Broken Girl (Book I of Anita Blake Adoptive Mother Series)

Chapter IV

~ Asher's Point of View ~

I stood near Jean-Claude but also near Brittany. She actually stood between us as we walked. Until she stepped to one of the games and even tried it and won a stuffed animal snow leopard.

To me she seemed calm and even happy. Which I felt was a relief. I believe that after the hell she had been put through she deserved to be happy. I had a dreadful feeling about how she was taken and kept captive was possibly bad or worse than we already knew.

I also thought of earlier when she said that we are survivors, some more so than others. I had noticed when she said it that she had mostly been looking at me when she did.

I couldn't help but smile watching her look everywhere amazed but it also made my heart hurt because it made me realize how isolated she must have been.

We had stopped at a table so Brittany could rest her legs for a while. She had also gotten some cotton candy and watching her reactions to eating it was amusing, especially to Jason. Jason also acted like she was his younger sister who needed protecting, which didn't surprise any of us. Before coming to the table she won two more stuffed animals, one being a stuffed owl, and the other being a stuffed wolf to everyone's surprise.

As most of us sat at the table and were answering her questions Jean-Claude and Richard stiffened up and were at first the only ones who did. Then they got on high alert along with Richard's bodyguards and Jason. And then so did I once Jean-Claude alerted me to the danger Brittany was in.

I immediately moved closer to Brittany hoping to protect her my eyes scanning around for danger. Then we heard popping sounds like a gun went off and that's when hell broke loose. And I noticed Brittany started to panic.

"We need to get out of here before something happens to Brittany." Jason said.

Which Jean-Claude and I as well as Richard nodded in agreement. We immediately left as fast and as calmly as we possibly could. As we walked Brittany suddenly froze her eyes going wide and fearful and her body would shake violently in fear and a whimper would softly escape her.

Jean-Claude and I looked to where she was looking and at first saw a cloaked figure that also had a mask on the upper part of the face. At first there was only one.

"Ahriman's Shadows..." Brittany said fearfully. Her body shaking in fear and face draining of color.

Jean-Claude and I glared at the figure and started pulling our power getting ready to fight if needed. Especially when we started seeing other figures. Which made Brittany even more fearful and she sounded like she was going to have an anxiety attack.

"We won't let them take you." I said to her trying to calm her as best as I can. She looked at me with terror in her eyes. Her eyes accidentally locking to mine and I saw in her mind everything she was trying to tell us but couldn't because of how terrified she was. Which made me more angry.

As quickly and clearly as I could I told Jean-Claude with my mind what I just found out. And he told Richard and Anita. Then the fight started. Though Jean-Claude told Jason and I to get Brittany to safety.