Wolf Incarnate (Shadows Over the Realm) Read Online Free PDF Page A

them lock the door, but there was a window on the other side of the room. If she remembered correctly, there was roof just outside the window. Perhaps even a drainage pipe along the side of the house. At least, she hoped there was.
    First, she needed to get out of this damn chair. She eyed it as best she could from her sitting position. It seemed to be made of wood, and Amber felt sure that in a pinch she could smash it to pieces against the wall. However, that would make too much noise. No, it was smarter to try getting her hands free first, if she could.
    She wringed her wrists in opposite directions for several minutes, closing her eyes and clenching her teeth against the pain of the rough, material against her skin. If she slowed it would hurt less, but might take longer than she had. Just a little longer, Amber.
    She paused when she heard a sound in the stairwell. It was a pair of steps. But she had seen Eiph and Nguyen work and knew that, while it sounded like the steady sound of one person coming up the stairs, it was actually two - side by side. Amber suppressed a shiver.
    Stopping her movements, trying her best to look downcast and defeated, she waited for them to enter. The more it looked like she’d given up, the more likely they were to leave her alone for another extended period. When they came back the next time, she resolved, she wouldn’t be there.
    The door opened, and the two stepped through, Eiph entering first.
    “Ah. I see we’ve calmed down some. Perhaps now we can talk like dignified people, hm?” he said it as he walked up to her. Amber was frightened, but stayed still. After what she saw in that café, it was all she could do to keep from crying hysterically. Right now she was in survival mode, however.
    Dr. Eiph removed her gag, pulling up a chair from a corner and sitting down. Mrs. Nguyen stayed standing. Outside, she could hear the sounds of children playing. Amber dared not shout, despite her desire to do so, however. Coming along willingly was the only thing that had saved that poor waitress. She got the feeling that they would do just as bad, if not worse, to kids.
    “You may find this surprising, but we are not your enemies,” he said smilingly. Amber studied him, trying to memorize his face. She found, however, that her mind simply slid off of him. Every detail she looked for, she seemed to find - all at once, until her head hurt. He was tall and black until she noticed that maybe he was a lighter color than she had imagined and was perhaps Indian no wait that couldn’t be it, - white with a dark tan? Her head began to hurt, the more she searched. Finally, she was forced to look away. The only thing all her mind’s accounts of him had in common were the outfit, top had, monocle, and gender.
    Nguyen was similar, but different. She found herself still unable to force her senses to give her one account of the woman, but for different reasons. Rather than seeming to shift under her gaze, Nguyen was generic. It was as if, if you had averaged every human being on Earth using a computer program, you would end up with a picture of Nguyen. The effect was disturbing - almost worse than with Eiph. She wasn’t Vietnamese. Well, no more Vietnamese than anything else. However, her she did seem to be female and rotund. Her clothing also stayed the same, a vibrant blue throughout.
    “ If you’re not my enemies, than untie me,” Amber said, looking Eiph in the eye as best she could.
    Eiph chuckled, and Nguyen shook her head and scoffed.
    “My dear girl, do we look stupid? We had hoped to avoid all of this, but it seems as though you were able to sense us for what we are when we entered that café. I recommend that the next time you experience such a revelation, you maintain your composure. At any rate after that, well, we were left with very few options. As I said, we have no intention of harming you, and we have made arrangements for your lupine friend to find and release you after we have