Page 35 of Grave Beginnings

“I don’t care about that, Jude,” Angel snapped. He tilted my head side to side, fingers running over my neck as if searching for vampire bites. “I’m more worried about the pain. Fear is a normal human response to scary shit.”

His touch made my magic sing, the thrumming power between us weaving together in a dance of soothing waves that made me want to throw myself at him. I wanted to ask about the connection, as Wade’s touch hadn’t caused the intensity Angel’s did, but I was also too afraid to ask and sound dumb. “Do you think it was a vampire?”

“No, but vampires aren’t the only creature that leaves a mark.”

“Would it help if I strip for you? So you can check me over?” I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

He snorted and let me go. “Would you, if I asked?”

“Uh…”

“Never mind.” He shoved the cake my way. “Cake. Now talk.”

I snatched it away from him and devoured half the slice as he took a seat on the edge of my desk, guarding the rest of the cake, waiting for me to speak. He shifted his weight slightly, crossing one leg over the other. I sucked in a deep breath and told him everything. He never interrupted, nor did his expression change to anything more than thoughtful. If my fear or lack of skill bothered him, he never said anything about it.

“Explain the part where you entered the building again,” Angel said once I finished.

“I dove through the first open door I could.”

He waved his hand. “After that. You said it had lots of ghosts. Describe that.”

“Wispy white things? They made a lot of noise, like a crowd.”

“People shaped?”

I thought about that for a minute. “I don’t know? I avoided looking at them. It was more noise, but I could see something.”

“And they vanished?”

I sucked in a deep breath, recalling little from before I passed out. The terror had etched itself deep in my gut, more from the thing stalking me outside than whatever I’d encountered inside. “I don’t know how to explain,” I said, trying to gather the right words to describe it. “I remember the fear being overwhelming, and losing consciousness. I think I told them to leave me alone.” And felt some sort of weird energy leave me. Was that my power?

Angel tilted his head to study me. His hyper senses made me worried he’d catch the omission so I tried to break it down. “I felt a rush of something. My power, maybe. I don’t really know.”

“Victor couldn’t enter the building,” Angel said, looking thoughtful. “I wouldn’t have let him anyway, after I scented yourfear. My felid form is hypersensitive and protective.” He looked embarrassed. “Over-protective, since you’re my partner now. I’m surprised Victor didn’t bitch as soon as we got in the car.”

I let his words process for a minute. He’d threatened Victor to protect me? “Wait, Victor couldn’t enter the building, or you wouldn’t let him?”

“He couldn’t enter. There was some sort of invisible barrier around it. But if the barrier hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have let him inside.”

“But you had no problem entering?” I couldn’t recall seeing any sort of barrier before I dove inside.

“No. I knew where you were, as I’d followed your scent, but had no issues entering.”

“The shadow thing should have been able to find me too, then, right?”

“Possibly,” Angel said carefully as he slid the second slice of cake my way. “I suspect the barrier kept it out too.”

“Maybe the barrier kept NHVs out?”

“Maybe,” Angel said, though his gaze and posture, arms folded over his chest, made me think he had other ideas.

“What?” I asked.

“I’m not certain you’re ready to hear it.”

I cursed silently, mind putting together the puzzle before he could speak it. “You thinkIcreated the barrier.”

“It’s high on the list of possibilities. Across the Veil, things are more catered to the NHVs. It’s their home, after all. I couldn’t imagine why any random place would have a barrier to keep them out and let only HVs in.” He kept his focus on me and reached out to massage the back of my neck. His touch was soothing, though strange, as I wasn’t used to casual touch. I froze for a half second, which made him pause and pull his hand away. “Sorry.”