A Reason to Live: A Shadowdance Variation Read Online Free Page B

I tell you anything?” she asked.
    “According to legend, her life has been nothing but
violence and bloodshed. Is that what you wanted for her when you
made her your daughter?”
    It was a rhetorical question; they wouldn’t be here
if Makeda hadn’t known how Illyana felt about Adriana. Illyana
stepped up to the ledge. “She won’t listen to me,” she shouted back
over the wind. “She damn well won’t listen to you.”
    “Which is why misdirection is the key. But I can’t do
that if—”
    A gust of wind buffeted Illyana. The woman fought to
hold her ground on the ledge. She stood silent for a moment.
    “I’m sorry I wasted your time,” Makeda said.
    Illyana looked behind her. Makeda had turned and
started toward the elevator. Illyana turned to face Makeda.
    “Her sister!” Illyana called after her.
    Makeda stopped.
    “She wants to find her sister, Dominique,” Illyana
continued. “She would listen to anyone with information on her
whereabouts. Or the whereabouts of any living Navarre.”
    Makeda thought on this. She turned back to face
Illyana.
    “You said it yourself, though. She won’t believe just
anyone.”
    Illyana stepped down from the ledge and moved to
Makeda.
    “Adriana has a scar, just above her heart,” Illyana
said. “Her sister gave her that scar.”
    Makeda took this in. “Does Adriana want to kill
her?”
    Illyana shook her head. “It’s far more complicated
than that. But, armed with that knowledge, one could get Adriana to
believe them about Dominique.”
    Makeda studied Illyana, eventually nodding in
acknowledgment. She turned and headed for the elevator.
    “Promise me no harm will come to Adriana,” Illyana
called after her.
    Makeda stopped at the elevator door. She pressed a
keycard to a security panel. The panel lit up green. Machinery
churned, bringing the elevator up. Makeda looked back at Illyana.
“This is the Shadowdance. You know I can’t promise that.”
    Illyana frowned, but she understood.
    “I would recommend you go to ground,” Makeda added.
“If Adriana sees you she could get spooked, and that would destroy
the plan.”
    Illyana nodded. She used the little bit of blood
magic in her system to move quickly, taking up a position in front
of Makeda in the blink of an eye. She put a hand on the woman’s
shoulder.
    “I never could do right by Adriana,” Illyana said in
a sorrowful voice. “Promise me you will.”
    Makeda mirrored Illyana by placing her hand on the
vampire’s shoulder.
    “I will.”
    The women stared at one another, sincerity in their
eyes.
    The elevator door chimed and opened.
    “Coming?” Makeda asked.
    Illyana shook her head. “I’d like to enjoy the
view.”
    “It’ll be dawn soon.”
    Illyana nodded.
    Makeda gave Illyana’s arm a compassionate, gentle
squeeze and then entered the elevator.

    “This is such a fucking cliché.”
    Illyana recognized Geisa’s voice behind her. Sitting
on the ledge, she stared across Tokyo, looking at the horizon as
the first light of the sun crept up over the bay. It wasn’t enough
to burn Illyana’s vampire skin. It wasn’t even enough to give her a
slight irritation.
    Yet.
    “You have about another ten minutes and then I’m
dragging you out of here,” Geisa said as she crossed the rooftop
toward Illyana. “Or maybe I’ll let you stay, burn just enough to
scar. For making me deal with that Yakuza bitch when I wanted to
hit Club Atom.”
    Illyana smiled.
    Sometimes Geisa’s affection for the life of a bon
vivant reminded her of Adriana in her mortal youth. Not that
Illyana held the same affection for her watcher. It was only a fond
memory of the girl she loved in a time when she was at her
best.
    Standing, Illyana turned to Geisa. “We can go.”
    Geisa stared at Illyana as if she didn’t recognize
the woman.
    Illyana walked past her and toward the elevator. “I
hope there aren’t too many bodies between here and the exit,” she
teased.
    “Just two.”
    Geisa looked to the horizon