Page 90 of Shadow Caster
“Promise me.”
He made a sound of exasperation. “I promise.”
I took a deep breath, visualized the other side of the room, and then ran into the shadows.
I stepped out facing Master Payne, still locked in the cell. His mouth was hanging open.
“I call it shadow phasing.” I searched for a key to the cell.
There, by the weird test tube thing. I grabbed the key and raced to the cell to let Master Payne out.
“We have to get to the entrance to warn the others,” Master Payne said. He looked at Mariana’s sleeping form. “The catacombs are a maze. You’ll need to go without us. Phase out to the entrance. Can you do that?”
“What time is it?”
Payne looked at his watch. “Ten after nine.”
“It’s too late. The cadets are already in here. There is no way out.”
“This place is used for trials. The seal is on a timer, so once it’s shut, it won’t open until the trial is up. But there must be another way in. A back door. But only someone who ran a trial would know.”
My pulse leapt. “Hyde.”
“Yes.” His eyes lit up. “You need to get to Hyde. Tell him what’s happened. He might have a map. We have two hours before the bombs go off. You can do this, Indigo.”
“I don’t want to leave you here. Maybe I can take you with me?” Although I hadn’t thought about carrying a passenger, what harm was there in trying.
“No.” Payne shook his head. “This ability is new, right? Untested?”
“Well, I know I can get from one pocket of shadow to another if I focus on a place or person. I end up as close to them as the shadows allow.”
“But have you carried anyone?”
“Not yet, but …”
“Then we can’t risk it.” His tone was firm. “Every ability comes with a consequence. It’s why weavers have the amulets to recharge when they use their weaver power. Whatever this ability is, it will have a cost. Usually a cost to your energy levels. Carrying someone could drain you and make it impossible for you to get back in with a map.” He cupped my shoulders. “You have no choice. You need to leave me here. You’re our only hope.”
He was right.
As much as I hated to leave him there, there was no other choice.
I grabbed the feytech skin off the counter. “You’ll need to turn around while I get changed.”
He obliged. “Why?”
I quickly shrugged out of my slacks and shirt and pulled on the feytech. “The mist isn’t kind on manmade materials. Makes me wonder how Marianna got us here. She couldn’t have gone through the mist without armor.”
“Weaver enchantment?”
“Possibly. I’m done.”
He turned to face me and nodded curtly. “You can do this, Indigo.”
I blew out a breath and latched on to a pocket of shadow. “I’ll be back.”
Picturing Hyde in my mind, I ran into darkness.
* * *
