Breaking Away (The Man in the Shadows) by Erin M. Truesdale Read Free Book Online Page A

force of a hurricane. His dire mistake might be covered up, after all.
    “Good evening, High Lord!” James called as he swiftly walked up the shiny, tiled floor. Each tile was made of a slightly different color of marble, making the place appear as a smaller part of a larger fresco. The ceilings were high and made of carved stone, like a cathedral, and every syllable echoed around, from wall to wall, like a rock falling down a well. Along the sides ran pillars that reached towards the sky like giant tree trunks, and once they reached the top, they crossed each other gracefully in enormous arches. The ceiling panels were painted with scenes from the distant past, as well as accentuated by carvings of souls, vials, and urns.
    “James.” The High Lord didn’t move, but waited for James to reach him, piously. Revealing his hands from behind his back, he grasped the staff that was leaning up against his throne, unknowingly. “With my deepest gratitude, I thank you for your unending service, and your undying dedication to our Empire.” Lamin forced a smile then, his lips curling up from his dry teeth, his mouth like cotton from nerves and trepidation. It was like slowly, painfully peeling back the tin lid of a sardine can. A velvet hat sat askew on his head, his flowing black hair running the length of his back.
    James bit his tongue. He was all too used to speaking to Greta in an informal fashion as of late; he didn’t want anything snarky to slip out in front of the High Lord. He didn’t want any snide remarks to be aimed at the High Lord, either. He chose his words carefully. “It is my pleasure, as always. Greta’s plea was convincing.”
    When he was within a mere two feet from the High Lord, James held up his right hand, palm out. Lamin held up his left hand and did the same, like the two were mirror images of each other. While their hands did not touch, an intense voltage began to crawl up the chasm between their palms, beginning with small sparks, but exhilarating into tiny, glowing jagged bolts of electricity. Fast, like a door being slammed by the wind, James’s eyes shut and his jaw clenched involuntarily. He gasped and shook violently for a second. With a swish, Lamin pulled his hand away from the violent electric storm, and released James from his trance.
    James stumbled back from the High Lord somewhat, as if waking up from a long coma. He swallowed hard and looked up at Lamin, eyes wide and shaken. His first reaction was dread, as he thought, LAMIN, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME? Then, coming to his senses, he slowly came to realize what had really just happened to him. An evil smile teased the corners of his mouth, with an edge of wonderment and suspicion. He looked down at his hands, and sluggishly brought them up to feel his face. Eyes, nose, mouth, chin, eyebrows, hair, they all felt unchanged. He finally vocalized steadily, “What did you do to me?”
    Lamin smiled easily for the first time in days. His eyes seemed distant, like he was gazing into a glorious future, as he replied, “I gave you all that you’ll need for your mission.”
    “The... the Magi?” James had a hard time even saying those words, as it seemed silly to suggest something in which he himself didn’t readily believe. The Magi was something James knew only from stories he heard as a child, from the myths of old. It didn’t really exist, did it?
    “Yes, the Magi,” confirmed Lamin, as he sighed lightly. James gaped at him as he continued, “On this mission, you will need all the power and sorcery that this world can offer you. You need to be concealed, invisible, soundless; yet you must be able to control a human if need be. For once you go through the threshold and close the door behind you, you cannot open it again. Not without the Corner Stone willing it to open.”
    Nodding, James instantly understood. The reality of the situation hit him then. Solemnly, soberly he bit his bottom lip. What if he couldn’t find this rogue