Shadows of Fate (Shadow Born) Read Free

leaned against the wall of the van, clean air filling her lungs as she reined her magic back in. Xavier sprawled on the floor of the van, his breath shaky, sweat glistening on his brow. “You ok?” she asked, pushing onto her knees.
    “Been better.” With a grimace, he looked down at the blood staining his once white shirt. “I ripped my stitches, but I’ll live.”
    “How about him?” She gestured to the human. Naked but for a torn pair of boxers, he lay still, baby blue eyes blinking rapidly at the ceiling. “He’s in shock.”
    Xavier shrugged, blond hair falling across his brow. “Wouldn’t you be?” Crouching over the man, he offered a hand. “You okay, brother?”
    The man who had once been Zed stumbled to his feet. His glazed gaze settled on Brenna. “I remember you, I think.” A puzzled look danced across his face as he looked around. “What happened?”
    “It’s a long story, and you need a doctor.” Xavier helped him out of the van. When their feet hit the ground, he threw a set of keys to Brenna. “I’ll take him to detox if you’ll take the van back to headquarters.”
    The keys landed in her palm. “I’ll see you there.” Silent, she watched Xavier lead the freed host into the shadows toward another vehicle. As they disappeared, she turned to Hilda. “Thanks for hanging back. I don’t think that kid could have taken any more.”
    With a low laugh, the ghost moved to stand beside Brenna. “Poor bastard. At least it was fresh.”
    “Yeah.” Brenna slipped her tangled hair back into a quick bun. “He’ll probably be okay.” She turned to Hilda, an eyebrow cocked. “Still want to be a hunter?”
    Blond curls bouncing, Hilda shook her head. “Nope. I just like to watch.” She blew a kiss and began to disappear. “I’ll see you at home.”
    Brenna sighed, turning back to the van. The assignment had gone easier than she had anticipated though it had left her drained. Sliding into the gray leather seat, she flipped the ignition and let the van run for a few moments as she chose a radio station. She let the soft classical music flow around her and the adrenaline slip away.
    Ninety years of fighting demons took its toll on anyone. She pressed her head against the steering wheel. But it gave her something worthwhile to do. Even after she served her penance, she could never return home. This was her life now. There was no going back. Still, there were days when the thought of doing it another second left her feeling empty.
    Once her heartbeat returned to normal and her breathing slowed, she pulled the van onto the road. Seraph would be waiting for a report and with another assignment. The cycle of work never stopped lately. Demon activity was on the rise.
    Brenna drove out of Denver proper, across what had once been Interstate 70 but was now a mess of broken concrete and refuse. Knuckles white against the steering wheel, she tried to avoid the wandering coyotes that raced across the jagged road in search of food. Scavengers were the only type of animal life that had thrived after the Fall.
    The Fall was a war unlike any mankind could have anticipated. New experimental warheads had not only rendered the surface world unlivable for decades, they had worn away at the Veil separating the planes of existence. Eventually, the Veil began to rip. Each tear was like a black hole, pulling in everything around it until this boundary between worlds was stabilized by its Guardians. But there had been a price. Humanity was forced to come to terms with a new reality, one where their worst nightmares turned out to be true. Creatures of myth and legend now lived among them.
    The inhospitable environment forced the survivors, both human and the nonhuman creatures humans called deviants, to build cities underground. Once the atmosphere became livable, they returned to the surface to rebuild. These once crowded underground structures now housed the offices for the newly restored governments, law enforcement