Page 101 of Radiant Shadows

And then the clanging noise boomed again, followed by the screeching of metal on metal. Sunlight streamed in, brightening the room with regal brilliance and forcing me to shield my eyes instinctively from the radiant heat that flooded as shards of glass sprayed through the room.

My mind was slow on the uptake. Everything was bright because the window had opened. And it hadn’t just been opened; the metal cover had been entirely ripped off, and the glass had been shattered. If that wasn’t surprise enough, I stared in wonder as a certain gray cat appeared at the window ledge and looked down at me with red eyes.

“Rainbow?” I muttered, wondering if my mind was playing tricks on me. Had my cat really torn away the metal window cover?

But Rainbow leaped from the window sill and landed on the top of the couch, then stepped down onto my chest. Even though I could feel his weight on my chest, I still couldn’t believe he was real. Rainbow should be hundreds of miles away.

I lifted my bound hands and petted my vampire cat behind the ears.

“You followed me?” I said with wonder. The cat’s senses must have been enhanced by its vampiric abilities. I marveled that Rainbow had made such a journey and had been able to find me. Though how he knew I was in danger, I would never be able to fathom.

In reply, Rainbow rubbed his head against my arms and purred, his voice hitting that perfect Middle C timbre.

I wasn’t alone anymore.

But if Marguerite came back and saw the cat, she’d kill it in a heartbeat.

“It’s not safe for you here,” I said.

If Rainbow understood me, he made no sign of it. For the time being, I didn’t care. I was grateful to have the cat with me, however odd it was.

Time passed, and I remained on the couch, eyes closed as I idly stroked Rainbow’s fur. I felt empowered by not being alone anymore.

While I could tolerate the sunlight just fine, I typically didn’t care for it. Right now, though, it was a breath of fresh air. It brought me serenity in my weakened state. Mixed with the coming of Rainbow, it was a sign of hope. I closed my eyes and took in the moment of peace.

I was aware of the opportunity this afforded me as well. The window was open, and gods only knew when I’d get another obvious escape option again. But I also knew better. Considering how herculean a task it had been just to crawl from the chair to the couch, there was no way in hell I could climb down the wall. The most I’d be able to do would be to hoist myself onto the window sill and throw myself out, and as I was several stories up, the landing would likely kill me.

“Julian.”

My eyes flew open.

“Sh–Shea?” I muttered, my heart leaping with both joy and terror at the sweet sound of her voice. Could she actually be here? Had Rainbow led her here? If Marguerite were to discover her, she would kill her slowly and make me watch.

I forced my head to roll to the side so I could scan the painfully bright room, but I saw nothing but Marguerite’s lavish decor.

“Who else? You’re not involved with any other witches who can magically call you, are you?” Her voice chimed in my head, and my slowly working mind finally understood.

I gave a dry, weak chuckle. Only Shea would be able to make me laugh at a time like this.

“Never,” I murmured with a droopy smile.

“Listen, something’s happened,” she said. “Caesar has been removed as director of the Dome. We’re working solo now.”

The words repeated in my head even after she’d stopped speaking them, my mind struggling to find the meaning in them.

“What…happened?” I finally asked.

“Some shifter military asshole staged a mutiny,” she explained. “They found out about your affiliation and used that to turn everyone against him.”

My heart cracked even before my mind registered the words, guilt bleeding out of the wound and seeping into me. No. It was all my fault. That school meant everything to Caesar, and now, he had lost it because of me.

I sobbed dryly, my body still too drained to form tears, and my eyes stung in refusal.

“Wait, what’s wrong?” Her voice rang crisply through my hollow sobs. “You don’t sound right. Why are you crying?” Her pitch escalated with each word, and I felt even more guilt for making her worry.

I took in a long, shaky breath. “Something happened here, too. Hadrian discovered my treachery. The irony is truly astounding.” Even in my agony, I couldn’t help but appreciate that. Fate was an evil bitch.

“Omigod!” Shea’s voice sliced through my mind, her panic cracking my heart even more. “Where are you? What are they doing to you?”

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