Fatal Sight (Harbingers Of Death Book 2) by LeAnn Mason (book club reads .TXT) 📕

pretty obvious, so no prying autopsy would be necessary anyway. Seke often let her have a munch. Their captain knew that rules were there to accomplish a task, but once it had been done… a few little leniencies made for a happy and healthy team.

Speak of the god, and he shall appear.

Stepping into her focused field of vision, a guard faced Jessica. Her eyes left the appealing morsel on the ground and traveled up his pant leg, narrow waist, broad chest, to his olive-skinned face, framed by soft, loosely-styled, dark hair.

Jessica’s head cocked. Seke was staring right at her, not the detaching soul next to him, waiting to be ferried across. His expression was carefully controlled, neutral, but his jaw was tight, his hazel eyes round. With a brisker stride than his normal pace, he made his way toward the melee as well.

Their captain was getting involved in the action?

An ice-cold chill skittered up Jessica’s spine — or maybe that was another pair of hands.

Then, Cole was there, barreling through, plowing bodies aside like a bull. An inmate was hit with Raven’s taser, vibrating in place before dropping like a sack of potatoes. But it wasn’t enough.

“Jess!” Cole was repeating her name.

Dragging her gaze to him, Jessica found their loyal puppy yet again in human form, physically wrestling with irate inmates, throwing them aside with bulging muscles, his expression determined and a bit wild as he shoved his way toward her.

Raven landed on Jessica’s shoulder as a bird, having abandoned her weapon, thin toes curling sharp talons to grip her teammate, hard. Her beak snapped at the reaching hands, her large wings flapped in faces. Her loud and hoarse caws proclaimed her defiance.

Something sharp nicked Jessica’s Achilles’ tendon, making her leg buckle as she cried out.

Crumpling in a broken sprawl, half landing on the tabletop, half on the bodies. The masses were on her immediately, pushing her further down into the rock-strewn dirt as blows came at her from every angle. Feet trod on her; boots kicked her ribs; fists pummeled her midsection. Panic infused her every inch.

Opening her mouth to revive her song, she was rewarded with a fist to the teeth before the magic could affect. Coppery blood filled her mouth, and she coughed, spitting out a tooth and a mouthful of vital liquid, but her throat filled with blood again within seconds, and she gurgled, drowning in her own blood. The throbbing ache in her nose and split lips joined the overwhelming pain all over.

Trying to protect herself, she lifted her hands in a feeble attempt to cover her face, rolling onto her side in a ball. A rib broke. A kick to the eye caused her vision to spark with a blinding light before going dark. Something heavy fell on her, crushing already damaged body parts.

Mournful howls from Cole and Raven’s angry caws were joined by a scream. Aria was back in action, but it sounded different — more of a scream of anguish and distress than a prophetic warning. It was muted, though, among the shouts and yells barely heard through her ringing ears.

Jessica silently willed her friends to make it stop, prayed to Seke to help her. The taste of her own blood was nothing like the deliciousness of the recently deceased.

Then, it was over.

Between one short, wheezing inhale that sent searing pain through her ribs and the next, there was suddenly nothing.

She was free.

Jessica took a moment before cracking her eyes open to assess the situation. The sound had stopped, the blows ceased. Was the fight over? It had to have been Seke. He must have stopped it all, saved her.

When she finally peeled open her eyes, chaos continued to reign. She frowned at the silence and rolled onto her back.

As expected, her captain stood over her, jostled slightly by the crowds. Amazingly, the siren’s eyes weren’t swollen shut as she expected, and she could make out his impressive figure.

He’d always taken care of his team. She should have known he’d save her.

Sitting up, she reached out a hand for his help.

He did not return the gesture. He was a caring but tough leader, encouraging them to stand on their own, to be independent and strong.

Jessica shook her head, stifling a laugh at his choosing to use this as a teaching moment. “Thank you,” she said instead, meaning it with all her heart.

That had been… she didn’t want to think about how close that had been. It was over. They were fine. Presumably, the second target was found since she couldn’t hear Aria’s piercing call anymore. They could wrap things up now.

The siren pushed herself up, adjusting her hair, which was undoubtedly tousled, and straightening her outfit. Goodness, her make-up had to be a mess after all of that. She hoped Seke would allow her a few minutes to clean up before they left and went back out in public. When her head tipped down as she brushed her hands over her hips, Jessica froze.

Below her was an unmoving body. Not just below her… she was standing in it, her feet passing right through it.

Panic splashed through her in a hurry, and her heart dropped to the bottom of her feet. She felt colder than she ever had in her long, long life, and her head snapped back up to stare at Seke, at the grim expression she hadn’t recognized.

As if in slow motion, Cole fought his way behind Seke, tossing some orange-clad felon aside. He pulled up short, horror sending his bold features into disarray. Dropping to his knees, claw-tipped fingers digging into his scalp between corded dreads, bright red eyes searching Jessica’s.

Raven stepped up behind him, her hand gripping his shoulder so tight her knuckles strained white. She seemed to be in shock, her eyes darting everywhere but the downed siren.

Finally arriving on Seke’s other side as other guards began rounding up the spitting and hissing gang members, Aria joined the macabre gathering. The banshee’s lips were finally clamped shut. Her