Free Shadow Touched by Erin Kellison Page A

Kathleen O’Brien’s painting.”
    Cam had been about to sit, but straightened in alarm instead. “What? Who?”
    “The window into the Shadowlands, of course,” Laurence said. “And the thief would be your team leader, Dr. Leonard Joseph Shelstad.”
    The Shadowlands. Shelstad? Yeah, he was prick enough when he wanted to be. Cam remembered the trees, the lushness of the growth. The thick magic in the dark spaces, and the species that existed within. Stealing that painting was beyond criminal—it was corrupt. Someone had to stop him.
    “It’s an excellent opportunity, don’t you think?” Laurence opened his eyes. “Wouldn’t you be tempted? You’re a lot alike, after all. Both pledging your intellects to the study of magic.”
    Where was security? Where were all the soldiers that were supposed to protect Segue?
    “The soldiers were ordered away from this part of the building for my visit,” Laurence said. “The cameras are offline to protect the existence of my kind, the knowledge of which is worth more than any painting. Even that one.”
    Angels. “Well, can’t you do something?”
    “I can, but I won’t. It is against the credo—”
    “Yeah yeah, I heard that part already,” Cam interrupted. The human interference thing. For pete’s sake, it was ridiculous. The angel would just stand by and do nothing. All right, God damn it, if the angel wouldn’t stop Lenny, Cam would. This whole business was a mess.
    “Oh, dear,” Laurence said. “It seems Lenny has annoyed someone else with his intent as well. Can you guess who?”
    Well, anybody who’d ever seen the painting.
    Laurence flicked his gaze to the closed kitchen door. “Ellie’s shadow felt strongly about it last night, didn’t she?”
    “Her shadow is in the kitchen.” But horror bloomed in Cam’s mind. Her shadow didn’t stay anywhere for long.
    Laurence pressed his lips together and shook his head slightly. “She’s not there anymore.”
     
    Ellie was just about to open the door—she was steady now and ready to face them—when it flew open before her.
    She startled back a step, but Cam grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the living room. “You’re in trouble. Somebody’s trying to steal that painting, and your shadow is attempting to stop them.”
    “What?” But her attention caught on the man at the window. Laurence. His piercing regard made her squirm, but she wasn’t going to do what he asked, so he could just go ahead and look the other way.
    “If the blade at Lenny’s throat is any indication,” Laurence said, his gaze never wavering, “you’d best hurry.”
    Cam yanked Ellie’s arm. “Are you listening?” he demanded, dragging her toward the door. “Your shadow has got a knife to my boss’s throat.”
    Her attention snapped to Cam.
    A knife? Her shadow? Ellie shook her head to deny it. Couldn’t be. Not yet. Ellie had hoped to get away from this place, away from her farm even, far away from people, before she had to face this. It was too soon.
    Cam jogged her down the hall, letting her arm go when she followed, with Laurence at the rear. She really wanted to run the other way. The hallway to the stairs was too short, the stairwell halved by the skipped steps on the way down. Cam foundered on the main level, not sure where to go. Laurence tilted his head in a direction, and they were off again, Cam bitterly mumbling nudge, which Ellie didn’t understand at all.
    “We’ll be too late,” Cam said over his shoulder as he rushed through connecting rooms. “She’ll kill him before we can get there.”
    “We’ll be just in time,” said Laurence, who was not out of breath at all. “I will make certain that what happens is not a factor of a few steps.”
    Ellie knew he was bent on making her responsible.
    The door to the last room was open, strange, grunting sounds coming from within.
    Cam made to enter, but Laurence touched his shoulder, stopping him. Both looked at Ellie.
    Ellie didn’t want to