Free Shadow Touched by Erin Kellison Page B

go in there. She didn’t want to face the worst in herself—that she was violent, maybe even a killer. For a second she thought to turn her back on the scene, but that would be silly and futile. Part of her was already inside. If she was going to do this thing, damn herself in front of Cam and Laurence and probably her Gran, who’d promised to watch over them, then all of her would be present.
    Ellie entered first. The painting of the magical world leaned against the wall, one corner of its canvas cut from the frame and hanging forward in a curl. Nevertheless, the forest was once again alive with gorgeous promise. A man, the one with the long chin, lay on the floor at the painting’s base, his head craning toward the door as he gasped, “Help!” And her naked shadow, opaque and glossy in her solid state, straddled him. Her expression was ugly as she held a box cutter to his throat.
    “You hurt the painting,” her shadow snarled.
    Cam and Laurence entered and both circled around to view the damage and her shadow monster. Cam held a hand behind his back, as if he concealed something. He stood straight, almost rigid, like one of the soldiers. His skin had gone pasty pale, but he didn’t watch her shadow. Cam kept his eyes on Ellie.
    “Now is as good a time as any, Ellie,” Laurence said. “I won’t hold her any longer.”
    Any moment her shadow could draw the blade across the man’s throat.
    Ellie shook her head. “I’m not strong enough for her anymore.” Years ago maybe, but even then . . .
    “Please, Ellie,” Cam begged. He looked ill.
    The man on the floor snorted through tears and snot. His face was flushed, sweat glistening. “Help me!” he screamed, though the movement sent a trickle of blood down his neck.
    Gran would be so sad, so disappointed that it had come to this.
    Ellie lifted her gaze to Laurence. “I’m not nearly strong enough, but I’ll try.”
    Cam swayed on his feet, breathing relief. He must really care. His arm dropped to his side, and Ellie saw that he held a gun.
    A shiver swept her as the reason for it popped into her mind. She hadn’t considered that he might have been planning to stop her shadow in the only way possible. By stopping her .
    Laurence opened his palm toward the couple struggling on the floor in an invitation. “Quickly.”
    Ellie knew what he meant. She had an idea from Cam’s kiss about how this would work. There was no way she could be passive about this merging. She had to take control herself.
    She walked toward her panting shadow, whose eyes were wide and wild. With a gulp, Ellie lowered her body, crawling into the same crouch as her dark self. Her knees found the same bend, her thighs the same grip on the man’s trunk. Her hand on the blade.
    Rage filled her, a tornado of it filling her mind. The painting. The beauty of forever. Pure seduction. Pure bliss. Freedom.
    And this man was going to take it from her? He would die.
    Ellie tried to pull the blade away, but it was her shadow that gripped it. Ellie’s flesh and blood hand came away clenched, but empty. Her shadow didn’t even signify her presence in the struggle. Ellie was nothing to her. Anger was paramount.
    Ellie looked up at Laurence. If he was going to do something, he’d better get on with it.
    Laurence’s hand was outstretched toward her, his lips moving as if casting a spell, concentration in the flex of his features.
    A wave of warm air hit Ellie. Her vision blurred as the room warped. Her heart had been beating in fear, but the tempo doubled, layered with overwhelming emotion, a sea of it that drowned her mind. All she knew was the fury that ruled her shadow and a pricking of her flesh. The pricks became a fierce itch, the same intense tingling as sleeping limbs waking, then a burn sizzled her skin, blood, and bones. Something fusing within her.
    The pain grew until Ellie screamed, contracting her limbs to curl into a fetal ball. No relief. She threw her head back, the force of it