Shadows of The Arcane

wouldn't qu

e's upstairs room, breath all shaky. The air between her and Nathan

got pos

had hijacked him-his b

ere after

the only thing keeping him up. He looked rattled, not his usual cool self. Tha

hem said a w

ened?" Evie finally got

s up, those sharp blue

me," he

t it wasn't you." Her voice wobbled. "No blinking, no norm

tched, jaw

abbed my pendant, and some k

et

curse low, then turned, raking a hand th

dread creepi

n't ju

s spo

was spooked,

swung back to her, f

you know about tha

ttle metal chunk. "I told you already. My mo

dark. "She never

"Just told me, don'

breath, wiped his face

hed. "Nathan, what

at her a good while, like he was ch

he

hat pendant ain't just some keepsa

ted up. "Sea

ht. "Something that s

it her

ered. "Why'd my mom stick m

just a hair. "Probably t

th snagged.

, then dr

Arc

er sho

she repeated

see. Power lurking in dark corners, old places, people who shouldn't mess w

d spent her whole life thinkin

d, almost snatched, and watched Nat

she was smack

air, shaky. "Wh

able. Then he shoved off the desk, mo

after you," he said

Wa

ly slept

hing the street like a hawk. Eyes glued d

if that made her f

nsion still thick. Na

e mattress edge, e

quiet,"

n't turn.

ut w

How somebody got in

her throat. "Th

r then. "That's wha

, a knock hit the booksto

, hand dropping to the knife at

he was gone, slipping down

then crept after h

essed against the wall,

ut there stop

umped. "Who is

p on the kni

ut," he

ch flipped.

ched the door slow, crac

stood

Morning light hid his face, but he

didn't

a little, then spoke, vo

in deep,

lood tur

blank. "Funny," he said. "

faint. "You kno

kles whitened

nna do this,"

Oh, I do." His eyes

E

ran thro

ll slick. "No need to fre

e hammered

n't move.

s grin s

runnin

t turned an

ease up till

door sl

, hard. "Who,

n to her,

oped we'd nev

nd what's he mean by