Glittering Shadows Read Online Free PDF Page A

seemed to be thinking the same thing. He lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender, but his eyes were dark.
    “I’ll come with you,” he said, “but your healer had better be good.”

“L et’s get a bandage on that to stop the bleeding.” Will glanced at Thea, all business now. He unbuttoned his coat to access a
small bag slung across his chest and took out a roll of bandages.
    She stepped back into Freddy’s arms when Will tried to get close. “Don’t touch me.” Tears of pain blurred her eyes. Max had fired at them like he shot people every
day.
    “I shouldn’t have done that,” Max said abruptly, as if he read her mind. “I don’t know what got into me. I won’t hurt you anymore.” He held up his
hands.
    Thea let Will wrap her mangled hand. The pain had stolen her speech. She wanted to cry but she wouldn’t give them the satisfaction. The world was a blur; she was aware of climbing into the
spacious backseat of a clunky black car, and Freddy putting his arm close around her, but she must have passed out after that, because the next thing she knew, she was in a stranger’s arms as
he carried her into a sunlit room and placed her in bed.
    “Don’t worry,” he said. “Ingrid’s going to take care of you.”
    “Where did my friends go?” she asked, panic rising.
    “I’m going to meet with them now.”
    “Are you Sebastian?” She thrashed her head back and forth, writhing as if she could escape the searing in her hand, only vaguely aware of Sebastian himself. He was young, as Sigi had
said.
    He gave her a cup of medicinal-smelling liquid. “Drink that for the pain. It’ll be over soon.”
    She took the liquid, and sleepy warmth immediately rushed over her.
    A little later, she opened her eyes when she heard something rustle. A girl was at her bedside. This must be Ingrid, slight and small-featured, with fair hair spilling over her shoulders. She
looked young, but Thea had the sense that she was older than she appeared—something about the shadows under her gray eyes, and the way she sat so still. When she saw Thea was awake, she
tilted her head like a bird. “Are you feeling any better?” Her accent was rustic and thick.
    “A little.” She felt drowsy and stupid. It would be so easy to succumb to the cheerful numbness of drugs.
Stay alert
.
    “Where am I?” she asked.
    “We have houses to stay in, throughout the city, that belong to our friends. This house belongs to Mr. Schiff, the zeppelin builder. Isn’t he kind? I think this room must have been
his daughter’s.” On the nightstand was a porcelain doll in a dusty pinafore, a stuffed bear, and a glass of water. The wallpaper was striped yellow and cream with chains of small roses,
while the white bedspread was embellished with frills.
    “You’re a healer?”
    “Yes. I’m a Norn—like your friend.” The harsh sounds of her accent contrasted with a certain dreaminess of tone.
    “Norn,” Thea repeated, trying to fix the idea in her fuzzy mind. She still didn’t really understand what Nan was. “My friends—they’re with
Sebastian?”
    “Yes. I expect they’ll have plenty to say. Sebastian always does.” Ingrid was gazing at the sunlight beaming through the window as she spoke. She suddenly put a small, cool
hand on Thea’s arm, trying to pull it away from her chest. “I need to look at it.”
    Thea winced and drew back. “It’s—it’s all right,” she said, although it wasn’t. “Can you just find Nan for me?”
    “First I need to see your wound.” Ingrid took a firm hold of Thea this time. She pulled the bandage away from her skin—slowly, with careful little fingers. Ingrid’s hands
could’ve belonged to a child.
    Fibers clung to dried blood, and Thea sucked air through her teeth.
    “It hurts,” Ingrid said gently.
    “Of course it does.” Thea’s voice shook, especially when she saw the wound laid bare again. If it were anyone else’s hand, she might have looked away from the torn