Boreal and John Grey Season 1 Read Online Free PDF Page B

them. She missed and they clanked to the floor. Well, even if she did see Shades, she didn’t strike Ella as someone cut out to fight them.
    “Never have. Hope never to again, either.” Martha placed the glasses on the desk and almost knocked the coffee cup over.
    “Can you sense anything in this room right now?” One last try .
    Martha froze halfway from straightening the cup and glanced around, her eyes wide. “You mean there’s something here?”
    Ella didn’t answer, let her take her time and look. The Shade was shuffling toward the door of the office. It was in plain view, not hiding in a corner anymore.
    She waited.
    Martha finished her inspection of the surroundings and turned back to Ella. “You’re kidding me, right? Is it some sort of a test?”
    It had been, and Martha had failed. Half an hour of Ella’s life lost — not taking into account her hunt for a parking space earlier. Could have been worse, she supposed. She could have been forced to take on a partner. “Thank you for your time, officer.”
    “What exactly did Holborn want from me?” Martha asked, frowning. “I told him all this before. Why did he send you?”
    “Just standard procedure,” Ella lied. “Checking whether you might have seen the murderer.”
    “Good lord, no. The murderer used a knife like any proper human being.” Martha shivered. “What I saw...”
    “... was probably due to stress.” Ella rose from her seat, palming one of her knives. She should take care of the Shade right now. “Thank you for the coffee.”
    Martha walked her out into the reception hall. The Shade stood by the counter. In the detention cell at the back she could make out the man she’d noticed before, holding onto the bars. A green bandana was wrapped around his head, and silvery hair hung around his gaunt face.
    Him! “Who’s that?”
    Martha huffed. “Caught stealing from a car. Gave me a good run. Told you.”
    So it was he who’d given Martha ‘a run for her money’ . She wondered how he’d let the clumsy officer capture him.
    “You,” the man whispered, sounding tired. In the fluorescent light from the fixtures overhead, his eyes were a pale, crystal blue. “How did you—?”
    “Hey,” Ella interrupted, not wanting Martha to hear about their past encounters. “What’s your name?”
    He opened his mouth, but only hissed out a breath and his eyes widened. “ Vaettir. ”
    Shades . Ella turned.
    The Shade was shuffling toward the holding cell. She stepped in its way, her knife ready. It reached out a clawed hand and Ella ducked and slashed, carving upward. The Shade shrieked as it flickered, showering her hand in ichor, and vanished.
    “What was that?” Martha glanced around, eyes very wide. “What did you do?”
    Ella wiped her knife and hand on her pants. She’d need to wash it, soon. “Nothing.”
    Avoiding Martha’s disbelieving gaze, she turned back to the man. “So, what’s your name?”
    “Finn.” His voice was a pleasant rasp. His knuckles were burned, red and blistered. Splashed with ichor most probably, like hers.
    “Finn what?” He said nothing. “Where are you from Finn?”
    He shook his head, looked away.
    “Do you have papers? What about an ID?”
    He pressed his lips together, jaw clenching.
    Ella considered this, aware of Martha’s gaze burning at her back. He was a thief, and without papers. She didn’t have the authorization to take him out, but, what the hell, he’d saved her life — twice. And she wanted to ask him a few questions in private.
    “Let him out, Martha.”
    “What? I can’t do that, it’s against procedure—”
    “I’m taking responsibility.” Ella still didn’t turn. “Okay?”
    “He’s probably an illegal immigrant. Did David Holborn give permission for this?”
    “Yes,” Ella lied. She’d deal with Dave later. She gave the man — Finn — an assessing look. He was watching her intently. “Now open the cell.”
    Martha hesitated, as if waiting to hear it was