Fury Rising (Fury Unbound Book 1) by Yasmine Galenorn Page B

Shevron had only served to make me more uncomfortable. To my relief, at that moment the door opened and Hans let himself in.
    We all turned, waiting. Jason tensed.
    Hans slumped onto the sofa. “Well, it was a sky-eye, all right.”
    Jason let out a soft breath. “How did it happen?”
    “The Devani wouldn’t tell me anything except that she was flying around the top of her building this morning. The drone zoomed in, she ‘flew’ at it and the drone protected itself. I swung by her apartment, and one of the neighbors confirmed how it happened, though she said the drone was the aggressive one. She saw it happen.”
    “Damn it to hell. Isn’t it enough that the Devani are always suspicious of everything? Gods, I wish those freaks would go back to Elysium.” I really hated the ultra self-righteous henchmen the Corp-Rats had roped into service as the security force for the country. The Devani came through the World Tree, more spirit than men, with wings that made them look like some sort of winged-shifter mutation. They had no sense of self, really, and did whatever their masters ordered. The Devani lived by strict codes, and were more alien than human. The Conglomerate—the grouping of five corporations that ruled the nation—had become more and more militant, and they gave the Devani more and more license.
    “The Devani make me twitch,” Shevron said. “I don’t trust them and I never have.”
    “I have never trusted them,” Jason said. “In the two hundred–plus years I’ve been alive, I’ve always believed they have an ulterior motive.” He let out a sharp sigh. “So, did you find out anything else, Hans?”
    “The neighbors were far more cooperative than the cops. They said the sky-eyes buzz the building every morning. Usually Eileen waits till a little later to go flying, but she met one of the neighbors on the stairs today and said she had an early meeting and wanted to get in some air time before she went to work.”
    “We warned her time and again to stop flying in the city. It’s too dangerous.” Shevron stiffened.
    “That’s what her neighbor said. Her name is Jessica, by the way, an elderly woman. Anyway, Jessica warned Eileen to be cautious, but she said that Eileen insisted she could avoid the sky-eyes and that she had to fly. She said something about it keeping her sane.”
    “Yeah…Eileen really would have loved to live out in Bend or some small town like that, but we were going to wait till we got married and then talk about it. Damn it, I wish I would have given in. She wanted to get married this spring, and I told her to wait.” Jason hit the cushion next to him, his eyes smoldering.
    “There’s no guarantee that something wouldn’t have happened. The Fates cut the cords when they will,” I said, then shut my mouth. I hated that he felt guilty over this, but there was nothing I could say that would make it any easier.
    “Her mother is going to be sorting through her things tomorrow. The building already rented out her apartment starting next week,” Hans said.
    “Figures. Greedy Corp-Rats.” Jason frowned. “I’m so glad that her mother wasn’t there to see. Terabet isn’t strong enough to handle something like that.” His face was ashen, but he managed to keep it together.
    “Oh, and while I was still at the station, the Devani asked why I wanted to know. I told him I was checking for you because you were too broken up to come down yourself.”
    After a moment’s pause, I sucked in a deep breath. “There’s something else, though I don’t feel this is the best time to bring it up.”
    “Please, change the subject,” Shevron said. “I think we need to let discussion over Eileen’s death sit for a little bit until we’ve assimilated it.”
    I glanced at Jason and he nodded.
    “All right. This morning, Hecate told me that she’s been assigned to a case. Apparently, somebody broke into the World Regency Building last night and stole an artifact from the time