Read Online Reign of Shadows by Melissa Wright - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Melissa Wright
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been slogging through mud for weeks, sleeping in fits throughout the day and night. And the dreams weren’t helping.
She wished again that she could see what her mother had seen, could know the right paths to choose. The irony in having the incredible gift of seeing the future, of knowing what might come, and instead worrying about the past was not lost on her, but she couldn’t help but wonder why so many people were struggling to control what was happening now. What in their visions had seemed so much worse than the images she was getting, the death and war and the destruction of the entirety of the Seven Lines? Or had the Seven Lines even mattered to the shadows when things had been set into motion so long ago? Had something changed in the thousands of years since their power was removed, something that she and Emily might be able to transform? Or was it simply another prophecy, as the dark-haired man had warned her of, the idea of them being able to change the future, of her and her sister being somehow important enough to warrant the conflict? There were other things that felt like they were missing, the unexplained and the too unusual to be coincidence. She understood the balance of power between the two of them, could see the futures where one failed to survive. And yet she could still not place the importance of herself and her sister to the shadows.
“There,” she said , finally releasing Eric’s grip. “You may want to rest, but the power will be there soon enough. You’ll need to practice, to use it so that you can get stronger, fully understand how it operates. And be careful, Eric.” He glanced up at her, struggling to tear his gaze from the palms of his hands where he twisted them into the light. They would feel different, he would feel different. “It might seem as though you can take on the world, like you’ve got a power no one can withstand.” She touched his forearm, willing him to not simply listen, but to understand. “But the shadows are stronger than you. They will always win.”
The wonder fell from his expression, and he said, “What?” He glanced at Logan, back to Brianna. “Then why are we fighting?”
She pushed up from her chair, staring down at Eric with intensity, a solemnness that could not deny the gravity of their situation. “Because we have no other choice.”
She left him to feel out his new power, but Brianna wasn’t settled by simply having another of the Seven to aid in their fight. She wanted to understand, to make the right choice. This wasn’t something she could do over; there was no going back to change whatever outcome her decisions brought.
She stopped midway down the corridor and turned to Logan. “I want to see Morgan.”
Taken aback, he stared at her for a moment before opening his mouth to speak. Brianna returned his gaze. She was a shadow, a prophet, the person who would have to call all of the shots from here on out, and Logan’s protest fell silent. His eyes dropped for another long moment, and then he signaled to the man at the end of the corridor. “We’re going to Alpha Base. Sweep the room.”
“Alpha Base ?” she asked.
“Our channels are secure, but y ou can never be too careful,” Logan replied. He gestured toward the now empty corridor. “Shall we?”
They approached the room just as Logan’s m en stepped out and gave the all-clear. When they took their posts at the end of the hallway, Brianna said, “They work well together.” Logan nodded, watching her instead of the four of his six men who were posted in sight, and she leaned closer to whisper, “Do you trust them?”
He didn’t answer right away, understanding that she hadn’t meant the question lightly. Despite the pause, Brianna knew his response was as certain as any.
“With my life.”
She dipped her head. “Right then, I think they should be next. After Wesley and Kara.” She glanced at the door. “This should only take a few minutes. And then we’ll head
She wished again that she could see what her mother had seen, could know the right paths to choose. The irony in having the incredible gift of seeing the future, of knowing what might come, and instead worrying about the past was not lost on her, but she couldn’t help but wonder why so many people were struggling to control what was happening now. What in their visions had seemed so much worse than the images she was getting, the death and war and the destruction of the entirety of the Seven Lines? Or had the Seven Lines even mattered to the shadows when things had been set into motion so long ago? Had something changed in the thousands of years since their power was removed, something that she and Emily might be able to transform? Or was it simply another prophecy, as the dark-haired man had warned her of, the idea of them being able to change the future, of her and her sister being somehow important enough to warrant the conflict? There were other things that felt like they were missing, the unexplained and the too unusual to be coincidence. She understood the balance of power between the two of them, could see the futures where one failed to survive. And yet she could still not place the importance of herself and her sister to the shadows.
“There,” she said , finally releasing Eric’s grip. “You may want to rest, but the power will be there soon enough. You’ll need to practice, to use it so that you can get stronger, fully understand how it operates. And be careful, Eric.” He glanced up at her, struggling to tear his gaze from the palms of his hands where he twisted them into the light. They would feel different, he would feel different. “It might seem as though you can take on the world, like you’ve got a power no one can withstand.” She touched his forearm, willing him to not simply listen, but to understand. “But the shadows are stronger than you. They will always win.”
The wonder fell from his expression, and he said, “What?” He glanced at Logan, back to Brianna. “Then why are we fighting?”
She pushed up from her chair, staring down at Eric with intensity, a solemnness that could not deny the gravity of their situation. “Because we have no other choice.”
She left him to feel out his new power, but Brianna wasn’t settled by simply having another of the Seven to aid in their fight. She wanted to understand, to make the right choice. This wasn’t something she could do over; there was no going back to change whatever outcome her decisions brought.
She stopped midway down the corridor and turned to Logan. “I want to see Morgan.”
Taken aback, he stared at her for a moment before opening his mouth to speak. Brianna returned his gaze. She was a shadow, a prophet, the person who would have to call all of the shots from here on out, and Logan’s protest fell silent. His eyes dropped for another long moment, and then he signaled to the man at the end of the corridor. “We’re going to Alpha Base. Sweep the room.”
“Alpha Base ?” she asked.
“Our channels are secure, but y ou can never be too careful,” Logan replied. He gestured toward the now empty corridor. “Shall we?”
They approached the room just as Logan’s m en stepped out and gave the all-clear. When they took their posts at the end of the hallway, Brianna said, “They work well together.” Logan nodded, watching her instead of the four of his six men who were posted in sight, and she leaned closer to whisper, “Do you trust them?”
He didn’t answer right away, understanding that she hadn’t meant the question lightly. Despite the pause, Brianna knew his response was as certain as any.
“With my life.”
She dipped her head. “Right then, I think they should be next. After Wesley and Kara.” She glanced at the door. “This should only take a few minutes. And then we’ll head
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