The Shadow Stealer

by Melissa Giorgio

  Nina bit her trembling lip. “Don’t you see, Gabi? How pathetic I am? How everyone used me to get what they wanted? Charles wanted a Soul Healer, so he sent me to spy on you. Collins wants to take over all of Silver Moon, so he has me spy on Charles—”

  “Wait, what did you just say?” Evan interrupted.

  “He wants to take over Silver Moon?” I exchanged a terrified look with Rafe. “Is that possible?”

  My boyfriend’s tanned skin paled. “I—I don’t even know how he would do that. Take over one branch, yes, but the entire organization?”

  “The man is a moron,” Alexandra declared. She was the only one not affected by the news. “How the hell could he even do that without killing everyone who stood against him? Which, news flash, would be every hunter ever.” She stomped over to Nina. “Well, Pink? How could he do that?”

  “With an army,” she mumbled.

  “Human,” I asked, chilled, “or demon?”

  Evan cursed. “This is getting ridiculous. And everyone wonders why Rafe and I left the organization!”

  “He didn’t tell me the details, but if he really is learning magic from demons, then he’s gotta be making a demon army,” Nina said. She blinked rapidly, but it did nothing to stop the tears from trickling down her cheeks. “He told me he wanted to change Silver Moon for the better, to prevent more needless deaths like my parents’ from occurring, and I believed him! That’s why I agreed to become his apprentice. He said it was a great honor, and my parents would be so proud of me.” She banged her fists against the ground, full out sobbing now. “They would hate me if they knew how tainted I was. I used demon magic!”

  “Call your mom,” Rafe repeated in an urgent whisper. “And Evan, give me your phone so I can call Charles. Silver Moon needs to be put on alert. They need to know what Collins is planning!”

  As Evan handed Rafe his phone, I called Mom. She answered after two rings, her voice low and subdued. “Hello?”

  “Mom, it’s me. Listen…” I quickly filled her in on what’d happened.

  “Where are you right now?” she demanded, her voice no longer listless.

  “Still in front of the Corral.”

  “Go home with Rafe. Now. Have Evan and Alex stay with Nina until I can get there. I need to see what else she can tell me.”

  “And then what?” I was almost afraid to ask. Would she rush back to the city? Or would she come see me?

  “And then we’re going to stop this madman.”

  Chapter Forty-five

  “What the hell happened to you?” Chloe asked the moment I hobbled into the house. “You look like crap!”

  My baby sister, such a sweetheart. Scowling at her, I took off my coat and flung it at the couch. I missed, and it fell to the floor pathetically. Rafe picked it up and hung it up correctly before putting his arm around my shoulders once more and helping me to the couch.

  “Gabi, you’re home sooner than you’re supposed to be,” Dad said as he walked into the front room. Taking in my torn up, bloody pants, he stumbled to a halt. “What happened!”

  On the way over, I had suggested we tell Dad I’d tripped, but Rafe said there was no way he would believe that. Taking a deep breath, I said, “I was on my way back from break and almost got hit by a car.”

  “Holy shit!” Chloe exclaimed, her eyes bugging out.

  “What?” My dad was generally a calm man, but he pretty much lost it right then and there. “Who! Did you get a license plate? Did you call the cops? Do you have to go to the hospital?”

  I sent Rafe a desperate glance. He was much better at handling things like this than I was. Correctly interpreting my look, he had me sit down before calmly answering all of Dad’s questions. “It happened too fast, and the driver took off. Her knees are cut up, but we bandaged them up with supplies from the Corral.”

  “Dad, I swear I’m fine.”

  But Dad was having none of that. “You could have been killed! I can’t believe you didn’t get a license plate! Weren’t there any witnesses?”

  “They were too busy making sure I wasn’t dead.” I placed a hand on Dad’s arm. “It’s not a big deal.”

  Wrong thing to say. Dad’s face went from white to red as he bellowed, “Not a big deal! Someone tried to kill you, Gabi!”

  “I don’t think they were trying to kill her,” Chloe interjected.

  Actually, Dad was right. Not like I could say that, though. I exchanged another helpless look with Rafe, who had sunk down on the couch next to me, his arm around my shoulders.

  “Chloe, please,” Dad snapped at her.

  “What?” My sister rolled her eyes. “Gabi says she’s fine, so why are you going crazy—”

  “Because I don’t want anything to happen to either one of you!” he shouted, stunning us all into silence. Besides his fight with Mom, I couldn’t remember the last time he’d raised his voice like that. He took a moment to regain his composure. “I know you girls think I’m too strict, but you’re all I’ve got. You’re my everything, and I can’t stand the thought of either of you getting hurt. I’m supposed to protect you, and when I can’t, I feel like a failure.”

  I stood up and hugged him fiercely. My poor, poor dad. What would he do if he knew the truth? If he knew about demons and Silver Moon and the fact that I’d been kidnapped back in December?

  Uh, he’d probably lock me in my room and throw away the key.

  “I’m sorry,” I sniffled into his shoulder.

  “Don’t apologize,” Dad said, his voice shaking. “You didn’t do anything wrong. It was that maniac who almost hit you. If I ever find out who did this…” Whoa. Even though it was still shaking, his voice went all deep and growly, and I was actually a little scared.

  Over Dad’s shoulder, I saw Chloe scrunch up her face. “What are you crying about?” I asked incredulously.

  “All this time, Dad has been trying to keep us safe and I’ve been so horrible!” she wailed. Charging forward, she threw herself at me and Dad, nearly knocking us to the floor. “I’m so sorry!”

  Dad patted her on the back. “Sorry enough to change your ways? Maybe behave a little better and stop landing yourself in detention?”

  Chloe’s tears instantly dried up. “Now that’s asking for too much, Dad.”

  Oh my god. What a faker! I made a face at my sister, who made one back at me.

  The front door flew open with a bang and Philip charged in, his face as dark as a storm cloud. He stomped over to me and yanked me into his arms, squeezing me tightly.

  “I can’t breathe!” I complained.

  “Be quiet and let me hug you,” he replied. “And for god’s sake, lock your front door!”

  Over Philip’s shoulder I watched Kain enter the room, carrying two black overnight bags. He wore a tense expression, but when our eyes met, some of it melted away, leaving behind relief.

  “You boys got here fast,” Dad commented. “Actually, I’m surprised you’re even here, considering someone is grounded.” He sent me a very pointed look that I chose to ignore.

  Philip finally let me go and coughed awkwardly, his eyes landing everywhere but my dad’s face. Oh yeah, I thought. This is the first time he’s seeing Dad after we found out we’re related. “Err, um, well, I—”

  “Even though Gabiella is grounded, Chloe isn’t,” Kain said, swooping in with an explanation.

  Chloe blinked. “Huh? You came here to see me?”

  “But of course.” Kain looped one arm around her shoulders, and the other around Philip’s. “You’re Philip’s sister just as much as Gabi is.”

  She blushed prettily as she gazed up at him adoringly. “Is it wrong that I find my brother’s boyfriend incredibly hot?”

  Kain grinned. “Not at all, because I am.”

  Dad cleared his throat, but Chloe pretended not to hear him. With a shake of his head, he turned to me. “I suppose we can ease up on your punishment for one night.” Dad’s eyebrows rose when he saw the smile on my face, and I quickly squashe
d it. “Are we expecting anyone else tonight?”

  “Evan and Alex should be here soon,” I answered in a small voice.

  My sister made a rude noise. “I’m out of here.” Detangling herself from Kain, she climbed up the stairs, her phone already out as she started texting someone.

  Philip watched her go, a torn look on his face. “Come on,” I told him. “Go talk to Chloe while I get myself cleaned up.” We went upstairs, and I led him to my sister’s room. “Have fun.”

  Chloe looked up from her phone. “You left your hot boyfriend downstairs?” She started laughing at the incredulous expression on Philip’s face. “I’m just kidding!” Tossing her phone aside, she patted a spot next to her on her messy, unmade bed. “Come on in, brother of mine.”

  As I walked to my room I could hear the two of them murmuring, and I smiled to myself.

  My brother and my sister. How weird and awesome did that sound?

  ***

  After a long, relaxing shower, I bandaged up my knees and palms again, put on my coziest pair of flannel pants and a worn long sleeved shirt, and made my way downstairs. I followed the sound of voices to the dining room, where my friends—including Evan and Alexandra—were gathered. The table was covered with food: rolls and cold cuts, open bags of chips, a bowl of microwaved popcorn, and soda and water. Slipping into the empty seat next to Rafe, I stole some chips from his plate as he pulled his chair closer to mine and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

  “Where’s Dad?” I asked.

  “Upstairs. He said we could stay as long as we want,” Rafe said.

  “Look at Papa Harkins being all nice,” Evan said from across the table. “Maybe you should ‘get hit by a car’ more often, Gabi.” Alexandra elbowed him hard in the side and he winced.

  “What happened with…” I trailed off, eyeing the ceiling. Dad wasn’t asleep, which meant he could possibly be listening in on our conversation. Although even he, with his supersonic hearing, wouldn’t be able to hear what we were saying all the way upstairs. “Did Mom show up?”

  “Yep, and she’s having a chat with Nina.” Evan reached for a bottle of soda and poured Alexandra some before filling up his cup. “Although at this point, I don’t know what else Nina can possibly tell her.”

  “Are we really believing her bullshit story?” Philip asked from my right. “About Collins and his so-called demon army?”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Why? You don’t think that’s possible?”

  “It’s very possible,” he said. “But this is Nina we’re talking about. She tried to kill almost everyone in this room. You, twice. Why are we listening to anything that’s coming out of her mouth? It’s probably a trap.”

  “You didn’t see her when we told her about the demon magic,” I said as Alexandra nodded in agreement. “She had no idea, Phil, and the truth destroyed her.”

  “Maybe, but I still don’t trust her.”

  “None of us do,” Rafe said, “but that’s beside the point. Maybe she’s lying, but maybe she’s not. And if she’s not, and Collins is raising a demon army…” His face was grim. “It’s up to us to stop him. Everyone at this table, with the exception of Gabi, swore an oath to protect this world from demons.”

  “Hey, I don’t need an oath to know that this crazy guy needs to go down,” I said. “What’s the plan?”

  “Let’s wait until we hear from your mom or Charles before we worry about that,” Rafe said.

  “Yeah, let the adults handle this stuff for once,” Evan chimed in. “Although they keep screwing things up; maybe it really is up to us to fix things.”

  “Can we?” Everyone looked at me. “Can we take down Collins?”

  “That depends how far along he is with raising his demonic army,” Kain said. “I assume he hasn’t started yet—where would one hide the demons?”

  “In a nest?” I asked, exchanging a nervous look with Rafe. Visiting Davenport’s nest had been a totally not fun experience, and I did not look forward to doing something like that ever again.

  Actually, I was surprised no one had told me I couldn’t come when they faced Collins. Probably because they knew it was a lost cause. Wherever they went, I was going too.

  Kain shook his head. “A nest can hold a few demons, but not hundreds or thousands. They would end up tearing one another apart.”

  “So then where?” I shifted in my seat, trying to ignore the stab of pain whenever I moved.

  Rafe leaned his head against mine. “That’s not important.”

  “It’s very important—”

  “No. Not tonight.” He planted a kiss on the top of my head. “Tonight you’re going to forget all about demons and armies and Collins and take it easy. We’ll figure out a plan tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the day after that. Right now, you’re going to focus on the normal stuff.”

  “Yeah,” Philip chimed in, nudging the bowl of popcorn toward me. “Eat. Oh wait, you probably want chocolate cake, don’t you?”

  I grabbed a handful of popcorn and shoved some into my mouth. “Are you volunteering to go get me some?”

  “How many times do I have to tell you that’s what Rafe is for?” Philip asked with a roll of his eyes. “No offense, Rafe.”

  My boyfriend began rising from his chair. “No, you’re right, I should have gotten her cake—”

  “Don’t you dare!” I shouted, spewing popcorn everywhere. “I can survive without cake. Don’t leave!” My voice cracked and I turned away, blinking back tears. What the hell is wrong with me?

  Rafe’s voice was soft when he spoke. “I’m not going anywhere, Gabi. None of us are.”

  “Yeah, your dad said we could spend the night!” Evan chimed in. “See, I told you; he’s much more agreeable when you’ve been injured!”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” I said dryly as I wiped my eyes. No crying tonight. Rafe wanted a nice quiet evening? I could do that.

  And whoa, look at the six of us sitting around the table, with no one trying to kill one another. Had they finally bonded over a shared purpose?

  Or maybe it was me? I’d like to think it was me, with my amazing personality.

  We finished eating, talking about anything that wasn’t Silver Moon related, and then we cleaned up before retiring to the living room. I turned on the TV and handed the remote to Philip before curling up on the couch with Rafe. He wrapped his arm around me while I laid my head against his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heart.

  While Philip and Kain argued over what to watch, and Evan and Alexandra talked quietly, I started having trouble keeping my eyes open. The last thing I remembered was Rafe draping a blanket over me before sleep claimed me.

  Chapter Forty-six

  “Don’t you grow tired of this?”

  I was sitting on the bench in my garden, staring at the blooming flowers. It was spring, and the sun was shining brightly enough that I didn’t need my jacket. This was my favorite time of year, and I was perfectly content—

  Or I had been until it had spoken.

  Turning to my left with a sigh, I saw the demon standing there, studying me, not unlike the way I’d been studying my flowers. It cocked its head to the side, tapping one of its long talons against its bony arm when I didn’t respond.

  Like before, I knew this was a dream. I also knew this was something I shouldn’t be dreaming about; Mom said demons couldn’t contact us from their realm. So why was this happening?

  “I need to give you a name,” I declared.

  The demon blinked. “A name?”

  “I always name your buddies. But for some reason I’ve never named you. I wonder why?” I leaned back in my seat, staring up at the perfect sky. At least, I thought it was perfect. Like the last dream, everything was gray. So maybe the sky was blue, or maybe it wasn’t. It could be purple for all I knew. Was this how the demon saw things? In tones of gray and more gray? That would really suck. Especially considering how gorgeous my garden looked in the spring. “Dude, you are missing out,”
I said. I decided to return to its original question. “What am I supposed to be tired of, exactly?”

  It spread its arms wide. “This. The waiting game. Don’t you wish it were over?”

  I wrinkled my nose. “Over? No way! If it were over, then you’d be controlling me! And that is never going to happen!” I crossed my arms over my chest as if to prove how untouchable I was.

  “I wouldn’t be so sure of that.” The demon smirked, and suddenly I didn’t feel nearly as cocky as I had ten seconds before. “Your mother thinks she’s so clever, but she can’t keep you from me forever. We made a deal, and I will have you.”

  “No, you won’t.” My voice shook, and when the demon’s grin widened, I knew it had noticed.

  “Is that so? Your friends plan on fighting that hunter; do you truly believe they will emerge unscathed? That you won’t need to heal them?” Its black eyes glittered as it watched me for my reaction.

  I couldn’t hide my shock. The demon knew—it knew. Mom had been wrong; the demon could find me in my sleep. And it was watching me while I was awake, too. How else would it have known about Collins?

  “One more time,” the demon whispered as the shadows appeared, wrapping around its legs like a living skin. “I will allow you to heal one more time, and then you are mine. Will you do it, girl? Or will you stand to the side and watch your friends die?

  “The choice,” it said as the shadows continued their path up its body, consuming it, “is yours.”

  ***

  “Gabi.”

  I jerked awake with a gasp. Rafe was crouched in front of me, his hand on my shoulders as he gently shook me. Ugh, my mouth tasted like stale popcorn. Struggling into a sitting position, I ignored the jolts of pain that shot through my sore body and asked, “What time is it?” Sunlight streamed through the window.

  “A little after eleven. We let you sleep, considering everything that had happened.”