Shadow Hunt Read Online Free

determined to prove them all wrong—and he knew that there was no way in mage hell she’d wear his diamond now.

Chapter 2
    Armored with purpose, Ellie entered the stone gate building of Martin House, an overnight satchel in hand, cold rage in her heart. After relinquishing the keys to Segue’s car, Cam followed with the hanging garment bag—they’d heard some Houses dressed for dinner. Ellie held her shadow firmly in check, deep within her body, and hoped no one would notice that she didn’t cast one.
    Fury had made her thinking razor sharp. She’d decided that she was going to find Slight, and then, per the discussion in Adam’s office, hand him over to Cam for slaughter. If her shadow, her deepest self, was a danger to others, then that’s what she should do. Pride had no place in this. Neither did trust, but whatever. She would put Cam’s disloyalty aside. Her anger, however, was more difficult to overcome.
    He doubted her.
    Truth: her shadow had been violent in the past. It had also saved lives, including Cam’s, but yes, it had been violent. And choosing to kill versus needing to kill was a distinction that she acknowledged. All of this made sense. Which ticked her off some more, but that couldn’t be helped, now could it?
    The interior of the gatehouse included closed doors off to the left and right, but a wide open space in the middle, with two empty tables where attendants waited to “process” them. Apparently, Martin House was a compound that included a small campus ominously called the Seminary of War. Said so, right there, in sharp, spare lettering. She had no doubt that the mage Slight was a graduate of its studies.
    Ellie finally had her comeback argument, too late for the meeting with Adam and Cam: Her shadow, in a fight to the death, would win because her shadow was amazingly strong, fast, and couldn’t be hurt, couldn’t be killed. Cam, on the other hand, despite being a very smart man, and having all-seeing eyes, and having trained with Segue’s best for a year, was nevertheless made of flesh and blood. Truth: he could be killed.
    Martin had a Seminary of War . Cam had a doctorate in astrophysical sciences and applied nerdology.
    But fine. He would fight Slight if they could find him. And if Cam died, not just a friend, but the love of her life, then what the hell kind of chaos did he think her shadow would wreak? Riddle me that, doctor.
    She hoped Slight was on the other side of the world, because if he was here, then this visit could only end badly for everyone.
    “Ms. Russo?” A deferential older attendant addressed her. He had the narrow body of someone whose strength had long gone out of him, sparse strands of gray combed across his scalp. They’d been warned before coming that Gunnar Martin had strict security measures in place.
    Ellie squared her shoulders as the attendant took her satchel, put it on a table, unzipped it, and proceeded to search her belongings. His gloved hands lifted her underwear and put it to the side so that he could delve deeper into the bag. He felt around the cups of her bra before setting it to the side as well. She supposed that this kind of search might make some uncomfortable, but her shadow walked around naked, occasionally touched herself when aroused, and was routinely lewd among strangers. Martin House could have at her underwear.
    Cam was getting similar treatment at a table to her right, but he was also filling out a form to log his gun. Apparently, firearms were just fine. What the hell were they searching for then?
    The luggage was passed over the tables, and the attendants began a search of their persons. Cam’s attendant found something in his pocket. A little black box. And put it on the table. What was . . . ?
    Her heart thumped as the attendant flicked the lid open.
    Ellie caught a glittering flash, then had to look away as a rush of emotion racked her body.
    Cam had warned her that she might lose control, and he was right. But if she did,