chest, and blood was rushing out of the wound like a river.
Her legs wobbled, but she stumbled toward him. She had to use something to stop the flow of blood.
She shouldn’t touch him—
He would die if she didn’t.
“It’s all right, Lady Ophelia.”
“Stand down, Ravenhunt.” The gray-haired man held a strange weapon pointing at him. She recognized it from pictures in books. A medieval crossbow.
In front of her, Ravenhunt seemed to disappear. But he didn’t. There was a blur of movement, like ripples in the air on a hot day. Next thing she knew, the arrogant young man who had fired the pistol was lying unconscious on the ground, Cartwell was disarmed, and nude Ravenhunt held the crossbow pointed at both men.
The other young man fired. The pistol exploded with a roar, a flash of powder. The ball slammed into Ravenhunt.
She screamed.
Blood blossomed on his side. There was an enormous, bloody, black-rimmed hole in the side of his chest. It should have felled him, just as the first shot should have, but he just frowned at it.
Ravenhunt stalked to the man, grasped his arm, and twisted it sharply. A loud
crack
filled the air, as the man cried out. The pistol fell.
“Run, you Royal Society bastard,” he snapped at Cartwell. “Run before I shoot you with your own damned crossbow.”
Cartwell ran, stumbling on the cobbles.
Ravenhunt turned to her and crooked his finger. “Come, Lady Ophelia. We must get you to safety. There are likely more of them—Cartwell’s flight will send them in pursuit of us.”
She knew she was being a meek and cowardly fool. But she walked toward Ravenhunt. Even though he was naked. Even though he must be insane. Even though he had kept her as a prisoner.
He had taken two pistol shots for her. She was dazed and unable to think.
Ravenhunt stepped toward her, and she realized the blood was no longer flowing from his wounds. With shaky fingers, she touched the first wound. The blood was dry. The hole was smaller.
She looked at the wound on his side. He said nothing. Just stood and let her look.
When she straightened, the hole in his chest was gone.
“You’ve healed,” she gasped. “That’s impossible!”
Ravenhunt inclined his head. “I have a power, too, Lady Ophelia. The power to heal myself.” He smiled. “Do you believe me now, Ophelia? Do you accept that you are in danger and you can trust me?”
“I—I don’t know. Those men were going to kill me. But you took me prisoner. Was it for them?”
“No. But you have to understand now why I kept you and would not let you go.”
“Why are you not wearing any clothes?”
“I was undressing for bed when I realized you had escaped.”
“And you ran out naked?”
Naked
was not a word she was supposed to say to a man. Suddenly she thought of something. “You must have known I took your keys when you left. You would have tried to lock the door. You knew all along.”
He began to shake his head, but he looked guilty.
“You let me escape. You let me take the key, you followed me. When I thought I was so clever and I had defeated you, I hadn’t at all!” Somehow that made her the angriest. That he must have been laughing at her at every step.
“I had to let you understand the dangers out here,” he said.
“You let me escape because you knew they would attack me.”
“I had to make you appreciate the danger is real.”
“Why? Why would you care? What do you want from me? I have nothing to give. All I do is hurt people.”
Ophelia threw the words at him and tried to run from him.
But Raven caught her wrist and pulled her hard against his chest. He cradled her. Raven knew this touch was not for seduction. He heard the self-loathing in her frantic tones. She had a power she could not control, and he knew what hell that was like.
He hugged her.
“You shouldn’t do this,” she said bitterly. “You might die.”
“Then give me a kiss. If I’m going to die for it, I want to make it worth it.”
“We
Her legs wobbled, but she stumbled toward him. She had to use something to stop the flow of blood.
She shouldn’t touch him—
He would die if she didn’t.
“It’s all right, Lady Ophelia.”
“Stand down, Ravenhunt.” The gray-haired man held a strange weapon pointing at him. She recognized it from pictures in books. A medieval crossbow.
In front of her, Ravenhunt seemed to disappear. But he didn’t. There was a blur of movement, like ripples in the air on a hot day. Next thing she knew, the arrogant young man who had fired the pistol was lying unconscious on the ground, Cartwell was disarmed, and nude Ravenhunt held the crossbow pointed at both men.
The other young man fired. The pistol exploded with a roar, a flash of powder. The ball slammed into Ravenhunt.
She screamed.
Blood blossomed on his side. There was an enormous, bloody, black-rimmed hole in the side of his chest. It should have felled him, just as the first shot should have, but he just frowned at it.
Ravenhunt stalked to the man, grasped his arm, and twisted it sharply. A loud
crack
filled the air, as the man cried out. The pistol fell.
“Run, you Royal Society bastard,” he snapped at Cartwell. “Run before I shoot you with your own damned crossbow.”
Cartwell ran, stumbling on the cobbles.
Ravenhunt turned to her and crooked his finger. “Come, Lady Ophelia. We must get you to safety. There are likely more of them—Cartwell’s flight will send them in pursuit of us.”
She knew she was being a meek and cowardly fool. But she walked toward Ravenhunt. Even though he was naked. Even though he must be insane. Even though he had kept her as a prisoner.
He had taken two pistol shots for her. She was dazed and unable to think.
Ravenhunt stepped toward her, and she realized the blood was no longer flowing from his wounds. With shaky fingers, she touched the first wound. The blood was dry. The hole was smaller.
She looked at the wound on his side. He said nothing. Just stood and let her look.
When she straightened, the hole in his chest was gone.
“You’ve healed,” she gasped. “That’s impossible!”
Ravenhunt inclined his head. “I have a power, too, Lady Ophelia. The power to heal myself.” He smiled. “Do you believe me now, Ophelia? Do you accept that you are in danger and you can trust me?”
“I—I don’t know. Those men were going to kill me. But you took me prisoner. Was it for them?”
“No. But you have to understand now why I kept you and would not let you go.”
“Why are you not wearing any clothes?”
“I was undressing for bed when I realized you had escaped.”
“And you ran out naked?”
Naked
was not a word she was supposed to say to a man. Suddenly she thought of something. “You must have known I took your keys when you left. You would have tried to lock the door. You knew all along.”
He began to shake his head, but he looked guilty.
“You let me escape. You let me take the key, you followed me. When I thought I was so clever and I had defeated you, I hadn’t at all!” Somehow that made her the angriest. That he must have been laughing at her at every step.
“I had to let you understand the dangers out here,” he said.
“You let me escape because you knew they would attack me.”
“I had to make you appreciate the danger is real.”
“Why? Why would you care? What do you want from me? I have nothing to give. All I do is hurt people.”
Ophelia threw the words at him and tried to run from him.
But Raven caught her wrist and pulled her hard against his chest. He cradled her. Raven knew this touch was not for seduction. He heard the self-loathing in her frantic tones. She had a power she could not control, and he knew what hell that was like.
He hugged her.
“You shouldn’t do this,” she said bitterly. “You might die.”
“Then give me a kiss. If I’m going to die for it, I want to make it worth it.”
“We
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