Chasing Shadows by S.H. Kolee Read Free Book Online

than usual, but they were just as effective in piercing straight into me.
    "Try me," he said flatly. His elation over finding me seemed to have passed.
    I sat down on the bed, feeling weak from the adrenaline rush that had drained from my body, leaving only exhaustion. I looked up at Simon, my mouth twisting. "I don't even know where to start."
    Simon's eyes softened as he looked at me but his expression remained resolute. "Why don't you start with the visions?"
    "How much has Sarah told you?" I glanced behind him as if I expected her to pop her head out. "Where is she?"
    "I think she's pretty much told me everything she knows. She didn't want to, but we thought...we thought it was a life and death situation. She came down to Connecticut with me yesterday and we stopped by here, but when we didn't find anything she went back up to Maxwell."
    I nodded, sighing deeply. "I figured as much. I...I was here yesterday. I overheard you and Sarah talking."
    Simon's expression darkened, his lips tightening. "You were hiding from us?"
    "I was trying to protect you! Both you and Sarah. It's not easy to explain."
    I looked down at the floor, debating how much to tell. A part of me believed that I should try to hide what was really happening, but I was tired of keeping secrets. I was tired of trying to do this alone. Simon had a right to know what was happening, especially since he was in danger. He deserved to have all the facts so he could make decisions based on all the information.
    "Sarah doesn't know that it's gone beyond just my visions. Beyond meeting the people in my visions in real life." I bit my lip, knowing that it was going to sound insane. "It's a little hard to believe."
    "I'll be the judge of that," Simon said, expressionless. He sat down on the bed next to me, but not close enough that we were touching.
    Everything poured out of me. About my aunt's disappearance and the whole notion of vardogers trying to overtake their people. About Lenore having vanished, just like my aunt, and about Claudia, who had already been overtaken by her vardoger. I told him how she was determined to destroy me, using the vardogers of Sarah and him. I told him everything, watching his face as I confessed things that would forever change how he looked at the world. I wasn't sure whether he believed me. He didn't say a word, his expression enigmatic.
    "I told you it was hard to believe," I said when I was finished, trying to smile but failing. I nervously waited for Simon to speak.
    "It's a lot to take in," he said finally, his words measured. "I'm not sure what to think right now."
    "Do you believe me?"
    His hesitation told me everything I needed to know. I shot up from the bed, knowing that I shouldn't feel so disappointed. No one who hadn't lived these past few days could be expected to believe the fantastical tale I just told. Yet, I had been naively hopeful that Simon would be the exception.
    He rose and grabbed my wrist before I could go anywhere. "Caitlin, I didn't say I don't believe it. It's just...I'm still trying to get over finding you. And now you're telling me that there are these things called vardogers trying to kill us? To take control of our bodies?"
    I shook my head, not looking at him. "I know it sounds crazy. I know I sound crazy. I don't expect you to believe me."
    Simon pulled me closer, lifting my head up by the chin and forcing me to look at him. He looked concerned and anxious. "It's not that I don't believe you. I want to believe you. I just..."
    He trailed off, looking at me uncertainly. "It's okay," I said tightly, trying to push away my disappointment. "It doesn't matter."
    "It does matter," Simon replied fiercely, his blue eyes flashing with emotion. "Do you know how crazy I've been these past two days? I was so scared something had happened to you. I thought I was going to go out of my mind when I read the letter you left behind. Sarah thought...she thought that you had hurt yourself. I didn't know what to think. I