Phantom Shadows Read Online Free PDF

Bastien’s eyes flare bright amber with fury. When he opened his mouth to speak, she hurried to prevent it. “He needs to be monitored. We’re still learning about this drug and its effects on immortals. I need to continue measuring his recovery time and keep an eye out for lingering side effects.”
    Though both Bastien and Todd frowned, neither—she was pleased to see—could find fault with her explanation.
    Cliff sent her a big grin.
    What are you doing, Lanie? she asked herself as she crossed the hall to her office.
    What I have to.
    No, you aren’t. David is a healer. He can tell you anything you need to know about Bastien’s recovery. So could Roland, though getting that one to cooperate would pretty much be impossible.
    It wasn’t really about Bastien’s recovery anyway. Yes, she would like to continue monitoring him and see how long the weakness lingered. Any little thing she could learn about this drug without having to inflict it upon test subjects—namely the vampires—would help her in her attempts to combat it. But, as that little voice in her head had pointed out, David or Roland could observe Bastien for her.
    Removing her lab coat, she donned the turtleneck she had discarded earlier and topped it with a sweater.
    No, it wasn’t about his recovery. It was . . .
    She liked Bastien, damn it. She had liked him long before she had ever met him just from the things the vampires had told her about him. He may play the black sheep and be hated by his immortal brethren for past misdeeds, but he seemed to be an honorable man. A compassionate man. He wasn’t the monster Chris Reordon and some of the others thought him. He just wanted to help people. Help the vampires. End the suffering of men he had considered his brothers for two centuries.
    Was that so wrong?
    Locating her purse, she picked it up and drew her keys from an outer pocket.
    Someone needed to stand up for him. Defend him. And, though it may sound ludicrous that a man of his strength and power would need her , she intended to be that someone. She had more insight into his character than anyone .
    Except, perhaps, for Ami. Bastien seemed to have a real soft spot for Amiriska.
    Melanie frowned as she wondered just how soft a soft spot that was.
    She headed back across the hallway.
    Todd crossed his arms over his chest as Melanie approached him. “Maybe Dr. Whetsman should accompany him instead.”
    She raised one eyebrow. “Dr. Whetsman? Really?”
    Todd grimaced and stepped aside. “Yeah, you’re right.”
    Melanie entered the room and found Bastien standing beside the gurney. When he wavered, Cliff reached out and took his shoulder to steady him.
    “Ready?” she asked.
    Bastien nodded once, then gripped Cliff ’s arm to keep his balance.
    Todd strode over to the desk, grabbed a pen and a Post-it pad, and leaned down to scribble something on it. Peeling off the top note, he turned and handed it to Melanie.
    Three telephone numbers had been scrawled across it.
    “The first number is Seth’s. The second is Richart’s. The third is mine. If anything should happen”—his gaze slid to Bastien and back—“call them in that order. Seth can teleport directly to you. If you can’t reach him, Richart can probably teleport to your general area and find you. If he can’t be reached, call me and I’ll track your GPS signal and bring a small army of men.”
    Bastien raised one eyebrow. “A small army of men couldn’t stop me last night.”
    Melanie sighed. Why did Bastien have to antagonize everyone every chance he could get?
    Todd huffed a laugh. “Did you or did you not have to be carried in here?”
    Melanie hoped that would end the exchange.
    It didn’t. True to form, Bastien spoke in a taunting voice. “Not before I killed every human that was gunning for me.”
    Todd’s jaw tightened.
    “Enough,” Melanie said, throwing up her hands. “If you two want to continue duking it out verbally later, then feel free. Right now we need to