A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends #1)

on a second,” Kieran said. “Did you
just call me a sidekick? Like Robin to Batman? Like Donkey to Shrek, or Sam to
Frodo? Isn’t that precious?”
    Kieran shutting his mouth was obviously too
much to ask. I shot him an irritated look. “Let’s get back to the topic at
hand. Go away, Layla , or I swear I’ll talk to your
mother.”
    Layla puffed and moved to the window, the snakes slithering with her. “She’d
never make you happy. I would because I’m a goddess.” She threw me a glance
over her shoulder, head tilted, revealing a slender neck and glossy, black
hair, thick as a curtain.
    Not
tempting. Not like my Amber. I shook my head. “Find
someone else. I’m not interested.”
    Her expression darkened. “I’ll make sure to
bring flowers to her grave.” Shooting me another menacing grin, Layla dissipated into thin air, disappearing before my eyes.
It wasn’t over yet.
    “Getting cocky’s my thing, not yours,” Kieran said, punching my shoulder. “And who do you decide
to practice on— Layla of all people? Are you
crazy? Now the hag will come back, you idiot.”
    “Next time I’ll be prepared.”
    Kieran rubbed a hand over his abdomen. “You
frigging kicked your own flesh and blood. I won’t be able to eat for a week.”
    I snorted. “I highly doubt that.”
    “Okay, so maybe for a few hours,” Kieran
said. “Payback’s a bitch.”
    Ignoring him, I turned my attention to
Amber. A sheen layer of sweat covered her forehead. Her eyes were closed, her
mouth stood slightly open, her breath came in shallow, ragged heaps. Could she
hear me? I ripped open her top and jeans, examining her skin for wounds. There
were several small bruises on her upper arms and two small punctures the size
of a wasp sting on her left thigh where one of Layla’s snakes must’ve bitten her. I could smell the blood where it had caked over.
    “She’s alive,” Kieran said.
    “Yes, but her heartbeat’s faint.”
    Kieran let out a sigh before meeting my
gaze. “We need to get her to a hospital. In case you haven’t noticed we don’t
have antivenin. We’re not equipped to handle her here.”
    I peered up at him. “And what exactly do we
tell them? That we teleported over as fast as we could? That she was bitten by
a pet snake of a demi-goddess who’s obsessed with a vampire? They’ll throw us
both in the nuthouse.”
    “Padded cells big time,” Kieran said, nodding.
    “They’d never figure out what species bit
her.” I pushed Kieran aside and squeezed my arms beneath Amber’s knees and
neck, scooping her up together with her shredded clothes. She stirred, but didn’t
open her eyes. “Hell, I doubt they’ve even discovered it yet.” Standing my
ground, I glared, preparing for battle if need be, but Kieran didn’t argue. My
brother stepped to aside and let me pass. A flash of understanding mixed with
something else reflected in his gaze.
    “Just don’t turn her,” Kieran whispered.
    “I’ll do what I deem right.”
    He held up his hands. “I can’t stop you
alone, but I’ll get Clare. Two against one.” He chuckled as he continued, “And
don’t forget the connections Clare has. She could call an army if she wanted. They’d
come in a heartbeat.”
    No connection Clare had was stronger than a
vampire. “Interfere and I won’t have a brother anymore,” I muttered.
    “What, no sidekick? You’ll kill your own
brother?”
    I shook my head. “No, I’ll denounce you and
kick you to the curb. You’ve been living here without paying rent far too long
anyway.”
    “Fine. I won’t stop you,” Kieran said. “You
always say I make bad choices. I hope you two ride into the sunset and live
happily ever after. Oh wait! That’s not going to happen.” He turned and walked
away. How could loving Amber be a bad choice? Kieran would never understand
until he found his own mate.
    The corridor stood empty as I carried Amber
to my bedchamber on the second floor and kicked the door shut with my leg. I
lay her down on the bed and tore my shirt into wide strips that I wrapped a few
inches beneath and above the punctures, then retrieved a dagger from my desk.
    The bites, a nasty green color, had swollen
to the size of a small egg. With the tip of the dagger I made a small incision
in the middle. The venom oozed out, soaking the remaining of my shirt. Amber
pried her eyes open and twisted her leg as if to pull away, her hazy gaze
looking right through me. A pained moan escaped her lips, beads of