Reign of Shadows by Melissa Wright Read Free Book Online

Brendan wasn’t here at all. This man had thrown the vision to her, pushed it into her mind to bring them here. He stepped forward, hands slipping from his slacks pockets to slide palm-over-palm in front of him. He wasn’t just pleased, he was eager, self-satisfied.
    “You tricked me,” she said.
    He shrugged, unabashed.
    “Where is Brendan?” she demanded.
    The dark-haired man sighed. “There was some information he was close to you. He’s being held until he gives what he knows.”
    She leaned forward. “ Brendan doesn’t know anything.”
    He frowned. “I am aware of that, Brianna.”
    “Then why are you keeping him?”
    The dark-haired man’s brow furrowed. “You do realize what will happen when they decide he has nothing to offer.”
    Her chest tightened, and he went on, moving closer in an even, measured pace. “What have you seen?”
    She shook her head, unable to keep up with the shift in conversation. She felt something, a vague tug, some urge to move still closer to him, though every conscious part of her screamed run .
    His pace moved him sideways, though she felt that he wanted to close the distance, to be nearer to her. He glanced at her sidelong. “Did you see the end, Brianna? Do you know how it all comes out?”
    He was GQ in her head, the dark-haired man who had shown her these visions. And to Morgan’s men, he was Jackson, the second-in-command to that now-destroyed Council. But neither was his real name, and she wouldn’t call him either. She wouldn’t call him anything. She straightened. “What do you want with me?”
    His smile returned, this time slow and sexy. He was pleased she ’d decided to play his game. He was mere feet from her now, his nearness sending a shiver down her spine. His clothing was nondescript, a shapeless gray shirt over worn jeans, but he was anything but pedestrian.
    His answer was low. “You’re going to have to choose, Brianna.” His chin dropped, dark eyes piercing beneath his brow. “But you know that, don’t you?”
    She fought the urge to back away, some instinctual need warring within her to fight or to run. To move to him . “What are you doing to me?” she whispered.
    There was a muffled blast from outside the room, and she flinched, knowing it was Logan and his team, certain they couldn ’t hear anything happening within the space. There was a chill in the air, a coldness only amplified by concrete and steel.
    Suddenly, the desire to move to this man was gone, disappeared as quickly as it came on. “We saved you, Brianna,” he said. “We put the bonds in place to protect you.”
    She did step back then, her hand going to her chest. There was a pistol beside her heel, the energy within her palms, but she was powerless, she could feel it. There was nothing to do, no way to protect herself from him.
    Hi s mouth drew down on one side. “Brianna, listen to me.”
    She forced her gaze to his, made herself go still.
    “What do you think would have happened if we hadn’t stepped in? You’ve seen it yourself.” He was frustrated, distracted by the noises coming from beyond the walls. “It would have ended badly. No different than with the Seven,” he said. “Look what they’d done to Morgan, his family.”
    Brianna deflated, the air rushing out of her as his words became solid. As the gravity of wh at he was saying sank in. The shadows had bound her and Emily, taken their power from them both. They’d hidden among the Seven, plotted and schemed to see their own designs become reality. They’d killed Morgan’s father, Aern’s family. Her words came in a breathless rush as she recalled Morgan’s story, remembered the man who had set things into motion. “Tarian was one of you.”
    He shook his head, disappointed. “No, Brianna.” He leaned closer, gesturing between them. “One of us .”
    Her head spun. A dark shadow crossed the floor where a caged fan threw light from the outside over polished concrete. They had bound her. But it