The Rememdiu (Eternity, Book Two)

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An Excerpt From: THE REMEMDIU

Copyright ? SHAYLA KERSTEN, 2007

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing,
Inc.

Roger didn?t want to open his eyes. He knew the pounding
in his head would only get worse with the intrusion of light. ?Oh shit,? he
moaned. This had to be the worst hangover since the night he celebrated his
acceptance into the Service.

The Service. The one he was now ostracized by and no
longer an active part of. ?Shit??

When had he drunk so much? And where?

The bar down the street. His eyes popped open. Light
wasn?t as much a problem as he expected it to be. Candles, almost burned out,
dimly lit the room?not his room. The d?cor was decidedly gloomy. The
bedding, the curtains, appeared black in the muted light. Even the walls
were dark.

The woman?at the bar. The two men. The memory of his
actions flooded his aching brain.

He?d let a strange woman give him a blow job in public
and he watched two men going at it while he shot come in her mouth.
?Great,? he mumbled, ?I?ve completely lost my mind.? He sat up slowly,
hoping his head wouldn?t explode.

?I wouldn?t say that.? In a nearby chair, a dark figure
moved.

?Fuck!?

?We can if you want.? The low, throaty growl was
familiar.

He scooted to the edge of the bed. ?Look, I don?t know
what came over me but this is not the way I am.?

?You are what I want you to be.? She stood and walked
toward him.

Well, he didn?t like the sound of that. Maybe she had
recorded his little indiscretion. Maybe she planned to blackmail him?
?Look, lady. Whatever I did, doesn?t mean you have any hold over me.?

?But I do. Just not the way you think.?

Roger pushed off the bed to stand.

?Oh, you can leave. But you?ll be back.? She chuckled
softly.

He glared at her as he walked past her to the door. When
she made no move toward him, he yanked open the door and stepped out into a
hot muggy hallway. Looking first in one direction and then the other, he
spotted a dilapidated exit sign. The red lettering, faded and worn, pointed
the way out.

The narrow stairs creaked under his step. Dim light
bulbs hanging from wires barely lit the way. As an afterthought, his hand
patted his back pocket for his wallet. The jangle of his keys in his pocket
comforted him.

He emerged on the street next to the entrance to the
bar. Evening had already fallen. A quick look at his watch revealed the
time to be just past nine.

The thought of drugs crossed his mind. Maybe a quick
trip to the medical clinic a few blocks away was a good idea. Although he
couldn?t explain his earlier actions, he didn?t think he?d been slipped
something. Or he didn?t want to think he had. Instead, he headed for his
apartment.

Even now, as the memory of his earlier actions returned,
his cock took interest. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time in
definitely the wrong frame of mind.

Right now a shower, some sleep and a fresh prospective
would set everything back to rights.

* * * * *

Adria smiled to herself after Roger stalked out of her
apartment.

?You can come in now,? she called out.

A door, hidden behind thick dark drapes, creaked open.
The curtain moved aside revealing Estefan and Cardin.

?You did well.?

A frown creased Estefan?s brow. ?Where did he go??

Adria stood and walked over to the confused man. Her
fingers smoothed his brow. ?He?ll be back. Don?t worry. Once the
transformation kicks in, he won?t be able to resist.? Adria?s sharp memory
swept her back to her own change. Without someone to explain the process,
she?d struggled for more than a year after her first encounter with another
Watcher. Roger wouldn?t understand what drew him back but on an instinctual
level, he would know Adria had the answers he needed.

Estefan almost wiggled with excitement. He craved her
approval more than anything. Both he and Cardin had been with her for a
long time. She knew their loyalty was more to her than to her cause and
that suited her fine. She needed them regardless of why they stayed.

She was confident Roger would be similarly bound to her.
Although? She turned away to keep them from reading the concern on her
face. There was something different about Roger. Something she couldn?t
quite put her finger on.

She?d watched him for the last couple of years. So few
men had the genetic makeup needed for her plan. The verification process
took so long.

Silently she cursed the convoluted method. Finding other
Watchers was never easy. Finding one like Roger, whose strength radiated an
almost-visible aura, was rare. The last three she?d lost to the evil
stalking her dreams. This time she?d make sure this one was safe. Until?

?Is everything okay?? Cardin?s voice interrupted her
thoughts.

?Yes. He?s the one and he already has a reason to hate
the demons. This time we?ll succeed. This time??

?