Free Fear's Touch: A Darkworld Novella (The Darkworld Series) by Emma L. Adams Page B

reading?”
My voice came out in a squeak. “They’d have read my mind?”
    The fortune-teller turned to me. “That would never have happened, Jude knows his lies would have been exposed.”
    “Sounds like he doesn’t know his own rules very well,” I said. “Jesus. Well, that’s one way to get hard evidence.”
    “I think Jude was hoping they’d forget,” said Cyrus.
    “Or he’s an idiot,” said Howard.
    Berenice hadn’t spoken throughout all of this, but now she turned to the fortune-teller.
    “Wait a minute,” she said. “So, he gets away with what he did to me?”
    “That’s a point,” I said. “We never did find out if he led us into a trap.”
    “Sounds like he did,” said Cyrus, frowning at the fortune-teller.
    She inclined her head. “You’ve seen how they work,” she said. “Jude will not bother you again. I wish things were different, but a complaint against one of their members rarely yields results.”
    “Oh yeah?”
    It took a minute for me to realize it was Cyrus who’d challenged her, not Howard. I blinked, surprised to see his fists clenched at his sides.
    “Yes, Master Blake,” said the fortune-teller. “I am sorry for what happened to your guardian, but generally speaking—”
    “Yeah, I get it,” said Cyrus, sharply. “I know what hypocrites they are. And I’m not gonna tell my brother about this, because he’ll probably come and challenge Jude himself.”
    I was beginning to feel I was missing something. “What?”
    “Nothing,” said Cyrus, shaking his head.
    “I’m lost,” said Howard. “Are we gonna fight shadow-beasts or what?”
    “We?”
said Berenice.
    “Yeah, we,” said Cyrus, his hands relaxing slightly. “We’re Team Awesome.”
    “That’s a shit name,” said Howard.
    I laughed. “Got a better idea?”
    “I’ll think about it,” said Cyrus. He turned to the fortune-teller, who’d watched our exchange with a kind of distant amusement. Who was she, anyway? Now, the fear of imminent imprisonment had left a million questions, exploding in my mind.
    “You said you’d come to Redthorne with us?” said Cyrus.
    Berenice cut in. “
I
said I’m going alone.”
    “If that’s what you wish,” said the fortune-teller. “I do have other business to be carrying on with.”
    “What, telling the future?” said Howard.
    The fortune-teller frowned at him. “In a manner of speaking. I am here to aid any magic-user who needs my help.”
    “Will you come with us?” said Cyrus. “Help us find that…dark space?”
    “If this young lady wishes,” she said, with a nod to Berenice.
    “All right,” she said, sullenly. “Seeing as I’m never gonna get rid of you lot, otherwise.”
    “That’s nice,” I said, “seeing as I almost got arrested on your account.”
    She looked away, flushing. “I didn’t mean…”
    “Never mind,” I said. Hey, there was no reason to start a fight now. Besides, I knew her snappishness was just an act. Like all the crazy personality changes I used to do.
    Speaking of which, since when had I started actually acting like
me?
None of the old Claudias would have stood up to a bully on account of anyone else. Apart from Bethany, I’d always drifted between friendship groups, never really getting close to anyone. This whole group thing was…different.
    I think I like it.
    Even if the best name Cyrus could come up with was “The Kickass Monkeys”.



hat way,” the fortune-teller whispered, indicating a shadowy trail leading into a side street. We were in the back streets of Redthorne, cloaked in Influence, visible only to each other. And being led by the most damned cryptic woman I’d ever met.
    The entire bus journey, I’d questioned her. Hell, I’d still be questioning her now if we weren’t
this
close to tracking down the shadow-beasts’ lair. Her name was Madame Persephone. She ran a fortune-telling stall in Blackstone Square, but spent most of her time helping out magic-users—usually