Page 151 of Bonds of Starfall

The shadows were thick in the parking garage, and a chill swept down her spine. She swore the shadow following her was larger than her own—a hand-shaped silhouette reaching for her.

Rin practically ran to the door, slamming her palm on the keypad. The light blinked, and the door opened. She fell inside, breath ragged.

Freezing, her wide eyes landed on the bed. Cyrus hadn’t moved.

It had all been too easy. Now, time for the part she dreaded the most. As soon as she could get Rhyden alone—or else her whole plan would fail.

Three days later,Rin could finally put her plan into motion.

"They need me at the hospital for an emergency surgery," Lucien said to her, as he quickly gathered up his bag and hurried out the door after passing a hand over the top of her head.

One down.

Next was Auren. The Soul Searcher sat on the couch by her side, a book in hand as he read quietly under his breath, the words nearly lulling her to sleep—she pinched her thigh to keep herself alert. He shot up, back ramrod straight as he stared off at nothing. His scythe glowed where it rested by his side. He dog-eared the page and placed the book down by Rin’s thigh. Standing, he held the scythe in his hand and tugged his hood up. Rin stared up at him, realizing the tiny Star under his lazy blue eyes glowed faintly. "I’ve been called to reap." In a rush, Auren still bent down to gather her hand up and pressed a scorching kiss to the back of it. "I will return, Hunter."

That was two.

Rhyden was typing away at his laptop hours later, a glass of blood in hand as he worked. The small box television in the corner was set on low, and Rin was on the floor before it, stretching to work through the agitation thrumming in her veins.

Cyrus lay on the couch at her back, and every time she bent and twisted to work out her body, she heard his low sound of appreciation, turning agitated in a way she recognized.

"Dammit, doll!" Cyrus cursed suddenly.

She turned, her white hair hanging over her shoulder as she peered up at him from her seated position. The incubus raked a shaking hand through his hair as he stood roughly, storming to the door. He paused, turning back to her to point a trembling finger at her shell-shocked form.

"I’m only doing this for you. Otherwise"—his finger swung to the vampire—"I would’ve drained that bastard dry by now. I’ll be back. I have to feed."

Oh. That was what that was. Rin understood now what the tenseness in his shoulders meant. He was hungry. The shadows under his eyes were dark, making his purple gaze even more striking. The air crackled around him.

Rin unfurled from her stretched position, legs twinging as she stood. No way… It was already happening. He was leaving her here, alone with Rhyden.

She tempered the excited unease in her eyes. "Go feed," she told the incubus. "You know how to be safe?"

Cyrus reached forward and grabbed her wrist, fingers brushing over the bracelet he’d given her. "I’ve been sneaking away to feed the whole time we’ve been here, and I’ve not been found out yet. I’ll be okay." He lowered his voice. "Don’t let him bully you."

Rin swallowed. If he knew what she had planned, she doubted he’d be saying that… "I won’t."

"Be good, doll. I’ll be back in a few hours."

The door shut behind him, and then it was just Rin and Rhyden.

Alone.

17

MERCY

Rin placed the Argent pill on her tongue, her cupped palm under the tap in the bathroom as she collected water and brought it up to her lips to drink. The pill went down easily—it should’ve, considering how well-versed she was in swallowing down medicine.

The plastic bottle was smooth under her fingers as she tucked it under a pile of towels in the small cabinet.

Now, to wait for it to take effect. The bottle had said it was fast-acting, so she had to move quickly for her plan to work. She’d been able to sneak out a few nights ago for a measly thirty minutes; she doubted she could leave for longer without them finding her. And she would have to, for what she had planned. The time was now, and this had been the only way she’d been able to come up with. By targeting Rhyden’s weakness: silver.

Rin opened the bathroom door.

The clicking of the keys on Rhyden’s laptop ceased as her bare feet shuffled on the floor.

"Sneaking up on me, wife?"