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.A chain slid out from under Jace's shirt, the silver dog tag caught Elias' attention.He froze under Jace."Who's Wade?"Pain, so sharp it severed every other emotion, flared through Jace.He jerked away from Elias and the sudden loss of contact made him feel twice as empty as he had before their connection.Jace sat cross-legged in the middle of the bed, shoulders hunched.His hand fisted around the charms of the necklace."My brother.""I see." Elias got up and urged Jace to lie down."You need to get some rest, things will be better in the morning." Careful not to touch Jace's bare skin, Elias covered him with the quilt.Jace didn't meet Elias' eyes before he turned on his side, his back to Elias."He's dead."Elias had guessed already.The severity of the pain associated with Wade's name gave away the loss, and made it clear Jace had more than one thing complicating his life that he hadn't dealt with yet."I killed him."Elias was at a complete loss for words as the feelings of anger and self-hatred accompanying Jace's pain were made clear.Elias hovered over Jace, unsure how help.Jace's breathing slowed and deepened as he fell asleep, putting the issue on hold for the time being.Elias watched Jace sleep, wondering at the affection that warmed his heart at the sight.He ached to ease Jace's pain, but their emotions ran so deep any personal interaction put Jace at risk.Elias had somehow managed to run headlong into the situation he'd avoided all his life.He wasn't sure they'd both survive.Reaching down, he pulled the blanket over Jace's shoulder, tucking it tight against his neck against the chill.Elias pressed a kiss into the mussed brown hair."I'm going to take care of Terry.Come morning, you need to wake up back in control, Gigantor, because my heart can't take this."7Jace groaned as he woke up, fully dressed with only hazy memories of the previous night.His head still hurt.Forcing his way out of a vision turned out to be a stupid thing to do.He'd try to avoid it in the future.He couldn't believe how wiped out he felt.If his stomach wasn't trying to gnaw its way through his backbone, he'd turn over and sleep another fifty or so hours.Jace decided he'd shower and get something to eat before he made a decision about how to best spend the day.He'd get up in a minute and do that.When Jace woke up again, the short guy from the night before stood in the door watching him.Sitting up slowly, Jace tried to blink the sleep out of his eyes, he was pretty sure he should know the dude's name but he didn't remember.The headache had been reduced to a dull thud, but he felt next door to starvation.His stomach growled loud enough to make the guy laugh."It's been doing that for a while.You want something to eat?""Why are you watching me sleep?" Jace sat up; shrugging off the flannel shirt he wore unbuttoned over a gray t-shirt.He hated sleeping in his clothes.Frowning, he pulled his t-shirt off over his head."I thought if I stood here long enough you'd wake up and strip for me." A smile curled the guy's mouth and his eyes were hot as his gaze moved over Jace's bared skin.Jace's cheeks warmed and he held his shirt in front of his chest.The guy in the door cocked his head, the odd amber brown of his eyes lightened as his expression turned thoughtful."It's misleading."Realizing how ridiculous he looked, Jace dropped his shirt and met The other man's gaze with tired eyes."What is?""Your size.How old are you, Gigantor?""Twenty.""You seem older."Jace climbed to his feet."It's been a long year.I'm going to take a shower." He paused."Wasn't there someone else with us?""Yeah, Terry, the brother of the first girl that got killed.The ghost came after him but he's going to be okay.We went to get his car earlier, but I brought him back here to keep an eye on his injury.Get that shower.I'll fix you something to eat and then we can talk about the case.""Sure, I could eat a cow right now.Before it's cooked." Jace's smile was weary, but having someone to share the responsibility of the hunt took a huge weight off his shoulders.Turning to leave the other man paused, his back to Jace."How long have you been doing this?"The question seemed to come from nowhere, Jace considered lying, but couldn't see what difference it made."Since before I could walk… no… since before I was born."The sudden tension in the guy's shoulders and the way the muscle at the back of his jaw knotted made his disapproval clear."Don't judge."He didn't turn around."Wouldn't think of it."Jace watched him leave.He could imagine what the other hunter thought.He didn't know Jace's family.Couldn't understand hunting was what his parents did, what they all did… what he did.Maybe being alone should mean he could do whatever he wanted, but there wasn't anything else.All he had left was killing monsters.Once he'd killed them because of what they were.He kept killing them because of what they'd done.Monsters had taken everything from him.And for that they deserved to die.Every.Last.One.* * * *The entire house smelled like food and Jace followed his nose to the kitchen where his host set a massive plate on the table.Two T-bone steaks, accompanied by a pile of home fried potatoes that had been chopped in their skins and cooked with onions, and a less enticing mound of broccoli with a pat of butter melting into it.Jace grinned."Eat up, Gigantor.I ate already and Terry's in bed.I gave him some pain pills, the good, illegal kind.I had to put about five stitches in that cut on his neck last night, thrilled him to no end.The kid was still bitching about it this morning.Hopefully, he'll be knocked out for a while." the guy poured a tall glass of milk and put it on the table with the food.Jace, dressed in nothing but a towel wrapped snug around his hips, intended to ask about something to wear, but distracted by the food, he forgot about clothes.He sat down in the chair behind the loaded plate, and grabbing the glass of milk, drank it in one long gulp.Jace picked up a knife and fork and dug into the food.When Jace came up for air some fifteen minutes later his plate was clean."Thank you." Jace stared at the empty plate still feeling dazed from the extent of his fatigue.He'd never pushed himself through a vision before, nor had he expended so much additional energy after having one.He looked up."I don't have any clean pants.Do you have an aspirin? Head still hurts."Setting two small white pills on the table, the guy eyed Jace."I doubt anything I own will fit you.Take the pills and go get your clothes.I'll wash them, your parka's already in the dryer [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]