Between the Shadow and the Soul by Susanne Winnacker Read Free Book Online Page A

to face whoever had followed her. It was a guy, only a couple of years older than her, with impossibly dark eyes. She could barely make out his pupils; his irises were too dark. He was dressed in a long black coat, his black hair shaggy. It wasn’t a purposeful rugged look like that of so many guys. Rather it looked like he didn’t care enough about his appearance to bother combing his hair on a daily basis. He was pale as if he didn’t often go out during the day. By now he was returning her gaze, but Nela didn’t feel embarrassed for scanning him. He had started it and with this realization came a new worry. How long had he been watching her? She should have paid more attention to her surroundings. Her parents always emphasized how important vigilance was to stay under the Brotherhood’s radar.
    Fear flooded her. What if the Brotherhood had sent the guy after her for healing the boy? She’d thought the guards hadn’t seen anything, but maybe there had been other guards Nela hadn’t noticed, or maybe one of her own kind had betrayed her. There were spies and snitches among them, always keen on getting in the good graces of the Brotherhood, no matter whom they’d have to take down for it. If someone had told on her, she’d burn at the stake for her crime.
    Nela straightened and squared her shoulders. There was no use in speculating and panicking. “Why are you watching me?”
    His expression registered surprise but as quickly as the emotion had come it was gone again. He came closer, his strides long and fluid, the hem of his coat swishing softly. Nela stood her ground, even though her body told her to back away. “Are you a member of the Brotherhood?”
    He let out a laugh. It sounded raw and unpracticed. “The Brotherhood wouldn’t have me even if I wanted to be one of their brothers.” Something dark flashed across his face. He had almost reached her by now and the uneasiness Nela had felt before was now an overwhelming sense of danger. He moved his arm in an arc, his lips moving too quickly, his words too quiet for Nela to catch them, but a silvery dome shimmered into existence around them and then blinked out of view. But Nela knew it was still there, she could feel it. The sounds from the outside were dimmed.
    “What did you do?” she demanded, finally taking a step back from him. She reached into her back where she stashed a can of pepper spray that her father had given her when he hadn’t hated her. She didn’t pull it out yet. She needed to wait for the right moment to catch him by surprise.
    “That’s an invisible shield to keep us save from unwanted eyes and ears. I prefer a private conversation.”
    That was too much. This guy was a crazy stalker. Nela ripped out her pepper spray and pushed the button. With a hiss the spray blasted toward the guy. His palm shot up and a wall of magic appeared before him but not before the first burst of pepper spray hit him square in the face. The remaining spray bounced off the magic field and struck Nela in turn. She gasped and tried to rub her eyes that started burning fiercely. She knew she needed to run but she couldn’t see through her watering eyes.
    “Are you crazy?” the guy muttered. “What did you do that for? Damn, that stuff burns.”
    “You know nothing of burning,” Nela said. Her nose had started running too.
    “Oh believe me, I do,” the guy said quietly. She heard his steps come closer and braced herself. She would kick out if he tried to grab her. “I can help you with the burning. But put the pepper spray down first.”
    “No way,” Nela said.
    The guy sighed. “Then at least promise me to wait before blinding me again.”
    Nela’s fingers around the can tightened. She wouldn’t promise that guy anything. She didn’t even know him, much less trust him. Only rapists and thugs followed a girl into a deserted alley and enclosed her with a magical wall. Once again, she wished she could use her magic for defense. It would have made