Night Shadow by Adair Cherry

Author:Adair, Cherry [Adair, Cherry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
ISBN: 0345499735
Publisher: Ballantine
Published: 2008-11-25T07:00:00+00:00

Chambers

Location: Unknown

Alex materialized—not in Montana, but twenty feet in front of a desk the

size of a barn. Behind it, framed by plush velvet drapes, was a low, raised

platform shrouded in darkness. Other than the dramatic addition of the

dais, the Council Chambers looked like the offices of a prosperous law

firm.

He looked around. He was alone. Lexi.

She’d been with him when he’d teleported from Sydney. Mentally he

reached out for her. His heart knocked harder when he couldn’t sense her

anywhere close. Couldn’t sense her at all.

He mentally reached out again, searching for any trace of her. Lexi, where

the hel are you? There was nothing. No one knew where the Council

Chambers sat. On a secret ley line, the location could, literally, be

anywhere on the planet. Or beyond, for that matter. It was soundproof,

bombproof, and magic-proof.

One came when ordered to do so. One left the same damned way. The

slightly sweet smel of beeswax candles coupled with some sort of

aromatic herb lightly perfumed the air, yet no candles burned. There was

101

Night Shadow

no need since the lighting in the room was bright enough to require

freaking sunglasses.

He glanced around, when what he really wanted to do was find Lexi, then

get back to his regularly scheduled program of reporting in, and finding

out what the fuck was going on with the dust mite tangos. A visit to the

Council Chambers was premature. He didn’t have enough intel to share.

When he did, he’d instigate a visit himself. Until then he had other things

to do, other places to be.

Leaving him to cool his jets while he waited wasn’t an effective form of

intimidation. He’d spent months imprisoned in a five-by-eight cel on the

island of Marezzo many years ago. Among other things, being caged had

taught him how to bide his time. He had the fucking patience of a saint.

He could stand here all damn day long if necessary. He hoped it wouldn’t

be necessary.

The plush, deep burgundy carpeting beat a vermin-infested floor, and

unlike that tiny cell, the spacious room was easily a hundred feet long and

thirty feet wide. Plenty of fresh air. No rodents. Much easier to hang here.

Heavy leather furniture clustered in conversational groupings, luxurious

claret-colored drapes broke up the long expanses of mahogany paneling.

Alex bet there wasn’t a single window in any of the twenty-foot-high walls.

Three large, leather-covered wingback chairs stood a dozen feet in front of

the antique rosewood desk.

“Stone.” Duncan Edge materialized without fanfare. Behind him, on the

curtain-draped dais, seven black-robed men and/or women also appeared,

seated in a semicircle. Al but hidden in their own personal shadows, their

silhouettes were indistinguishable from their surroundings, their faces

obscured by their cowls.

He’d known Duncan Edge for—Hel , he didn’t remember how long. Eight,

nine years? Known him as a fellow T-FLAC/psi operative. They’d shared a

few beers and shot the breeze several times over the years. Duncan’d

always been an affable guy, if a little intense. Dedicated came to mind.

Word was he was excel ent at his new post as Head of the Council.

The guy he remembered had little to do with the man wearing the

ceremonial black-and-silver robes of the Head of Council standing straight

and tall before him.

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