woods. She smiled. Was that what Ian had been like as a child? Adventurous and brave, with books scattered everywhere? Shan felt a slight pang in her chest, the sadness of knowing that she'd never get to see Ian that young.
Shan flipped the latch on the trap door and lowered it carefully. Its little stairs unfolded into a bright, light-filled hallway on the second floor of the lodge. Shan closed her eyes, listening.
Outside, she heard the gentle scrapes of Etienne scaling the side of the house. Up the hallway, she felt a slight rhythmic vibration--someone pacing in heavy shoes. Probably the guard holding the family. Charles Fortier and whoever was watching him would be downstairs waiting to greet their guests. Three guards outside meant that there were still three enemies inside the house--One-eye, Ponytail, and another man. But two of the men from outside would be able to run inside if the warning was given. Shan opened her eyes. She could take out these bastards if she needed to, but with so many defenseless people to protect, the odds dropped significantly.
And she still needed to find the dragon.
Shan lowered herself to the floor and closed the trap door behind her. She didn't want Etienne seeing it as an invitation to follow her. If he was smart, he'd stay quietly in the attic until this was all over. Shan gritted her teeth. But is that what she would have done if her father hadn't taken her away from the Jade Circle that deadly night when she was twelve? Not a chance. She had wanted to fight with the Circle against the intruders. To fight and die with them, if necessary. To be by her mother's side until the end, and then to join her in the afterlife. Shan had belonged with the Jade Circle, in life and in death. Why had her mother and father forced her to leave, robbed her of her right to die for a cause she loved?
Shan's throat felt suddenly thick. No, Etienne would definitely follow her, trying to save his family. And she'd have to protect him when he did.
The door at the end of the hallway was closed. Someone was pacing just beyond it, causing the light emanating through the crack at the bottom to dim in regular intervals. Halfway up the corridor on the left, a wide set of stairs led down to the first level.
Shan focused her chi in the center of her body, feeling the heat pool just below her bellybutton. Light, weightless, a feather . The energy pulsed through her limbs as she pictured herself quiet and floating. Shan crept along the old, hardwood floor, her feet barely contacting the surface. When she reached the staircase, she crouched low and flattened her body against the wall, listening.
"Come on, Ian," she mouthed silently. Her heartbeat started to quicken as she waited. Shan focused her energy and stilled it to a normal speed. Even the deadly tiger can stay low in the grass until the time is right.
There. She heard it. The distant growl of a car on the driveway.
"Stay quiet now," said a woman's muffled voice from behind the door at the end of the hallway. Ponytail, Shan figured. The woman with the lightning foot. And she was talking to the hostages.
Movement below. Shan stilled her breathing even further and craned her neck slowly around the corner of the stairwell. Through the smooth slats of the banister, she saw One-eye and one of his goons.
"There's only two of them in the car," said the goon--a great slab of a man with dark olive skin and a shiny bald head.
"Which two?" said One-eye, his Mandarin accent covering his English like a blanket. "The men?"
"Yeah," said Baldy. "The bitch is missing."
One-eye gave a low growl that may have been a chuckle.
"Missing? I don't think so," he said. "Go upstairs and tell Dart to expect company."
"Yes, sir," said Baldy. "You want the guys to take care of the teacher?"
Shan clenched her fist.
"No, of course not, you idiot," said One-eye. "We need the information first." Shan closed her eyes and let out a slow breath. They wanted Ian alive.
"Afterward,"
Shan flipped the latch on the trap door and lowered it carefully. Its little stairs unfolded into a bright, light-filled hallway on the second floor of the lodge. Shan closed her eyes, listening.
Outside, she heard the gentle scrapes of Etienne scaling the side of the house. Up the hallway, she felt a slight rhythmic vibration--someone pacing in heavy shoes. Probably the guard holding the family. Charles Fortier and whoever was watching him would be downstairs waiting to greet their guests. Three guards outside meant that there were still three enemies inside the house--One-eye, Ponytail, and another man. But two of the men from outside would be able to run inside if the warning was given. Shan opened her eyes. She could take out these bastards if she needed to, but with so many defenseless people to protect, the odds dropped significantly.
And she still needed to find the dragon.
Shan lowered herself to the floor and closed the trap door behind her. She didn't want Etienne seeing it as an invitation to follow her. If he was smart, he'd stay quietly in the attic until this was all over. Shan gritted her teeth. But is that what she would have done if her father hadn't taken her away from the Jade Circle that deadly night when she was twelve? Not a chance. She had wanted to fight with the Circle against the intruders. To fight and die with them, if necessary. To be by her mother's side until the end, and then to join her in the afterlife. Shan had belonged with the Jade Circle, in life and in death. Why had her mother and father forced her to leave, robbed her of her right to die for a cause she loved?
Shan's throat felt suddenly thick. No, Etienne would definitely follow her, trying to save his family. And she'd have to protect him when he did.
The door at the end of the hallway was closed. Someone was pacing just beyond it, causing the light emanating through the crack at the bottom to dim in regular intervals. Halfway up the corridor on the left, a wide set of stairs led down to the first level.
Shan focused her chi in the center of her body, feeling the heat pool just below her bellybutton. Light, weightless, a feather . The energy pulsed through her limbs as she pictured herself quiet and floating. Shan crept along the old, hardwood floor, her feet barely contacting the surface. When she reached the staircase, she crouched low and flattened her body against the wall, listening.
"Come on, Ian," she mouthed silently. Her heartbeat started to quicken as she waited. Shan focused her energy and stilled it to a normal speed. Even the deadly tiger can stay low in the grass until the time is right.
There. She heard it. The distant growl of a car on the driveway.
"Stay quiet now," said a woman's muffled voice from behind the door at the end of the hallway. Ponytail, Shan figured. The woman with the lightning foot. And she was talking to the hostages.
Movement below. Shan stilled her breathing even further and craned her neck slowly around the corner of the stairwell. Through the smooth slats of the banister, she saw One-eye and one of his goons.
"There's only two of them in the car," said the goon--a great slab of a man with dark olive skin and a shiny bald head.
"Which two?" said One-eye, his Mandarin accent covering his English like a blanket. "The men?"
"Yeah," said Baldy. "The bitch is missing."
One-eye gave a low growl that may have been a chuckle.
"Missing? I don't think so," he said. "Go upstairs and tell Dart to expect company."
"Yes, sir," said Baldy. "You want the guys to take care of the teacher?"
Shan clenched her fist.
"No, of course not, you idiot," said One-eye. "We need the information first." Shan closed her eyes and let out a slow breath. They wanted Ian alive.
"Afterward,"
Similar Books
