The Raven's Shadow (Paperback)

Conryu yawned, snuggled deeper into his soft chair, and glanced out the window. The train was pulling into Central Station. In the distance the black Department building drew his eye. Despite being only half as tall as some of the surrounding skyscrapers it still managed to dominate the skyline. It was probably the aura of the unnatural that surrounded it. Either that or the presence of Kelsie’s grandmother inside twisted reality.

Speaking of which, he’d offered to let Kelsie ride with them, but she’d insisted on staying in her private cabin. She claimed to be tired, but Conryu suspected she felt like a third wheel when Maria was around. He really hoped the two girls eventually learned to get along. He was very fond of both of them and it would make his life a lot easier if they liked each other at least a little.

Across from him Maria had her nose buried in one of the books she’d brought home with her. Why on earth she’d want to do more studying after all they’d done at school this past year baffled him. The only reason he’d brought Prime was because he had no choice. A powerful bond connected him to the scholomantic. If they were separated by more than a hundred or so yards the results would be painful for them both.

The brakes whined as the train slowed and came to a stop. The majority of the students would disembark here before boarding trains to other parts of the Alliance. Conryu and Maria had the good fortune—at least, good fortune in terms of avoiding potential assassins—not to have to leave their cabin. The whole car would be added to the train headed for Sentinel City.

Maria looked up from her book. “Are we there?”

“We’re at the capital, but we’ve still got a long way to go.”

“Oh.” She lowered her face back to the book and was instantly lost in her own world.

Conryu shook his head and smiled. Must be nice.

Of course, Prime would like nothing better than to spend every moment cramming his head full of new spells. Conryu was a good deal less enthusiastic about studying, preferring to learn what he needed when he needed it. His hope was that he wouldn’t need any magic this summer.

In the hall outside, a door slammed and a moment later a muffled voice protested.

Maria looked up again. “What was that?”

“Beats me.” Conryu strode over and opened the door.

A big guy in a black suit had Kelsie by the wrist and was dragging her toward the exit. A second man had her bags.

“Hey!” All three turned to look at him. “What the hell are you two doing?”

The man with the bags scowled through his goatee. “Ms. Kincade is coming home with us. Return to your cabin and there won’t be any trouble.”

“You think you can kidnap my friend and there won’t be any trouble?” He stepped out into the hall. “Let her go and get lost. Then there won’t be any trouble.”

“Conryu, these are my mom’s private security guards. If she told them to bring me home they won’t let me go.”

“Do you want to go with them?”

“No.”

He glared at the men in black through narrowed eyes. “Then we have a problem.”

The nearest man tossed Kelsie’s bags to the ground and reached under his coat. When Conryu saw the pistol he threw his hand forward. “Shatter!”

The gun burst into a handful of metal filings. In the guard’s moment of surprise Conryu stepped in with a snap kick to the side of his knee.

When the guard’s knee hit the hall floor Conryu spun into a slashing elbow to his opponent’s temple. The guard’s head thumped off the wall and he collapsed in a heap.

The second guard appeared uncertain whether he should release Kelsie and fight or try and drag her out of the train car. Conryu stepped over the unconscious figure and advanced down the hall.

The still-standing guard thrust Kelsie in front of him. “Don’t come any closer.”

“Or what? You expect me to believe you might hurt your employer’s daughter?” Conryu concentrated on Kelsie. “Cloak of Darkness!”

Liquid black covered Kelsie from head to toe.

“Gah!” The guard thrust her away from him. He clearly had no idea what the spell did, just as Conryu had hoped.

Conryu pulled Kelsie behind him. Maria stood in the doorway and held out her hand. “Come on.”

Kelsie hesitated for just a moment before ducking into the cabin. Maria nodded to him, slammed the door shut and snapped the lock.

Conryu stared at the still-conscious guard. “Just you and me now. If you want to leave I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

The guard fell into a fighting stance. “You took Freddy by surprise. I won’t go down so easy.”

“Did you see what I did to his gun? I could do that to your head just as easily.”

The guard’s Adam’s apple bobbed as sweat poured down his face. Conryu didn’t actually know if such a simple spell would blast the guard’s head to bits, though it stood to reason the spell affected living flesh as well as it did nonliving material. The truth was even if it did work that way, he wouldn’t do it, but Freddy’s pal didn’t know that.

The guard lowered his fists. “You don’t understand. If we go back without Lady Kincade’s daughter she’ll fire us at best.”

Conryu didn’t have much sympathy for men who would kidnap a girl just because their employer told them to. “Try to look on the bright side. At least you’ll still be alive to search for a new job.”

He stepped back over Freddy, who was now groaning on the floor, and stood beside his cabin door. Conryu raised his hand. “Take him and go. Last warning.”

“Alright, alright. Just so you know, I’m blaming you for all this.” The guard collected his partner and the pair of them stumbled off the train.

Conryu sighed and lowered his hand. They’d bought his bluff. Thank goodness.