Page 71 of Shifting Tides

The Chicago streets were just kicking into high gear, street lights flashing on as the night fell over the city. The smell of greasy food hit me, and my stomach rumbled against my neglect to eat at the party. Okay, and yeah, I’d had a few too many cups of beer. Clearly that had been a mistake.

I continued forward again, wishing I had anywhere to go but home. What a shit show. I didn’t want the night to end this way. Pivoting on my heel, I turned back the way I’d come.

Maybe I could change their minds and fix some of the mess I’d made. And I hadn’t even gotten to spend any real time with Arya. What a shitty friend I was turning out to be. Maybe—

Wait. What’s that?

I stopped and looked at the sidewalk, my brows furrowing. Why did it look so strange? Seriously, had I really had that much to drink?

Several people passed by, a few murmuring that I shouldn’t be standing in the middle of the sidewalk. And finally, I realized why everything looked wrong.

There were no shadows.

In the dying evening light, it was hard to tell, but I was right next to a street light. That, at least, should’ve been casting a shadow.

My mind raced with possible causes, but only one would explain this unnatural phenomenon.

A vampire was near.

I actually knew more about vampires than I did about shifters, thanks to Gram’s paranoia on the subject. The surest sign of a vampire’s presence was the lack of shadows. Only older vampires had this ability, to use shadows to cloak themselves.If you ever see shadows disappear, you run,Gram always warned me.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, feeling like a hundred miniature daggers on my skin, imploring me to do just that. I resisted the urge to look around me.

Shit, shit, shit!I really did have the worst luck. Of course, I’d be hunted tonight of all nights.It just keeps getting better.

I calmed myself, slowing my breathing and balling my hands into fists. I was on the street, and it was relatively busy. No sane, self-preserving vamp would attack me in front of dozens of people. Right? I had to be smart about this.

Of course, there was always the off chance that I wasn’t the target. But after what happened to Arya’s mom, I wasn’t going to risk it.

Arya.

I sniffed my shirt, wondering if Arya’s scent had rubbed off on me. Not that I’d be able to tell—Iwasn’t a vampire.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. I was being ridiculous.

I turned around again, trying to appear casual as I walked briskly in the direction of home. I kept looking on my flanks, peering in store windows for reflections of anyone following to avoid looking over my shoulder.

I hoped I wasn’t being too obvious. Staying cool and aloof was usually my thing, but I’d never been tailed by a vampire before. Could he smell my fear? Hear my racing pulse?

I began to flex my wrist as if stretching it. The spell Gram had taught me was the most complicated I’d ever learned. Not only was the incantation more than one word, there were also hand gestures that went with it. If I missed one step in the process, I might as well be wearing a sign that said “all you can eat.”

I looked down at the pavement, and my shadow was still creepily missing. I was definitely being followed. I continued to roll my wrist as I whispered the words under my breath, “Wi di sa.”

Spotting an empty alleyway, I ducked into it, straightening my spine and holding my head high. I wasn’t about to cower to a damn bloodsucker. The isolation of the alleyway made my heart rate spike, but I had to make sure I was far enough away. I’d already done enough damage with public displays of magic tonight.

“Ma’at sheut asfet.”

I darted behind a dumpster, hugging my back against the brick wall. The trash stank to high heaven, and I wrinkled my nose as I finished the spell, this time at full volume. “Hekah meh.”

I thrust my hands out in front of me toward the part of the alley that was more shrouded in shadow than the rest. A gust of wind swept through my hair, a flash of light momentarily blinding me before the night returned.

But in place of the darkness stood a man.

No. A vampire.

Panic surged through my veins but intermingled with something else. Something…disarming.

He didn’t look nearly as monstrous as I was expecting. No bloodshot eyes or bared fangs. In fact, he was actually kind of beautiful, in a completely off-limits kind of way.

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