Dark Weaver (Weaver Series) by Dena Nicotra Page B

after him, but my legs were too weak and I ended up splayed out on the floor.  I didn’t bother to get up.  I just pulled into a ball and sobbed like a baby.  Torvin cleared his throat and then told Chloe to call him if he needed her before he left too.  Great!  I was left with evil pin-up warrior chick who had a sadistic sense of fun and a set of savvy futuristic computer skills.  She’d just been given cart blanche to suck the juice from my brains.  What could be worse?  Just as I thought that, she began to laugh.  There I was sprawled on the floor with her high heel shoe close enough to kick me in the head, and she’s laughing like an evil villain.

Chapter Four
    When I heard the door open again I didn’t bother to look up.  Maybe Digger was back with the rabbit hole medicine.  What did it matter?  I wouldn’t be able to stop them from doing whatever it was they wanted to do in an effort to get whatever it was Kalan wanted out of my head.  I drew my knees in tighter and wrapped my arms around them.  They would have to physically (or metaphysically) move me.  I wasn’t budging on my own. 
    “Oh that is seriously pathetic,” said my former mentor.  I pushed myself up on my knees when I realized Kessler was in the room.  My hair was a sloppy curtain in front of my eyes and I brushed it back to look up at him.  He reached his hand for me to take, and I took it allowing him to pull me to my feet.  When I nearly toppled over, he guided me to the bed and handed me a tissue. 
    “You look like hell.”
    “Shut up Kess,” I said.”
    “Why don’t you shut up Joey, I’m no longer amused,”  said Chloe before turning to Kessler, “I’m glad you’re here.”
    “I came as soon as I heard your request.  I understand Prince Kalan wants me to assist you with this?”  He pointed a finger toward me and I promptly pointed one back, only I didn’t use my index finger.
    Neither of them was looking at me, but I noticed the corner of Kessler’s mouth twitched.  He knew what I did and found it amusing.  If he was going to help this Amazon, I wasn’t going to make it pleasant.  In fact, I intended to be as unpleasant as I possibly could — at least until I started screaming from the pain again.
    “Why don’t you go ahead Chloe, I’ll bring her to the Recall Theatre, and that will give you a chance to set up again,” Kessler said.
    She placed her hand on her hip and glared at me as if she were weighing the risk.  To avoid her eyes, I looked down at her shoes – well, if you could call them shoes.  She was wearing insanely high red pumps that had little spiky things sticking out all over them.  God help her if she fell down and landed with one of those curled under her.  She’d stab her own behind!  She could probably use them in battle to gouge out her enemy’s eyes.  I could just imagine her doing this without breaking a single manicured nail, or smudging any of that glossy red lipstick.
    “That would be most helpful Kess, I’ll see you there in say, fifteen minutes?  I need to confirm something with Prince Kalan, and then I’ll meet you there.”  Kess gave her one of his alluring grins, “sounds like a plan.”
    She shot me a dirty look as she vanished and I realized that I hadn’t exhaled.  Chloe was ruthless in her loyalty to Kalan, and her draconian values gave me the heebee geebies.  Kessler wasted no time, as soon as her shimmery image dissolved he rushed to my bedside.
    “Are you all right Joey?”
    “Am I all right?  Am…I…all right?  Are you serious?”
    “Did she hurt you?”
    “Well, she sucked memories out of my head, laughed while I cried, and did I mention it was painful as hell?” 
    “We don’t have time Joey, so stop being sarcastic and just take a deep breath or something.”
    I took a dramatic breath in and blew it out right in his face.
    “ All right, I’ll take it that you are emotionally wounded, but otherwise okay,” he said.
    “I’m so