Rising Darkness (A GAME OF SHADOWS NOVEL) by Harrison Thea

Author:Harrison, Thea [Harrison, Thea]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2013-04-01T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

WHEN THE MAN had completed his agenda in the spiritual realm, he anchored himself back in his body and opened his eyes.

He had stretched out on one of the limousine seats, and he bit back a groan as he struggled to sit up. Every joint ached, even those in his fingers. He put his elbows on his knees and rubbed at his face, taking heed of the warning. Already, after just a few days, his current body was almost worn out.

Strange noises penetrated his awareness. He looked over his hands. He had left Justin handcuffed to one of the doors. The young human was eating sushi and melon balls, eyes glued to the flat-screen that no longer played CNN but instead a black-and-white Japanese monster movie.

The man looked from the television to the plate of food on Justin’s lap.

“What?” Justin said with his mouth full. He shrugged. “You locked me up with a fridge and a TV.”

“I sure did, didn’t I?” the man said.

He started to chuckle. Come to think of it, he was starving. He took one of the plates from a nearby container and served himself salmon and crackers, sushi, a few melon balls and a petit four. He offered the plate of petit fours to Justin, who took one and put it on the plate at his knee.

“You know,” Justin remarked with a flash of those charming dimples, “I’ve been awfully curious about that Royal DeMaria.”

The man grinned as he tucked into his meal. “Have you ever had icewine?”

“Yes, but not one of that caliber. How much did it cost, a thousand a bottle?”

“Closer to four.”

Justin’s eyes widened. He chewed, swallowed and said, “Why the hell not.”

The man opened the bottle and poured them each a glass. Justin thanked him, took a sip and breathed, “Wow.”

“Yes,” the man said, smiling. “Wow.”

They finished the bottle. The man opened a second, and they finished that one too. Then, although he cut Justin off from having any more alcohol, the man moved on to the champagne while Gamera and Godzilla rampaged across the flat-screen.

Some time later, after he had gorged until he could not eat another bite, the man confided expansively, “People are idiots, you know.”

“Why’s that?” Justin asked, rubbing his eyes.

“Only the human species would produce so many nuclear weapons they could destroy the world not once, but many times over.” Champagne sloshed as the man gestured with his wineglass. “They’re bright enough to make them but too stupid to quit. I don’t get it.”

“You might have a point there,” Justin admitted. Stress had deepened the lines bracketing his eyes and corners of his mouth, and his face was smudged with weariness.

“You look tired,” said the man. “Did you get a nap?”

Justin’s eyes narrowed. He said, “That’s an awfully damn solicitous question for a kidnapper.”

“I have my reasons.” Ignoring a queasy sense of nausea and how his stomach felt stretched and overfull, he took another drink and continued. “Only the human species would continue to landfill reusable products

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