Shadow Play: (8 page)

The fae had no problem taking her shadow’s translucent, insubstantial hand. Maybe her shadow really belonged in Twilight, not the mortal world. Maybe this was best for her, too.

“Cam,” her shadow said, looking back, frightened.

“Danger?” he asked.

Her shadow nodded.

Ellie pushed her dark half into the falls so her shadow couldn’t alert him to her plan. This was one thing she’d choose on her own.

She could see the two figures within the water, at the threshold of eternity. Emotion tumbled into Ellie, coarse, unrefined—passion, horror, hope, desperation—until she was weeping with the fullness of it.

This was the argument both for and against keeping her shadow.

The fae seemed to inhale long and deep and thereby grow. Its limbs extended, height stretched, features filling, until it was a moon-pale naked thing, genderless, exotic, and awe inspiring. Very old.

Ellie’s shadow took one step into the forest.

And Ellie jerked forward, like something was caught just under her rib that tied them together. Burned, just there.

Another soft step.

And Ellie jerked again, stopped only by Cam’s arm suddenly strong around her middle.

He was saying something, but with all the battering feeling within, she couldn’t hear him. She turned to beg for help. His black eyes were angry, the bruises on his face making a nice man look mean.

She looked back at the falls in dread, started to shake her head no, but—

The fae loped off into the trees, and Ellie’s shadow followed, just as graceful.

In the mortal world, the high desert filled with a scream of agony.

Ellie was yanked forward, toward the falls. She and Cam skidded into the water and fell into the blood-colored wake on the other side, unable to cross.

Yet the dreadful pull within continued, leaving her breathless, her mind spinning. It hurt, it ripped, it was tearing her to pieces inside. She, the master of her shadow, was now the part that was leashed.

But she had nowhere to go, no self to follow.

“Call her back,” Cam yelled at Ellie. “Call your shadow back.”

“No!” screamed Ms. Parson.

They foundered in the water at the top of the waterfall’s deluge. The ground below was slick and treacherous, but the water was not immediately deep. He’d cracked his knee, but managed to drag her out, dripping, and into helping hands.

Her skin was going grey, breath broken. The cording of her muscles told him she was still in great pain.

“Call her back,” he said again. But Ellie was beyond responding. He hadn’t had time to tell her …

He shook her sharply. “Call her back.”

Other people had crossed into Twilight just fine—people who worked at Segue and lived to tell the tale—or he never would have attempted this. It was returning to the mortal world, alive and sane, that was the hard part. Thorne never would’ve suggested it. JT would’ve been declared lost at the outset.
In
was supposed to be easy. And Ellie had the
out
covered.

The new team medic elbowed him out of the way. Flashlight to eyes. Pulse. Oxygen at her face. Cam looked into the waterfall to see if he could find her shadow and compel her to return, then froze when he spotted a man a short way from the site, leaning on a tree. At his ease. Watching.

Cam tried not to look directly at him and lose the advantage.

Soldiers protected the waterfall, rifles at the ready, but they didn’t seem to notice the intruder, who was five steps away and in full view. He had a laceration on his forehead, an abrasion on a cheekbone. Looked stiff too. Go, shadow.

Cam dropped his gaze to Ellie, who’d started shivering in the warm morning sun as the medic worked on her. A chill went down Cam’s back too. He turned more fully to face Col. Langer, who’d been issuing orders in his mic for backup and support.

“By the tree,” Cam said, low. In his line of sight was Ms. Parson, who’d put a hand over her mouth and was rocking herself forward and backward in her distress.

Col. Langer flicked a glance beyond him. “What now?”

“Mage.” Cam held out his hand. “Can I borrow your gun?”

“There’s nothing to shoot at.”

Cam twitched. “I’m gifted.”

At Segue he’d trained in the basics of firearms, too. Thorne sent his people into Hell, but he sent them prepared.

Col. Langer handed over the gun. Cam knew it for a Kimber 1911, though it was obviously modified. He checked the chamber. Disengaged the thumb safety. And turned, sighting down the barrel.

The mage was gone.

Cam scanned quickly. There, in his peripheral vision. The mage stood at the side of an unsuspecting soldier. He was calm, confident in his slow approach.

Cam didn’t understand. The fae had crossed into Twilight already. What could the mage want here? There was no more magic left for the taking. Not unless he wanted passage into Twilight.

Better ask.

Again, Cam aimed directly at the mage. “What do you want?”

The nearest soldier looked over his shoulder, frowned at Cam, but kept his position at a word from Langer.

The mage kept a poker face, turned slightly, and stepped back, as if that was all it took to disappear.

Cam fired—
pop!
—just shy of the mage’s shoulder. He’d always enjoyed target practice. No sore muscles or aching bones. “Next time I’ll hit you. What do you want here?”

“Shoot him,” Langer said. “Then we can all see him.”

Cam weighed the counsel, shrugged. “Good point.” He steadied his grip. Aimed …

“Wait,” the mage said, hands up in surrender. “I’m only here to help. A gesture of good will after messing up your face.”

“Doubtful,” Cam said. “You killed Dr. Velez with that wicked knife of yours.”

“I thought the fae was attacking her.” He soft-footed backward, finding the tree again. “I couldn’t tell who was who and made a grave mistake.”

Cam wasn’t buying. “That’s not the fae’s story.”

“You trust a fae? Just look at that dying woman.”

Cam wanted to look at Ellie, wanted to look so bad that his head hurt. But he wasn’t about to take his eyes off the mage. That’s why the fae had touched his temple and altered his sight. That’s why she’d said he’d been clumsy—because he couldn’t see.

“The fae didn’t hold a knife to my throat,” Cam pointed out.

Dr. Hasler came up to Cam’s side. “Ask him about his House, his family line.”

“Fuck his House,” Cam said. He aimed again. “Why are you here?”

“I can help your woman before she dies,” he said. “I can bring her shadow back.”

So tempting. This guy obviously knew magic and something about the fae. If anyone could help Ellie, it was him.

But Cam’s gut said danger. The fae had said danger. And most important, Ellie’s shadow had said danger.
A bad man.

“No, thank you,” Cam said. He lowered his aim, pulled the trigger, and got the bastard in the thigh.

Cam whipped around to check on Ellie and see how she fared.

Her eyes had gone dull, her body locked in a single chill.

Hot colors seared through Ellie’s mind. Her shadow carried her forward. They rushed into gorgeous death together, consciousness unified, but the shadow in control. This was an exquisite feeling. Her body was useless, heavy, good riddance. Why had she always favored it? Why go back to that pain and suffering? Everything was hard there. Here, effortless. Magic.

Here they were one. She’d been right all along: Her shadow had the best of everything. Feeling, movement, joy. And now Ellie did too.

She followed the fae, who bounded fleet and free through the trees and undergrowth like an antelope. They seemed to run forever and also seemed to come to a stop almost immediately. The trees grew darker, curious creatures peeping out to look at her and chatter. She could not fill her lungs enough with that deep Shadow scent.

“He’s here,” the fae said, its odd head bending down to hers.

“Who?” Ellie wondered.

The fae’s head cocked the other way. “I am.”

They still spoke the same language, so she knew the fae meant JT. Ellie was supposed to take him home. His mother was grieving for him. She believed that Ellie could bring him back. Cam hoped so, too, as much as he was worried about her. And all those others like Langer who used to look at her out of slit eyes. Everyone was waiting for her.

Finding JT was her purpose, her first ever. She didn’t want to fail at it, something important to do for the first time, so she got hold of herself …

… and in so doing she knew that somewhere far away, her body, her way back to the mortal world, was dying.

“Shadow!” Cam yelled into the falls.

The medic had loosened Ellie’s shirt and elevated her legs.

And from his sprawl in the dirt, the mage laughed.

Ellie felt the monstrous roiling will of her shadow condense as her reason worked for understanding. Sending her shadow into Twilight was not the means to separate them once and for all. Sending her shadow into Twilight would kill them both.

Did she want to die? No, she did not.

“JT!” Ellie called. “Time to go home.”

Growls rolled toward her from the darkness all around, and the chatter of the other creatures went silent.

Dogs. That’s right, he had nightmares about big dogs. Here, the big dogs were real.

“JT, we have to hurry,” Ellie said. “Your mom wants her knight in shining armor to come home. She sent me to bring you back.”

The growling got louder. Slavering canines crept out of the trees, teeth bared, ears pinned back. They were a breed with sharp noses, bones delineated, muscles wired for swift attack. The dogs surrounded the fae and her, waiting for a signal to leap and shred.

Fear prickled down Ellie’s spine. She was a shadow, invincible, so nothing was supposed to hurt her here. But her instincts said otherwise. In the mortal world, her shadow might be unbeatable, might be able to fight to protect her and even Cam with extraordinary force. But here, where everything was extraordinary?

“Fae? Can they hurt us?”

“Hurt? Yes. Of course.”

“But you said you couldn’t die,” Ellie argued.

“I can’t. You’re very lucky that way.”

Lucky, like hell. “JT!”

A sharp bark and one of the dogs sprang, knocking her down. It crouched heavy on her chest and grabbed her throat with its teeth, but didn’t gnash. Hot saliva dripped onto her skin.

She hadn’t the strength or courage to dislodge it, not even as her shadow. The dog was stronger than she. And why?

Because her shadow protected her physical body, and that part of herself was on the other side of the falls, too far to save. Furthermore, she’d hated her shadow all her life, and in Twilight that hatred weakened her and made her vulnerable.

Movement drew her eyes to a short figure emerging from the trees. JT walked purposefully toward her. He’d lost his shirt and shoes, and now wore only cargo shorts. The pockets bulged and a slingshot was held close by a belt loop. He carried a stick fashioned into a spear in his hands. His mother had said he was tough.

“Sit,” the boy commanded.

A few high whines and all the animals were on their haunches. The dog at her throat released her and climbed off her body.

She pushed herself up, breathless. “JT, your mom sent me to take you home. We don’t have much time.”

JT didn’t seem happy to be saved. “Lie to me again and I’ll really sic my dogs on you.”

Ellie looked back at the cruel animals. “I thought you were afraid of them.”

“I was,” he said, taunting her. “But I’m not anymore.”

She fought a smile. Good for him. His nightmare was now his protection. Tough, smart kid. She wished she could learn to do that. She was afraid every day.

He frowned down at her. “What kind of a monster are you?”

“I’m a
shadow
,” Ellie said, holding out her dusky hands. For once she was glad to be what she was. A shadow could do things no one else could—at least in the mortal world. Now if she could just make him cooperate … “I was sent here to bring you back to your mom because shadows like me can go in and out of this place, and most people need help to get out.”

“My mom is everywhere here,” he said, skeptical.

“She said to call you her knight, and that you’d know I was safe to follow.” There … now they had to hurry.

“All the moms here call me their knight.” He was sad and angry. His heart must have betrayed him to the other fae. “None of them are real.”

Cam put the gun to the mage’s temple. “You said you could help?”

“We need to start an IV,” the medic said. “Her heart rate is dropping.”

Ellie might not want to commit murder, but Cam was very calmly willing to do so.

“Okay, no knight,” Ellie said. “You like Legos, cars, building things?”

He seemed determined not to trust her.

“What about your turtle, Speedo?”

JT disregarded her and looked up at the fae. “I know you.” He took a step back, thought for a sec, took another and raised his spear. “You’re the one who trapped me here.”

Ellie lunged forward to stop him. “JT, no!”

The dogs surged to all fours and barked in unison, sharp, mean sounds that would harry anyone back.

“Be careful,” the fae said to JT. “We are the same. You will hurt yourself.”

The dogs crouched. Their growls made Ellie’s shadow skin flush with goose bumps.

She watched as JT looked the fae in its Shadow eyes. Something transferred in that moment that sent a shudder through them both.

“My mom didn’t want you,” JT said.

“She wants
you
,” Ellie said. Her body was failing. He didn’t believe her. No time left.

“My mom is looking for me.” His posture weakened slightly, the spear’s aim faltering.

“We have to go, JT.” She was losing herself. “Please just give me a chance.”

He looked down at his spear, considering. He’d been so strong for so long.

A woman’s gut-born cry snapped Cam’s attention from the mage back around. Ellie.