A Touch Of Lightning (COMPLETED!)

Chapter 19 Falling Walls

Chapter 19 Falling Walls

He caught the slightest of sounds across the room. He looked up from Carmen's unconscious face to find Ahleena standing in the doorway to her bedroom. She was holding both of her swords, her dark, almond eyes unwavering as she watched him.

"What will you do next?" She asked him quietly, not moving, not blinking.

Callin sensed the lethal threat she represented at that moment. He felt it like a dragon of ice chilling the marrow of his bones. He abruptly realized she had heard Carmen scream and now, on seeing him, she found Carmen unconscious in his arms. He could understand what it must look like.

The aftershocks of the violence of the recent memory of the lab, of the agony of being nearly killed by Tassens power, and the boiling fog of confusion in his mind at the moment due to the freshly broken block, all combined to erode his patience, even though he understood.

He lifted Carmen fully in his arms, holding her neck a bit closer to his face, and bared his fangs.

"I'm going to tear out her throat. What else would I be doing?!" He snapped sarcastically.

At that, Ahleena immediately relaxed, but her swords didn't waver from their ready position.

"She partially linked with you. You allowed it. And her power freed part of yours. I could feel it."

Callin stalked past her, carrying Carmen easily into the bedroom with the twin queen beds. He didn't want to face Ahleena at the moment. He needed time to think, to dwell on all that had happened in his memories, and with his powers.

"Yup." He said, gently laying Carmen down on one of the beds.

He heard Ahleena come to stand in the doorway, could feel her eyes on him as he tucked Carmen in. It made him nervous, to have someone as dangerous as Ahleena holding bared weapons right behind him.

"Do you really still think you need those meat cleavers?"

Ahleena smiled at the question. "That is a question better answered by you."

"I'll let you know if I feel like I've got too much blood and need some help spreading it around." He said, facing her in the shadows of the bedroom.

"Her power compliments yours."

Callin scowled at that. "You have no idea."

"Actually, I do. I could sense the...bonding. It was incredible. I've never felt anything like it before."

Bonding? Callin didn't like the sound of that. "Don't get used to it. It's not going to happen again."

"We'll see." Ahleena said, sheathing her swords and silently fading back into the shadows.

Callin blinked, then blinked again. His night vision was better than a cat's, so he was shocked, and more than a bit unnerved, when Ahleena faded away like that. She was a mystery to him in many ways, and this newest trick of hers was just one of many more, he suspected. He sighed and climbed into his bed, knowing his mind would give him no peace tonight.

The morning sun had yet to push back the quiet of the night when Callins alarm clock began screaming at him. He flapped one hand at it in a foggy fit of disgust, wondering why anyone would design a machine to make such a wretched sound. He heard Carmen get up and leave, and with a long sigh, dragged himself upright.

He couldn't help but wonder what kind of crazy plan Ahleena had in mind for him and Carmen today. And thinking of Carmen, of being near her, of kissing her, was dangerous. He pushed those thoughts down with a low growl and threw on his clothes, his stomach rumbling at the idea of breakfast.