Read The Crowded Shadows for Free Online

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    “Do you know anything about it?” she asked.
    “No,” he said. “Only that my father seems to fear it. And my brother seems in some way to have gained control of it.”
    “Dad… Dad was brought to his knees at the thoughts of its use, Razi. Whatever it is, the mere mention of it tore him apart. It seems as though our fathers had used it before, at the end of the Haun invasion.”
    “Aye,” whispered Razi. “Just before the Lost Hundred were expelled from the Kingdom.” He glanced at Christopher. “You recall my telling you of the Lost Hundred, Chris? The Haun nobles and businessmen, expelled with the rest of their race at the end of the war?”
    Christopher shrugged in the dim light as if he had forgotten, or hadn’t paid much attention at the time.
    “From what I could make out, our fathers agreed to suppress the machine after its first use,” said Wynter. “I don’t know why.”
    “And now your brother is using it to threaten the crown,” said Christopher. “Looks like your father weren’t quite as lunatic as he seemed, Razi.”
    “Good God,” sighed Razi. There was a rustle as he lay back against his saddle and put his hands to his face. “My bloody family.”
    Wynter looked down at her hands, ghostly starfish against the darkness of her crossed legs. She debated for a moment and then said quietly, “Did you see the cavalry, Razi? Did you see their pennants?”
    There was a heavy silence.
    “Razi?” she said.
    “Aye,” he said, “I saw them.”
    “What do you think…?”
    “Wynter?” His voice was utterly weary. “Could we… could we leave that until tomorrow?”
    There was another moment of heavy silence.
    “I’ll take first watch,” said Christopher, slapping his hand lightly against his thigh. He gathered his cloak around him and sat back against his saddle.
    “Aye,” sighed Razi. “Thank you, Christopher. Call me when the moon is at its zenith and I’ll take the next watch.”
    “Call him when the moon reaches its first third, Christopher. I’ll take the watch after him.”
    Razi snorted in impatience. “You’ll do no such—”
    “All right, girly,” said Christopher. “Razi will go after me, you go after Razi. It’ll do us good to get more sleep.”
    Razi lifted his head and gave them both what Wynter took to be a glare. “Good
God
,” he growled. “I should have you both flogged for insubordination!” He turned his back on them, settling grouchily against his saddle.
    Wynter grinned at Christopher. He was watching her, his face unreadable in the poor light.
    “Go to sleep,” he said quietly.
    She was suddenly so grateful to him that it almost turned to tears. “Good night, Christopher. I’m glad we all found each other again.”
    She heard him swallow. “Aye,” he said. “Now go to sleep, girly. I’ll see you in the morning.”
    The bandit found her again, his laughter filling the darkness. This time she tore his throat, ripping his flesh with fangs she hadn’t known she possessed. As she sank her teeth into his neck and his blood filled her mouth—hot, sweet and delicious—something inside her screamed in despair. But she no longer cared. She had given in at last, and there was nothing left in her now but hate.
    “Girly…” A gentle hand on her forehead brushed lightly at her hair. “Come on, sweetheart. It’s all right.” Wynter opened her eyes, and Christopher smiled, his face hovering over her in the dark. “You were whimpering in your sleep,” he said. “Were you in a bad place?”
    Despite his smiling face, the dream would not leave her, and Wynter had to cover her mouth with her hands to keep the horror and the fear inside. Christopher’s gentle smile fled as he read her expression. Snatching her to him suddenly, he held her against his chest, his scarred hand covering her eyes as though he wanted to hide her. Wynter knotted her fists into his undershirt and tried to bury herself in him.
    “Oh God,” he moaned. “Who hurt