Chapter Seven
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URZRA KNEW brIA’S POWER would wear off and her sire would return soon.
He could see how torn she was about leaving her home.
She had everything she needed here and she was mostly safe from harm.
He’d appeared like a whirlwind and she’d been caught up in his storm.
Fate wanted them to meet and he knew he had to protect this tiny female even if he didn’t know why.
He held his breath until the cambion gave a curt nod.
“I’ll pack some bags,” Bria said sullenly.
He was glad she hadn’t used her magic on him this time.
Seeing all five soldiers’ eyes glaze over and watching them walk away had been impressive.
He didn’t know what Rahab’s plans were, but they would both end up dead or imprisoned.
He felt bad for bringing this trouble down on her and for upsetting her so badly.
“Are there any other boats we can use to get off this island?” he asked as he followed her to her bedroom.
Her bed was a double rather than a queen, which meant she probably chose to sleep alone.
That thought pleased him more than he cared to admit.
Urzra barely knew Bria, but he hated the idea of her being in a relationship with another male.
Her furniture was fairly plain. She wasn’t into frills or glamor.
Even her clothes were suited for comfort rather than style.
“We’ll probably find some at the marina,” she replied as she opened her closet. She reached up to the top shelf above the hanging clothes, but couldn’t reach the duffle bags. He crossed to her side, grabbed them and handed them to her. “Thanks,” she muttered.
Backing away, the warrior crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.
Bria was economical as she packed her clothes into a duffle bag.
She chose t-shirts, shorts, sweaters and jeans, then socks and underwear from her dresser.
She paused to pull on socks and sneakers and stuffed her flipflops into the second duffle bag.
The bathroom was her next stop. Grabbing what she needed, she headed to the kitchen last. She picked up some documents, an e-reader and a charging cord when she cut through the living room.
They went into the duffle bag with her clothes.
“We need to go, female,” Urzra said, keeping his senses at full alert. There were no signs of her sire or the other soldiers yet, but it was only a matter of time before they would return. He doubted they would give the cambion another chance to use her special talent against them.
“Unlike you, I need food and water if I want to survive,” Bria said with a small scowl.
Everything about her fascinated him. She was adorable even when she was angry, but he wasn’t stupid enough to voice that opinion.
Dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, she had a toned body and a light tan, probably from gardening.
Her dark blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail, emphasizing her delicate jawline.
Bria stuffed food and bottles of water into the second duffle bag, then slung them both over her shoulders. “Let’s go,” she said in a terse tone. A human her size would have struggled under the weight of her bags, but she was far stronger than she looked.
Urzra scooped his backpack up from where he’d dropped it in the living room.
They exited through the front door and she paused to lock it behind her.
She took off at a sprint that was faster than he’d expected for someone who was so short.
Vaulting over her gate with ease, Bria stuck to the roads as she headed to the marina rather than cutting across her neighbors’ properties.
They were moving so fast that they would just be a momentary blur to any humans who glanced out through their windows.
Reaching the marina a couple of minutes later, the knight could sense a human in a restaurant that overlooked the piers.
Only a few boats were moored, but they seemed to be in good condition.
Tied to the pier, they bobbed gently in the small waves.
The ocean looked calm and the sky was clear.
With luck, they would be able to cross to the mainland without running into any trouble.
“I think someone has been looking after the boats,” Bria said. The vessels were clean and showed no signs of damage. She turned to stare at the restaurant. “The person in the restaurant is watching us,” she added. “Maybe he’s been maintaining the boats.”
The human was standing too deeply in the shadows for Urzra to make out his face. “I’m going to talk to him, female,” he said. “Wait here. I’ll be back soon.” She gave him an annoyed look at his order, but did as he’d requested.
Urzra didn’t have time to pretend to be normal.
He sprinted to the restaurant and entered before the male had time to reach for the pistol that was in a holster on his hip.
The knight sent a wave of mind control at the grizzled old man who had a dark gray soul.
He was dressed like a ship captain, complete with a captain’s hat.
“We need a fast boat that will take us to the mainland,” he said. “Which one should we use?”
Skin tanned from long hours spent in the sun, the captain’s gaze went to the five vessels. He was in his sixties and had probably had many adventures at sea. “Take the one closest to us,” he said in a wooden voice. “She’s small, but she’s fast and she’s the only one that’s full of fuel.”
“Why are the other boats empty?” Urzra asked out of sheer curiosity.
“A voice told me to drain the tanks in my dream last night,” the captain said. “I’m going to drive to the lighthouse now,” he added. “The voice told me I’ll be safe there.” He turned away and hurried out through the back door.
“Fate has touched this human’s mind,” Urzra realized as he released his power. He sprinted back to Bria, who’d moved closer to the boats.
“Where’s he going?” the female asked when she saw the captain climbing into a jeep in the small parking lot next to the restaurant.
“Someone told him to drain all of the fuel from the boats except for that one in a dream last night,” he said, guiding her towards the pier and pointing at the small silver speedboat. “I assume he was told to drive away once I finished speaking to him,” he added.
The jeep zoomed away from the marina as they boarded the vessel.
Bria took a seat and stashed her duffle bags in a compartment.
Urzra untied the boat, then stuffed his backpack next to her belongings.
This boat was similar to the one he’d used earlier, but far sleeker.
It was ready to go and now all he had to do was start it, reverse backwards to get clear of the other boats, then zoom away.
He picked up on one, then four more soldiers on the outer edges of his radar and cursed beneath his breath. “Do you sense that?” he asked as he started the motor.
“It’s Deumos and his friends,” Bria said grimly.
“I’ll try to confuse them again while you get us out of here.
” She turned to face the approaching soldiers.
He had a side view of her face and he could see how grim and determined she was.
Admiration for the diminutive female rose.
Her entire life was about to change, but she was brave enough to face the danger rather than cowering from it in terror.