“She wants to know our names.”
“I think she likes me.”
“Don’t tell her a fucking thing.”
Dominic’s jaw tics, and he faces forward. Silence stretches so long I assume he won’t answer. I’m surprised when he finally says, “Sloth, Lust, and Pride.”
So I was right; his Shades are named after the human sins they were born from. I already know Lust is the lilting voice, and I assume the stern one is Pride. That leaves Sloth as the wolfhound. There’s so much more I want to know. How does he control them? Are they a threat to us? Can he controlanyShade, or only specific ones? Does he force them to hunt down their own kind?
“Your turn,” Dominic says, reminding me this isn’t the time to ask him questions, when we still haven’t completed his supposed training exercise.
The three of us continue to eye one another warily, none of us eager to volunteer, until Bard speaks. “Rykar.” His hands tremble, and he rushes to add, “But do not call me that. Bard will do, and if that feels like a lie, then don’t address me by name at all.”
No one argues with that, not even Dominic.
Harlot blows out a breath. “Harlow,” she mutters.
I give her a withering look. “Really? You chose a stage name so close to your real one?”
She shrugs. “I’m not the creative type.”
I disagree. She may claim she doesn’t care about art, but I’ve seen her drawings. They’re lewd and fantastic.
“Well, don’t leave us in suspense,” Harlow deadpans.
Right. It’s my turn to bare my truth. My heart races, and not just with fear. There’s a sliver of rebellious excitement there too. The thrill of not having to hide. The same thrill I felt every time I told my story at the Wretched Lair, knowing how much truth I’d layered in. Withequal parts trepidation and elation, I state my name out loud for the first time since fleeing my hometown. “Inana.”
“Great,” Dominic says, tone flat. “Now no more fucking talking until daybreak, unless you want to start your Summoner duties as corpses.”
I sneer at his back, though I belatedly realize his threat might not have been a personal one. Rather, he was reminding us of the Shades who freely stalk the night. Shades whose pitch-black eyes I can almost feel, watching us from the trees that line the road.
Chapter Six
Inana
If Dominic was looking for a way to shut us up, he certainly found it. After his reminder about the wild Shades, Bard, Harlow, and I exchange not a word more, nor do we sleep. Instead, we cast haunted looks outside the wagon. I can’t help but startle at every subtle movement, every sound of twigs snapping or leaves rustling in the ever-thickening forest. I see the monsters now and then, when the moon peeks out from behind the clouds and bathes our surroundings in the one kind of light Shades don’t fear. Their wavering silhouettes stand out starkly between the trees. Humanoid, mostly, yet with very few distinct features save for long limbs, dark pits for eyes, and wavering ovals for heads. Their spindly fingertips cling to tree trunks as they watch our wagon pass by. At one point, a beastly Shade crosses the road behind us, its shape like a mountain lion, its dark eyes staring after us until distance swallows it.
Fucking hell, the night sky may be beautiful, but it’s a terrifying time to be outdoors. I haven’t lived outside the Sacred City’s protection in a year; I nearly forgot how I used to spend my time after sundown before—silent or sleeping, safely tucked in rooms lit with an abundance of lamps and candles while reflective bronze disks hung from the rafters to amplify the light. Never did I or any other villager leave the safety of our homes at night, and we certainly didn’t travel.
I glare at Dominic’s back, enraged that he’d put us in such danger. Is this another one of his training exercises? Does he see this as some essential initiation, like sharing our names was?
I know Shades rarely attack unless provoked. Still, I’m not amused Dominic sought to press our luck and drive us straight through shadow-monster territory in the middle of the godsdamned night.
It’s a relief when the sun peeks over the horizon, painting the sky in the first shades of rosy pink, gold, and blue. Once dawn fully rises and the forest road is illuminated, I break the silence with my poorly concealed ire.
“Why the hell did we travel at night, Shadowbane?”
He doesn’t so much as look over his shoulder. “You know my name, Inana. Use it.”
Annoyance flares hotter at the sound of my name on his lips. Especially since he didn’t even need to look at me to know I was the one who spoke. I force my reply through my teeth, refusing to humor his demand. “Why did we travel at night?”
“I’d like to know as well,” Harlow says, her glare almost as dark as mine. “Are you trying to get us killed straightaway?”
“Careful,” Bard whispers. He’s seated closer to us now and his voice is meant only for us. “He’s our master, and much higher ranking than Rockefeller was.”
He’s right. Yet there’s something about Dominic that makes it impossible to choose humility. Maybe the fact that he tackled me to the ground and let his shadow dog lick my face. Thankfully, there’s no sign of any of his Shades now that the sun has risen.
“Shadowbanes work at night,” Dominic says. “When we’re assigned to protect villages, our most important work begins after sundown. Hence, I sleep during the day, and either work or travel at night. We were perfectly safe. Shades find quiet travelers uninteresting. You’ll need to get used to resting before sundown from now on, as my Summoners work when I do.”
