Fine.
The icy, “I quit after this,” however, was not part of his plan.
Ellie would not allow anyone other than herself to be responsible for her shadow, not even Cam. Take care of her. She didn’t want a keeper, especially someone who, even under duress, might take liberties. Or, worse, have to take them to stop her shadow from roaming.
Take liberties.
She’d gone to Segue initially with the aim of being severed from her shadow. Not joined—severed. She didn’t want that thing darkening her life anymore. Well, now she had the perfect opportunity to accomplish that feat on her own.
She would send her shadow into Twilight after JT, save the kid if she could, but abandon her shadow there.
And then, for once, she’d be normal. She wouldn’t have to stand the scrutiny and pressure of this horrible condition. She wouldn’t have to worry about her shadow’s humping the first stick it encountered.
She could have a real life. Quit Segue. Work in a bookshop somewhere. No violence. No fear.
Hurt crushed her chest. No love.
Ellie gritted her teeth and forged on back to the camp.
Well, she wouldn’t care as much about that if her shadow was gone, now would she?
Cam knew he’d gravely miscalculated when Ellie entered the cell unit to speak with the fae. She didn’t look angry; she looked remote, as if she’d decided something important.
Maybe he should’ve let her land that slap. His face couldn’t hurt more than it did already.
Or maybe when she split with her shadow again, here or in preparation to enter the waterfall, then the shadow itself would reveal the nature of their meeting to her—that they’d both said “I love you.” Problem was, the shadow was relentlessly about the now, and he didn’t think Ellie had any soft feelings at the moment.
He wanted her to enter Twilight with the sure knowledge that she had his complete support. That he wasn’t going anywhere. And that if anything happened, he wouldn’t rest until she was safe and whole again. He hoped the last four months had proved his feelings to her and that one impossible night wouldn’t derail their relationship.
The team that had gathered to witness the interview was waiting when Ellie entered: Dr. March had already set up his equipment. Col. Langer was now armed, though as far as Cam was concerned, Ellie’s shadow would be more than able to keep everyone safe. Dr. Grant would watch from outside.
The behavior of the fae was listless. She hadn’t taken food or water, had neither rested, nor expressed the need to rest. Cam figured that if she’d wanted to get out of the cell, she could have contrived a way to do so. But if the fae was nonviolent, passive even, as he suspected, what was its involvement in the abduction of JT? Or maybe the fae simply hadn’t had cause yet to be trouble in its own right. This was what Cam wanted to determine.
They entered the cell, and the fae stood up. The scent of the waterfall was stronger in here. She still had the aspect of the doctor whose form she’d taken—hair neatly brushed back, clothing pressed—but there was an insubstantiality, a lightness, that bothered Cam. Her eyes were widening as well, blackness within. A little more time, one hard push, and the fae might just whisk into Shadow. The fae was ailing.
One look at Ellie, and again the fae words flowed freely. It was trying to communicate. Cam’s hand signal, “stop, wait,” did not halt the skip of syllables.
Ellie moved to the back of the room, center; Dr. March stood to the side, eyes bugging, waiting for something to happen. Col. Langer stayed near the front, next to the fae. The door closed behind them.
Cam looked over at Ellie, who did not look back at him. Still angry. “When you’re ready, Ms. Russo.”
Immediately, the shadow darted out from her body, a blur of grey woman, but she headed straight for Cam, distress on her face. “Cam!” she wailed before Ellie yanked her viciously back.
The shadow
The icy, “I quit after this,” however, was not part of his plan.
Ellie would not allow anyone other than herself to be responsible for her shadow, not even Cam. Take care of her. She didn’t want a keeper, especially someone who, even under duress, might take liberties. Or, worse, have to take them to stop her shadow from roaming.
Take liberties.
She’d gone to Segue initially with the aim of being severed from her shadow. Not joined—severed. She didn’t want that thing darkening her life anymore. Well, now she had the perfect opportunity to accomplish that feat on her own.
She would send her shadow into Twilight after JT, save the kid if she could, but abandon her shadow there.
And then, for once, she’d be normal. She wouldn’t have to stand the scrutiny and pressure of this horrible condition. She wouldn’t have to worry about her shadow’s humping the first stick it encountered.
She could have a real life. Quit Segue. Work in a bookshop somewhere. No violence. No fear.
Hurt crushed her chest. No love.
Ellie gritted her teeth and forged on back to the camp.
Well, she wouldn’t care as much about that if her shadow was gone, now would she?
Cam knew he’d gravely miscalculated when Ellie entered the cell unit to speak with the fae. She didn’t look angry; she looked remote, as if she’d decided something important.
Maybe he should’ve let her land that slap. His face couldn’t hurt more than it did already.
Or maybe when she split with her shadow again, here or in preparation to enter the waterfall, then the shadow itself would reveal the nature of their meeting to her—that they’d both said “I love you.” Problem was, the shadow was relentlessly about the now, and he didn’t think Ellie had any soft feelings at the moment.
He wanted her to enter Twilight with the sure knowledge that she had his complete support. That he wasn’t going anywhere. And that if anything happened, he wouldn’t rest until she was safe and whole again. He hoped the last four months had proved his feelings to her and that one impossible night wouldn’t derail their relationship.
The team that had gathered to witness the interview was waiting when Ellie entered: Dr. March had already set up his equipment. Col. Langer was now armed, though as far as Cam was concerned, Ellie’s shadow would be more than able to keep everyone safe. Dr. Grant would watch from outside.
The behavior of the fae was listless. She hadn’t taken food or water, had neither rested, nor expressed the need to rest. Cam figured that if she’d wanted to get out of the cell, she could have contrived a way to do so. But if the fae was nonviolent, passive even, as he suspected, what was its involvement in the abduction of JT? Or maybe the fae simply hadn’t had cause yet to be trouble in its own right. This was what Cam wanted to determine.
They entered the cell, and the fae stood up. The scent of the waterfall was stronger in here. She still had the aspect of the doctor whose form she’d taken—hair neatly brushed back, clothing pressed—but there was an insubstantiality, a lightness, that bothered Cam. Her eyes were widening as well, blackness within. A little more time, one hard push, and the fae might just whisk into Shadow. The fae was ailing.
One look at Ellie, and again the fae words flowed freely. It was trying to communicate. Cam’s hand signal, “stop, wait,” did not halt the skip of syllables.
Ellie moved to the back of the room, center; Dr. March stood to the side, eyes bugging, waiting for something to happen. Col. Langer stayed near the front, next to the fae. The door closed behind them.
Cam looked over at Ellie, who did not look back at him. Still angry. “When you’re ready, Ms. Russo.”
Immediately, the shadow darted out from her body, a blur of grey woman, but she headed straight for Cam, distress on her face. “Cam!” she wailed before Ellie yanked her viciously back.
The shadow
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