Shadow

by Christina Garner

  This was her fight. She couldn’t ask him to wage it with her.

  “Do you know what’s on the other side of that door?” Ash gestured in its direction.

  She knew all too well. Behind it lay a stone corridor leading to the room where witches were auctioned to the highest bidder.

  Eden’s grip tightened on the handle. “Sounds like you do too.”

  The set of his jaw was grim. “Everyone knows.”

  “And you still come to the market? You still buy power when you know how it was obtained?”

  “I come here when I have to, but I don’t buy power from slaves. Power is currency here. Some give it willingly.”

  Like Sarah and I did for the Urn of Capio.

  Eden firmed her resolve. “We both know these witches don’t have a choice.”

  “And you want to do something about that.” Ash’s expression held a measure of respect, but then he shook his head. “Your magic against that entire room? I like long odds, but that’s a suicide mission. The ends need to justify the means.”

  His words only added fire to her belly. Eden’s entire life was spinning out of control, but this was the one thing she could hang onto. Had to hang onto. She’d lost everything but her ability to fight for what was right.

  “Like I said.” Eden opened the door. “You don’t have to come.”

  Chapter 2

  Shadows flickered along the stone walls of the corridor, cast by torches notched at precise intervals. Eden strode by them, barely taking notice. She was on a mission and didn’t have time for details.

  From behind her, Ash spoke. “What’s the plan?”

  She didn’t have an answer, and a small voice said she should stop and think this through. Yes, the slavery at the market was the height of evil, but taking it on alone was likely just what Ash had claimed—suicide.

  She’d let go of so much. Swallowed as much of life as she could stand—be it Bes’tal or leaving her entire life behind. But this she would not accept. This she would throw back up and into the faces of those who thought they could buy and sell witches.

  At the end of the hall, she yanked open the door .

  “Sold for nine hundred drops.” The auctioneer banged her gavel, and a young girl in chains shuffled off the stage. A man and woman—a totally normal-looking couple anyone might see in the average American coffee shop—took the lead attached to the girl’s chains and led her to the back of the room where payment would be completed.

  Eden’s blood scorched her veins. She scanned the rest of the room.

  It was mostly women and young girls in shackles, but there were a handful of boys scattered amongst them. Carolyn had said just as many boys as girls were born with magical ability, but society worked harder to rid them of make-believe, which made magic more difficult for them to accept once they were old enough to be trained.

  Most present were humans, but Eden spied two demons with captives. Her gaze swept to a corner, and that number rose to three. A borahn. Eden’s blood went from boiling to molten. A borahn, like the one who had kidnapped her at six years old, intent to come to a place just like this and sell her to the highest bidder.

  The monster hunched his too-tall frame. His near-translucent flesh shone in the dim light. In front of him stood a girl no more than fifteen, her head bowed in submission.

  Ash followed Eden’s gaze, and he spoke in a hushed tone for her ear alone. “You do not want to mess with a borahn.”

  Eden showed her teeth, but it wasn’t a smile. “Wanna bet?”

  Eden strode across the room, instinct taking the place of any need for a plan.

  The demon glanced up at her approach, his glowing yellow eyes now locked onto her.

  “She’s quite the find.” Eden placed a finger beneath the girl’s chin and lifted it up to look her in the eye. The stare that met hers was vacant and pierced Eden’s heart. “A little old for your kind, isn’t she?”

  Borahn preferred their victims much younger.

  “The older are harder to break.” The borahn inclined his head. “But sometimes that is the fun of it, is it not?”

  “Fun.” Eden repeated the word as though trying to discern a new meaning for it. “How much do you want for her?”

  The borahn’s eyes flashed, and he gave her a measuring look. “Side deals are not allowed at the auction.”

  “I’d heard your type were cowards.” Eden eyed him with disdain. “A pity to learn the rumors were true.”

  Eden spun on her heel, but she hadn’t taken a step before icy fingers wrapped around her arm.

  “Wait.”

  Her breath caught as memories flashed through her mind: jumping into the arms of a borahn, nearly being burned alive in the trunk of its car, killing it twelve years later.

  Eden steadied her nerves and turned back. She spied Ash striding over and cut her eyes left. He changed course, positioning himself where she’d indicated.

  The demon released his hold and continued. “Were we to conduct our business in private…”

  Eden smiled. “An excellent idea.”

  The borahn pushed the girl in the direction of a side door and gestured for Eden to follow. As she did, she motioned for Ash to stay back.

  This one’s all mine.

  Chapter 3

  Eden found herself in a cramped, unlit room ripe with a musty odor and wondered at its purpose.

  The glow of the demon's eyes provided the only light until Eden cast illumino, and a glowing orb sparked to life above her palm.

  She cast a quick look around and spied shackles bolted to the ceiling as well as deep scratches in the stone walls. She suppressed a shudder, no longer needing the details of how this room was used.

  Fear dampened her fury, and Eden wondered just what she thought she was doing alone in a room about to square off with a borahn demon.

  Why did I tell Ash to stay behind?

  Eden swallowed and glanced down at the young woman. She was free of physical restraints, a sign they weren’t needed to keep her in line. Imprisonment had settled deep.

  Eden sent a puff of energy meant to feel like the faintest squeeze of the girl’s hand, a sign that she was a friend. But the girl flinched and backed up.

  What has he done to her?

  Eden’s rage reignited at the possible answers.

  The borahn eyed her expectantly.

  “Common wisdom says not to open with your best offer.” Fire raged in Eden’s belly, but she kept her words light as she shrugged. “But who wants to be common?”

  The borahn tilted his head, gruesome features quizzical but interested.

  “Here’s what I propose. You give me the girl…” Eden sensed the ball of fire hovering just on the edge of creation. “Or I give you pain.”

  Confusion flashed on the borahn's face as fire bloomed in Eden's hand.

  “You are making a grave mistake.” The borahn narrowed his eyes.

  “People keep saying that.” Eden stepped forward, brandishing the ball of fire, and the borahn shrank back. “But I’ve tangled with your type before, and I don’t recall you being overly fond of flames.”

  The demon stayed quiet, and it was all the response Eden needed. “Why don’t we make use of those shackles?” She gestured to those dangling closest.

  His eyes burned with hatred as he clicked one closed and then the other, his arms now stretched high above his head. “I will remember this.”

  Eden’s mouth twitched into a satisfied smile. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  Throughout this exchange, the girl had remained silent, eyes darting between the two of them.

  “It’s okay.” Eden spoke as though trying to soothe a frightened horse. “Everything is okay now. We’re going.”

  “Going where?” The girl still didn’t meet Eden’s eye.

  “I’m going to make sure you get home. But you have to help me, okay?” Eden sensed the girl’s power even as it was locked behind a barrier.

  The girl glanced at the bo
rahn, then back to Eden with uncertainty. “I’m not allowed—”

  Eden placed a hand on the girl’s shoulders. “What’s your name?”

  She flinched. “Girl.”

  “No, not the name this monster gave you. What is your name?”

  Eden saw the girl’s thoughts working, could see the war going on inside of her head.

  Come on. Come on…

  “Bethany.” At first it was barely a whisper, but then, stronger, “My name is Bethany.”

  Eden flashed her most reassuring smile. “We’re getting out of here, Bethany. Do you understand? You’re going home.”

  Bethany nodded.

  Eden took her by the hand, glancing back at the borahn.

  His eyes burned in the dim light. “I’ll be looking for you.”

  Eden barked a laugh. “Join the club.”

  Eden tossed the ball of fire at the wall just above the demon’s head. Terror flashed in his eyes, and he ducked, letting it flame into nothing but a scorch mark.

  She gagged him with a ball of air, his mouth stretching wide around it. Indignant fury filled his face, his eyes never leaving hers. She questioned leaving him alive. With the other borahn, she’d had no choice. But left to her own devices, she wasn’t a killer. She hadn’t escaped the deadly demands of Bes’tal’s lost souls only to succumb to darkness now.

  “Come on.” Eden steered Bethany in front of her. “Time to go.”

  Bethany played her part, bowing her head low as she and Eden re-entered the auction room. Ash was visibly relieved when his eyes locked on Eden’s. He strode over to them.

  “Where’s the borahn?” He hissed under his breath.

  “Occupied. Stay with her.”

  “Where are you going?” Ash spoke to Eden’s back as she strode to the block at the front of the room.

  “The auction is over,” Eden announced, severing the magical bonds around each captive. Their unleashed power overwhelmed the space.

  The room roiled, witches freeing themselves of their chains. Captors were overpowered while buyers attempted to flee.

  She’d done this last time—freed those she could. Back then, she and Sarah had run for their lives. Not this time.

  Eden snapped her fingers, and the locks clicked shut. From the way people banged on the doors, she suspected they preferred being captor to captive. She delighted at their useless struggle.

  “Okay,” Ash said. “You’re a hero. Time to go.”

  But Eden wasn’t done yet.

  The witches now controlled the room, sellers and buyers subdued. It was a beautiful sight, but not entirely satisfying. How long had the auction block stayed dark after Eden’s last visit? A day? An hour?

  Not long enough.

  Eden focused, sensing the energy field vibrating within and around the market. She softened her eyes and scanned the intricate weaves that formed the cloaking spell—hiding it from all but the right eyes. It was as she’d suspected. The cloak was woven into the very fabric of the market itself. The two were inseparable.

  Ash tugged on her arm, but she yanked it free without ceasing her search. Spell work this intricate…

  There.

  A loose thread. She licked her lips. Was she really doing this?

  She glanced down at Bethany, her eyes no longer vacant but wide with the possibility of freedom.

  “Where are you from?” Eden asked.

  Bethany glanced up. “Boston.”

  “When we’re out of here, will you know how to get home?”

  “I’m fourteen. I’m not a baby.”

  Eden smiled, glad to see the girl coming back to herself.

  “You’re not, but I bet your parents still treat you like one.” Bethany’s mouth twisted in agreement, and Eden continued. “When you get home, if you tell the truth about what’s happened to you…”

  “They’ll have me locked up.”

  Eden remembered her own parents diligently trying to convince her the boogeyman didn’t exist and had definitely not kidnapped her.

  “So, don’t tell them,” Eden said. “But you’ll know what’s true. There are monsters in the world, and you have the power to fight them.”

  “That’s what that thing told me—that I have power. But I don’t know what either of you are talking about,” Bethany said. “If I could do what you can, he’d never have taken me.”

  “Your ability is why he took you.” Eden said it firmly, so the girl would believe. “In a few years, you’ll be ready. When you are, look up a sorority at Whitland College called Coventry House, and tell one of the sisters what happened here. Do you understand?”

  Bethany nodded.

  “Ready to get out of here?” Eden asked.

  “More than,” the girl replied.

  Eden closed her eyes and reached for the thread.

  Then she gave it a tug.

  Chapter 4

  The world trembled as Eden, Ash, and Bethany raced through winding rows of stalls.

  The market was unraveling faster than Eden had anticipated, and she sprinted to keep pace with Ash as he led them toward an exit.

  Chaos reigned at every turn. Anyone who could sense magic understood the market was going to collapse, and anyone who couldn’t, caught the vibe.

  “This way.” Ash broke left, Eden and Bethany close behind.

  The entire market shook, its tether to the physical world loosening. If they didn’t escape before the final threads unraveled, there was no telling where in this world they’d be dumped out.

  The trio skidded to a halt, caught in a log jam of those desperate for the exit.

  Ash muscled his way toward the front, but the crowd was too thick.

  Eden hadn’t planned for this—hadn’t planned at all, really—but she would find a way to fix it.

  In her mind, she reached for the edges of the exit and ripped them wider and then wider still.

  Hundreds of people poured out, and as the black market shuddered from existence, Eden grabbed Bethany’s hand and threw herself toward the opening.

  They tumbled across the pavement of the alley in Haverland.

  Eden surveyed the scene in near disbelief at what she’d done. The market was gone—never to sell witches again.

  Throngs of bewildered former patrons picked themselves up and began huddling in groups, trying to make sense of what had happened.

  Eden turned to Bethany. “Are you okay?”

  Her eyes were wide, but she seemed unhurt. “Yeah. I think so.”

  Eden rose to her feet and gave the girl a hand up.

  “You look pleased with yourself.” Ash appeared no worse for the wear but eyed her coolly.

  “Why wouldn’t I be? That place—”

  “That place is where I bought the power I used to free you not two hours ago.”

  Eden swallowed but didn’t back down. “Something had to be done.”

  “That was something all right. Are you finished?” He folded his arms. “We’ve got a flight to catch.”

  Eden glanced at Bethany.

  “Will you be okay from here?” She pointed at the back of a shop. “The police station is on the other side of that street.”

  “Might be better to let my parents think I ran away and decided to come back,” she said. “More grounding, but less therapy.”

  “Up to you,” Eden replied. “But with some changes in details, therapy might not be a bad idea after what you’ve been through.”

  “Maybe. Anyway, thanks. For everything.”

  They shared a smile then Bethany set off on her own.

  “There’s more than one market, you know.”

  Ash said it to prove Eden hadn’t really accomplished what she’d set out to, but, if anything, his words only emboldened her. She bared her teeth.

  “I hope wherever we’re going, there’s another one.”

  She strode off in the direction of the car.

  By the time she and Ash reached the airport, Eden was running on fumes. The adrenaline had long sin
ce left her, but she still experienced a satisfied glow at the thought of the local black market being no more.

  Beside her, Ash seemed less content. His eyes scanned the bustling airport as though searching for the next possible attack.

  “Go. Do your thing.” He proffered his sister’s passport.

  “Oh, right.” Eden took the booklet and stared down at it. “The thing.”

  She’d forgotten about needing to hold a glamour long enough to convince a TSA agent she was Ani. She glanced at the security line as it snaked this way and that, her stomach twisting.

  Eden had just used a massive amount of power. Did she have enough left to hold an illusion that long? She couldn’t have her hair and eye color flickering back and forth in full view of other passengers while she waited.

  “I need your hat.”

  Ash narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

  “Just give it to me.” Eden held out her hand.

  She’d spied a baseball cap in the depths of Ash’s large duffel when he’d fished out the IDs.

  Ash dropped the bag to the ground and slid the zipper on its track. He held the baseball cap out to her but pulled it back when she reached for it. “I’ll trade you for your phone.”

  “Why do you want my phone?” Eden tightened her grip on the strap of the bag.

  “Because I need to look something up, and mine is dead.”

  “Okay.” Eden needed the hat. “As long as I get it back.”

  “I’m not going to keep it.” Ash looked her straight in the eye. “I’m not a thief, and I’m not a liar.”

  Eden pursed her lips. “Sure you aren’t.”

  She pulled out her phone and reluctantly handed it to him while snatching the hat.

  Ash pointed to the ladies’ room. “If you’re in there longer than five minutes, I’m going to assume something’s wrong and come in after you.”

  Eden was about to argue, but something in his eyes told her not to. That, and the fact that her high was wearing off, and she was suddenly aware of being surrounded by hundreds—likely thousands—of people. Any one of them could be a follower of Agamon, and she was about to use her remaining scraps of power on a glamour. Defenseless was not a feeling she enjoyed.