Hunting Shadows (Shadow Series #3)

by S. H. Kolee

  Simon frowned at me. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

  I nodded determinedly. “I want him to be able to find me easily. I’m ready for him. I’m much stronger than before and I know what he’s capable of. As long as I don’t have any palladium on me, I’ll be able to fight him. And this time, I’m not willing to lose the fight.”

  Simon looked grim as he gave Ryan directions to my aunt’s house since he knew his way around Connecticut much better than I did. Ryan didn’t comment on our destination and just followed Simon’s directions.

  It was eerie to see my aunt’s house again when we pulled up in front of it. The exterior of the house still looked neat and tidy, at odds with the horrors I had witnessed and experienced inside. But I reminded myself that it was also the place where I had met Aunt Brenda for the first time. For all the bad memories the house held, I refused to let it ruin the moment when I had met my aunt who had embraced me with open arms and an open heart. She died risking her life for me, and in a way the house was a memorial to her. I promised myself that I would make her self-sacrifice worthwhile.

  “It’s locked,” Ryan said when we tried the front door. I walked around to the side of the house and they both followed me. Simon looked resigned as he helped me through the small basement window without me having to ask. I wriggled through, trying to tamp down the fear that someone would grab my legs from the other side. I was relieved when I finally made it through. Besides being dustier, the basement looked exactly as I had remembered it. I quickly made my way up the stairs and opened the door leading to the first floor. There was a stillness to the house that was unsettling, as if it had died along with its owner, which made no sense since it was inanimate. I avoided looking into the living room as I walked to the front door and unlocked it. It was more than a little reassuring when Simon and Ryan joined me inside.

  “Nothing’s been touched,” Simon said as he made his way into the living room. “It’s exactly the same.”

  “I’m not sure who owns it now.” My mouth twisted at my next thought. “I wouldn’t be surprised if my father is the owner, since he’s her brother.”

  I followed Simon into the living room, trying to fight the rush of memories that swamped my mind of all the awful things that had happened in this room.

  “Are you okay?” Ryan’s voice behind me was gentle and I nodded, although my emotions were feeling a little unsteady. I glanced at him as he walked past me towards the kitchen carrying a bag of groceries that we had picked up on the drive over. It seemed so banal to go through the motions of normal life, but I couldn’t deny the grumble in my stomach.

  “I’m assuming the kitchen is back here. I’ll play chef and make us something to eat,” Ryan suggested and disappeared.

  “I wouldn’t put it past him to poison my food,” Simon grumbled but there was no heat behind his words. When he announced that he was going to search the house to make sure we were alone, I just nodded, not feeling the need to go with him. As he bounded up the stairs, I looked out the front window of the living room. It was still morning and the street was quiet with no motions of life. Earlier, Ryan had said my father’s energy was getting closer and that he wouldn’t be surprised if he arrived by nightfall. I wondered if Marie would be with him. The more I thought about it, the more I was convinced that Marie had stolen the metal disk. There was no other reason for her to run. I just wished I knew why she had done it after going to such lengths to help us. The thought of her reporting details of our activities to my father the whole time was a bitter pill to swallow.

  I turned around as Simon came back downstairs and sat down on the couch. “It’s all clear,” he said. “Nobody’s here besides us.” He studied my face when I didn’t comment. “What are you thinking about?”

  I sighed heavily. “I know the logical conclusion is that Marie stole the palladium and iridium disk, but I’m having a hard time accepting it. She hates my father. You didn’t see the look on her face when she told me about how they killed her sister. I just can’t believe that she would betray us like that.”

  “We don’t know for sure that she did.” Simon jerked his head towards the kitchen. “For all we know, he could have it stashed away somewhere.”

  “But that still doesn’t explain why Marie ran.”

  Simon raised an eyebrow. “Did she? I was totally focused on you when the vardogers attacked so I have no idea what was going on with either of them. You didn’t see her run either. We’re just going on Ryan’s word.”

  I crossed my arms against my chest and tried to see past Simon’s bias against Ryan. He wasn’t completely wrong that we couldn’t rule out Ryan as a potential thief, but I didn’t want to believe it. As much as Marie had helped me, Ryan had been by my side helping me fight vardogers. He was continually encouraging me to become a stronger seer and to believe in my own powers. Why would he make me stronger only to tear me down?

  “Sandwiches are the best I could come up with,” Ryan announced as he strode back into the living room and I had to stop myself from jumping guiltily, hoping that he hadn’t overheard anything. He was carrying a plate piled high with sandwiches and seemed oblivious to our conversation.

  “That’s fine,” I said. I thanked Ryan and took a sandwich gratefully, my stomach growling again at the sight of food. I watched as Ryan offered the plate to Simon and was relieved when he simply took one without comment.

  I sat next to Simon on the couch and Ryan sat in the armchair opposite us. We were silent as we ate, each of us lost in our own thoughts. Simon and Ryan ate several more sandwiches but I couldn’t stomach anymore after the initial one. Now that my hunger had been satiated, I was feeling jittery with nervous energy.

  “Do you feel my father getting closer?” I asked. Ryan finished the last bite of his sandwich before answering.

  “He is, but he hasn’t picked up speed. I still expect him to make it here by tonight.” Ryan paused before continuing. “He’s not alone. I can feel the energies of other vardogers with him.”

  I tried not to panic by his revelation. “We need to have some sort of plan.” I rubbed my forehead, trying to push myself to think strategically. “We can’t just sit around waiting for him. We know he’s coming with other vardogers. We need to think of a plan of attack.”

  “Not only is your father going to come with vardogers in overtaken bodies, he’s probably going to bring bodiless vardogers as well,” Simon said. “You and Ryan should focus on the unattached ones since I can’t fight them. I’ll focus on the vardogers in physical bodies.”

  “I need to focus on my father. He’s coming here for me and he’s not going to be distracted by you or Ryan. I just need to make sure that he’s not able to get any palladium on me.”

  Simon looked like he was about to argue, but Ryan spoke up before he could object. “Caitlin’s right. You probably know better than we do about how unbelievably strong her father’s become. And whatever sanity he once possessed has left him. He’s obsessed with becoming immortal and he’ll do anything to make it happen. In his mind, that’s synonymous with getting his hands on Caitlin. She’s the only one strong enough to fight him.”

  “I’m not just serving her up on a goddamn platter to him,” Simon bit out. He turned to me, his expression determined. “As much as you want revenge on your father, you can’t sacrifice yourself either. The worst thing you can do is to be so intent on killing him that you get yourself killed in the process.”

  I understood that Simon was worried about my safety, but the last thing I was concerned about was me. Instead of telling him what I truly believed, that sacrificing myself would be worth it if it meant defeating my father, I tried to reassure him. “I’m not going to be reckless, but this is my fight. I’ll accept all the help I can get, but at the end of the day, it’s between me and my father.”

  Simon’s expression was grim but he didn’t argue any further. I just hoped he wouldn’t complicate matters by trying to protect me.

  “Simon’s righ
t that he should focus on the other vardogers in bodies except for your father.” I was just as amazed as Simon was by Ryan’s agreement with him, but if Ryan noticed our surprise he ignored it and continued talking. “I’ll focus on the bodiless vardogers but I’m not sure how effective I’ll be since I’m sure palladium will be used against me. Regardless, I’ll try.”

  “So I guess that’s our plan.” I tried to not sound disheartened. Even though I was much stronger than when I had initially faced my father, I couldn’t help feeling afraid the closer he got. I had to repeatedly tell myself that I could do this; that I could defeat my father.

  The hours dragged on as we hashed and rehashed dozens of scenarios, trying to predict how my father would attack and what our strongest positions would be. When it felt like we had exhausted every scenario, one of us would come up with another and it would be picked apart at length. It was fiercely debated whether Ryan would use his gun. Simon was wholeheartedly for it, but the last thing I wanted was the police to arrive at the scene, and I was sure they would if gunshots were fired. Also, even though I knew the human’s soul was probably long extinguished, I couldn’t dismiss the slight chance that it could still be present, trapped while their vardoger controlled their actions. I wasn’t willing to take the chance of killing a human soul. Simon argued that staying alive was more important. Ryan compromised between the two positions, saying that he would only use his gun if he felt there was no other choice.

  During our conversations and arguments, Ryan felt my father’s energy coming closer at a faster rate. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins in anticipation of his arrival. The sun was just starting to set when Ryan tensed, snapping his head toward the front door.

  “He’s close,” he said softly, his eyes still trained on the front door. “Get ready.”

  All my nerve-endings were on edge as we got into defensive positions. Simon guarded the back of the house while Ryan kept his attention on the front. I kept my eyes on the basement door in case he attacked from that direction. I was grateful that the house still had the electricity turned on; otherwise, we would have been completely in the dark.

  Minutes felt like hours as we waited. My muscles were starting to clench painfully from being tense for so long, but I ignored them as my ears strained to hear any noise. The last thing I expected was to hear a key turning in the front door and to see the knob turn, as if someone was coming home after a long day at work. It was hard not to gape when my father walked casually through the door and looked at us as if he had expected to find us here.

  He closed the door behind him and glanced at Ryan before dismissing him. Simon was at my side in a second but my father ignored him, focusing all his attention on me.

  “Caitlin.” He smiled at me, but the smile was a gross exaggeration of affection, his eyes reflecting all the hatred he felt towards me. “It’s about time you came to see me.”

  I blocked out his words. I didn’t want to hear anything he had to say. I didn’t know why he was walking in here alone without his army of vardogers to protect him, but I wasn’t wasting this chance when he was vulnerable. I immediately started funneling my energy together, feeling my powers gathering until it was pulsating inside of me.

  Instead of looking afraid, my father’s smile widened. “Are you sure you want to do that? I’m the only one who knows where your mother is.”

  As quickly as my energies had gathered, they diminished into nothing as I absorbed his words. My heart started pumping so hard that it felt like it would burst from my chest. I didn’t know if this was a trick, but I couldn’t resist the temptation to hear what my father had to say.

  “Prove it,” I demanded, my eyes narrowing. “Prove that my mother is alive in the next five seconds, otherwise I’m going to gladly destroy you.”

  My father kept his eyes on me as he spoke. “Bring her in.”

  The front door opened and Simon grabbed me when I stumbled back. I was unsure whether I was seeing a mirage. Maybe I so desperately wanted my mother to be alive that I was conjuring her up in my mind. But I had a feeling that this was no figment of my imagination. The image of my mother that I had seen only in pictures stared back at me. She was accompanied by a small balding man who had a grip on one of her arms.

  “It’s my mother,” I whispered, my voice breaking. I felt like I was going crazy. I had come to terms with my mother being dead, comforting myself with the fact that she had tried to help me from beyond through dreams and hypnosis. But now she was standing before me, alive and well, but the expression on her face was anything but motherly. It was menacing.

  “Don’t call me that,” she hissed, her voice cold and scathing. It felt like a lash against my heart. I had wished for my mother to be alive my whole life and now she was, but she was looking at me like she hated me.

  “She’s been overtaken,” Ryan said, moving so that he was on the other side of me. Simon kept his grip on my shoulder as if he were afraid I would collapse without his support.

  My father raised an eyebrow. “Not entirely correct. Your mother’s soul is in there as well. Sometimes it’s even strong enough to take control for a few moments.” He smiled at Simon mockingly. “You thought my idea to become immortal started when I began working with you. I’ve been experimenting long before you. Her mother was my first experiment sixteen years ago.” My father turned back to me, his smile turning into a sneer. “Your mother’s vardoger failed in overtaking her. Your stupid aunt saw to that by destroying it. I tried to get another vardoger to overtake her body but it didn’t work. But I kept her alive all these years since she was useful for experimenting on. When I found out about palladium, I convinced another vardoger to try to overtake your mother. You can see that it wasn’t entirely successful since her soul is still lodged inside her body but it’s the closest I’ve come to achieving success.”

  “You fucking asshole.” Hatred like I had never felt before surged inside of me. In that moment, I could have ripped my father apart with my bare hands. I moved towards him, the urge to attack physically overwhelming me, but I stopped when he grabbed my mother’s arm and shoved her between us.

  “Not so fast. I’m the only one who knows how to get rid of the vardoger inside her without killing her as well. With all my experimenting, it seems as though I’ve only been able to figure out how to get rid of the vardoger permanently and not the human soul. It’s quite unfortunate.”

  “Do it,” I said in a low voice. “Before I kill you.”

  “Let’s barter.” He smiled at me. “You for her.”

  “There is no way in hell you’re taking Caitlin,” Simon said in a voice that sent chills down my spine. I had never heard him sound so deadly.

  “Is that decision up to you?” my father asked in a jeering tone. He turned back to me. “Always controlled by a man, I see. First me, and now him.” He shook his head in mock pity. “You were always so easy to manipulate. So easily controlled by your emotions.”

  “Shut up,” I spat out, my rage and fear making me shake. I was in a tenuous position and as much as I knew I should just destroy my father, I couldn’t sacrifice my mother to do it. Even though I knew there was a chance that he was lying, I was unable to get past the fact that my mother’s soul could still be alive.

  “Assuming that you’re telling the truth, how do you do it?” Ryan asked, looking at him skeptically.

  “It’s more of a question of who than how,” my father said. “Only a few select vardogers can do it by using palladium.” He nodded towards the balding man. “Philip is one of the most powerful vardogers I’ve ever met. He overtook his person when he was only an infant and his powers have grown incredibly strong. It took a while to find such a strong vardoger, but once I did I knew it was time to visit Caitlin again.”

  Philip beamed at his words as if he was being praised by a proud parent, making me want to throw up in disgust.

  “This is a trick,” Simon insisted urgently. “He’s not just going to save your mother and hand her ove
r to you. He’s going to find a way to destroy you both.”

  I was intensely conflicted. I stared at my mother as a dozen emotions roiled through me. I wanted to reach out and touch her, to take her hand, but her expression told me she would recoil at my touch.

  My father sighed impatiently. “Fine, you want a show? You’ll get a show.” He turned to Philip. “Push the vardoger back so her mother’s soul can surface.”

  Philip pulled out a piece of palladium on a chain around his neck that had been tucked under his shirt. He put a hand on each of my mother’s arms as she struggled violently, cursing at him and then mewling in fear, begging him not to do it. He ignored her and closed his eyes, muttering under his breath. She began to struggle even more until her body suddenly went limp. Her head fell back as if it was too heavy to be supported by her neck. I almost expected her head to start spinning around like the Exorcist when she suddenly snapped her head towards me.

  “Don’t do it,” she pleaded in a hoarse voice. “It’s a trick. Destroy him and save yourself.”

  Her eyes bored into me and I started to tremble, feeling myself losing my grip on sanity. Her eyes held fear, urgency and desperation but it held another emotion that I recognized instantly: love. In that moment I saw my mother and I knew it was true. She was trapped in her body along with the vardoger. I couldn’t imagine the torture she had experienced all these years by my father’s hands, yet her only words were a plea for me to protect myself. I wanted to collapse onto the floor and weep bitterly for the mother I had thought was dead all these years. It was bittersweet because she had been kept alive only to be tortured.

  I steeled myself against my emotions. I needed to think clearly, logically, or my father would get the best of me. He looked angered by my mother’s words. “Shut her up,” he spat out to Philip, who nodded and started muttering again while gripping her arms. In mere seconds her body went from limp to rigid and tense again.