Page 7 of Legion
“Luka has agreed to step in,” Naomi told her.
Relief washed over the waitress’s elfin face.“Good.Maybe he’ll have better luck getting through to Iain.”
“Let’s hope so.”
The front door opened once more, and a cute couple entered.Focusing on them, Naomi gave them her warmest smile.Over the next hour, she greeted several patrons and showed them to tables or booths.
She was tidying the pile of menus when her skin prickled as the weight of someone’s attention settled over her.She instinctively looked over her shoulder, her stomach clenching as she saw Luka striding down the aisle with his guards in tow.
His gaze flitted over her face.“I’ll speak with Iain tomorrow morning.Be assured that he will stay away from you in future.”
She gave a slow nod.
He paused, his eyes dark and hot on hers.“I’ll be back.”With that, he and his guards were gone.
Donna rematerialized at her side.“I don’t think he meant that he’ll be back for pizza.I think he meant that he’ll be back foryou.”
“He’ll want to let me know how his conversation with Iain goes,” Naomi pointed out.
“Maybe so, but I doubt that’sallhe wants.It’s obvious that he’s into you.”
Just because he was attracted to Naomi didn’t mean that he intended to do anything about it.And really, it was probably better that he didn’t.Because she could sense that he was a perceptive son of a bitch; the kind of man who’d ferret out all a girl’s secrets if he put his mind to it.And she had plenty to guard—one in particular was a doozy.
Setting the matter aside, she went back to work.At the end of her shift, she helped Alfie close the place down, said her goodbyes, then slipped on her jacket and left.
The pizzeria was only a five-minute walk from her home, so she arrived soon enough.Her house was small but cozy—living alone, she didn’t need a lot of space.
Inside, she kicked off her heels and tucked them under the bench in the hall.She then removed her jacket and hung it on one of the hooks high above the bench.
Intent on making herself a cup of green tea, she walked into the living room.The first floor was open-plan, the living room separated from the kitchen and dining area by partial glass walls, creating zones.
Naomi froze as she reached for the light switch, her instincts screaming at her.
She wasn’t alone.
CHAPTER TWO
A man stepped out of the shadows.And another.And another.Very soon, Naomi was surrounded by seven bald, clean-shaven, sword-wielding men.They all wore black clothes that were plain aside from the emblem on the breast pocket.A silver shield over which a red crucifix was embroidered.
Crucifix?
Angry at its home being invaded, her entity slunk forward to study them.Though they seemed human, there was a certainairto them.It was preternatural.Light.Spiritual.
Clerics, she concluded.
Descendants of the Nephilim.
Born with the innate ability to channel divine power, clerics—also referred to as Eliouds—regularly embarked on holy quests.
One idly angled his sword in a way that allowed the light to dance along the blade.The steel gleamed as if it had been given an infusion of magick.A glance at the other swords confirmed that they too weren’t simple weapons.
While clerics somewhat loathed demons, they generally didn’t target them without very good reason.Why a holy quest could bring themhere, Naomi had no clue.
She did know that she wouldn’t be letting any of them come near her with those bespelled blades.Nor would she be engaging in any fencing—she was quite frankly shit at it.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?”she asked as the molten power that lived inside her naturally rose, gathering beneath her skin.The room temperature would steadily rise along with it.
The cleric directly in front of her tilted his head slightly, his green gaze narrowing.“You seem surprised to see us here, yet not afraid.I suppose you believe that he will crawl out of the depths of hell to save you.”
