Elemental Shadows by Phaedra Weldon Read Free Book Online Page B

a Cyber Witch?"  
    "Yeah. He ever run across others?"  
    I pursed my lips. "He's never said. Most of the stuff he can do is self taught, though recently he's been displaying a few more abilities."  
    "Like what?"  
    I shook my head. "Why are we whispering? There's no one in here but us."  
    Crwys's expression worried me. "Are you sure? Can your magic sense things that aren't there?"
    "You mean like ghosts?" I searched his face, my gaze lingering on those red amber eyes. "You think a ghost is in my shop? There's no way, Crwys. I've got wards on wards to keep out the dead—"  
    He put a finger on my lips. Man, it was all I could do not to bite it. "Sshh. Just answer me. Do you have magic to detect invisible entities?"  
    "No. But I'm sure Kyle can make something." I narrowed my eyes at him. "You wanna tell me what this is about? Why are you talking about ghosts? And why arrest Arden when you know she didn't kill those Elders?"  
    "So you know they're Elders."  
    I sighed. "Because Arden told me. Weren't you listening? Or were you too focused on her boobs? That's why she was here. She wanted my help finding out who's framing her."  
    Crwys nodded slowly, but I got the feeling he wasn't really paying attention. "That's a good theory, but who said she was framed?"  
    "She did not kill those men."  
    "Can you be so sure?" He refocused on me. "How much do you really know about her? About her past? It's pretty colorful. She likes power. And from what I've gathered, those three were the only ones blocking her bid for Grand Master."  
    "I know more about her than I know about you. And you expect me to trust you ." A shadow passed along the back wall of the shop and I glanced at the front windows. The clouds were out and the only activity outside was a bunch of tourists taking pictures of the socialite in the back seat of the black and white cop cars.  
    Where had the shadow come from?  
    "Touché. But, do me a favor, ask Kyle to make something to detect things you can't see, okay? I'll pay him."  
    "You want a ghost detector."  
    "Yes," he raised his shoulders in an odd shrug. "More like a multi-planner dimensional detector."  
    "Crwys—"
    "Say yes."  
    I sighed. "Yes."  
    He lowered his voice again. "Fingerprints were found on the keyboard they were writing those emails too. And they all matched back to Arden Vervain."  
    "That's not DNA. That's fingerprints. And you and I know that kind of thing can be screwed up with magic."  
    "The DNA is going to come from hairs."  
    "Hairs? This is about hairs? She said she talked to them on Sunday. Had dinner with them. There is a logical explanation her hair might be on their jackets or something."  
    "These were in their underwear."  
    Well that stopped me. Also deadened any sexual desire I was feeling at that moment. The thought of Arden…ew. "Weren't these guys like, in their sixties?"  
    "Two were older," Crwys made a pained face. "Those tests they can't rush, so we're still waiting on the DNA."  
    "Meaning it might not be Arden's and you lied. She's going to make bail."  
    "Probably. Her lawyer's already at the station. Who else do you know with long dark hair and motive to silence three old men?"  
    I put my hand against the wall as another shadow moved over the opposite wall. Again I looked out the window. No movement, other than Levi smoking a cigarette.  
    "Why do you keep looking at the wall?"  
    "Not sure," I said as I stepped away from him and walked around the shop. I held out my right hand and called up a small white sphere made of Spirit. It was by definition, an extension of my own. It lifted up and moved around the room like a sensor, looking into every corner and crevice of the shop.  
    When it came near the computer, the feedback from it felt like knives slicing down my back. I dismissed it immediately and the pain stopped. I'd put my hands to my head and pressed my palms over my eyes.  
    "Sam? Baby please…look at me."  
    Baby?  
    That