Part 13 (1/2)

”Hey, you...what are you doing out here?” a gentle voice asks.

I twist my neck around so fast I nearly get whiplash. ”Bones!”

I eye the ground with apprehension; it's quite a long drop from atop Diablo's back. ”Hey, wanna kneel again?” I ask him, leaning forward to stroke his muscular neck.

Bones wanders over to us. As Diablo sinks lower, he lifts me effortlessly into the air and sets me gently on the ground.

”Liora?” His toffee eyes are round with confusion. ”Are you okay? What are you doing way out here?”

”I...I don't know, exactly. I just know I need to talk to you,” I reply with a hint of a smile. No wonder Lucky loves being friends with him so much. Just looking at him and his tanned, ripped body and chiseled features that switch from being devilishly s.e.xy to sweet and caring...it's an irresistible combination. Deadly, almost. ”How've you been?”

”I've been okay,” he says, giving me his trademark smoldering gaze. ”More important, how are you?”

My insides turn to b.u.t.ter. ”How'd you know I was here?”

He cracks a half-grin. ”I heard Diablo. And I felt you...”

”Felt me?”

He shrugs. ”Something's wrong. What is it?”

I take a deep breath and stare at him, unsure where to start. Just the sight of Bones makes my stomach tingle with happiness and my skin grow warm. ”I-it's kinda a long story...”

He motions me to a clearing where there's a fallen log we can sit on. As I start to hobble over to it, he stops me. ”Wait, what's wrong? Are you hurt?”

I shake my head and limp forward. ”It's nothing. Super stupid. I tripped and twisted my ankle. No big whoa-!” Without any warning, Bones scoops me up in his arms as if I'm a doll and carries me the rest of the way to the makes.h.i.+ft bench. I have to admit, it's not exactly torture being in his strong embrace again.

He sets me down and wraps his hands around my ankle. The searing warmth emanating from his palms instantly removes any traces of pain. ”You have to be more careful,” he says, sitting back up as I gape at him in awe. ”You are very important. You need to take care of yourself.” His mouth is set in a hard line.

”I do take care of myself...I just tripped is all. How did you do that?” I ask, pointing at my miraculously healed foot.

He shrugs. ”No biggie. Anyone can do it.”

”Can Lucky?” As I ask, a hidden memory surfaces...one of me touching Kayla's leg and fixing it, just moments before we were attacked by the Amazea.

”Sure. With humans it's easy. Now, tell me what's going on.”

I clasp my hands together and stare at the ground. Truth is, I'm not sure why I came to see Bones...only that I had to.

”Liora...?” he gently urges. There's something in his eyes...something that wasn't there the last time I saw him. They seem more intimate somehow, yet somehow...mysterious.

”Bones, there's something going on and I need to talk to you about it. I don't know who else I can go to.”

”It's about saving Kieron, isn't it? You're worried about what Lucky's going to do. Can't say I blame you...” His handsome face is sad, and he glances away.

My throat constricts. ”What?” I gasp.

Bones shrugs, still staring off into the forest. ”It is pretty dangerous, I admit. But we do have a better chance of survival with Aria on our side. Not that it's ever a great idea to attack an entire demon tribe with only a few fighters, but hey, what do I know? It's Lucky's world, I guess. We just live in it. Maybe we can actually save the poor guy. Maybe we can't. Guess we'll find out soon enough.”

”Bones, what are you talking about?” My head spins at his words. Lucky knows where Kieron is? And she's going to save him? From what?

Bones gives me a quizzical glance. ”I a.s.sumed that's why you came...you're worried about what might happen tonight. Just know that I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe, just like I always have, and just like I always will.”

”I don't know anything...I haven't seen or heard from Kieron since that night he took me and Lucky to see the Amazea. I've heard nothing. Are you telling me she knows something?”

Bones shrugs. ”Well, yeah. Don't get too upset, 'cause she really hasn't known for very long. She thought he'd disappeared. Then after we were attacked, we discovered he'd been held hostage this whole time by some former allies of ours who were looking for some payback because of a...misunderstanding. ”

”Kieron's being held prisoner somewhere, and Lucky is going to rescue him?” I reiterate, dumfounded.

Bones nods. ”Well, we're gonna at least try. That is, if she still wants to after what happened...” His voice trails off.

”After what happened?” I ask when he doesn't finish. ”Why wouldn't she want to?! If Kieron is alive and trying to get to us, she has to save him!”

He squints his eyes and focuses on me. ”Liora...do you have any idea of anything Lucky may have done last night? Do you feel any...different at all today?”

I shake my head. ”No, I don't know what she did last night, and I don't care. But now that you mention it, I do feel pretty good today. Better, in fact, than in a long time. I figured she just took it easy last night and let me get some good sleep or something...”

Bones' soft chuckle starts the b.u.t.terflies in my stomach dancing. ”Believe me, she wasn't sleeping last night-”

I hold up my hand. ”Ugh, stop. I don't want to hear it. I learned a long time ago the only way for me to not go completely crazy at sharing my body with a demon is to not know what she does.” Bones smiles wickedly, and I flash him a look. ”I'm serious, Bones. Don't tell me anything. I don't even want to hear that I might die tonight. That is what you're trying to tell me, isn't it?”

He c.o.c.ks an eyebrow and gives a s.e.xy wink. ”No, actually, I'm telling you we might in fact survive. That is, if we even still go...”

”I can't believe Kieron's been someone's prisoner this whole time,” I mumble, dazed as the words sink in. ”Why? And do you really think you can save him?” Suddenly everything is different...everything has changed. Kieron didn't abandon me...he was prevented from coming back. It wasn't by his own choosing.

”Thought you didn't want to hear anything,” Bones smirks.

I groan with exasperation and roll my eyes. Truth is, I really don't want to know the sordid details. ”Just tell me he's coming back to me soon,” I finally whisper.

An odd look flashes through Bones' eyes, and he s.h.i.+fts his gaze away. ”Only time will tell what will happen,” he mumbles. He stands and takes a few steps away, then turns back to me. ”So, you needed to talk about something. If it wasn't about Kieron, what was it?”

I chew my lip, trying to think. ”I was wondering if you would have any idea why I'd see a scar on someone that no one else can see.”

Bones furrows his brow. ”Come again?”

”There's this guy...and this girl. I've known them for some time, and ever since the first day I saw them I noticed they were both covered in scars. But I just found out that not everyone can see them. I don't know if it's just me or what-”

”Liora, I don't like the sound of this. If you're able to see through the glamour of a supernatural being, and the creature wearing the disguise is trying to go unnoticed, well, that can put you in great danger. You may inadvertently 'out' yourself as paranormal and become a target.”

Supernatural being? A disguise?-I hadn't even considered the possibility that Tristan was anything but a regular human. I'd thought it must be something about me. I lower my head.

”Well...” I begin sheepishly.

”What?” Bones looks at me through narrowed eyes.

”He kind of already knows. About me. That I'm special. Not all the dirty details, but enough.” Bones scowls down at me. ”I thought he was human!” I add, defensive at his obvious disapproval.

”You told someone who you thought was a human your secret?” Bones asks in utter disbelief.