Circle of the Stars

They were coming. I could feel their fetid breath on my neck as I raced through the woods. The bushes and thorns tore at my hair, drew blood on my exposed arms. My lungs ached as I pushed my body harder and faster. I had to get away. A massive fallen, rotted tree loomed in the near distance. Its gnarled branches looked like spiny fingers pushing through the ground like some kind of ancient dead deity. I chuckled at the idea. All the deities were long gone. Thank the stars. I angled and slid under it. I popped back to my feet, gaining precious seconds. Adrenaline pumped through my system, urging me faster and faster. The smile that creased my face turned into a grimace as I barreled forward, face first, into a limb I hadn't seen. Thick, warm liquid oozed over my lips as I finally saw the edge of the forest. Safety.Freedom. In one small width of old wooden fencing. My lungs quivered in my chest. My legs cramped. I gritted my teeth as my body tried to betray me.

A metal leviathan screamed at me as I stepped off the edge of the ground. I stumbled a bit as the ground fell away from under me. I stretched my hand out to catch my balance. I slammed a hand against his nose. "Hey, I'm walking here." I shoved two spread fingers up in the air at the man inside the beast. The man behind me laughed before he caught me around the waist. "Yeah, that's traffic. They can kill you."I shrugged. Right. Of course. I nodded. "I knew that." No, I hadn't, but he didn't need to - "No, you didn't." He smiled.Jerk.His mouth tipped up in a smile that I kinda wanted to bite. "Do they not have cars where you come from?"I could listen to this man read a recipe and find my first sexual satisfaction, I think. It sounded like a heavy wind rushing through the mountain passes. A low sound that was both comforting and exciting.I shook my head as I chuckled. "You mean the magical wall? No. No carsth there." I grimaced at my impaired speech. "Do you know of a

The woman twitched in my hold. Her arms and legs stiffened and relaxed in rapid succession. Shit. Just our luck we'd be saddled with one of Thane's new strays and she had epilepsy. I got her to the floor, turned her to the side. Snagging a clean towel from the load of fresh laundry sitting on the counter, I jammed it under her head. I checked my wrist for the time. Watching her carefully, I took in all the little details I'd missed on my first inspection. She had a streak of bright white hair just over her left ear. It was mostly masked under the dark purple color. Her nails were jagged and torn. Her borrowed clothes were too baggy and bloody. Her bare feet were dirty and lacerated. With a low moan, her body finally relaxed. I watched her. Wanted to see what she would do when she thought no one was looking. I knew when she felt my gaze. Her body tensed. The muscles of her long legs flexed and bunched as if getting ready to lunge to her feet. "I'll catch you, so I wouldn'

I pushed to my feet. "The bathroom's where?" I asked the grumpy guy who was glaring at me. The man seriously needed to air out his aura. It was all kinds of stuffed up and clogged. His eyes bugged out even as he glared at me. I wasn't sure that exact expression had been physically possible, but he managed it. If I'd had a gold star, I would have given it to him. I stood right in front of him. Thane and Toven behind me. The other two brothers were nice. This guy though...he was like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs that he'd already set on fire for even looking at his tail. One of the guys behind me laid their hands on my shoulders. That wave of magic rushed through me at Thane's touch. Apparently the magic knew who it was. The whispering in my ear was kinda weird, but I could handle it. "Right this way. You can shower in my section." The pressure of his hands changed, nudging me in the right direction. Grumpy Guy's eyes darted over my shoulder before I turned full

I awoke in the dark even though light was pouring into the room. It crept towards my feet as I watched. I wanted to pull away. Wrap myself in the blanket someone had thrown over me and jump from the top of Thane's building. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid, Hollyn. I couldn't believe I'd shared that much of my life with him. I must have looked like such an idiot, cowering between his bed and a small set of drawers. Why he needed three drawers right next to his bed was another question, but it could wait until I'd climbed from the pit of boiling shame that was currently my life. I rolled towards the light. Even my unconscious mind must have felt the crippling embarrassment, otherwise I wouldn't have managed to be completely under the massive bed. As soon as the fresh air of the chilly room settled over my skin, I bounced up to my feet.I caught the towel as it slipped from under my arms. My lips twisted in irritation at having to use it. But I wasn't going to give Grumpy any more of a rea