Initiation by Imogen Rose Read Free Book Online Page A

into Quinn’s hands. The whole procedure seemed to take ages as the healer painstakingly lifted the bandage from my eyes.
    “There,” he said, sounding satisfied. “Feel free to try opening your eyes if you want. But your lids are raw, so be prepared for more pain.”
    Marvelous! I debated the sense of trying to open them, thinking maybe I should wait until they got better. But I was fed up with living in a dark world, so I struggled to open them. After what seemed like hours, each excruciating minute spent willing them open, I gave up.
    Or rather, Quinn gave up for me. “Cordelia, stop it! You’re probably damaging them even more. Rest them. There’s not much to see here anyway.”
    “Where am I?”
    “You’re in the infirmary. In a private room.”
    “How long have I been here?”
    “Since yesterday.”
    “What?” Faustine protested. “No, she hasn’t. She was brought here a little while ago. I should know! I was with her.”
    “What do you mean?” Quinn asked. “Jagger brought Cordelia here yesterday. Where have you been anyway? You had everyone worried–”
    “What do you mean, you were with her?” Jagger interrupted.
    “I was with her when we were attacked. Didn’t Cordelia tell you guys what happened?”
    “No. She’s been out since yesterday and can’t really talk even now. So tell us what happened.”
    Faustine described the shifter attack. “Then, this eagle flew into us, knocking me off of Cordelia, and I began falling. But before I hit the floor, I felt something grabbing at my shoulders, and that’s it.”
    “What do you mean, and that’s it ?” Jagger asked.
    “I don’t really know. Everything in front of me faded. I got wrapped in… like a warm blanket or something and stayed like that forever, until I suddenly got dropped off outside this room. So I came in.”
    “So, you didn’t see Cordelia get beat up?”
    “No. Last I saw, she was trying to grab for me. What happened?”
    “We don’t know,” Jagger replied. “She was unconscious when I found her.”
    You mean dead . I shuddered at the thought, wondering exactly how torn up I had been.
    “Okay, everyone out!” Frau Schmelder boomed. “All apart from Jagger.”
    “I’d like to st–”
    “I know, Quinn.” Frau Schmelder’s voice softened. “But I need you to take care of Faustine for me. Faustine, I’m glad to see you. I have been searching for you everywhere. Your dad’s in my office. I want you to go see him with Quinn. I’ll meet you there in a little while.”
    “Cordelia…” Mom’s voice broke.
    “Mom! Did you just come in?” I held out my hand for her.
    “Yes, we just got here. Look at you.” Her voice broke as she hugged me.
    “We came as soon as we heard. Who did this to you?”
    “Dad! I’m so glad you’re here. It was some shifters,” I whispered.
    Frau Schmelder coughed. “I have the surveillance video with me. I’ve watched it, but I’ll have to get it enhanced so we can properly identify the perpetrators. It is especially tricky with the shifters; they may have shifted into borrowed human forms. I’m hoping not; otherwise, it may be impossible to identify them.”
    “Can we watch it? I want to see what happened,” my dad asked.
    “Yes, but it is gruesome. Perhaps in my office?”
    “I want to watch it, too.” I forced my eyes open. My tear ducts worked overtime, making it difficult even to distinguish shapes through the fluid film.
    “I don’t think that’s a good idea–” Frau Schmelder started.
    “No. I have to,” I said as forcefully as my throat would allow. Jagger dabbed my eyes, and my vision cleared slightly.
    “Okay, let’s watch it,” my dad ordered.
    Mom came over, grabbed my hand, and kissed my forehead.
    Frau Schmelder had a large flat-screen TV brought in, and by the time they set up everything, my vision was almost back to normal.
    “My tech team stitched the content of the various cameras together, so we’ll see split screens where more than one