Shade Read online

  Shade closed his eyes with a soft moan, and something glass smashed to the ground.

  “Shit,” Blood said with a grunt. “Dammit, Shade. Fuck.”

  My mouth popped open, and I smacked a palm to Shade’s chest. “Were you trying to do that on purpose?”

  He shrugged and laughed. “That wasn’t intentional, but it could be a fun game to play.”

  “You break it, you bought it,” a deeper woman’s voice drew our attention to the back door already slid open. The redheaded witch stood behind an older woman with box braids and rich brown skin that creased along the sides of her light eyes. She wore a loose-legged cream and black pantsuit and a tiny smile directed at Shade.

  “Hey, Tess,” he said, releasing me but keeping one arm around my back.

  “Tess,” Blood said from the front with his hands full of purple glass. “Sorry, about this. I’ll pay, of course.”

  “Mmmhmm,” she hummed and lifted her eyebrows at him before directing her attention back to Shade. “Good to see you again, Shade. You finally showing up to pay me those lost wages from your last visit?”

  Shade chuckled and scratched his scruffy jaw. “Pretty sure my last visit churned enough gossip and bookings to cover that broken sign plus the rent here for a year.”

  At first, she didn’t look amused, then her lips lifted the tiniest amount and Shade laughed a full laugh in response.

  She rolled her eyes at him. “C’mon back. Butterfingers stays up front. Preferably in a chair so I don’t have to restock my entire inventory.”

  I looked back at Blood who shot a glare at Shade then looked at me with a rueful smile. I grinned in return, amused by our visit so far.

  I hoped it would stay that way.

  Shade and I followed Tess and the witch into the back area, entering a narrow hallway separating two rooms.

  “You’ve met my new assistant Ramona,” Tess said, disappearing into the room on the right.

  “Assistant, huh?” Shade said as we entered the dimly lit room. “And what happened to the last one?

  The room still wasn’t quite as I’d expected, but it was a little closer to how I pictured a psychic’s place to look, with larger cushioned chairs positioned around a circular table, tapestries hanging from the walls, mood lamps with scarves covering their tops. It was large enough to be comfortable, yet small enough that Shade looked massive inside. I had to stifle a giggle thinking about him sitting in the plushy chair then hold my excitement as I waited to see it happen.

  Tess took her seat—the largest and most upright—shaking her head at him with pressed lips. “I had to let her go. Let’s just say she wasn’t as reliable as I thought.”

  “Too bad.”

  She smiled at me. “So … you going to introduce me to this young lady or are you planning to test me today? I should warn you, though, I’m not really in the mood for your antics. Things have been a little crazy lately with those stray Wraiths wreaking havoc around here. Some curious souls have turned up. Accidentally lost. Not purposely.” She waved her hands toward the seats across the table from her, inviting us to sit.

  Shade nodded and crouched low to take a seat. “This is Misha, Misha this is Tess.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “You too, Misha.”

  I was prepared to reach over and offer my hand but she held hers upright to stop me.

  Oh. No contact. Yet.

  Shade’s knees were bent up, legs spread, and his body lounged back. Shit. I thought it would be funny to see his big body in the lower than normal chair, but he managed to make it look sexy as hell. Fuck me. I bit my lip to stifle my reaction.

  “Sorry if the chairs are a little too comfortable for the visit,” Tess said as I took my own beside Shade. “The client you pulled me from is in the other room meditating so this will have to work.”

  “No problem,” Shade said, watching me be more awkward than him as I attempted to lounge in the chair correctly. He grinned at me then looked back at Tess. “Mind if we speak alone?”

  Tess clasped her hands together and propped them on the table, just behind a deck of tarot cards positioned there. “Ramona won’t repeat anything you have to say.”

  “Yeah? And what if she were tortured? Would she repeat it then?”

  Ramona gasped the same way I almost had. But Tess only nodded and waved a hand behind her, signaling Ramona to leave. As soon as the door closed, Tess said, “So this is a serious visit then?”

  “You can say that.”

  “And here I thought with the way you’ve been looking at each other that you finally found someone who likes you, so you decided to have her head checked.”

  I laughed. I couldn’t help it.

  Shade smiled fondly. “Well …” I shot him a playful glare. “And yes, she likes us all, actually.”

  “Oh?” she asked, looking from him to me curiously then narrowing her eyes. “I knew I felt something a little different. My Sight isn’t the greatest today so forgive me if I’m missing anything obvious.”

  Shade slid his hands down his legs then sat up a little straighter and grabbed hold of my hand. “She’s Marked.”

  “Then I can see why you would have an interest in each other. But that’s not the reason you’re here, is it? Nothing can ever be so simple.”

  “She was Cloaked. And then she was given Sight at Purgatory, which stripped it. That’s how we found her. But we think what’s going on with the Wraiths might also involve Misha.”

  She looked at me, harder, trying to see beyond what was physically noticeable. “And what has led to this belief? Are you reading something in her soul that’s uncertain?”

  Shade cleared his throat.

  “Oh,” she said in understanding. “You can’t read her at all, which is why you’re here. I must admit I’ve studied enough about Marked Souls to consider myself knowledgeable, but I’ve never Seen one so I’m not sure how much help I can be.”

  “Neither have we, that we can recall. But we’re fairly certain from our texts that the Mark would not change our ability to read the soul, or cause it to affect Wraiths.”

  “No, I don’t suppose it would.” She bit her red stained lips together, making them disappear as she contemplated.

  “Also, there’s uh … something else you should know before we go further.” He paused to look at me, more specifically my neck. “Misha was attacked last night when she left our place. Tucker had seen her, realized she’s Marked, and tried to kidnap her.”

  Tess’ eyes widened. “Oh, my. I’m terribly sorry that happened to you. Are you all right?”

  “I’m okay now, yes. Not sure that would be the case if they hadn’t arrived,” I said looking at Shade, seeing his eyes flash with darkness at the memory.

  “Tucker … vampire, correct? I’ve heard his name a time or two.” She glanced at the door.

  “He’s dead now, so I’m sure you won’t hear it again. But if you do, I’d like to know about it.”

  “Surely,” she agreed with a nod. “So what exactly happened that I need to hear?”

  “We didn’t kill him. Misha did. Well, we think her blood did when he tried to feed from her.”

  “Really?”

  “And he didn’t just die. He turned to dust.”

  “Like disintegrate when they are exposed to sunlight?”

  “Even that’s gradual. This was instant. There wasn’t even a soul to reap.”

  Tess eyed me again. “What are your thoughts about all of this, Misha?”

  I tapped my free fingers on my thigh. “If I’m the cause of the Wraiths’ confusion, I’d like to know what’s wrong with me.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with you,” Shade said quickly with a squeeze of my hand, causing Tess to smile.

  “I can’t remember much about my death. But I have dreamed about it. That’s why we’re here to see you. Maybe it’s still in my head.”

  She nodded and fastened her braids back. “It could very well be. People who experienc
e trauma often don’t recall the incidents after they heal. Our brains like to protect us that way. They shut it all down so we won’t recall as much pain and suffering. It can be days, months, years … memories lost forever because it’s better for us to heal that way. But you didn’t quite heal the way you were supposed to anyway, did you?”

  “No, ma’am.”

  “Please,” she replied with a chuckle, “call me Tess.”

  “Okay, Tess.”

  “Good. Now, Misha. I’ll need to touch your hands to establish my connection to you. I need this contact in order to See. Are you okay with that?”

  “Yes,” I said, watching her stand from her seat.

  “The table is too much of a barrier today.” She repositioned a chair beside me and sat down. “Here we are. Now just relax. I’m going to search for what is making you different, see if anything stands out to me. If I need to, I’ll try and access your memories.”

  “All right.”

  Shade let go of my hand and settled his onto my thigh while I extended mine to Tess.

  She took hold, laying our clasped hands onto our knees, which were butted together, and let her eyelids fall closed.

  After a moment and a fleeting thought of whether she was able to see anything at all, her fingers gripped mine harder and she began to scream.

  8

  I startled but couldn’t pull my hands from her grasp. Shade was on his feet and standing over us quicker than lightning, shock and worry plain on his face as he fought with what to do.

  “Misha! Fuck!” He grabbed our hands and immediately reeled back, stunned and confused.

  The door burst open and Ramona lurched inside, her hair whipping around as she took in the room.

  I screamed, my voice joining Tess’ in sudden bursts, unable to stop. A current ran through us, one powerful and solid, one I couldn’t break.

  Blood barreled into the room next, eyes wild, body tense.

  Tears streamed down my cheeks as I watched Tess’ tears do the same, her eyes still clenched tight.

  Shade was between us again, wrenching at our hands, trying to break the connection.

  “That won’t work!” Ramona yelled, running to a cabinet at the back corner of the room. She fumbled through it, tossing jars through the air and scattering papers onto the floor.

  “Shit, Shade. What the fuck?” Blood screamed, rushing to his side to help pull.

  Ramona jumped to Tess’ side and used a dropper to squirt something inside her mouth. She placed a hand on Tess’ head and spoke words I couldn’t hear over the screaming. Tess’ voice softened and slowed, more and more.

  I continued to cry out, scared by the feelings flowing from me into her. She was tapped into me through our touch. It was so much different than a soul connection. It felt harsher, as if memories were being ripped from me. But I couldn’t see them. I could only feel what channeled between us—dread, loss, anger, pain. My mind was splitting, my heart tearing open again. And even without seeing, I knew it was that night. She was seeing my death.

  Her screams died and Ramona kept chanting quietly, words of peace and calmness.

  Shade pulled on our hands again. This time mine broke away, and he fell to his knees in front of me, holding my hands, stroking my face. “Misha. Misha. Oh, God. Tell me you’re okay. Please.”

  Blood was at our side too, touching my hair. He looked over at Tess and Ramona. “How is she?”

  I didn’t hear the answer, only Shade repeating my name.

  “I’m okay. I think. Oh, God,” I answered, tears coming full force again. “I couldn’t let go. I only felt the hurt. Is she … all right?”

  He stroked his thumbs across my cheeks, wiping the tears away, then kissed my lips. “Dammit,” he whispered and turned his attention to Tess and Ramona. “What the hell happened?”

  “I don’t know,” Ramona answered, holding Tess’ hands.

  Tess’ eyes were still closed, though her rigid body began to relax, shoulders dropping away from her ears, back slumping.

  “I’ve never seen her experience a connection that locks or one with this kind of reaction. I’m glad the calming tonic worked.”

  “Glad it did, too,” Blood replied. “Will she be okay?”

  “I’m not sure,” she said, shaking her head and turning to look at Shade. “This has never happened. She always has everything under control. What did you all do?”

  “We did nothing. You saw the same thing we did. They locked together,” he replied, his eyes checking me over.

  “No, I mean what’s wrong with her?” Her eyes cut to me accusingly. “She’s obviously the reason for this.”

  “Nothing about us is your business. Tess made the choice to offer her services.”

  “It is my business when she’s clearly been injured by … something you aren’t disclosing.”

  “Tess knows our circumstances, and I strongly suggest you keep anything you’ve seen to yourself.”

  “How can you say that? You don’t even know if she’ll be okay. She might need medical attention.”

  “If she does, we will help with it all. But you are still not to speak of this to anyone, witch.”

  “Are you threatening me? After that girl almost killed Tess?”

  Shade flashed with darkness, his body shifting into black clouds and smoke. I blinked away the welling tears to better see him, marveling at his true form up close. Beautiful and frightful. My hairs stood on end. I’d seen Blood begin to shift in his room. I’d also seen them all shift to human form in my apartment. But that night was overwhelming and everything had happened so fast …

  Ramona screamed at his disappearance, obviously unable to see him since she looked dead ahead at me while Shade spread across the ceiling up above her. The room was almost too small to contain him. The lights dimmed and Ramona screamed again, dropping her hands from Tess and covering her face.

  “Check on Tess,” Blood yelled.

  Ramona’s head and body spun, looking up, trying to see where Shade had gone. But she remained rooted to the spot, too terrified to move anywhere.

  Tears continued to leak from my eyes as I watched Shade’s skeletal, clouded face look to Blood then turn his body to hover low over Tess. His rolling arm extended, reaching down and touching her chest. Light radiated from the point of contact, and his head tipped back, opening his shadowy jaw wide.

  Tess’ body shook lightly in response. Ramona noticed the movement and lunged for the cabinet in the corner. She threw more items around, searching.

  I knew he wasn’t hurting her. I could sense it. See it. But Ramona …

  She opened a bottle and ran around the room, dumping the contents onto the floor and chanting again, this time with a fierce look in her eyes and sharp words spitting from her lips.

  “Fuck!” Blood yelled, noticing her actions. He moved to grab hold of her. It was then I realized what she was doing too. A circle. He was trying to stop her before she could get back to her starting point, before she could close her circle.

  But he was too late, and I was too far across the room.

  Blood screamed again as he seized and fell, hitting the seat closest to me and crashing to the floor.

  “No!” I yelled, reaching down to check on Blood. His body continued to writhe, as if he was fighting to stand but couldn’t. I jumped to my feet. “What have you done?”

  Ramona kept speaking as she hurried over to Tess, where Shade remained hovering, still holding contact.

  Blinded with anger, with pure rage at what she was doing to Blood, I charged her, tackling her to the ground. “Stop it!”

  “No, I have to see if she’s all right!”

  “They’re only trying to help her! Let him go!”

  Her eyes flitted to the liquid on the ground beside us briefly before she smacked my face.

  I reeled back from the hit, and she wiggled out from beneath me and rolled onto her feet.

  Shade’s form had pulled away from Tess, his black pitted eyes were focused
on our struggle until Ramona moved.

  The liquid. I wiped my hand across it, hoping that it would help. When it didn’t, I scrambled, grabbing a pillow from the closest chair and wiping it furiously, trying to dry the floor fully.

  Shade rushed Ramona, his shadowy cloak rolled out above and in front of her as he extended a hand then pointed a finger toward her chest.

  With one more swipe of the pillow, Blood bound off the floor. He was seething, his breaths ragged as his body moved, but as soon as he realized Shade’s intent, he halted.

  Shade touched Ramona’s chest and light beamed from the point of contact as it had with Tess. She stopped moving suddenly, paralyzed by his connection, and her eyes widened with fear.

  Not knowing what to say, what to do, I remained still, observing the scene that had gone from friendly to horrific in mere moments.

  “Don’t hurt her,” Tess said, her voice strained, her eyes cracking open for the first time.

  Blood looked over at her silently, but Shade didn’t seem to hear or care. The tip of his finger moved in a tiny circle, the light held captive, swirling.

  “Please,” Tess added.

  Shade’s finger stopped and pulled away from Ramona, then those black pitted eyes turned toward Tess. In another moment, he began to shift, clouds pulling in, solidifying.

  Ramona inhaled a harsh gasp of air and sputtered. Her eyes blinked rapidly as she regained actual consciousness. With a quick glance at her surroundings, she stumbled around, shaking her head and heaving stilted breaths, then ran from the room. The front door chimed a moment later.

  Shade finished shifting and strode to me. He was flesh and bone once again, kneeling before me with worried eyes. He helped me up into the seat and then moved to Tess, crouching beside her. “How do you feel?”

  “You fucking touched my soul, didn’t you, Reaper?”

  “I did,” he admitted softly, seriously.

  “I told you a long time ago you would never …”

  “I know. I had to be sure … after what happened.”