Page 113 of Land of Shadow

I meet his cold gaze. “What did you do to him?”

He smiles again, cruel and devoid of anything the least bit human. Like a poorly-made puppet or a creature doing its best imitation of what it thinks a human’s expressions should be.

“And who’s this delightful new friend?” His gaze slips over my shoulder to Evie.

“One of my scientists.” I step closer to him, drawing his stare back to me. “I need them all to find the cure. So if we can just get Aang, we’ll go.”

“All? Surely, you don’t needallof them.” He’s toying with me.

“Georgia, just go. I’ll?—”

Theo holds up a finger. “Silence, old man.”

Vince goes quiet.

“Come. We’ll see if we can’t find your friend.” Theo offers me his arm.

“Evie, head back. Inform the others I’ll be there later,” I tell her, not taking my eyes off Theo who stands totally motionless, his arm still out for me.

“O-okay.” She sounds unsure, but I’m relieved when I sense her retreating.

I don’t take Theo’s arm, but I do step to his side as he walks us down the hall past Vince. He drapes his arm across my shoulder, his fingers digging into me as he leads me deeper into the White House.

“I’ve been meaning to stop by your place again. We didn’t have enough time together when I came for you before. I didn’t even get to know you.” He looks askance at me. “Wouldn’t you like to become more familiar with me? I’m certain you’re tired of Valen. I’ve been tired of him for centuries.”

I don’t want his touch, and I certainly don’t want him visiting my apartment, but I don’t say anything. I just need to keep it together until I find Aang and get the hell out of here.

He leans to my ear. “I like it when humans are quiet. At first, anyway. Then later, I like it when they cry. Scream. Beg. All of it. I’m certain I could make you scream.”

Gritting my teeth, I keep walking even as he leaks acid into my ear. The air grows more rancid, as if there’s something rotten nearby. Food left out far too long or something worse.

“Bleeding you would be a particular pleasure. Valen has told me you’re his personal little whore. His human cum-rag. I’m to leave you alone.” He laughs and pulls away. “I don’t think I will.”

He turns down another hallway, then strides into a dark room. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust.

Letting me go, he walks deeper into the gloom.

“Georgia?” Juno’s voice, but thin as the edge of a knife. “Is that you?”

“Juno?” I step farther into the room, the smell in here reminding me of the time an opossum died under our house and Dad had to crawl under and pull it out. The smell of the morgue at medical school, the deep freeze where the sticky bodies were kept, the ones that had been in the sun too long or worse, submerged. Decay.

“Georgia, no. You can’t be here.”

“Of course she can!” Theo’s voice booms out. “One big happy family.”

“Juno?” Horror creeps across my skin like spiders. The smell, the darkness, the horror in Juno’s voice and the glee in Theo’s. Nothing is right here. Nothing has been right here for quite some time.

Juno weeps, and I follow the sound until I see a shape sitting in a chair.

“Juno!” I rush to her and drop to my haunches in front of her. “What’s wrong? Wh-what’s happening?”

She looks at me, her skin almost gray, her eyes sunken. “You have to get out.”

“Oh my god.” I reach up and touch her cheek, the skin thin and dry. “What’s happened to you? What?—”

“She’s perfectly fine.”

I jump at Theo’s voice in my ear. He grabs my shoulder, his grip painful. I grip Juno’s legs to keep from falling forward. She’s nothing but skin and bones, smelling like filth and rot. How long has she been here like this?

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