Shadow Reaper (Shadowlands Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

certain that his twin was in grave danger. As soon as he accepted this, the fear subsided and he could move. He didn’t bother packing up the ladder or his tools. There was no time for that, he had to find Blake. He needed to use the Eye.

ASH
    “Are you seriously going to eat that?”
    The voice came out of nowhere. If I could have, I would have spun around to see who was there. But I was held immobile, about to be a monster’s supper.
    The monster had paused. He snapped his mouth shut and glared at the speaker over my head.
    “That was my intent.”
    My mouth fell open in shock. The monster was talking, albeit without moving its mouth, but it was talking.
    “Fine, go ahead, but I should warn you, they’re extremely unpalatable. Downright gnarly, actually. Digestion will be a bitch.”
    The monster cocked his head. “And why do you care?”
    “I don’t, but this is my place of residence, and having a twelve-foot Slider incapacitated with indigestion and being devoured by Scuttlers wouldn’t be the most pleasant viewing.”
    “Scuttlers?”
    “Oh, did I forget to mention? A scout caught the scent of the bleeding human a short while ago. I’m sure his colony will be along in a moment. They’re expecting a feast, and it looks like they’ll be getting one.”
    What the hell were Scuttlers? I felt faint with fear.
    The monster’s grip tightened on me, so tight that my bones ached, my eyes bugged, and then I was free, falling to the ground in a painful heap.
    “I owe you nothing, Shade,” the monster said.
    “I expect nothing.”
    The darkness swallowed the monster, and there was silence.
    “Come on, shiny human, get up. I wasn’t bluffing about the Scuttlers. I can’t help you any further. You must help yourself.”
    I struggled to catch my breath. “Thank you.” I turned to face the speaker and found nothing but darkness.
    “Ashling,” Ryder said.
    I tore my gaze away from the spot where I was sure the speaker stood and pulled myself to my feet. “Where are you?” I addressed Ryder, but my eyes were fixed on the spot where the speaker should be.
    “There’s a flight of stairs to your left. Careful, the third step is rotten. I’m just . . . I’m at the top, but Ash, my leg, its hurt bad. I’ve lost a lot of blood and I feel . . . I feel fuzzy. I don’t know if I can make it. You should go without me.”
    Yeah, that was not happening. “We can do this.” I located the stairs and carefully made my way up.
    “Hey. Can you help me?” I called out to the speaker. I knew he was still there. I could feel him.
    It was Ryder who answered. “I told you, Ash, my leg—”
    “I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to the other guy.”
    I reached the top of the stairs and almost fell on top of Ryder. He grabbed hold of my hips to steady me.
    “What other guy?”
    I helped haul him up, and he slung his arm over my shoulder. I braced for his weight. I was pretty strong for a girl, mostly lean muscle, and my balance was usually great. I adjusted my own weight to compensate for his.
    “The guy who called off the monster.”
    We began to walk down the dodgy stairs.
    “Ash, what are you talking about? There’s no one else here.”
    I glanced sharply at him. Could it be that he hadn’t heard the conversation between the monster and the speaker?
    “Hurry! They’re coming, dammit, stop talking and run . . . or hobble, whatever gets you away,” the voice came.
    “There! Did you hear that?” I asked Ryder.
    I could feel Ryder’s frown in the darkness. “We need to get you back to base. Maybe that thing poisoned you or something. Shit! You should never have come after me.”
    We were at the foot of the stairs when my skin broke out in gooseflesh. Something was coming,
    “Listen, Ryder, we need to move as fast as we can. The Scuttlers are coming.”
    “The whatlers?”
    He hadn’t heard it, hadn’t heard anything. Maybe I was going crazy, or maybe there was something else going on here. I