boy was gone.

Frowning, I looked around. I thought I saw him, but the cloak of the man who tugged him along obscured his tiny form.

The boy's eyes. Steel eyes, just like Daederich's. They haunted me, as did the image of the man's long black hair. I started running, ignoring Daederich's call.

One last sweeping glance of the cloak and they were gone. I prayed I had been wrong.

The hard set of Daederich's features as he reached my side told me I wasn't. Like molten silver, his eyes burned. He'd seen the image in my mind and knew, just as I did now, what had slipped through our grasp.

The reprieve had been sweet. It was over. A new drive had taken us both, a goal more all encompassing than the need for revenge had ever been.

Daederich wouldn't stop until he retrieved what had been taken. Neither would I.

Cyrus wanted our full attention. Now he had it.

~The End~

About the Author

Bianca Sommerland was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. When not reading neurotically or writing as though the fate of the world rests on her keyboard, she is either watching hockey or teaching her daughters the beauty of a classic, steel pony while reminiscing about her days in Auto Body Mechanics.

Her time is balanced with utmost care between normal family life, and the internal paranormal realm where her characters reside. For the most part, she succeeds. You can find her at
http://imnoangelauthorsblog.wordpress.com/