Page 18 of Shackled to the World
It was why she didn’t warn them.
She knew they would’ve tried to stop her.
“They were after the book.” Mason’s voice was a low rumble. “They’re going to keep coming for it. We need to stash it somewhere they can’t find it.”
Mason was built like a giant, his body still bulked up even though he’d calmed slightly, while still poised and ready to protect her if anyone got within five feet of her. She patted his arm and smiled up at him. “We don’t need to worry about the book. It’s someplace safe.”
Edgar whirled to gawk at her in horror, and he wiped a hand down his face. “Tell me you didn’t.”
Annora pursed her lips and avoided meeting his eyes, not wanting to see the recriminations. He was doing everything in his power to protect her, but she couldn’t seem to stay away from the afterworld. Each touch was like coming home. It called to something in her on a deeper level, an addiction that she couldn’t—wouldn’t—give up, despite his warning.
Edgar marched toward her, murder on his face. “It’s too dangerous to go into the afterworld without—”
“I didn’t set a foot across. I swear.” She shrugged. It was the best she could give him. “I just opened it up a little and put the book in a safe place. Somewhere no one would look for it.”
He opened his mouth, then closed it, his expression pained. The other guys gave him commiserating looks, and she resisted rolling her eyes at their antics, as if she was being unreasonable.
As they approached their house, her skin prickled almost painfully. Instantly on alert, Annora scanned the campus. The people had thinned out considerably, just a few dozen students using the paths on their way to their classes or dorms.
At first, her attention slid over the woman who looked like she was camped out under a tree, gazing intently at her phone, a fierce scowl on her face. Annora had to force her eyes back to her, like there was something around the woman that was telling her to look away—nothing to see here.
The woman was young, her prickly nature settled around her like a cloak. Her hair was black as pitch, long and straight. Bangs covered her forehead, her face so pale it gave her a classic beauty that people envied. She was slim and fit, her clothes expensive.
Though shifters were abnormally good-looking, this woman resembled a foreign princess.
She didn’t belong.
Going on a hunch, Annora narrowed her eyes and allowed the dark particles to fill them…and nearly fell on her ass.
Another phantom!
Dark particles floated around Annora like a typhoon, ready to rip into the world when unleashed at any sign of danger. Now that she was using her power, if only slightly, she could feel the other woman like a cold chill against her skin, a light touch of death.
She immediately blinked away the dark particles, but it was too late.
The girl’s head snapped up and their eyes locked.
The ferret poked his head out of her bag and perched on her shoulders, then hissed, tugging at her collar, urging her to run.
But it was much too late.
The whites of the other woman’s eyes were swallowed by pure darkness while she scanned her surroundings, dismissing Annora as unimportant, her eyes locking on Edgar instead.
Every protective instinct surged to life.
“Edgar…”
He turned and gazed down at her, a smile playing about his lips, his eyes softening. “You used my name.”
But he quickly lost his good cheer when her eyes flicked toward the stranger. Now, instead of sitting, the woman was on her feet, making her way toward them.
Edgar’s face hardened, and he grabbed Annora’s face, his grip just short of pain as he tipped her head back. “No matter what, you mustnotuse your powers.” Without giving her a chance to protest, he shoved her toward Camden. “Get her inside, and don’t let her leave.”
“What?!” She ignored the way the guys surrounded her and hauled her away. “Wait!”
But no one paid her any attention as they hustled her up the stairs.
The last view she had of Edgar was him striding toward the other girl with a massive scowl on his face. When he opened his mouth to talk to her, the girl gave him a brilliant smile and threw her arms around him.
