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Motes of dust danced in the beams of light filtering through the grubby window panes. The room was narrow but long, and the dusky sunlight did little to lift the shadows. The silence crawled across Nikki’s skin like a live thing, yet she knew she was not alone.
She flexed her fingers, trying to ease the tension that had sweat running down her forehead, and swept her gaze from left to right.
They were here, somewhere. Four of them, hidden amongst the dust and the shadows and the wooden boxes. Two vampires and two shapeshifters. All she had to do was reach the far end of the room unscathed. Easy, except for the fact that the others were allowed to use weapons, and she was not.
She gave the ceiling a quick look. The monitors were on her, and undoubtedly those watching in the next room were growing impatient. She’d been standing in the doorway for a good five minutes. But Michael had told her not to rush, and it was a suggestion she was following to the letter. If she didn’t pass this test, she’d have to undergo yet another month of physical training, and that was something she definitely didn’t want. She and Michael were supposed to get married in thirty-five days, and she hadn’t even gone shopping for a wedding dress.
