Read Online Shadow City by Diana Pharaoh Francis - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Diana Pharaoh Francis
Tags: Fantasy
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back defiantly. When her eyes met his, the world shattered.
For a moment, he was spinning through darkness laced with streaks of light and dancing with colored confetti. He felt the entire world in his body. The touch of the sun in Australia, the dancing swirl of a school of fish off the coast of Chile, the pulsing swell of life in the Amazon, the arid sift of sand in the Sahara, the ancient solidity of ice and mountain in Siberia, the dark cold deep under the Arctic. Below it all was molten heat, searing . . . searing.
His body convulsed, and Alexander fell to his knees. Abruptly, the feeling peeled away, leaving him limp. He slowly pushed back to his feet. His bones were taffy. He took a breath, forcing air into his flattened lungs. The woman had returned her attention to the column. But the two dogs continued to watch their small group with avid interest.
Alexander looked at his companions. Each looked dazed. Tears dripped down Giselle’s cheeks, and Niko was ashen. Oz trembled. Xaphan had crouched down, his wings closed tightly around his body, and Tutresiel twitched like he wanted to fling himself into the air and head for the South Pole.
“What is she?” Alexander asked softly.
Tutresiel started, and his wings flared wide with a soft chiming sound. “I don’t know. No one really does, unless the Guardians do. All I do know is that there are five: the Harbinger, the Memory, the Seeker, the Illusion, and the Spirit. One or two tend to show up when there is serious trouble somewhere. Which means Horngate is in deep shit. With a magical war raging across the world, the fact that she is here says that something epic is about to go down.”
Alexander scraped his fingers through his hair. “Which is this one? Is she going to attack?”
The angel’s jaw knotted, and he shook his head again. “I don’t know which one she is. They don’t exactly wear name tags, and I prefer to be far from where they are if at all possible. She’s here, no doubt, because of that—” He jerked his chin at the column of smoke. “Figure out what it is, and you might figure out why she’s here. But my advice is to stay the fuck away from her.”
“Tyler is down there,” Alexander said. “I mean to get him back.” He turned away and strode toward the dogs. He was startled when Niko joined him. “Stay back.”
“Don’t think so, boss.”
Alexander slanted a look at the other man. “You are about to collapse. I do not need to pull two of you out of the fire.”
“Worry about yourself. I’ll be fine. Nice puppies,” he said as they angled around the two watching black dogs.
“Those are Grims,” Xaphan called in a quiet voice. “Spirit dogs. Soul dogs. Don’t underestimate them.”
“Of course they are,” Niko said acidly. “Because every disaster needs soul stealers.”
“What have you to worry about?” Alexander asked, easing down the slope toward Tyler and his new friends. So far, the dogs were content to watch them. “I thought you were a soulless man-whore.”
Niko snickered. “I like to think I’m just generous with my attentions. After all, it would be selfish not to share myself widely. So many women and so little time, after all.”
They were within thirty feet of Tyler now. One of the big black beasts was still lying over his legs. The others watched the two approaching Blades curiously. Three stood and wandered over. Alexander and Niko stopped abruptly.
“What do you want to do?” Niko murmured.
“Let them have a look and cross my fingers they do not feel hungry.”
The big animals looked up at them with preternatural intelligence, then sniffed their legs and feet. One jumped up, its paws thumping heavily on Alexander’s shoulders. He held himself still. The Grim sniffed his head and face. Its lips curled back in a snarl—or maybe it was a smile. Who knew? The beast smelled of Uncanny magic. It was a dense scent, as if the magic had been distilled to its most powerful essence.
The
For a moment, he was spinning through darkness laced with streaks of light and dancing with colored confetti. He felt the entire world in his body. The touch of the sun in Australia, the dancing swirl of a school of fish off the coast of Chile, the pulsing swell of life in the Amazon, the arid sift of sand in the Sahara, the ancient solidity of ice and mountain in Siberia, the dark cold deep under the Arctic. Below it all was molten heat, searing . . . searing.
His body convulsed, and Alexander fell to his knees. Abruptly, the feeling peeled away, leaving him limp. He slowly pushed back to his feet. His bones were taffy. He took a breath, forcing air into his flattened lungs. The woman had returned her attention to the column. But the two dogs continued to watch their small group with avid interest.
Alexander looked at his companions. Each looked dazed. Tears dripped down Giselle’s cheeks, and Niko was ashen. Oz trembled. Xaphan had crouched down, his wings closed tightly around his body, and Tutresiel twitched like he wanted to fling himself into the air and head for the South Pole.
“What is she?” Alexander asked softly.
Tutresiel started, and his wings flared wide with a soft chiming sound. “I don’t know. No one really does, unless the Guardians do. All I do know is that there are five: the Harbinger, the Memory, the Seeker, the Illusion, and the Spirit. One or two tend to show up when there is serious trouble somewhere. Which means Horngate is in deep shit. With a magical war raging across the world, the fact that she is here says that something epic is about to go down.”
Alexander scraped his fingers through his hair. “Which is this one? Is she going to attack?”
The angel’s jaw knotted, and he shook his head again. “I don’t know which one she is. They don’t exactly wear name tags, and I prefer to be far from where they are if at all possible. She’s here, no doubt, because of that—” He jerked his chin at the column of smoke. “Figure out what it is, and you might figure out why she’s here. But my advice is to stay the fuck away from her.”
“Tyler is down there,” Alexander said. “I mean to get him back.” He turned away and strode toward the dogs. He was startled when Niko joined him. “Stay back.”
“Don’t think so, boss.”
Alexander slanted a look at the other man. “You are about to collapse. I do not need to pull two of you out of the fire.”
“Worry about yourself. I’ll be fine. Nice puppies,” he said as they angled around the two watching black dogs.
“Those are Grims,” Xaphan called in a quiet voice. “Spirit dogs. Soul dogs. Don’t underestimate them.”
“Of course they are,” Niko said acidly. “Because every disaster needs soul stealers.”
“What have you to worry about?” Alexander asked, easing down the slope toward Tyler and his new friends. So far, the dogs were content to watch them. “I thought you were a soulless man-whore.”
Niko snickered. “I like to think I’m just generous with my attentions. After all, it would be selfish not to share myself widely. So many women and so little time, after all.”
They were within thirty feet of Tyler now. One of the big black beasts was still lying over his legs. The others watched the two approaching Blades curiously. Three stood and wandered over. Alexander and Niko stopped abruptly.
“What do you want to do?” Niko murmured.
“Let them have a look and cross my fingers they do not feel hungry.”
The big animals looked up at them with preternatural intelligence, then sniffed their legs and feet. One jumped up, its paws thumping heavily on Alexander’s shoulders. He held himself still. The Grim sniffed his head and face. Its lips curled back in a snarl—or maybe it was a smile. Who knew? The beast smelled of Uncanny magic. It was a dense scent, as if the magic had been distilled to its most powerful essence.
The
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