Page 56 of Shade of Ruin

“We wouldn’t need to involve Cole if we rescued them?”

Lee and Darian’s grins curl up even more. “No, it’d probably be better if we didn’t involve him at all. He’d think we were being stupid, which we probably are, but that doesn’t matter very much. We’re good at being stupid. And this way, Cole doesn’t need to worry about it at all. We’ll just take care of it.”

They say it like it’s no big deal, but I remember the story they told me. How they were stupid and Cole’s back will forever be scarred because of that stupidity. I have a feeling that now that they’re all adults, the punishment would be far worse.

“That’d be easier, though.”

Darian shrugs. “Maybe. If Cole knows about the plan, then what happens if he has other things he cares about more? What Cole doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”

Somehow, I have a feeling this is one of those times that I should want Cole around. But Darian and Lee aren’t new to this world, and they seem confident in their ability to take care of me and still rescue the humans.

“Cole’s going to be furious, isn’t he?” I ask.

They both nod at the same time. Then they echo each other. “Without a doubt.”

But that only makes them grin even more. What have I gotten us into?

Chapter 26

The Thrones will pull each of the Houses. Darkness will crave that which is hidden and will forget that which is right in front of them. Fire will revel in destruction and only constant control will keep them from

burning the world around them.

~Inni the Destroyer, A History of Magic and Dragons

I walk across theplatform, and the Immortals around me give me strange looks. They’re probably wondering why someone who looks human and smells the way I do would consider buying human slaves. I don’t want to even think about the things that they’re assuming I want with them. I pretend to ignore them, but I’m intensely aware of how close I am toImmortals that would love nothing more than toslowly roast me over a spit so my fear makes me taste better.

No different from these humans. I could be right here. If I hadn’t run into Cole, I could have ended up bound and being sold as food… or worse. Blood runs over their bodies from where they’ve already been bitten. I glance up at them and hope that they have enough energy left in them to escape when it’s time. They’ll be on their own once they’re out of the city.

Darian walks around to the other side of the platform. He stands back, using his powers of light to darken him even in the bright sunlight of the middle of the day. Then he steps into the true shadows and is forgotten by the crowd of people who are transfixed on the humans.

An Immortal that looks half fish and half man reaches out and touches a woman with long black hair’s stomach. The crystalline scales that cover its body from head to toe shimmer in the light, and as it runs clawed fingers over the woman’s skin, thin red lines appear, a stream of blood beginning to run from each razor cut. The merchant whirls on him as he brings a claw to his mouth to taste the woman. And the woman doesn’t make a sound. She doesn’t even seem to realize that there are new wounds on her stomach.

“No touching the merchandise!” the merchant shouts. “You touch it, you buy it!” The shrieks are loud and are exactly what we need. All the people on the platform and most of the people on the street turn to watch the merchant.

I move to the back of the platform where fewer people can see me and slip my mother’s ring off of my finger. I close my eyes and think of the way it felt when the Shade touched me, when his fingers and magic touched me…

A scream erupts from the crowd, and I focus harder. I need that drum to beat inside me. More screams. The platform shakesas people run. Then there’s a very familiar shriek that could only come from a cat with wings, and I can’t help but smile.

The merchant shouts, and I open my eyes. A gryphon even larger than the one Darian and I had tracked is standing in the street, and every Immortal’s eyes are on it. It’s pawing the ground in front of it, and a mix of roars and shrieks leave that hooked beak.

It’s time, and when I glance over at where Darian was, he’s emerging from the shadows, no longer looking like himself. He’s taller with long, black tinted nails, and I let the shadows pour from my fingertips down to the ground. Praying that everyone ignores them and stays focused on Lee, our oversized gryphon, I pull those shadows up around Darian, transforming him into the Shade by giving him a cloak made of shadows that hides his face. I hold those shadows in place, and when Darian speaks, it’s exactly like how the Shade sounds.

According to Darian, people with House of Steel bloodlines can alter their voices as well as their body, and while Darian and Lee aren’t the best warriors, they’re nearly unrivaled in their ability to manipulate their bodies even if House of Steel is their secondary set of abilities.

“I am calling in the debt,” he says slowly, just as I explained.

The merchant turns at the voice, fear in his eyes. His nails click constantly, but the rest of his body stands stock still. “Shade…” He says the word slowly, as though he can’t believe it.

“I claim these humans as repayment of the debt.”

“That’s… that’s all?” The merchant’s nearly shaking in fear, but there’s relief in his face. And nervousness. I just want him to hurry. Lee will only be able to keep the crowd busy for a short time before people try to catch her.

There are already Immortals running for guards. If anyone from the House of Flame gets here, they’ll kill her, and she’ll have no way to defend herself.

“Yes. Release them. Now.” The words come out as a hiss, and the merchant doesn’t hesitate at all. Quickly, he runs those claws through the leather thongs holding them stretched out, and while several of the humans fall, none of them stay down. They look at Darian with terror in their eyes since even humans know who he’s supposed to look like.

The merchant digs in his pocket and pulls a long iron key from it, slim with barely any rust on it. He slips it into a lock on each set of manacles, and then they snap open. The humans are weak and obviously terrified, but they know that everyone here wants to eat or hurt them. There’s nowhere to run.

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