Caught in the Glow (The Glower Chronicles Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

intervals to keep the spiral going, until the target crashed at the bottom. Like Dad had.
    A Tether could moderate the effect of a mark, but it was still a terminal condition, our presence no more than a palliative treatment. A client who’d have held on for two or three years before the Glower sucked them dry might survive as many as ten with our involvement. But that was the best outcome we could hope for. Eventually the Glower always claimed its final price.
    The safest approach was to interrupt the marking process before it could even begin.
    A Tether had a choice to make when they spotted a Glower who hadn’t yet made a move on their client. I could wait, hope she’d find some reason to decide against pursuing Ryder, and only intervene when there was something concrete to intervene against. Or I could try to nip this in the bud, which would either save me some hassle down the road or ensure a lot more hassle. Some Glowers got excited by the idea of a challenge—at least at first, before they’d sunk much energy into the pursuit. They knew someone like me wouldn’t be here unless there was real treasure to protect.
    I considered for only a moment, and then started toward the shimmering woman. In a place like this, crowded and completely unfamiliar to me, I couldn’t be sure of seeing if she did make a move. Even if she came back stronger next time, if I could get rid of her just for tonight, next time we might be on more favorable ground.
    I squeezed past a couple who seemed more interested in groping each other than dancing and a bunch of teens in retro goth gear and parked myself in front of the Glower. The little pocket of space she’d carved out for herself suited me just fine. Thanks to Dad’s genetics I was a big-boned five foot eight, which gave me at least half a foot on her. But it wasn’t as if the physical realm was her primary arena.
    Her eyes flicked over me and away, disinterested. I leaned close enough to be sure she’d hear me.
    “Time to leave, demon.”
    Her gaze darted back to me, a gratifying amount of shock coloring her expression. Then she grinned, sharp and quick.
    “He is as precious as he looks, then, is he?” she said, with a husky voice that sounded too big for her delicate frame.
    “You weren’t here for him.”
    “I think I am now.” She licked her thin lips with another glimmer of breath.
    My hand had slipped into my purse. I tugged the knotted string out of one of the pockets and curled its end around my forefinger.
    “This one’s off limits,” I said, at the same time as I whipped out my hand in a gesture so practiced it came automatically, flinging the string around her. I caught the end with my other hand and completed the ring before she’d had time to do more than widen her eyes. Then she was gone, with a faint crackle and a sputter of sparks only I could see.
    Anyone around us who’d noticed her would find themselves imagining she’d vanished by normal means into the crowd. I collected the string into its usual loose loop as I turned toward the stage, feeling the gritty texture where the strands had been rubbed with oregano and rosemary. My heart was thumping, the adrenalin rush carrying away my impending headache, but I didn’t feel triumphant.
    Banishings were temporary. The ring cut the Glower off from all the energies of this plane, destroying its ability to hold human form. It’d need at least a few hours, maybe as long as a day, to recover. But then it would be back, on the hunt again.
    At least we should be long gone from here by then. If I was lucky, this one hadn’t caught Ryder’s name. It hadn’t seemed experienced with Tethers, so the banishing might have intimidated her—and even if it was familiar with the Society, there was a good chance the knowledge that he was protected would put it off.
    I couldn’t count on that, though. And there would always be others.
    While I’d been distracted, the band had finished their song. Fauxhawk laughed as