A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends #1)

home, down into the depths of hell.”
    “Here we go again.” Aidan slung his arm
over Cass’s shoulders, pushing her forward. “You said you were in a hurry. Let’s
get this over with, shall we? Preferably without you two killing each other.”
    Cass snorted, but started walking behind
Devon who led the way. Smiling, Clare gave Angel a nudge. “Don’t worry. They
fight like this all the time. I think it’s courting.”
    “Clare!” Cass yelled, outraged. “I wouldn’t
date this guy if my life depended on it.”
    Kieran started to speak when Aidan tugged
on his sleeve. “Not another word.”
    We walked in silence for a while, passing
yet more trees. I didn’t dare look up the path in case it seemed to stretch on
forever, crushing my spirits. The fireflies hovered over our heads,
illuminating our way. I reached up to touch them, then decided against it
because I didn’t trust demonic animals.
    “The question is when will the demon attack
the vampire with a fire bolt and when will the vampire bite the demon?” Devon
said, resuming the conversation. “It’s only a matter of time until someone’s
seriously hurt. Hanging around with them is a lethal combination, Amber. For
the life of me, I can’t figure out why you’re still alive.”
    “As you can see, she’s perfectly fine and
happy,” Aidan said. It was nice to see him stick up for me. Wrapping my coat
tighter around me, I peered at the dense woods surrounding us. The path didn’t
seem to be the one we’d taken only a few nights ago; for one, it was narrower
and obstructed by bushes and low-hanging branches. Then again, I’d been
focusing on my feet, minding the loose stones and fallen twigs, and definitely not
paying much attention to the scenery.
    “Want me to carry you?” Kieran whispered in
my ear, his hot breath brushing my skin.
    He sounded so much like Aidan that, for a
moment, I stopped breathing, my brain completely fooled, until Aidan called out,
“She’ll walk.”
    Who the heck did he think he was, telling me
what to do? I considered taking Kieran up on the offer, just to piss Aidan off,
but then I let it pass. He was right, better get the book without any more
delays and drama.
    “Another time,” Kieran whispered.
    “Bro, I swear next time Cass tries her
abilities on you, I’ll be the first one to help her,” Aidan hissed, annoyed.
    Was he jealous? I beamed at the realization
that he didn’t want to see me with someone else. In spite of his cold demeanor,
he cared about me. I quickened my pace and, in a bold and brainless moment,
placed an affectionate hand on his lower back, remembering an article on how guys
were like children who wanted to be loved and cuddled. I felt stupid, but if it
helped him open up more, I could cough up a few subtle displays of affection. A
moment later my boot connected with a stone and I bumped into him, cussing
under my breath.
    The air smelled of damp wood and earth.
Twigs snapped under our feet as we moved forward at a fast speed. My legs were
starting to ache; my breath came in labored heaps. I was on the verge of asking
whether we were there yet, when Kieran turned to Angel, signaling trouble
ahead. “The leader of the pack—” Kieran pointed at Aidan “—won’t
let me anywhere near Amber because he’s the alpha, territorial and all. So I
extend the offer to you.”
    “Over my dead body,” Devon said.
    Kieran laughed. “Two alpha males. Is there
room for a third?”
    “My feet are killing me,” Angel whined. “If
I weren’t so darn scared of vampires I’d take you up on your offer.”
    “Better not,” Clare said. “He’s bad news.”
    In spite of the cold, my jeans stuck to my
damp skin and my thighs were on fire. The path continued to incline. Although
Aidan freed the way for me, the biting wind made it hard to avoid the whipping
branches. With no one speaking, my panting echoed in my ears. The more I
focused to silence my breathing, the more it turned into a whistling sound
trapped somewhere in my chest. Annoyed, I wondered whether Aidan could hear me
with his supernatural powers. Probably. If he asked, I’d just pretend to be
suffering from asthma.
    Somehow, I managed to reach what looked
like our destination with no more embarrassing tripping over my feet. A bird
cried as it circled on the horizon, lowering over our heads, then rising into the
depth of the night. For some undefined reason, it sent chills down my spine.
    “That’s not a normal bird, is it?”