Read Everbound for Free Online

blinked my eyes. And as the image in front of me came into focus, I panicked.
    I was on the outskirts of what looked like a city square filled with so many people I couldn’t even begin to guess at how many there were. Hundreds? At least. They stood shoulder to shoulder, jostling for position. But I couldn’t get a good look since I was on the very edge, at what I presumed was the back because every person was faced away from me and toward the other end.
    The object I’d backed into was a short, wide wall that ran along the perimeter of the plaza, separating it from the tall, ancient-looking buildings that surrounded it. Several people were standing on top of the wall, taking advantage of the extra three feet of height it gave them, so they could see better.
    But what were they looking at?
    I saw a space on the wall and scrambled up. The man next to me gave me a quick glance, then turned back toward whatever everyone was looking at. Another swell of cheers sounded just as I regained my balance and straightened up and got a better look.
    The scene took my breath away. My initial estimate had been way off. There had to be thousands of people, at least.
    But no, not people. Everlivings. Both men and women. I realized I’d never seen a female Everliving, but about half of the audience was made up of them. Dark shadows bobbed and wove through the crowd, and it took me a moment to realize they weren’t normal shadows, because I couldn’t see a source of light. There was no sun to make shadows.
    The shadows were Shades.
    My initial instinct was to dive behind the wall and hide. The first time I’d ever seen the Shades was in the Feed, when they’d wrapped around Cole and me, cocooning us for a hundred years. The last time I’d seen a Shade, it was inside my arm, acting as a homing device for the Tunnels to find me.
    But I came here to find the Tunnels and rescue Jack. I couldn’t waste my time hiding. I just had to figure out where to start, and right now nobody looked as if they were about to tear their attention away from whatever they were doing to give me the time of day. Staying put, I squinted toward the opposite side of the square, following the gazes of everyone else, and that’s when I saw the platform.
    More like a stage, at the far end of the plaza.
    People stood on their tiptoes, shifted their lines of sight, climbed whatever they could to get a better view of it. Twenty or thirty of them had perched on a large fountain in the middle of the square. A few were in the direct line of spray from the fountain, but they stayed where they were.
    I couldn’t figure out where the entertainment was, but the spectators were as captivated as if it were the Super Bowl.
    Then I saw a woman at the center of the stage, and instantly I knew why nobody had noticed me. She drew the attention of every being in attendance, the men and the women, and even though I was far away, her beauty captivated me. I couldn’t look away.
    Her white dress glowed as if it were made of beams of sunlight. Red hair fell in waves down her back. I couldn’t see how long it was. She didn’t seem human.
    On either side of her were several Shades. I couldn’t count how many because they resembled swirls of oil from the way they were moving. Off to the side of the stage was a line of people. Maybe ten of them. Men and women. The whole thing seemed ominous, but I couldn’t figure out exactly why.
    They were waiting their turn for … something. She raised a hand, and an instant hush fell over the crowd. The first person in line climbed the steps. Slowly. As if he’d rather be anywhere than where he was.
    He hesitantly crossed the stage to the center, and once he reached the exact middle, the Shades on the stage began to swirl. His visible fear had me worried for him, but when I looked at a woman who was standing a few feet away from me, she was watching the whole thing with a slight smile on her lips, as if it were totally normal.
    The Shades joined