Midnight Shadows Read Online Free PDF

“Well…yeah. Not aliens, anyway. Not that I know of.”
    “Then there was no peace or harmony there. Just good policing. We don’t do peace and harmony as a species. Not in our DNA.”
    Spoken like a true warrior. He slanted a glance at her and she saw he was about to apologize for his bluntness. Before he could, she smiled and said, “You’re right. But it’s a great legend.”
    There was some kind of feast-day celebration in the city up above them. Laughter and music floated down, as if from heaven. It might not be Atlantis, but it was truly a magical place.
    Douglas reached behind them for the glasses and off to the side…she saw shadows. Moving.
    No. No. No.
    She was not going to allow this to happen. No shadows, not now, not ever again.
    So when Douglas handed her one of the glasses, she downed it immediately. The wine went down with a little kick, with that resiny taste she’d grown used to and liked.
    There were going to be no more shadows in her life. She gave him a radiant smile and saw him narrow his eyes.
    “What?”
    “Nothing, Douglas. Except that I want to give you your present now.”
    The suspicious look was gone, now it was all interest. “Okay. So you go first?”
    She gave a decisive nod. “Yep. But first you have to sit down.”
    “I have to sit to get a present? That sounds intriguing.” They went back into the luxurious living room and he sat down where she pointed, on one of the plush green silk brocade sofas.
    “Now close your eyes.”
    He closed them, smiling. “This gets better and better. Do I get to drink?”
    She poured him another glass and put it in his hand. “There you go, but whatever you do, don’t open your eyes. And don’t spill that drink.”
    “Honey, I passed Hell Week. I think I can drink with my eyes closed without making a fool of myself.” To prove his words, he sipped delicately at the rosè wine, sighed with pleasure, and sat back.
    Allegra went to the huge closet in the bedroom and brought out the kanun, a trapezoidal Greek stringed instrument she’d found on one of the hotel walls. Yannis had been delighted to let her practice on it. He’d even given her two silver filigreed fingerpicks that looked like exotic fingernails.
    The kanun fit on her lap, unlike Dagda. Bless it, Dagda was heavy and cumbersome. The kanun was ideal to play on vacation.
    It had two modes, diatonic and a mode that was all minor scales, very Middle Eastern. She didn’t even try that one. She’d given herself the lowest of hurdles—to figure out the strings enough to play a song she’d composed when she’d first met Douglas, ‘New Love’. The song meant a lot to her and she was hoping that that emotional input would help her with the kanun. She’d practiced and practiced, not always with good results.
    Well, now it was down to the wire.
    She sat across from Douglas who was patiently waiting, eyes closed, every once in a while taking a sip from his retsina. It was one of the many many things she loved about him. His patience. She’d have tried anyone’s patience these past four months, when even walking at first was beyond her. He’d been by her side for most of it, completely patient, as if he had nothing better to do besides helping her relearn things a four year old could master.
    Allegra settled cross legged, the kanun in her lap. It was much more intimate than the harp. It felt like playing something that was a part of her.
    Please God, don’t let me mess this up . She sent the silent prayer up to the god of formerly-blind harp players. She had no idea why this was so important to her, but it was. She had to do this, she simply had to. She had to do it well and she had to do it for Douglas. To thank him for everything he did for her.
    The instrument was tuned. She slipped the fingerpicks on, strummed a moment.
    Douglas wasn’t expecting that. He sat up straighter when he heard the notes sound.
    Okay. It was never going to get easier.
    Now.
    Allegra closed her eyes