“Sounds the same to me,” the shadow said.
Had she exposed herself for nothing? Ellie wondered. After all this, she’d made her life worse. The thought made the room tilt into a slow careen.
“Shadow is Segue’s term for a newly discovered . . . element. My research involves examining its properties.” He shook his head. “It has nothing to do with an actual shadow, certainly nothing like”—he flicked a glance—“her.”
Ellie felt weak. “Now what am I going to do?”
Dr. Kalamos’s expression filled with pity, which he could save because it would do her no good either.
“Segue has some powerful connections,” he said. “I’ve been told that an aide is on his way, and that he might be able to help you.”
Aide?
“What kind of aide? From where?” Ellie asked. She frowned as her shadow slid off the chair and into a defensive, almost feral crouch regarding one of the soldiers.
Dr. Kalamos was watching her shadow as well, but answered, “I don’t know who’s coming, but I need to get a complete personal history before they arrive. I need to detail your experience.”
So there was a chance after all? “Okay. Sure, I’ll tell you everything.” Almost.
Her shadow interrupted. “He’s going to shoot.” And she hissed like a wild cat, prowling on all fours toward the opposite wall, attention fixed on the soldier.
Gunfire assaulted Ellie’s ears. Sparks flew in her peripheral vision as the concrete wall chipped, fragments and dust flying. Dr. Kalamos was suddenly in front of her, swinging her around so that he shielded her body, but Ellie still saw her shadow leaping at the soldier’s head.
The soldier yelled, shots riddling up the door, but her shadow went through him and the wall behind, fleeing the room.
“Cease fire!” the other soldier yelled.
The door was flung open, more soldiers at the ready.
“Dobbs, out. Report to the watch officer.”
The soldier who had fired, Dobbs, left the room, shaking, red-faced, chest heaving. He was quickly replaced by another soldier.
“How’d she know?” Dr. Kalamos asked, arms still tight around Ellie’s waist. “How’d she know he was going to shoot?”
Ellie pushed him away. Hard. He had no idea what he was doing, holding her like that—smelling so good and feeling so strong. Did he want to encourage her shadow? “She reads people extremely well.”
Kalamos looked after her shadow at the blank spot on the wall. “She’s psychic?”
“No, just very in tune.” Like woman’s intuition. Instinct. “And she’s right most of the time.” Too bad her shadow usually exacerbated the situation at hand. Like now.
“But not dangerous,” Kalamos said, as if the event had proven something. “She tried to defend herself, but couldn’t. She had to run instead.”
So he didn’t get it. Not really. And here she’d been counting on him saving her. With her whole heart she had believed he could, the brilliant young doctor who studied shadow. She wanted to cry.
Maybe the aide . . . ? But she didn’t have much hope.
Ellie looked away to keep herself from telling Dr. Kalamos the truth: If he’d wanted to see a fight, one that warranted these scary monster prison cells, that soldier had fired on the wrong person. That soldier would be dead right now if he had fired on Ellie herself. Her shadow would see to it.
Chapter 2
“T
he soldier has been relieved of duty,” Cam said to the video stream of Adam Thorne. It was the first time he’d spoken to his new boss face to face. Thorne wasn’t much older than he was—thirty-two to his twenty-seven—but he looked like he had another decade on him, shadows under his eyes, a little gray starting to pull through his hair. The man was married to a half-fae, half-human woman, a banshee, who’d just delivered twins. It was a wonder his hair wasn’t completely prematurely white.
“Some people aren’t cut out for Segue,” Adam answered. “I’m glad no one was hurt.”
So was Cam. He’d known he would see some unsettling things during his employment at Segue, but he’d thought they’d come from creatures like the fae, wraiths, even Ms. Russo’s shadow. Not a human being momentarily losing control.
“Where is the shadow now?”
“We don’t know,” Cam answered. “Ms. Russo believes the shadow was scared by what happened and is now in hiding.”
“But if the shadow can’t be harmed by gunfire, what is it afraid of ?”
“Ms. Russo claims that the shadow acts on instinct, not reason. My guess is that it perceived a threat, and ran. Simple as that.”
Cam thought back to Ms. Russo, and her reaction. Her pretty face had been tense with worry. She had dark blond hair, blue eyes, a full mouth, lips pressed together in her anxiety. In the summer, he’d bet she would freckle. Every muscle and bone had been rigid as she asked for help. And then there was her double with that smooth body, moving just so—soft and fluid even under attack. She was Eleanor’s opposite, and her mirror. The pretty Eleanor Russo, it seemed, was pretty everywhere.
“I reviewed the video of the interview,” Adam said. “The shadow jumped at the soldier. She was completely wild.”
“But the shadow didn’t harm him,” Cam pointed out, “and she did have cause to protect herself since his attack was unprovoked. She didn’t hurt him, whether it was her will to do so or not.”
“You felt nothing when you attempted to touch her?”
“That’s correct,” Cam said to the monitor. “Thus far, the shadow seems to exist within the same parameters as a ghost and can’t affect the physical world. However, she is considerably more self aware than what I know of ghosts.”
Adam looked down, presumably at the report Cam had sent an hour before. Details were being verified and cross-referenced, but according to Ms. Russo, she’d lived as almost a complete shut-in all her life. She was a premature home birth, but had survived without hospital care. The shadow had been born simultaneously, exiting her mother’s womb through the flesh, while Eleanor was delivered vaginally. Shortly thereafter, first her father, then her mother abandoned her, leaving her to a grandmother who was savvy enough to move them both out into a rambling old farmhouse in the wide open spaces outside Phoenix. Eleanor had been homeschooled and received an accounting degree online, which she used to support herself. She taught herself to drive at night, on the farm, but rarely left the property. Before the grandmother died five years ago, they had developed a plan to keep Eleanor in hiding, the shadow constrained to the immediate area surrounding the house.
There had been surprisingly few opportunities for discovery, all initiated by the shadow’s attempts to garner attention from passersby, escalating over time. Ellie had confessed that since the death of her grandmother, both she and her shadow had not been handling their enforced isolation well. Ellie had looked for a cure, while the shadow had grown more brazen. Hence, Segue.
Five years alone with her shadow. No wonder Ellie was so pale, so stressed, so desperate. And she’d depended on him. It made him feel like shit that he couldn’t help her, and worse that he’d been rude.
Cam cleared his throat, and Adam raised his head.
“Personally, Mr. Thorne, I’d like to see Ms. Russo made as comfortable as possible. The cells were prepared for wraiths, not a traumatized woman.”
Thorne frowned, considering. “It just so happens I’ve got a wraith in transport to the facility. Really bad timing for a mystery shadow, especially with Segue short staffed. I thought I’d be there tomorrow to oversee the wraith’s imprisonment. I don’t want to complicate the situation by putting them both in the same space.”
A wraith and Eleanor’s shadow—what would that be like? Trouble. But interesting.
Thorne blew out a breath. “I’m with you—if that shadow could have harmed the soldier, I believe she would have.” He shook his head once, as if arguing with himself. “I’m going to regret this, but go ahead and move Ms. Russo into the main building, under surveillance at all times. The Order’s rep will be there tomorrow, anyway, so it’s just one night. And it might do everyone some good, considering what happened with that soldier. Segue is not for the faint of heart. If they can’t take one shadow, they can leave.”
Cam had gone still at
The Order
. That was a new term to him, but it didn’t sound good for Eleanor Russo. “Mr. Thorne, who exactly am I expecting?”
“It’s not for me to explain,” Thorne answered. “In Ms. Russo’s case, defer completely to the rep’s judgment.”
“If he wants to take her into his custody?”
“His call.”
But Ms. Russo hadn’t come for help from the aide from The Order, whatever that was. She’d come to him, so she was his responsibility. “And if she doesn’t want to comply?”
Thorne’s eyes narrowed at Cam’s question. “She gave up that choice when she entered Segue.”
Ellie gripped the edge of her seat as the jeep sped down a wide access road toward a massive white building with historic flair. On her entry into the Segue compound, she’d caught a brief glimpse of it before she was taken to the underground prison. Now she had a view of a modern, crate cluttered loading dock of sorts, over which the white building loomed. Her pre-trip research told her the place was once The Fulton Hotel, but the idyllic resort in its Segue incarnation looked more intimidating than welcoming. A soldier drove, a second sat next to him. And another jeep followed behind, for backup. So many people concentrated on her.
Her shadow had curled up, half on the seat, half on Dr. Kalamos’s lap, not unlike the way she used to occasionally behave around Gran, needy and whiny, but now with an attention seeking body awareness, arching to form the most provocative curves for the good doctor’s benefit. And here Ellie felt crushed by the proximity of so many people. She wanted to be alone. Felt best alone.
Pathetic. That’s what Ellie and her shadow were.
Ellie knew it was all her fault. For her part, she’d simply never been exposed to complex social situations. As for her shadow, well . . . her dark half’s earlier seductive talk and poses were for random male attention. But now she’d fixated on Dr. Kalamos, which was infinitely more embarrassing. Ellie let no part of her body touch him. She sat as straight as she could, recounting in her mind his claims that he could not help her. His work was in a different field. She’d made a mistake, that’s all.
Ellie flicked her gaze over at her shadow. Her dark half sent a resentful look her way and cuddled deeper, clearly not accepting the idea of a misunderstanding. She was holding on to Cameron Kalamos, no matter what Ellie decided or what the reality of the situation was.
“I’m keeping him,” her shadow said.
Ellie blushed and looked out at Segue’s grounds.
“Would it help if I told her I wasn’t interested?” Dr. Kalamos asked.
“But I know you are,” her shadow put in, and adjusted to an even more intimate position.
Ellie kept her gaze fixed out the window, but shook her head. “No. Only her own interests matter to her. We came here to see you, so her focus is fixed. I’m sorry. Maybe tomorrow”—with the aide—“she’ll be better.”
Dr. Kalamos had lost his irritated manner, and was now more friendly. Hours ago, Ellie would have told this version of him everything. Now she wouldn’t tell him anything at all.
“Apology not necessary,” he said. “She must’ve been very hard to live with.”
He still didn’t get it. Ellie kept quiet. Was her predicament so hard to understand? She guessed so. Even with all these people pressing in around her, she was still alone with her shadow.
“So you’ll be staying here tonight,” Dr. Kalamos said, with too much energy and brightness. “The place is supposed to be haunted, though I’ve never witnessed a ghost myself. It’s possible that your shadow might interact with the very longterm residents of Segue. Please let me know if a ghost makes an appearance. There’s a pool going between the research teams for who sights one first.” He smiled as if it was a joke. She had no idea what he was talking about. “Anyway,” he continued, “if you have any problems, you’ll be able to signal an alarm, and a team of soldiers will be just outside your door. Otherwise, take a load off and relax. Watch some TV.”
Ellie tried not to look at her shadow again, but glanced anyway, and found the dark eyes trained right back on her.
“He’s not telling you something,” the shadow said.
“And we’re renovating,” he added, ignoring the commentary. “A wraith tore the place up over a year ago, so you’ll see some unfinished mess here and there. Stuff is being hauled around as people move back in. Do you know about wraiths?”
“Yes,” Ellie said. Was that what he was hiding? The existence of wraiths? Or was it something else? If her dark half had sensed an intent to harm, she wouldn’t be so attached to him.
“Monsters of the modern age,” he continued. “Their physiology is actually very interesting. If you’ve been following the news, you’ll have seen some reports, though you’ll get better information online.”
They pulled up to the back of the big white building. The passenger side soldier jumped out before the jeep came to a full stop.
“Here we are,” Dr. Kalamos said. “Let’s get you in and settled.”
The soldier used a keycard to open an outer door that led to a small atrium where they halted. Her shadow walked through the next door, while they waited for security to clear them. When the second lock released, Ellie found herself in a hallway lined with more soldiers. In the doorways were Segue staff members, getting a load of her shadow, who was grinning back and loving the attention. Pleased as punch, Ellie thought the expression went. None of the spectators seemed scared of her shadow.
People, people everywhere. Men and women, different ages. Ellie felt exposed and naked, which she was in every sense. A freak for their inspection.
An older man bent his head to a fellow staff member. “Observe: The light should highlight planes on the body and darken others, but it is movement and interest on the shadow’s part that affects her appearance.”
Ellie needed to get out of here.
“Ms. Russo,” Dr. Kalamos said, gesturing to the speaker. “This is my team leader, Dr. Leonard Shelstad.”
Dr. Shelstad was older, tall and thin, with a long chin. Ellie guessed she was supposed to shake hands—normal people did that—so she wiped her damp palms on her slacks and held out her right. Leonard Shelstad only gave her a dry squeeze, so maybe she had the greeting wrong. She’d only shaken hands once before, and that was a long time ago.
Her shadow hissed. “I don’t like him.”
Ellie didn’t either.
A couple of the other staff members in the corridor murmured, but Ellie couldn’t tell where the sound was coming from. The atmosphere was tense, but with keen interest and a healthy wariness. The fear was all hers.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Ellie said to make up for her dark half’s rudeness.
Shelstad stretched his mouth into a maybe, maybe-not smile.
“This way,” Dr. Kalamos said, taking Ellie’s upper arm to coax her down the hallway. His hand was warm and strong, so her shadow let out a wheezy sigh and trailed close on their heels. Two soldiers followed her shadow.
Ellie was glad to be on her way. She’d take the wraith cell now, and happily. She wanted to be alone. Too many people. Too many eyes and voices.
Dr. Kalamos was right about the renovation. The first rooms they passed through had wires poking out of the ceiling and smelled of paint. In the greater spaces beyond, large boxes and crates waited to be opened. The floor was covered with protective plastic. A couple industrial dollies rested against a wall. The place was obviously in flux.
But the elevator was working, and took them up two floors to a comfortable one bedroom apartment. Everything—the red sofa, coordinating chair, deep chocolate table, even the fireplace—looked new and modern. Nothing like the wellworn dump of her farmhouse. Gran had made it homey when Ellie was growing up, but Ellie hadn’t done anything since Gran died. Why bother? It was just herself and her worse self.
Dr. Kalamos gestured toward the bedroom. “I believe there’s a change of clothes and basic toiletries in there. Dinner will be brought up on a tray.” He held out a necklace, which she regarded with suspicion. “It’s a panic button. Press and help will come. But you’ve got guards right outside as well.”
Ellie took the necklace, a silver bauble with a red button on the front, strung on a black cord. Okay. But she doubted she would need a panic button. It was the staff of Segue that would want one when her shadow roamed. As much as Ellie wanted her seclusion, curiosity often drove her dark half.
Dr. Kalamos clapped his hands and rubbed them together. It was a weird, hurrying gesture. “You all set, then?”
No, she wasn’t. “The aide you mentioned. I’d like to know more.”
“Hiding something,” her shadow repeated.
Oh. Something to do with the aide then.
Dr. Kalamos’s expression relaxed into a natural worry. “I don’t know anything about him. I’ve never even heard of the organization. But then, I’m pretty new here, and as I’m sure you can tell, Segue is not completely up and running. It will be fine.”
Ellie’s stomach pitched.
Fine
was not reassuring. “What are they going to do with me?”