Read Online Fading Light: Shadow Born, Book 2 by Angela Dennis - Free Book Online
Authors: Angela Dennis
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suck.” Lucy slammed down her cards. “Full house. Hand them over.”
Hilda tossed her three moon pies. “It shouldn’t be this hard to beat you. You’ve got to be cheating.”
Lucy snorted, her ears pressed back. “Want to say that again?”
Hilda laughed. “I’m dead. What are you going to do to me?”
When Lucy started to lunge, Brenna decided to intervene. “As fun as this is, where is the hybrid?”
After a few prolonged moments, Lucy met her gaze. Crumbs trailed the sides of her mouth. “In the infirmary.”
“How’s he doing?”
Lucy shrugged. “He was hemorrhaging when he got here. They stopped the blood loss, but he’s lucky to be alive.”
“If he dies, the shifters will blame us.”
Lucy snorted. It sounded like a mix between a screeching cat and an angry goat. “They can get in line.”
Brenna turned toward the long hall that led to the medical wing. They had housed the hybrid in an observation room on the far end of the corridor. She moved beside the guards and peered inside the room.
The shifter was young. She would guess early twenties. He had been stripped to his boxers. His lean muscular body writhed on the bed. Reinforced leather straps secured him to the gurney. Padlocks held the straps onto the metal grate beneath the bed. The belts had made purple welts on his wrists and ankles.
“Give me the keys.” She held a hand out to the guard. He was lucky she didn’t rip them off his belt. They had no right to treat an innocent kid this way.
“He’s unstable.” The guard backed away as she moved forward. “He’ll hurt one of us.”
“Leave.” She yanked the keys from his hand. “If you’re not strong enough to subdue a baby shifter, you don’t belong here.”
He threw up his hands. “If he kills you, it’s not on me.”
Brenna watched him leave. She needed to talk to Seraph about the quality of the help.
As she slipped through the door, she grabbed the metal folding chair lying askew on the side of the room and placed it beside the bed. She rubbed her hands together to warm them, then laid her palm on the shifter’s forehead. He was burning up.
“What’s your name?” She kept her tone calm as she stroked his clammy forehead.
After a few moments, he opened his eyes. Dried blood had caked in the creases of his eyelids. The coppery substance had dried on his cheeks like spoiled tears. “What’s happening to me?” He turned his face into her hand.
“I don’t know. But I’m going to find out.” She stroked his hair, her heart breaking for him.
“What’s your name?” she asked again.
“Aiden.” He closed his eyes.
“Aiden, I’m going to release the restraints.”
“No.” He jerked back. “I can’t control my beast.”
“Trust me. Let me worry about your beast.” She cast a healing spell and wrapped her magic around him like an electric blanket. His beast surged to the surface. Her magic subdued it, slamming him back onto the cot. His beast made a final attempt to break free, but her spell had given Aiden the ability to control it.
“I underestimated you,” he said.
She shrugged as she freed him from the straps. “It happens.”
He sat, rubbing the red rings on his wrists. “I checked the campsite to make sure the fires were out. I thought it was abandoned.” He paused, thinking. “I was cleaning when I noticed this gray thing in the middle of the field. I didn’t know it was a person until I got right up on it.”
“Did you hear anything?”
He shook his head. “No.” He lowered his gaze. “Do you think it hurt?”
“No idea,” she replied. She had wondered the same thing. “When did you get sick?”
“When I couldn’t get a hold of anyone at the station, I started taking pictures.” He rubbed at his wrists. “One of the bodies crumbled, and it covered me in ash. The next thing I remember is coughing up blood.”
“Where’s your camera?”
“The guy who brought me in took it.” He picked at the leather belt
Hilda tossed her three moon pies. “It shouldn’t be this hard to beat you. You’ve got to be cheating.”
Lucy snorted, her ears pressed back. “Want to say that again?”
Hilda laughed. “I’m dead. What are you going to do to me?”
When Lucy started to lunge, Brenna decided to intervene. “As fun as this is, where is the hybrid?”
After a few prolonged moments, Lucy met her gaze. Crumbs trailed the sides of her mouth. “In the infirmary.”
“How’s he doing?”
Lucy shrugged. “He was hemorrhaging when he got here. They stopped the blood loss, but he’s lucky to be alive.”
“If he dies, the shifters will blame us.”
Lucy snorted. It sounded like a mix between a screeching cat and an angry goat. “They can get in line.”
Brenna turned toward the long hall that led to the medical wing. They had housed the hybrid in an observation room on the far end of the corridor. She moved beside the guards and peered inside the room.
The shifter was young. She would guess early twenties. He had been stripped to his boxers. His lean muscular body writhed on the bed. Reinforced leather straps secured him to the gurney. Padlocks held the straps onto the metal grate beneath the bed. The belts had made purple welts on his wrists and ankles.
“Give me the keys.” She held a hand out to the guard. He was lucky she didn’t rip them off his belt. They had no right to treat an innocent kid this way.
“He’s unstable.” The guard backed away as she moved forward. “He’ll hurt one of us.”
“Leave.” She yanked the keys from his hand. “If you’re not strong enough to subdue a baby shifter, you don’t belong here.”
He threw up his hands. “If he kills you, it’s not on me.”
Brenna watched him leave. She needed to talk to Seraph about the quality of the help.
As she slipped through the door, she grabbed the metal folding chair lying askew on the side of the room and placed it beside the bed. She rubbed her hands together to warm them, then laid her palm on the shifter’s forehead. He was burning up.
“What’s your name?” She kept her tone calm as she stroked his clammy forehead.
After a few moments, he opened his eyes. Dried blood had caked in the creases of his eyelids. The coppery substance had dried on his cheeks like spoiled tears. “What’s happening to me?” He turned his face into her hand.
“I don’t know. But I’m going to find out.” She stroked his hair, her heart breaking for him.
“What’s your name?” she asked again.
“Aiden.” He closed his eyes.
“Aiden, I’m going to release the restraints.”
“No.” He jerked back. “I can’t control my beast.”
“Trust me. Let me worry about your beast.” She cast a healing spell and wrapped her magic around him like an electric blanket. His beast surged to the surface. Her magic subdued it, slamming him back onto the cot. His beast made a final attempt to break free, but her spell had given Aiden the ability to control it.
“I underestimated you,” he said.
She shrugged as she freed him from the straps. “It happens.”
He sat, rubbing the red rings on his wrists. “I checked the campsite to make sure the fires were out. I thought it was abandoned.” He paused, thinking. “I was cleaning when I noticed this gray thing in the middle of the field. I didn’t know it was a person until I got right up on it.”
“Did you hear anything?”
He shook his head. “No.” He lowered his gaze. “Do you think it hurt?”
“No idea,” she replied. She had wondered the same thing. “When did you get sick?”
“When I couldn’t get a hold of anyone at the station, I started taking pictures.” He rubbed at his wrists. “One of the bodies crumbled, and it covered me in ash. The next thing I remember is coughing up blood.”
“Where’s your camera?”
“The guy who brought me in took it.” He picked at the leather belt
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