Элисон Ноэль - Shadowland

Gaping at me in a tangle of limbs and outdoor furniture, struggling to stand as I glance over my shoulder and say, “Grab your stuff and get out of here. I don’t want to see you when I return.”

Plunging through the gate and breaking into a run, hoping I can reach Haven before it’s too late.

CHAPTER 48

I run.

Past cars, houses, stray dogs and cats. Legs moving, muscles pumping, carrying me forward with hardly a thought. My body moving like a well-oiled machine with shiny new parts. And even though it’s only seconds, it feels like hours.

Hours since I last saw Haven.

Hours ’til I’ll see her again.

And the second I get there I see him . Arriving at the same time as I do.

The mere sight of him causing everything to fade—of no possible consequence now that he’s standing before me.

My heart caving as my mouth goes dry, overcome with such longing, I can’t even speak—gazing upon my sweet, wonderful Damen—more glorious than ever under the glow of the street-lights. The sound of my name on his lips, so charged, so loaded, it’s clear he feels the same.

I move toward him, pent-up emotions rising to the surface, bubbling over, I’ve so much to tell him, so much to say. The words fading the second we meet and my body’s overtaken by tingle and heat—wanting only to melt into him, to never be separated again—

His hand at my back, propelling me closer, as Roman opens the door, glances between us, and says, “Ever, Damen, so glad you could make it.”

Damen charges the door, pinning Roman to the wall as I slip right past and head for the den, eyes seeking Haven only to find her stretched out across the couch, pale, unmoving, and from what I can tell, barely breathing.

I rush toward her, dropping to her side as I grasp her wrist, fingers seeking her pulse like I once did at Damen’s.

“What did you do to her?” I glare at Ava who’s crouched right beside her, knowing she’s working with Roman, they’re on the same team. “What. Did you. Do ?” I repeat, knowing a swift kick to her root chakra, the center for vanity and greed, would take her down in an instant if it should come to that. Wondering if Damen’s already done the same, plunging his fist into Roman’s sacral center, and no longer caring if he did.

Not after what they’ve done to my friend.

Ava looks at me, face pale against her wavy auburn hair, brown eyes wide and pleading, reminding me of something—something I’ve no time to grasp—when she says, “I didn’t do anything, Ever. I swear. I know you don’t believe me, but it’s true—”

“You’re right, I don’t believe you.” My focus back on Haven, pressing my palm to her forehead, her cheek, her skin cold and dry as her aura grows dimmer, darker, and her life-force energy slips away.

“It’s not what you think—they booked me for a reading—said it was for a party—and when I showed up—this is what I found—” She gestures toward Haven and shakes her head.

“But of course you showed up! It’s your dear friend Roman after all.” I gaze at Haven, searching for signs of abuse, but I can’t see a thing. She looks peaceful, unaware, clueless to the fact that she’s not long for this world. Well on her way to the next one, the Summerland, unless I can stop it.

“I tried to help—tried to—”

“So why didn’t you? Why’d you call Jude instead of nine-one-one?” I glare at her as I reach for my bag, my phone, remembering too late that I came here without it, manifesting a new one just as Roman storms into the room.

I look past him for Damen, my heart lurching when I don’t find him.

But Roman just laughs, shaking his head as he says, “Moves a bit slower than me. He is older, you know!” Snapping the manifested phone out of my hand when he adds, “Trust me, luv. It’s well beyond that. Seems your friend had herself a very potent cup of belladonna tea—” He motions toward a fine china cup on the table, its contents recently drained. “Also known as deadly nightshade in case you’re not familiar, and she’s so far along, she’s way beyond medical help. No, the only one who can save her now is you .”

I narrow my gaze, unsure what he means, seeing Damen now standing behind him, eyes guarded, troubled, as they look into mine. And I know he’s trying to tell me something, send a telepathic message I can’t seem to grasp. Getting only the faintest echo of sound, but unable to determine the words.

“This is it, Ever.” Roman smiles. “The moment you’ve been waiting for!” He sweeps his arms wide, motioning toward Haven as though she’s the grand prize.

I glance between him and Damen, still trying to receive Damen’s message, but nothing will come.

Roman’s eyes roaming over me, slowly taking me in, my bare feet, damp, clinging dress, wetting his lips as he says, “It’s real simple, darlin’, simple enough for even you to decipher. Remember the day you came to my house and we talked about the price?”

I glance at Damen, catching a flash of alarm, disbelief, hurt, before quickly looking away.

“Oops!” Roman lifts his shoulders and covers his mouth as he glances between us. “Sorry. Forgot your unauthorized visit was our dirty little secret. Guess you’ll just have to forgive my indiscretion, what with the life and death circumstances we’re in. So just to catch you up to speed”—he nods at Ava and Damen—“Ever swung by my house looking to broker a deal. Seems she’s extremely eager to bed her hunky boyfriend.” He laughs, his gaze landing on Damen as he heads behind the bar, reaching for a cut crystal goblet and filling it with elixir as Damen fights to stay calm.

I take a deep breath but stay put. Knowing it won’t make the slightest bit of difference if Roman’s dead or alive, either way he’s still in control. His game. His rules. And I can’t help but wonder how long he’s been at it—how long I’ve been fooling myself that I’m actually making progress when I’m just blindly following along. Just like the vision he showed me at school, all of us are under his rule.

“Ever—” Damen looks at me, telepathy no longer working, forced to voice his thoughts to the room. “Is this true?”

I swallow hard and look away, not looking at either of them when I say, “Just get to the point.”

“Always in such a hurry.” Roman shakes his head and clucks his tongue against his cheek. “Seriously, Ever, for someone with nothing but time, it doesn’t make the slightest bit of sense. But fine, I’ll play, so tell me, any clues, any ideas as to where this all leads?”

I gaze at Haven, barely breathing, barely hanging on, unwilling to admit that I have no idea what he wants, no clue as to what’s going on.

“Remember the day when you came to see me at the store?”

Damen shifts, I can feel his energy shift, but I just shake my head, glancing over my shoulder, eyes narrowed when I say, “I went to see Haven, you just happened to be there.”

“Details.” Roman waves it away. “It’s the riddle I’m getting at. Remember the riddle I presented you with?”

I sigh, grasping Haven’s hand in mine—cold, dry, and still—not a good sign.

“ Give the people what they want. Remember when I said that?” He pauses, waiting for me to respond, but when I don’t he adds, “The question is—what does it mean , Ever? Exactly what do the people want? Any clues?” He lifts his brow and waits, nodding when he adds, “Try stepping out of yourself for a moment and take a more populist view. Go ahead, give it a whirl, try it on for size, see how it fits. It’s quite unlike the elitist view you and Damen hold, I assure you of that. No hoarding of the gifts where I stand—I share them freely. Or at least with those I deem deserving.”