Light and Shadow by Patti Larsen

Author:Patti Larsen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: young adult romance, ya romance, ya paranormal romance, young adult paranormal romance, young adult paranormal, ya paranormal, ya witches, ya demons, young adult witches, young adult demons, ya paranormal family, young adult paranormal adventure
Publisher: Patti Larsen

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Chapter Nineteen

He crouched in the back of the small closet, amber eyes alight with fire, body hunched and scrawny. His thin hands made grabbing motions before him as he smiled at me, white teeth flashing. The man who had led the Chosen, the powerful sorcerer who had tried to kill me twice and almost succeeded, was as wasted and pathetic as his followers.

“Demetrius.” The last time I'd seen him, he'd fled with Batsheva. “Where's your mistress?” If that old (b)witch was in on this, I'd be more than happy to make sure she ended up minus a head.

He shuddered violently, tears welling in his eyes though his grin, now manic, never faded. “She's gone, gone, gone, gone.” He shook like a dog coming out of water, falling to his backside and kicking his feet against the floor, dirty flip-flop sandals flying free. I winced, seeing him crack and break, knew, though he had been mad before, he was now truly insane. His previous madness at least lived behind a veneer of absolute civility, an almost cheerful crazy that creeped me out. This was worse. Not because it was icky, but because it was so gaping and raw, his mind an open wound in front of me, one that would never heal.

He crawled forward on his hands and knees, looking up at me with the rictus of his smile firmly in place, snot and tears mingling on his red cheeks, tracking through dirt and over what looked like old bruises. A scar ran from under his right eye, down the side of his face to curve in a crescent, pulling the corner of his mouth askew. I backed off a pace as he emerged into the light, blinking and smiling and shaking.

“Are you hiding from her?” I could see why, if he'd broken down like this in her care. Batsheva would simply kill him if he was no longer of use to her.

“Evil,” he whispered, eyes wide again, innocent almost, as he clutched at my pant leg. Charlotte shoved him off with one foot, her distaste clear on her face. He whimpered and backed away, holding himself as he crouched at my feet, still weeping, still smiling.

“She is evil.” Nice he finally saw it, even if he had to go bonkers first. “Where is she?”

He shook his head suddenly, a high-pitched whine coming from his throat. “Nonononononononononono.” Demetrius pointed one finger at me, his black nail cracked and broken. “No more of her. No.”

Okay then. I could let Batsheva go for now. But here at least I had a source, if I could break through his insanity, of another crystal. And though my disgust almost did me in, I sank to my haunches next to him and met him on his level.

“Demetrius,” I said. “What do you know of the Brotherhood?”

Again fear, but not as powerful. He sank back, a puppy kicked one too many times. “Can't go near them, not ever. Not ever. Not anymore.”

So he did know them. “You worked for Belaisle, didn't you?”

He shook his head, a spark of rage in his eyes.

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