The handle turned, and I cocked the gun, prepared to start shooting. Before I could, though, the door was yanked open and one of those great wings snatched the weapon from my hands, flinging it to the side.
“Dorothy Elizabeth Ashton?” The voice was deep and grating, making the clothes hanging around me shake.
“Ye—yes?” I stammered.
The creature dropped something at my feet.
“I bequeath thee with this amulet. It will serve thee well. Do not allow it to land in the hands of strangers. If it does, you must find it before it unleashes fury on our world.”
And with that, the creature floated backwards, turning and leaving the way it had come. I put one hand on my chest and reached for the amulet with the other. It was cold to the touch, but warmed slightly. Nothing else happened. I didn’t know what I’d been expecting. I remembered how the dragon had bitten the guy in Eragon, marking its territory. Nothing like that happened here.
I raised the amulet, inspecting it, but couldn’t see well enough in the closet, so I turned on the bedroom light, grateful it worked. It still wasn’t light enough, though, and I headed to the kitchen where my more powerful lights were.
Only then did it occur to me that like the shade in Mount Koven, the creature had known my real name. “Elizabeth” was my middle name, and I detested the name “Dorothy.” My mom had tried to call me “Dot” when I was a little girl, but at the age of three or four, I informed her that my name was “Lizzie” and she had better not call me “Dot” ever again. With a chuckle, Mom had agreed, and I was Lizzie from then on.
A snapping sound outside drew my attention, and I went to the front door and looked out. Nothing was visible.
A slight pressure built up behind me, and I turned, watching as smoke filled one of the corners in the living room. I shrieked, dashing into the kitchen. That was a hound—it had to be.
Chapter Twenty-Four
How had the hound gotten past the detractors? I scooted under the table, watching as a shadow approached from the living room.
“Lizzie?” Alexander called out. “Are you here?”
“A hound is coming!” I hissed at him. “Hide!”
He chuckled, coming into the kitchen and crouching near the table to see me. “No, that was just me.”
I backed up against the wall. “You? You’re a hound? Why didn’t you tell me? Are you here to destroy me?”
He tilted his head, frowning. “Why would I do that?”
“Because you’re one of them!”
He blinked. “Okay, yes, I’m a hound.” He sighed. “I wasn’t comfortable telling you before—you were already hesitant about everything I’d revealed in our first meeting, and I wasn’t sure if letting you know I wasn’t fully human would push you over the edge or not. Anyway, surely you know by now that there are evil and good ones, right?”
I paused. “You’re telling me you’re one of the good ones?”
“Of course.”
Oh, phew. I could definitely handle that sort of news right now. “Well, I wish you hadn’t sneaked up on me like that. Definitely not awesome.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Why are you here now?” It was too much of a coincidence that he showed up right after the Shade Amulet did.
“I sensed the amulet coming. And I sensed as you accepted it.” He held out his hand for me. “The other hounds will have sensed it too.”
I accepted his hand, letting him help me out from under the table and to my feet. “Didn’t you say at one point that the hounds would try to avoid me after I got it?”
“Some. The stronger ones will seek you out, but lesser ones will be more devious and will harm innocent people, trying to draw you to them. And still others will run.”
“What do you know about the amulet?”
“It was built by shades, for shades. It gave them the ability to see better, to focus on physical matters better. Who knows how it will operate for you, though.”
“Any advice?” I asked.
“It possesses magic. Welcome that magic in.”
Someone knocked on the door, and Alexander and I looked that way.
“Expecting anyone?” he asked.
I shook my head, stepping to the door and looking out through the curtains. It was Abel. Why was I getting so many visitors?
I pulled the door open, inviting him in without saying anything. He saw Alexander and pushed me aside, using his arm to pin me against the wall. Alexander crouched, growling, and Abel raised a fist. I groaned and grabbed his arm, trying to get out from behind it. “Guys, I’m seriously not in the mood for a territory fight.”
Abel pointed at Alexander. “He’s one of them,” he said, his voice deeper than usual.
I cocked an eyebrow. “And how do you know?”
“Because I’ve been watching your house.”
I blinked. “Why?”
“Come on, Lizzie,” he said. “There are fire vampires out there, and you’re surprised that I’ve been making sure they don’t come and kill you?”
“Fine.” I didn’t want to deal with this. “How did you know he was a hound?”
“Because he didn’t enter your house through a door or window. He just appeared inside.”
Fair enough. “What do you want?” I wasn’t sure why I was being so terse with him. I’d had a rough few days, though, and just wanted everything to relax and calm down already. I focused on calming my breathing. No point taking everything out on Abel.
He motioned to the amulet in my hand. “Have you used it?”
“No, I haven’t really had a chance to look at it.” I pointed at both men. “You showed up way too quickly after I got it. And honestly, I don’t want to play around with it while I have an audience.”
“Pressure will help you learn faster,” Abel said. “Go ahead—see how it works for you.”
I shook my head at the same time Alexander said, “No, she needs privacy.”
Abel glared at the older man. “Why? Will she get that when she’s fighting hounds?”
Alexander motioned at me. “Because this is her first time using it. You can’t expect her to know what to do right away.”
The two started arguing. Abel emphasized the fact that I was smart and would be able to figure things out faster than Alexander was giving me credit for, and Alexander was saying I needed days, if not weeks, to learn how to use the amulet. Both were irritating me.
I finally grabbed their arms, giving them a little shake. “Go outside. Now. I can’t do anything with the two of you yelling in my house.” I sent Abel a stern glance. “I appreciate your confidence in me, but I do need a moment to myself.” Then I looked at Alexander. “And a little more faith in me next time, okay?”
Without waiting for either of them to respond or to acknowledge that they’d understood, I strode to the door, pulled it open, and pointed outside.
The men left, and I shut the door behind them, locking it. I took a deep breath, then headed to my bedroom.
Sia was already there—she had obviously been scared away by the raised voices. I joined her on the bed, and she curled up on my lap while I stared at the amulet. At least it didn’t seem to creep her out.
Even if it wasn’t creepy, there was still something odd about it. I turned it over in my hand, staring at the intricate metal that housed a dark brown gemstone. The metal was old—even ancient—and was a dark gray color. The gemstone wasn’t brown, as I’d first thought. It seemed to be the absence of color. It was like a black hole without the vacuum aspect. Nothing glittered off it, and nothing reflected in it. I couldn’t even see the edges, though I could feel them. Weird.
Sia continued to ignore it, rolling over onto her back, purring. I absentmindedly scratched her belly. While I was staring at the amulet, a random urge to hold it in front of my face only a couple of inches away overcame me. I wasn’t sure why, but I did as I felt directed.
Black smoke swirled around the amulet before brushing across my face, as if sensing me. The smoke withdrew int
o the amulet, and suddenly, I could feel a presence there, along with a slight magical pulse. More than that, I felt like I wasn’t alone anymore.
“Hello?” I said.
Lizzie . . .
It knew who I was. Creepy.
“Who are you?” I asked.
Koven.
Shade.
I didn’t need to ask to know what the amulet was trying to tell me. Especially since the voice in my head not only was masculine, but familiar, too. It had to be the shade from Mount Koven who had sent the amulet’s previous owner to me. “How do I use you?”
Practice.
Great. I’d been hoping for detailed instructions, but apparently that wasn’t in the cards. “And you can’t tell me?”
No. Different. The voice paused. Then, Practice.
Did it mean that the amulet was too different from me? Or did it mean that using it was different for everybody?
I guessed it was trying to tell me using it would be different for everyone, as that made sense with the amulet’s instruction to practice.
I found a necklace and replaced the pendant on it with the amulet, clasping the chain around my neck. Then I went to the bathroom, turning on the light. I looked in the mirror, wondering what would happen now that I was wearing the amulet.
The amulet warmed against my skin for a moment, and the word “light” popped into my head in that same mellow voice.
“Oh! Okay.”
I flipped off the light, then shrieked when my reflection disappeared almost completely from view. The edges of my body flickered, blurring as I moved, but it was so minuscule that unless someone knew exactly what they were looking for, they wouldn’t see the flickering that would give my position away. I wasn’t quite see-through, just faint—like a very dark shadow. Crazy.
Could I get past the men outside? I had to find out. I stepped back into the hallway and was heading toward the front door when I saw my legs, hands, and feet gradually appear. Drat! The amulet only hid me for a few moments. How was that supposed to be helpful?
The amulet warmed against my chest, directing my attention to the light switch on the wall. Oh, yeah, the lights. I flipped the switch, and again faded from view.
Okay, so it only worked in the dark. Good to know. I turned off the lights as I went, watching my figure fade in and out of view as I stepped into light, then was bathed in darkness. Each time I faded, a little tingle crossed my whole body. I opened the door to the porch as quietly as I could, grateful that at least this one didn’t squeak.
Abel was standing on the porch, leaning against a post. Alexander was pacing out near the fence. They didn’t look happy to be there, and I smiled to myself. Served them right.
When the door opened, Abel glanced over his shoulder at it. He straightened, peering inside—right through me. I had to step out of the way as he reached for the door and pulled it shut, probably thinking it had drifted open.
Alexander paused his pacing and looked up at the porch, a question on his face. Abel shrugged. Alexander sighed loudly, resuming his pacing.
I stepped past Abel, going as quietly as I could, trying hard not to breathe loudly. It was difficult—my heart rate was elevated, and I was exuberant that the amulet was working. I took the steps one at a time, breathing in relief when they didn’t creak, and carefully approached Alexander.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Alexander had paused near the gate to my yard, his hands resting on top of a post, eyes staring out at the street.
When I was about ten feet away, I noticed a glowing light I hadn’t seen before in the middle of his upper back. Wanting to see if it was visible from the front as well, I circled around him, stopping at the fence, leaning forward. The light stayed visible the whole time, and was even brighter in the front. It was situated at the top of his sternum about two inches below his neck. I reached for it, trying to control the urge to touch it. Would he feel me if I did?
Kill?
I blinked. What? No! Alexander is a friend. We can’t kill him. Time to be done practicing. For now, at least. I tried to force myself to go visible again, but nothing happened.
Reveal me.
Yes.
The amulet must’ve obeyed because Alexander yelled, springing away, and Abel jumped down from the porch, laughing.
“Lizzie?” he said.
I turned to him. “Let’s go hunt.” I glanced back at Alexander. “The amulet asked me if I wanted to kill you.”
He directed his gaze at me. I couldn’t read his expression. “That may be necessary someday. But not yet.”
“What do you mean?”
Alexander shook his head, but didn’t respond. He’d better be joking about that. There was no way I was going to kill him.
Abel bounced on the balls of his feet, his eyes shining in the dim moonlight. “Ready?” he asked.
I nodded, my heart burning, my hands tingling. I was definitely ready. I tilted my head. Why was I ready? I’d barely had a couple of minutes to practice with the amulet, and yet, I felt confident I could use it. Was the amulet giving me that confidence?
“Good luck,” Alexander said. “I’ll keep my eyes on the effigy. Make sure it continues pulling the majority of the hounds from you. You’ll need to take care of the one that’s here. Once you are finished, we must return the effigy. That was the stipulation.”
I was still confused about the effigy and how it worked, but I knew I could ask him to explain later. It was time to hunt those hounds before they came for me.
Abel started forward, but I grabbed his arm. “What about the fire vampires?”
He shook his head. “Only one thing at a time, Lizzie. We can’t hunt them both.”
“Why don’t we hunt the vampires, then? They’re actively killing people.”
“So are the hounds.”
“The vampires have killed more.”
“We don’t know that.” Abel grabbed my shoulder. We were alone now—I hadn’t noticed Alexander leave. “If we don’t stop these hounds, you won’t be around to stop the vampires. We focus on the dogs first, and that’s final.”
I glared at him. “Who died and made you king?”
He raised his eyebrow. “Really, Lizzie? Are we children again?” Without waiting for me to respond, he turned and stalked away. I hurried to keep up with him, not wanting to be left behind and definitely not wanting to argue anymore. This guy seriously drove me nuts.
We headed for the train tracks again and followed them first in one direction, then the other. Only one train came through during that time. I searched for little glowing lights like the one that had been in Alexander, holding the amulet, hoping it would give me instructions.
“Did you find anything when you hunted where the body was found?” I asked.
Abel shook his head. “No. There wasn’t enough to point us in the correct direction, and we didn’t have enough reason to search people’s houses.” He growled. “If I’d been alone, I wouldn’t have needed permission.”
I rolled my eyes. Only Abel . . .
“How does the amulet work?” he asked.
“I still have no idea. It’s not giving instructions, if that’s what you’re wondering about.”
An hour after we started, he indicated that we should start canvassing the neighborhood around my house. He grew frustrated after only ten minutes, though.
I put my hand on his arm, feeling how tense he was. “Hey, we haven’t been searching for long. We can’t expect things to fall into place the first time we try. Especially when this isn’t something either of us has done before.” At least, it was my first time. I still wasn’t sure what he had or hadn’t done.
Abel ran his other hand through his hair, then put it over my hand, keeping me connected to him. I was surprised to find that it didn’t bother me.
“I know,” he said. “I’m sorry. I just . . . I just want the job to be done already.”
“Is spending time with me so miserable?” I teased.
He sear
ched my face. “Of course not, Lizzie.”
My heart did a weird little flip, the way he said my name this time. His voice was tender, gentle. “Then what is it?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never had such a hard time completing a job.”
I smiled. “We just barely started.”
He stepped closer to me, his eyes on mine. “I got hired several weeks ago.”
I tilted my head, confused. “Why did it take so long for you to approach me?”
“I needed information first.” He took a breath. “Lizzie—”
I gasped. The amulet had started to burn against my skin. It didn’t hurt—I think it was more of a way to get my attention than anything.
Left.
I grabbed Abel’s arm, pulling him down the street to the left. There was an urgency in the way the amulet had said the word. The hound had to be close.
Abel followed, not questioning. When we got to the intersection, the amulet said to go straight, and we continued. At the next intersection, it said to go right, so we went that way.
We were almost to a stop sign when the amulet warmed even more.
Here.
I turned and looked at the house closest to us. Inside the big front window, two tiny, motionless flames were visible.
“Hide,” I whispered to Abel. I wasn’t sure if the Shade Amulet could conceal the two of us, and I wasn’t going to find out right now.
Abel dropped to the cement, lying on his stomach next to the row of low bushes that lined the sidewalk. I commanded the amulet to hide me. I didn’t need to look to know that it had obeyed—my body tingled briefly. I stepped over the small bushes that lined the sidewalk, approaching the window. When I got to it, I peeked up over the edge. Two figures, each with a glowing light inside them, were crouched over a woman’s body on the floor. One, a man, was attached to the armpit of the person. The other, a woman, was attached at the neck.
Oh, crap.
Fire vampires. I leaped onto the front porch, not caring if I landed softly. I probably should’ve been more cautious, but they were actively killing someone!
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