Or only partly human. His elemental energy beat inside his mortal flesh.
But he was not nephilim, either. She didn‟t know what he was.
His energy was not light, but movement, swirling, thick, turbulent as storm. It swamped her. Flooded her. She clung to his
hand like a lifeline, focusing with difficulty on his face.
“. . . find someplace quiet,” he was saying. “Let me take you out to dinner. Or for a walk along the waterfront.”
“What are you doing?” Gideon demanded.
Lara flinched.
“Who the hell are you?” Justin asked.
Gideon ignored him. “Are you trying to call attention to yourself?” he asked Lara.
Lara tugged her hand from Justin‟s, her mind still stunned, her senses reeling from the force of their connection. “You felt
that?”
“They could feel you in Philadelphia,” Gideon said grimly. “Shield, before you get us both killed.”
Justin‟s eyes narrowed. “Look, buddy, I don‟t know who the fuck you think you are, but—”
Gideon gripped Lara‟s elbow. “We‟re getting out of here.”
Justin rose from the booth. “Take your hands off her.”
“It‟s all right,” Lara said quickly. She struggled to pull herself together. “I know him.”
Justin‟s mouth tightened. “That doesn‟t mean you have to go with him.”
“Try and stop her,” Gideon invited.
Lara shook her arm from his grasp. “That‟s enough,” she said, her voice sharp as a slap.
Gideon met her gaze. “Your little energy flare just gave away our location. This place will be crawling in an hour. We need
to leave before they get here.”
Lara‟s throat constricted. “What about him?”
“Is he one of us?”
Not human. Not nephilim, either.
“No,” she admitted.
“Then lose him. He‟s not our responsibility.”
He was right. She was still new to her duties as Seeker, but the Rule was clear about their obligations to their own kind.
And the dangers of getting involved with those who were not their kind.
Yet . . .
“Give us a minute,” she said.
Gideon‟s face set, cold and rigid as marble. “Five minutes,” he acceded. “I‟ll wait for you outside.”
Where he could guard the entrance and scan for danger. She nodded.
With another glare at Justin, he left.
“Are you okay?” Justin asked.
“Fine,” she said firmly, whether it was true or not. Why had she felt the pull of his presence if she wasn‟t meant to find
him?
“Listen, it‟s none of my business,” he said. “But if this guy is giving you a hard time . . .”
His willingness to look out for a stranger shamed her. Especially since she was about to abandon him to his fate.
“Nothing like that. We work together,” she explained.
He looked unconvinced.
“What about you?” she asked.
He frowned. “What about me?”
Who are you?
What are you?
“Will you be all right?” she asked.
“I think my ego will survive being ditched for another guy.” The glint in his eye almost wrung a smile from her.
She bit her lip. Their enemies would be circling, drawn by that unexpected snap of energy. She already had to account for
one mistake. She couldn‟t afford another.
Besides, he was not one of them.