Page 114 of In the Shadows

“I’m fine,” Charles muttered, eyelids fluttering. “Sleeping.”

“Sleeping!” Mary echoed in a singsong tone.

Thom looked at Cora and she nodded, trying to convey that

she was fine, too. He reached up and smoothed the hair back from

her forehead, and she leaned into his fingers, closing her eyes and,

for a brief moment, letting herself feel safe.

Minnie walked in next, a short knife from the kitchen clutched

in her fist. She let out a small sob when she saw Cora, but did not run

to her. Instead, she put herself between Cora and Alden, knife

held at the ready.

And finally Arthur, as pale as she’d ever seen him, expression-

less and holding the gun, came in. He leveled it at Alden’s chest

and pulled the trigger.

Marrakesh, Morocco, 1983

Venice, Italy, 1994

Okinawa, Japan, 1988

Jodhpur, India, 1999

Berkeley, California, 2009

twenty-two

T

he report of the gun echoed around the small

chamber. Alden looked down at his chest, frowning.

“Move the cage,” he growled. The other Ladon Vitae,

except Constance, melted back into the shadows of the cavernous

passageway.

Constance laughed, drawing Arthur’s attention. He leveled

the gun at her, but he didn’t think he could shoot a woman. “How

very like your father you are, Arthur!” she said.

“What do you mean?” He moved toward Cora and Minnie,

keeping the gun pointed at the members of the Ladon Vitae. This

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