The Resurrectionist. Sierra Woods
sure you call me if anything comes up.” That dark, guarded look was back in his eyes. There was something behind it. Something he hid that crept out at times despite his efforts to bury it.
“You’re taking the bossy thing to a new level today.” I glared. I didn’t need a babysitter.
“It’s my job, babe.” Serious now, he held my gaze as if he wanted to say something else, but held back. Yeah, he was a man of secrets, and I wasn’t likely to penetrate that barrier he erected every time I asked him a personal question. Sometimes I just can’t help myself and must ask. Just makes my day to irritate other people.
“So what’s going on with you today? I’m getting a weird vibe from you.” I raised my brows and waited for the answer I knew wasn’t coming.
“Nothing.” Slam. That door in his eyes closed, but I knew something was bothering him.
“You’re lying, I can see it. If something’s up, I need to know. If you don’t share, dude, then neither do I.” That broke all the rules of my agreement with the P.D., but right now I didn’t care. Something was up.
Narrowing his eyes, he tried to stare me down, but failed. I know his tricks, and he sighed. “There’s something I can’t get a hold on. Something in the air.”
“In the air? Could you be vaguer?” My turn to frown.
He stood and spun away. “Never mind. If anything concrete shows up, I’ll let you know.”
“If you’ve got a feeling about something, I want to know, even if you think it’s nothing.”
“Like I said, when it’s concrete, I’ll let you know.” His hand drifted to his neck again, but I kept silent. Miracles do happen. Sam gave me a crumb.
He’s my assigned protector from the P.D. I’ve been through private training like you wouldn’t believe. I know a thing or two about guns and how to protect myself, but when I perform the rituals my focus is internal. That’s when I’m vulnerable and need someone to watch over me. A big, bad, hunky cop like Sam will do. Sometimes I resent that I need one, but it’s become obvious I do. The security guards offer some protection, but there’s something about Sam in particular that needs to be there. I don’t know what yet, and it’s pissing me off.
“Like I said, it’s my job.” He gave that tight little smile he has when he has to do something he doesn’t want to. Talk about control issues.
“Yes, I know. You’re the liaison, blah, blah, blah.” I get so tired of the blah, blah, blah sometimes. “But you’re off your game, and that affects me whether you know it or not.” Well, I guess he knows now.
“Yes, I am. One of these nights we’re going to have more trouble than we bargained for.” Concern emanated from his eyes and a little something twisted between my shoulder blades. That’s my signal something is wrong.
I hope it isn’t an omen. Not that I believe in them, not seriously, but I sort of wish for a bit more protection at times. Something small and inconspicuous, like the Spear of Isis. That’s all.
With a nod he left, and I tried to return to the work in front of me, but it didn’t keep my attention.
I’d had a sense of foreboding for a week now and didn’t know why. Maybe that’s what I was getting from Sam. He has senses finely tuned from his military service that I’ll never get close to, but he’s so damned closed-mouthed sometimes, I just want to strangle him.
I must resist.
The sound of a skateboard on the sidewalk always gets on my nerves. I never know whether I’m going to get run down by a herd of teenagers, or if there is a message from my mentor, Burton. This time it was Burton and the muscles in my back tensed. I’m going to need a painkiller by the end of the day if this keeps up.
“Where you been, chica?” He knows that any reference to my ethnic backgrounds will get my immediate attention. When I went to nursing school, I applied for scholarships based on my three ethnic groups, but was denied two of them. Bastards.
“Oh, get off it, Burton. What do you want?” Sometimes I have no patience for the man. Sometimes I want to cuff him just because he’s such a piece of work. Any spiritual entity that’s four thousand years old shouldn’t be such a smart-ass. There’s just something wrong with that.
“Just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
“Okay? I’m fine.” I narrowed my eyes, immediately suspicious. Him, I never quite trust. “You’ve never asked me how I am before. What’s up?” That niggle between my shoulders was aching again.
“The other-siders have a sense something’s changing in the universe. They want to make sure you and other resurrectionists are unharmed.”
“Unharmed?” Maybe that was why Sam and I had had uncomfortable feelings we couldn’t name. “Who would want to harm us?” Aside from the obvious.
“The Dark.”
“What the hell is that?” As if I needed something to screw up my life more. The judicial system was enough.
“The entity who has disrupted the balance, and grows larger and more dangerous every time evil wins out over good. It is a congealed group of dark souls that has banded together from the deepest part of the nebula. They had been banished for their misdeeds while earthbound and have gathered to form a darker, stronger being. It’s made a declaration to stop the resurrectionists, but most especially you.”
“Me? Why me? What about the others out there?” He said it as if this thing had challenged me to a game of checkers. Was he serious?
“Of that we are uncertain. They ask that you take no unnecessary risks until the threat has passed.”
Jeez. Could they be more nebulous? Unnecessary risks? What the hell was that? Every day I take on a case, and the risk I take with my body and my life to send killers to the nebula is a huge risk. What about that seems unnecessary? I thought they were out there to help me. And I know that most threats generally don’t just pass by without slapping you upside the head.
“Uh, how will I know when that happens?”
“That is unknown. At this time we are offering the warning to all.”
“Well, that’s some comfort, I suppose.”
“Do not underestimate the power of this entity. It has been dormant for millennia and now seeks its vengeance.” For a moment I saw every one of his four thousand years revealed in his eyes, and a chill rose over me as the full effect of his warning got to me. Then the moment was gone, and the teenager with a goofy grin returned. “Man, this is just too much fun.” Hopping on his board, he was off in a flash and a whoop of delight. Too bad more people aren’t pleased so easily. I’m certainly not, though a big gun and a frozen margarita come close.
“I don’t understand what you see in that kid. He’s nothing but trouble.” Sam was right behind me, and I nearly jumped, but I controlled the urge to clobber him. My instincts are finely tuned, and I could have given him a bloody lip just then, or driven his testicles up into his eye sockets, but I restrained myself. Turning, I gave him a glare instead, but the sunglasses made it less effective. Sometimes I’m just too nice.
“What are you doing? You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that.” Especially now with universal warnings of doom and gloom on the horizon.
“I know, but with you?” The shrug said it all and his army Ranger training proved it. He liked to live dangerously around me. “That kid’s trouble.”
If he only knew. “He’s harmless. He’s probably just like you were at that age.” Yeah, right.
Sam glared down at me, and I was surprised his shades didn’t melt. “Don’t ever compare