Reign of Shadows by Melissa Wright Page A

Westlake,” Aern explained. “How many of them do you suppose it took to torch all of that metal and stone?”
    Emily glanced at her palms, plainly still not certain she could believe what she was creating with them. “I don’t know, Aern. I mean, I’ve only had this for a few hours. And look …” She pushed a flame to one of the papers on his desk and it lit, burning an irregular corner before he had a chance to smack it out. She wrinkled her nose. “That wasn’t important, was it?”
    “But you were only the source of ignition here,” he said. “The amount of heat required to melt steel, how long could you sustain that?”
    She leaned forward, planting her heels to the side. “Logan did it.”
    He fought a smile at the sudden defense of her skill. “So it’s possible we’re only dea ling with one, maybe two shadows for that kind of destruction.”
    She sat back, flexing her palm as if it were a strange, new thing. “It does seem possible.” Her eyes met his, as she remembered. “Look what you did to a room full of Morgan’s men.”
    He had used the sway on several dozen soldiers at once—convinced them they were no longer loyal to Morgan—and that was what worried him. If the shadows were so much stronger, if one of them could do that much damage, then what were they in for when a band of them showed up to fight the Seven?
    “Toast,” Emily said.
    Aern looked up at her, torn from his thoughts. “What?”
    “Toast,” she repeated. “I could make toast . With. My. Hands.”
    He blinked, unsure of the proper response, and then caught sight of movement in the hall. Emily straightened, turning just as the messenger shot through the door. “We’ve got a hit on Brendan.”
    Aern stood, slowing only to grab a jacket from its hook on the wall, Emily close behind. They were three steps down the corridor when he felt her doubt, the tug that said she wasn’t sure.
    He stopped, looked back. “What is it?”
    “Brianna,” she said. “She didn’t want us there, because of her vision.”
    Emily had been furious when her sister left them in the dark, but now that it was her decision, she trusted Brianna’s advice. Aern nodded. “We’ll find her first.”
    Emily’s head tilted to the side, peering around him, and she raised a finger to point to the end of the corridor. To Brianna, who was already there, Logan in tow.
    “It has to be us,” Brianna said. “You stay here and explain to the others, let them know what we plan to do, how we’ll change them. Eric, Wesley, Seth, Ellin. All of them.”
    “Kara?” Aern asked.
    Brianna nodded solemnly. “We’ll need everyone.”
    Aern had been moving toward them, finally laying a hand on Brianna’s arm, eyes going from her to Logan when he said, “Stay safe.”
    “We’ll come back,” Logan answered. His arm went around Brianna’s waist. “And this time, we’ll have Brendan.”

 
     
    Chapter Thirteen
    Shadows
     
    “The Samuels boy is dead,” Callan said. “I’ve wiped his memories and left him in a pool of his own blood.” It wasn’t a lie, exactly. Even if his heart did still beat, everything that had made him Brendan was gone.
    “And what of the girl?” the shadow asked. “All of your resources and you’re still no closer to finding out what s he’s hiding?” He shook his head.
    “If y ou were to allow me to move now…” Callan offered, but the look on the older shadow’s face cut him short. It was not anger, not annoyance; this warning was more dangerous, because all expression, all interest fell from his face. There was nothing left but darkness. Callan glanced down, an apology, or at least an act of submission, before returning his gaze to the shadow. “The prophets have been unable to call it into view. Perhaps if we bring in someone from their current Council, someone close to the Archer boy—”
    “He is no boy,” the shadow said. “You have seen what his kind is capable of.”
    Callan paced his breathing, forced the