Dark Time Read Free

which one of the masked men or women said this because there weren't any flashing lights or anything. "We have our orders."  
    "Whose orders?"  
    "Ms. Stephens."  
    I'd finally had it. "Who is this Ms. Stephens? I mean seriously? You guys are obviously Society. Is Jefferson with you?"  
    "No ma'am. He's on extended leave, no thanks to you." The venom in this guy's voice came through the voicebox. He hated me. And he wanted to shoot me.  
    "But I fixed him."  
    "You mutilated him." I spotted him because he leveled his weapon at me. That's when I realized these weren't ordinary weapons, these were those L-6 nightmare guns Randall Kemp invented. The kind that scrambled creatures like me. No wonder TC was standing between us.  
    "That…was an accident. And I tried to make it right."  
    "You're the one that's not right," another voice chimed in. All of them had their weapons trained on me. I could see a dozen or so little red dots on my chest.  
    On my blood stained shirt chest. Oh great. They already didn't like me and I looked like an ax murderer or serial killer. "Okay fine. Fine. But who is Ms. Stephens?"  
    TC glanced back at me. "Zoë—you know about Ms. Stephens. Vanessa Stephens. Robert Stephens's wife?"  
    The name was familiar. But for some reason I couldn't—
    And then it hit me. Robert Stephens. State Representative Robert Stephens. He was the one set to replace Rhonda's uncle in congress. Only…he'd been filleted by those two rogue Travelers, Bertram and Charolette when they used part of him to make that scarecrow. They one they'd locked my mother's soul inside.  
    How…how did his wife…and I remembered her being rude and snooty…become a part of the Society?  
    "We don't have time for education, monster." The first guy, the guy who talked to me about Jefferson, reached over and pulled a shoulder mic closer to his face. "This is Shadow Team Two. We have the suspect in custody."  
    Suspect?  
    Custody?  
    I moved in closer to touch TC's shoulder.  
    They fired at me. All of them, all at once.  
    But they hit TC because he wanted them too.  
    The arcs of blue writhed and flared around him and I stepped back and put my hands up so all that light wouldn't blind me. TC's true Phantasmic form appeared briefly before he vanished. And once he was gone—I was in the open.  
    MOVE!  
    Inanna knocked me out of control with barely a nudge. But for me, it felt as if I'd been blown across the room and into the wall. And I had. Literally. I was OOB and white again, and sitting on the floor in the kitchen. Had I passed through the counter and chairs? I got up in time to see my body shift with Inanna at the helm. And let me tell you—that was a frightening thing to see. It wasn't me anymore. It was…
    "I think you're a monster."
    Dags's words rang in my head and stopped what was left of my heart just as the blast of the L-6 weapon struck me. Correction, make that three of the weapons. I gasped. Inanna gasped inside of me and my body shifted back to its human form. I was yanked back inside as well.  
    The instant I made contact with my skin I felt the pain. It was the most intense, debilitating sensation I'd ever experienced. The closet I could describe it would be to experience someone cutting open my chest and sticking their hand inside to pull my heart out while I could do nothing to stop them. The pain fired down both shoulders and arms. I couldn't breathe and I collapsed on the floor.  
    Inanna screamed in side of my head.  
    "Is she dead?"  
    "No she's a monster. She can't die."  
    "No sir…I think she is dying."  
    Someone touched me and I felt pressure on my chest. "Sir there's no pulse."  
    "Is she supposed to have one?"  
    "Of course she is. Yevins, get her breathing. I'm calling in for a med evac."  
    I had no idea what they meant. I wasn't there anymore. In fact, I was OOB again and hovering overhead and watching as they worked on me in my blood soaked clothing. They put a mask over