Blood Rain. Amy Blankenship

and she was standing directly in their path. There was a tidal wave of debris on their heels swallowing up some of the demons that weren’t fast enough to escape it.

      She had been frozen to the spot, completely terrified, when arms suddenly came around her and the stairway faded into the distance before disappearing entirely. Angelica shivered again and wrapped her arms around herself remembering the feeling of the tunnel collapsing around her but it was what had happened next that had been her true downfall.

      When her world had stabilized again, she found that they were on the roof of a building instead of underneath one. Still feeling the slight vibration under her feet, she’d turned her head just in time to witness the museum collapsing into the underground tunnels she’d only seconds ago been standing in.

      Slowly looking back at the warm chest she was being held against, she’d noticed her hands were fisted in his shirt, giving away the fact that she had been frightened and needed him. At that moment, she had wanted nothing more than to bury herself in his strong arms and stay there… where nothing could hurt her.

      She had then made the mistake of gazing up at the beautiful man she was clinging to. The ends of his dark hair lifted in the updraft from the collapsing building but he appeared so irrationally calm… or at least she had thought so, until she’d locked gazes with those amethyst eyes that stared back down at her, full of heat and untamed power.

      The sight had reminded her of the first time she’d seen a hauntingly beautiful vision of him… in the cave the same night the symbol had appeared on her palm.

      Her breath quickened as her gaze lowered to his sensual lips. Realizing that she wanted him had made her take a quick step back in denial. The moment she was out of his arms, Syn had dropped them… his eyes instantly becoming dark and brooding… a touch dangerous and she’d had to suppress a shiver.

      Snapping out of the memory, Angelica raised her palm seeing that nothing had changed since their first encounter… the symbol was still there in flawless detail. It had been there for a while now. She inwardly flinched when it dawned on her that she’d never put any real effort into removing it.

      Syn had told her that he’d given it to her for protection and for some strange reason she’d believed him. When had she started trusting him so completely?

      In the past, she would have been questioning every movement, every motive of a creature as powerful as Syn. But in the last couple weeks, her natural suspicious nature had taken a back seat to the curiosity and heat Syn had a way of fueling within her.

      PIT members usually described her as a loner that wasn't interested in making friends. That was the way she’d wanted everyone to see her… so they would keep their distance. Since Syn’s appearance in her life, he’d left her feeling exposed. She was starting to obsess over him, just as much as he appeared to be obsessing over her and she wanted it to stop… or did she? The ache in her chest seemed to spread out several inches at the thought.

      â€œWelcome to the land of confusion… population one,” she informed the silence of the room then made a face at how pathetic she sounded. She was stronger than this.

      Angelica glared back down at the mark on her palm wondering if it was the cause of these strange feelings she was having for him… the same way a vampire’s thrall would work. After all… Syn was the progenitor of the vampire race, wasn't he? She needed to stop overlooking that dangerous little fact. He had already admitted that he didn’t care about the war against the demons… so why was he here distracting her? Why was he helping only her?

      â€œThis started with you,” she accused the symbol.

      Raising her other hand, she held it over the intricate design on her palm, intending to treat it the same way she would treat any other demon mark that she’d removed from victims in the past.

      The tip of her index finger ghosted over the shape of it, probing for the slightest hint of evil to tether her search to. A soft frown appeared on her face finding no underlying malicious intent beneath the lines. Concentrating harder on the complex symbol, she bit her bottom lip as she began to follow the deepening path, until she could finally push past its powerful barrier.

      Angelica's lips parted and she inhaled sharply at the sensations that suddenly washed over her. There was a moment of lightheadedness followed by a hard tug from the seal, the very instant her powers tapped into it. The action surprised her so much that she actually panicked and jerked her power back, feeling the symbol’s magic lash around her and lick at her skin before disappearing back wherever it had come from.

      If she didn’t know better, she’d swear the damned mark had just tasted her.

      Syn silently appeared behind Angelica, having felt her tamper with the link that enabled her access to his power for her own protection. He’d thought to leave her alone for a few hours, so that he could regain his calm after seeing her rejection of him once again. However, with her breaching his seal on her palm, she’d unknowingly summoned him here to witness her useless attempt to break their bond.

      This made his anger resurface… was she that anxious to be rid of him just so she could stop lying to herself? After searching for so many millennia and finally finding her, he was not about to let her sever even the slightest link he’d managed to reform with her.

      â€œCoward,” Angelica lectured herself over her reaction, and opened her fisted hand to try again. She sucked in a sharp breath when the seal instantly started glowing with reinforced power.

      â€œWhy don’t you try taking your frustration out on the one that caused it,” Syn asked, from right behind her.

      Angelica flinched at his close proximity and spun around to pin her stalker with a glare. It was hard to hold the glare when he looked a hell of a lot angrier than she felt.

      Before she realized his intent, he’d snagged her around the waist with one of his arms and pulled her against his hard body. She just as quickly pressed her palm against his chest to keep some semblance of distance between them. Seriously, if he was trying to drive her crazy then he was in for a short trip.

      â€œYou’re right. I should take it out on you,” She said pointedly, and pushed away from him, surprised when he let go so easily she almost lost her footing. She gritted her teeth, trying to bury the odd disappointment she was feeling because he’d let her go so quickly.

      Closing her hand around the mark on her palm, she said the first thing that came to mind. “What the hell have you done to me?”

      â€œDo I frighten you,” Syn asked, leaning against her bedpost and crossing his arms over his chest.

      Angelica was caught off guard by the question, making her frown slightly at his crossed arms, before lifting her gaze to meet his bright amethyst eyes. They were glowing in what she could swear was anger but he seemed so calm it was serene.

      â€œI am not scared of you,” she boldly informed him, then took a quick step back, when he pushed away from the bedpost and started toward her.

      â€œI have done nothing to harm you,” Syn defended through a barely suppressed growl, knowing they had danced this dance before. She had fought him in the past to the point of insanity before finally admitting defeat and he wasn't interested in history repeating itself. He felt a mental flinch remembering how that history had ended. “You are the only reason I’m here.”

      Angelica shook her head not wanting the responsibility of being anyone’s reason for anything. She had placed so many walls around herself that the only one who had even come close to breaching them was Zachary. Or to be honest, it was his alter ego Zach who unmercifully plowed his way past them. She was momentarily saddened by that fact because now she missed his friendship and his unwanted advice.

      Syn’s eyes narrowed hearing her mourn the closeness she’d had with the phoenix. It was regretful she’d forgotten the fact that he, Syn,