Unleashed by John Levitt Read Free Book Online Page A

as well, and had replaced his old wire-rimmed glasses with a more modern set of frames. He’d told me that he’d finally reached the stage of life where he realized he had to take care of himself. I took him at his word. I’m sure it was mere coincidence that for the first time in years he now had a woman in his life. Eleanor was her name, and although she wasn’t a practitioner, she was a powerful woman. She’d have to be to get Eli to change his ways.
    Eli finally straightened up from where Victor lay on the couch with a grunt of approval. Victor’s leg already looked normal, except for some swelling and redness.
    “I can’t leave you two alone for even a few days,” Eli complained. His relief at finding Victor in such good condition allowed his grumpiness to come out.
    “That creature was faster than I expected,” said Victor. “Next time I’ll be ready.”
    “That creature isn’t the only thing we have to worry about,” I said. Victor gave a theatrical sigh.
    “What now?”
    “I’m not sure, but I think it’s connected and I don’t like the sound of it, not at all.”
    They were both familiar with Rolf, though neither had ever met him. I told them his story, the swirling circle of color and energy I’d seen, the fact that something else had come out of that circle, and the disappearance of the being he called Richard Cory.
    “Interesting,” said Eli, understating things as usual. Victor nodded his agreement.
    “Yes, but that’s the least interesting part,” I said. “I saw something there, and when I went back for a better look, I saw something that couldn’t be. And it was no trick of the mind, either. Lou saw it, too.”
    “And?” Victor prompted, after I’d waited long enough for the maximum dramatic effect.
    “It was Sherwood. I saw her as clearly as I see you now.”
    I’m not sure what reaction I was expecting from the two of them. Victor would try his best to remain impassive and politely interested, as always, but Eli surely would be astounded. But the reaction I got was totally unexpected. The two of them instantly looked over at each other, then immediately looked away as if they shared a guilty secret they didn’t want me to know.
    “What?” I said. They looked at each other again.
    “Are you sure about what you saw?” asked Eli, pretending nothing was going on. I wasn’t buying it.
    “What was that look?” I said.
    He paused for a moment, thinking if there was a way to finesse it, then decided there wasn’t.
    “Victor and I have been doing some research,” he said. He paused, started to say something, stopped, and finally came out with it. “We’re not sure that Sherwood’s actually dead.”
    I could say I was stunned, but that wouldn’t be quite right. It was more like being totally blank. I heard the words, I understood what they meant, but at the same time they made no sense at all, as if Eli were talking gibberish.
    “What?” I said, unable to muster anything else.
    “We’re not sure that Sherwood is dead,” he repeated.
    This time it sunk in, but it was the most preposterous thing I’d ever heard.
    “What do you mean? You were there. You saw it. Christoph incinerated her before our eyes.”
    Eli took off his glasses and cleaned them with the corner of his shirt. At any other time seeing Eli at a loss for words would have been a rare treat, but not now. Victor hauled himself off the couch and stood awkwardly, favoring his bad leg.
    “Not exactly,” he said. “Christoph had those gems, remember, and that gave him an unholy amount of power. He threw a blast of energy at her, and it looked like she just melted away. But there wasn’t any body. There wasn’t even the slightest trace of any remains. Just a scorched spot on the grass from the energy burst.”
    I thought back to the charred circle on the grass, and her hand reaching out to me in a last desperate attempt.
    “What else could have happened?” I asked. “She was there, she caught fire,