Shadow Reign (Shadow Puppeteer Book 2) by Christina E. Rundle Page B

wanted me dead and any excuse would do.
    “As your personal advisor, I think you’re making a huge mistake,” he said.
    Kelaino had the knife removed from her hip, and she looked just as exhausted as I felt. “So be it, Utan. Show her the deal.”
    He barely inched back before swaying the blade in the direction he wanted me to walk. I moved slow, surprised my body would move at all. I was painfully aware of every step, as if the contact between my foot and the floor was echoed by the drumming in my head. There were more Callicantzaros’ waiting in the hallway, dressed like Utan. I was jealous by the horde of weapons they had on their bodies. I was also flattered that they thought they needed an army to bring me down.
    I pushed my shoulders back, feeling the pull of muscle and the cuts. My body was beyond exhausted, but they fed into my ego. If they thought I was big and bad, I’d act big and bad. I followed them down the tunnels, taking note of the subtle differences in the stone in case I wanted to come back this way.
    The silence was marred by the sound of their weapons clinking together. The longest tunnel carried a tart stench that made my eyes water. It already hurt to swallow, but that reek layered the back of my throat and I couldn’t stand it.
    Something here made me uneasy. Anxiety twisted in my stomach. I couldn’t tell why, not with my metaphysical shields in place. It was a creeping sensation that something was waiting in here that I wasn’t going to like.
    Only two of the Callicantzaros’ entered the doorway, the others waited on the side making it a tight squeeze for me. We were in a room with cages holding a number of girls trying to stay as far away from us as possible.
    “What? I’ll get locked up if I don’t behave?” It hurt to talk.
    Kelaino stayed in the doorway with her arms crossed. “Look closer at the cages.”
    Her soldiers kept to the side so I could move down the center. There were roughly three to four girls per holding cell. They were ragged and abused. Their fear spoke volumes and it pissed me off. I’d die angry before I died scared. I was grateful my shields were in place. My empathy would suck up their pain and make it eternal. I didn’t want to have an episode here in front of Kelaino, especially since I didn’t have anything to ease the focus, such as physical pain.
    The girls stared back at me, weary and broken. What did Kelaino want me to see?
    I stopped, ready to confront her again when a very small movement caught my attention. I couldn’t move fast enough to the next cell. Amber was alone in the smallest cage, bruised, beaten and discarded. Her eyes were sunken from stress and lack of sleep. My heart immediately went out to her.
    Her wide eyes stared at me through parts in her greasy hair. She looked wild.
    “Amber?”
    She shook her head and pressed as far back as she could in her cell. Her voice shook. “You’re dead; dead. I saw it. You’re dead.”
    “I’ll get you out of here,” I promised.
    She turned away from me, burying her face in her arms as if that would make me go away. I wasn’t a nightmare. I wasn’t here to taunt her.
    “It happened so fast,” she was whispering.
    I wanted to get in there and comfort her, but the bars wouldn’t bend no matter how hard I shook them. She sunk further into her arms. I was losing her. She was afraid of me.
    “I’m not dead. Look at me. I’m not dead. I’m here and I’m going to help you.”
    Her mumbling was incoherent.
    Anger consumed me. “I’m not a monster!”
    “Of course you’re not.” Kelaino’s tone dripped with pleasure. “Shall we talk?”
    It took a great deal of inner control to face Kelaino. Something keen of darkness crept through me, like a shadow taking over and I didn’t want to stop it. It was artic and made my entire body as cold as that small spot within my chest that pounded when spirits were near.
    Utan frowned, stepping closer to Kelaino.
    “She’s a wild card. She’s