Page 14 of Sanctuary of the Shadow
Salizar.So that was his enemy’s name. Perhaps he would whisper it in his ear before he slaughtered him. Would he snap his neck, quick and quiet? Or would he draw it out and make it slow and bloody?
He gritted his teeth. He didn’t like the thoughts in his head. They seemed to come from somewhere outside of him, as if the inclination to violence had been developed by association rather than by choice. His wrath was tinged with revulsion, and he got the sense that the power he recalled possessing when he’d first awoken had been a lie.
Ignorant of the creature’s confusion, Loren went back to his task. Selecting a bottle of red paint, he dumped some onto a small tray and selected a brush. “What is this stupid sign supposed to say again?” He pitched his voice in obvious imitation of his boss. “‘Wraith. Invisible. Invincible. Scary as piss. Will slit your throat without a second thought.’”
The creature frowned. If those were characteristics of a wraith, perhaps he didn’t mind the association after all. Would it be so bad to use such powers to obtain his freedom?
Loren glanced up again. “Yeah, I bet you like that description, don’t you? Bet you’d love the chance to slit all our throats.”
The creature bared his fangs. Indeed, he would.
Loren recoiled once more. “Bloody Shades.” He looked quickly back at the sign, dipped his brush into the red paint, and then began outlining the shape of anRon the board.
R? Wasn’t it supposed to be the word “wraith?” He watched, curious.
TheRwas completed. Another dip of the brush, and the next letter commenced.A. Interesting. When theAwas finished and the next letter began, he realized what was happening.
A hint of a smile lifted one corner of his mouth. He remained silent. Why wouldn’t he? If he told the human, it would spoil his fun, and this was the only fun he ever remembered having.
Soon, the word was complete. Loren dropped the brush in the water and stood, murmuring something about needing whisky to get through this. He trudged out of the tent, leaving his work behind him in all its glory. The creature looked at it with amusement.
Along the entire top of the board, written in stylized block letters, was the wordraith.
His good humor faded quickly. Whether he was a monster of myth or not, these people believed he was. And after his ordeal traversing the desert, he had little faith in the kindness of others.
What atrocities were his new captors capable of in the name of their fear and greed? And perhaps worse…what atrocities was he capable of inflicting upon them in retaliation?
Because if given the chance, he already knew he wouldn’t hesitate.
Chapter Four
Harrow was swimming in tranquil water. Fresh, not salty. Her eyes were open. Above, rays of glorious sunlight penetrated the crystalline waves like light striking diamonds. Below, the turquoise deepened into blackness. There was no sign of the bottom.
Perhaps she ought to surface and surround herself with a more familiar environment? The surface was where she belonged, after all. It wasn’t far. Just a couple of kicks and her head would break through the waves.
Then she glanced down at the deep where the light couldn’t penetrate.
What was down there? What secret knowledge lurked in those lightless depths? Surely it would be frightening to swim through the deep with no sunlight to guide her, yet she felt drawn to the darkness in a way she couldn’t describe. She craved to know the stillness of the indigo abyss, to be cradled by an unseen embrace.
But it was so dark. Dark enough to swallow her completely. Somehow, she knew that choosing to dive would force her to confront things she wasn’t ready to face. Things she might never be ready to face.
Indecision plagued her, churning her insides with increasing urgency. She struggled in the water, feeling as though her life depended on her choice, yet unable to make one.
But she had to, and quickly. She was running out of time. Up or down? Dark or light? Familiar or foreign? Why in the Goddess’s name was it so damned hard to just pick one?
Enough!Harrow screamed in her head.
Without thinking of the consequences or weighing the options any further, she folded at the waist and executed a perfect dive straight into the lightless depths.
As she swam, it grew darker. The deep turquoise became the navy blue of the night sky. And then darker. Until suddenly, it was utter blackness. A colorless chasm of emptiness.
Her heart would have been pounding if it had needed to beat. The pressure was so immense, it would surely have burst her lungs had they held any air. She swiveled around, searching the lightless void.
Which way was up? Which way had she come from?
Panic filled her. She wasn’t ready for this.
This was too intense, too exposing, too painful.
