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Her hand found her brow and seized by something indiscernible, began to shiver. She slowly raised her head, and he was still staring, and then with a shocked expression as if he had seen a ghost, he took a step back, raised his hand and combed his thick, dark mane with his fingers.
“Torin! Man, are you okay?” Gage asked again and though Donja couldn’t be sure, she thought Gage was sniffing the air as he spun his head, surveying the crowd.
“He’s here,” Torin mumbled, as his maniacal eyes once more found Donja’s. “He has his sights on this female.”
Donja winced, the power of his voice forcing chill bumps which danced on her skin.
“Who has his eyes on her?” Makayla screeched.
Reduced to nervous anguish, Donja slid from the bar stool and joined Makayla’s side.
“I asked you a question,” Makayla barked, embracing Donja.
Gage held his hand up to silence her, his eyes on Torin. “So, what are you going to do?” he asked with anxious eyes scanning the crowd. “You can’t attack him in here, too many people would be killed.”
“Killed!” Makayla screamed. “What the hell, Gage?”
Torin, unwilling to take his eyes off Donja took a step toward her, then as if struck by lightning backed away with an agonizing grimace.
“What’s the plan?” Gage roared.
Torin shuddered, his fist balled like weapons. “She needs to leave. He’ll follow, he can’t help himself.” He swallowed hard, his eyes on her neck. “It’s her blood,” his lips trembled, “too powerful to resist.”
Gage glanced to Donja, “She’s Rh which is rare but…”
“There’s more,” Torin interrupted. “She’s not just Rh-null,” he declared with a faraway look in his eyes.
Gage turned to Donja, his nostrils flaring. He shook his head in disbelief. “Damn, I was so lost in Makayla’s scent that I missed it. She’s Chippewa.”
“Stop this bullshit right now!” Makayla glowered. “Donja, get your purse, we’re leaving.”
Donja spun to get her purse, gripping the table, weak in the knees. She took a moment, her mind racing. Finally, mustering strength, she turned. Torin and Gage were gone.
“Who is that man?” she stammered while clinging to Makayla, her mouth to her ear.
“I don’t know him personally, but he and Gage work together.”
“Doing what?”
“He’s a detective named Torin Mancini and Gage is a forensic investigator.”
Donja leaned back on the table. “How could his eyes so weaken me and how the hell do they know my blood type, or that I’m Chippewa?”
Makayla seized her hand. “There’s no time to explain that right now, we need to get out of here, fast!”
Completely mesmerized by Torin’s eyes, which had taken residence in her mind, Donja followed behind Makayla, winding through the crowd. Exiting the front door of ‘Observers,’ they bypassed crowds of people lined up to get inside. Down the sidewalk, bathed in golden light from the antiquated street lamps, they bypassed a few lone stragglers and then a couple who looked intoxicated. Rounding a corner to an abandoned sidewalk they stepped up the pace with spiked heels tapping in unison. Suddenly, the man who had rescued Donja from the bathroom stampede dropped down from atop a two-story roof and crouched on the sidewalk in front of them.
Donja screamed with a near fall. Clutching each other, she and Makayla backed up.
“Well, my pretty, we meet again,” he said, lamps flickering on the wicked scar that marred his face.
“Who are you?” Makayla screeched.
“I have no quarrel with you, bitch, I can see that you’re marked, it’s the Chippewa I want,” he grumbled as he took a step forward, eyes locked on Donja.
“Help!” Makayla screamed in a vain attempt to draw attention. She glanced around and seeing no one, planted herself between the man and Donja. “I know what you are and if you touch me, my Iridescent will be all over you!”
From nowhere, Donja saw a streak of darkness and as it slammed into the scar-faced man, she realized it was Torin. They rolled upon the sidewalk, slugging with fists and growls not of this world, blood droplets splashing the walls. A scream tore from her and she backed up, movement in her periphery drawing her eyes as Gage came streaking so fast she could hardly track his movement. He joined in the battle as a field of glowing light encompassed their bodies.