Chasing Shadows by Ashley Townsend Read Free Book Online Page B

twitched and he glanced at the floor. “That woman we met—Jade—well, she isn’t exactly involved in an occupation that most would deem credible or . . . moral.”
    She stared at him in obvious confusion. “And . . .”
    Will shifted on his feet and averted his gaze again. She couldn’t remember him ever looking so uncomfortable. “She entertains men for money,” he mumbled rapidly, seeming relieved to have it out.
    “So she’s a dancer?” Sarah asked slowly. His eyes widened at her naïveté, causing her own eyes to grow as the full meaning of his words sank in. “Oh,” was all she said, feeling dumb.
    Will nodded, the tips of his ears reddening. “Most of the women on that street have similar occupations. It’s a rough neighborhood that boasts a variety of services, largely revolving around gambling and drinking during the night hours for repugnant men with foul appetites. You were fortunate to have stumbled down there in daylight.”
    A thought occurred to her, and she stared at him intently. “Why were you down there?” Her attempt to sound casual failed.
    He seemed to stand a little straighter. “I was trying to escape the weather and took a short cut. But I can take care of myself.”
    “And I can’t?” she asked, her eyes daring him to say so. He folded his arms across his broad chest and remained silent at her raised brow.  
    Sarah knew he was just looking after her well being, but she severely disliked being told what to do, and the fact that he was doing just that after only a few minutes into their reunion grated on her nerves. She felt like reminding him that he wasn’t her father and had no right telling her what to do, but she managed to bite her tongue a split second before the words escaped her lips. She inhaled a shaky breath and exhaled slowly, letting her anger out with the air. This was not how she had imagined their first meeting going, and she had spent quite a few hours fantasizing over their reunion.
    Swallowing her pride and softening her tone—just barely—she managed, “Thank you for caring enough to be concerned.”
    His eyes registered surprise as they stared intently into hers. Sarah began to feel uncomfortable and was the first to look away from his intense gaze, though she could still feel his eyes on her. The silence unnerved her, and she wondered if he enjoyed watching her squirm beneath his gaze or if he simply didn’t realize what he was doing.
    “Why did you come back?” His question caught her off guard, though she should have expected it. She turned her face to him again, trying to come up with a reasonable answer. The only thing that came to mind was the truth.
    “The king is dead. Karen and I trying to stop him before he succeeds in claiming the throne.”
    Will’s look remained impassive, though that muscle in his jaw trembled as he clenched his teeth together. Judging by the way he kept his emotions hidden beneath an expressionless facade, he had gone back to the habit of blocking people out. It hurt Sarah to see him doing it to her, and it was especially painful to realize that her leaving had destroyed any progress they had made in their friendship. Over the months she was gone, his trust in her had waned and maybe even died out completely. She just prayed that she would be able to earn it back someday.
    “You should not be involved in this,” Will said.
    Sarah quirked a brow, surprised at the command. “And why is that? It seems that the Shadow is nowhere to be found, so who else is going to figure out what happened?”
    The words slipped out before she could stop them. He narrowed his eyes, and she could see that her unintentional barb had hit its mark. She sighed and her anger vanished like a vapor in the wind with the realization that she had just stirred his ire.
    “I’m sorry, Will. I shouldn’t have said that.” She stared at the ground, her accursed pride keeping her from meeting his gaze lest he see the remorse written across her