Shadowcry by Jenna Burtenshaw

Author:Jenna Burtenshaw
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: HarperCollins US
Published: 2011-07-09T06:22:26+00:00

Kate’s consciousness plunged back into the testing room as energy burst through her hand and struck Kalen’s chest like a lightning bolt. Kalen’s body heaved in an impossible breath, and his eyes glared wide and furious as his spirit settled back into life.

Kate’s hand sprang away from him. Silas was standing right beside Da’ru, looking as though he had not moved an inch, and the twelve councilmen were completely transfixed by the man on the table: the man Kate had managed to bring back from the dead.

“It is not possible!” said one of them, daring to stand up, before Kalen’s arm snapped out and clutched Kate’s throat in a deadly grip.

“Gotcha now, girly,” he grinned, poisoning the air with a glut of rotten breath. “Thought you’d got away from me, did ya?”

Silas rounded the table and Kalen’s mouth drew back into a snarl. “You!”

Silas struck instantly, plunging Kalen’s silver blade straight down through his neck, ending his life before he could say another word.

“Silas!” Da’ru’s face contorted with rage. “How dare you interfere!”

Silas left the dagger where it stood, the silver K still shining in the candlelight. “My duty, as always, is to the High Council,” he said. “This man’s mind was gone. He would have killed the girl and without intervention he could have easily turned upon you or any number of the councilmen in this room. I could not take that chance. The girl has proven her worth, but the subject’s actions made him a threat. I was forced to eliminate him.”

Da’ru glanced around at the councilmen, who were all still staring at Kalen in disbelief. “You have gone too far, Silas,” she said quietly.

“I did only what had to be done.”

Da’ru walked toward him and Silas met her gaze, revealing nothing.

“Perhaps you are right,” she said, her words dripping with threat as she glanced back at the listening councilmen. “This will not be the last time the girl is put to work, after all.” She turned to address the twelve men, hiding her anger with Silas beneath a dark mask of authority. “I am sure we can all agree that this experiment has been a fine success.”

Kate’s body was shivering. She sat down on the floor as the councilmen all spoke at once, each demanding an explanation for what they had just seen. She was too weak to move. Too tired to think. This was more than bringing a bird back to life. To be able to reverse death . . . to make a long dead body breathe again. It should have been impossible—yet she had seen it with her own eyes! She did not know what to believe anymore, but if this was what being a Skilled meant, then she wanted nothing to do with it.

Finally the talking was over, and when the last of the councilmen had left the room, Da’ru ordered her boy to wheel Kalen’s body away as she turned her attention back to Kate.

“Up,” she said, signaling a warden to pull her to her feet.

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