Page 43 of Urzra

“Well?”Urzra asked when they met up again.

“I like athletic men,” Bria said.“Height isn’t a factor for me, since I’m so short.But I’ve always been attracted to men with dark hair and light-colored eyes.”

“My hair is dark brown, but my eyes are dark blue, rather than light blue,” her companion said with a frown.“Does that make me less appealing to you?”

“I just meant I prefer men with blue, green or gray eyes rather than brown eyes,” she clarified.“Your eyes are beautiful.”

He beamed at her as if she’d paid him the most amazing compliment he’d ever heard.She felt his joy and couldn’t detect the sense of obsession Kale had suffered from.The longer she spent in Urzra’s company, the easier it was to be around him.Like Ethel, his emotions were usually stable.It was only when he was around people who meant them harm that he changed.When he did, he became protective of her.

The static from the ham radio in Urzra’s backpack crackled, snapping them out of their locked gazes.“This is Xathan, speaking to you from Manhattan,” the soldier said in his smooth voice.He went through his usual spiel reminding people to bring food with them if they were heading to the city.His final message was chilling.“Enemies infiltrated Manhattan last night,” Xathan said in a darker tone.“They murdered some of our militants.They got away, but they will face retribution if they dare show their faces here again.”

Urzra had stopped walking when the radio had come to life.“They’re talking about the chaos we caused last night,” he figured.

“Are they warning us that they’ll kill us if we return?”she asked uneasily.

“It sounds more like they’re blaming Amaros and my brothers for the attack,” her companion said as he resumed walking.“They’re shifting the blame so none of their allies will realize a cambion is responsible for starting the battle.”

“I wonder if any of the soldiers were killed?”she mused.

“Let’s hope so,” Urzra said with a fierce grin.“The fewer foes we have to fight, the quicker we’ll win this war.”

“Then you and your brothers can return to the Void and I’ll stay here where I belong,” Bria said.His grin withered and she sensed deep sorrow at the thought of losing her.They walked in uneasy silence, unable to think of anything to say.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

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URZRA SHOULD HAVE FELTguilty that he wasn’t actively searching for his brothers, but he didn’t.He felt like he was exactly where he was supposed to be; with his cambion.Bria slowly came out of her shell as they kept up a fast walk.It was late afternoon when they heard the sound of an engine.

“It sounds like a pickup truck,” Bria said, head turning in the direction they could hear the vehicle coming from.

“There’s a cluster of houses in that direction,” Urzra said, holding out his hand for the binoculars she’d slung around her neck.She handed them over and he peered through the lenses.“I can see a truck heading away from us,” he reported.

“Can you see any people near the houses?”his female asked.

“Two men and three women are talking on the sidewalk,” the knight said.“They appear to be arguing.”He handed the binoculars to Bria and she examined the people.“I think we should move closer and see if they have any other working vehicles,” Urzra suggested.