Token of Darkness by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Author:Amelia Atwater-Rhodes [Atwater-Rhodes, Amelia]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2011-06-06T18:52:18+00:00

Delilah stretched out, sunbathing on the hood of her car, as the figure Cooper had called Samantha kicked repeatedly at the door to le Coire’s house. She had walked through Ryan’s bushes—literally through them, without disturbing a branch, bird or squirrel—and tried to peer through the windows before pounding her fists against the glass.

When Samantha’s hands had struck the edges of the le Coire manor, where Ryan’s magic gave off hot sparks, her form seemed to dissolve.

Delilah yawned and rubbed her temples. After learning Cooper would be here today, she had spent much of last night preparing, so she would be able to see the power connected to him more clearly. Doing so had left her exhausted, and watching Samantha now made her eyes water.

Instead of a solid body, Samantha deemed to be made up of bright colors in a vaguely human-shaped form that glistened and wavered as if reflected on the surface of a rapidly moving river. Delilah’s eyes couldn’t quite focus on it.

Samantha paced around the house for the second time now before she turned, frustrated, and then paused, apparently noticing Delilah.

“Hello,” Delilah said.

Samantha hesitated. Delilah had been more focused on Cooper and hadn’t heard everything Samantha said about her earlier, but she had not been unaware of the creature’s hostility. She was also, unfortunately, aware of the shadows that rose and pressed against her shields as soon as Cooper’s “ghost” turned toward her.

Keeping herself protected from the scavengers, but open enough to outside power to see Samantha, required maintaining a precarious balance. Delilah wasn’t sure she could do it for long. She only hoped she could convince Samantha to come somewhere safe with her.

“There’s not much use in trying to get inside,” Delilah said, speaking softly. “The le Coire family is strictly devoted to helping humans. If Ryan invites you in, it will be because he thinks he can control you and use you.”

Samantha’s response was indignant. “I am human,” she protested. Her voice was haunting and powerful, like the bone-deep quiver left behind by a roll of thunder. Surely this wasn’t how Cooper perceived the creature, or he would have run away long ago. “Or, I was.”

“I heard Brent say you’re a ghost?” Delilah may have left when Ryan told her to, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t allowed to stay in the front yard and eavesdrop.

“Aren’t you a cheerleader?” Samantha asked. “Don’t tell me you’re from some kind of ancient line of sorcerers, too?”

Delilah noted Samantha’s use of the word sorcerer, instead of the more common term witch. Witches were born or created with their magic tied into their blood; they needed to do nothing more than survive in order to maintain it. Sorcerers, on the other hand, spent their lives devoted to studying the workings of power and building their own. Brent tended to misuse the word witch to refer to anyone with power, so he would not have taught her the difference. And Cooper certainly wouldn’t know it.

It could be mere coincidence that Samantha used the right word, or it could mean she knew more than she seemed to.

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