Shadows and Ruins

by Denise A. Agnew

  see his wound that well, but the shirt looked soaked with blood.

  He saw her looking at him and grunted. He cursed. "That bullshit boyfriend of

  yours managed to clip me with a shot. Not that it matters. I got the last word."

  "Looks like it's bleeding pretty profusely."

  He let loose a bark of laughter. "You ought to worry more about your pretty little

  butt and what I'm going to do with you."

  That he might have more than murder in mind made her blood freeze and her heart

  beat triple time.

  "Now where is the treasure?" he asked.

  "It's actually not right here."

  He grabbed her arm. "Don't screw with me. Weredemons can tell when humans are

  lying. Where is it?"

  Well, you must be a shitty weredemon, bud, because you would know I'm lying about

  knowing where the fucking thing is.

  She pointed north to Buzzard Ridge. "I left it up there for safekeeping."

  "So you left it near the mine? Really? That's ballsy." He poked her in the side with

  the gun. "Move it."

  "I can't see without the flashlight."

  "I'll point the damn thing so you can see to walk. Move it."

  The dry earth crunched beneath her feet as she walked, and as she looked toward

  the ridge and noted the brightness of the stars, she wished she were here with Shane,

  telling him she loved him and would always love him.

  As she walked up the path that came close to the mine, the cool night bit through

  her shirt. Shane's horse had traversed the narrow, steep trail with sure footing, but in

  the dark Emma slipped more than once. Behind her Reddins' breathing became ragged

  and she wondered if the wound in his arm gave him enough trouble. Bleed to death, you

  bastard. Maybe your demon ass isn't so tough.

  Night sounds reached her ears. Wind whispered a haunting call, and the rocks

  underneath her feet shifted. Her breath sounded labored and painful to her own ears.

  Her side ached unmercifully. Reddins urged her forward by poking her in the back

  with the weapon.

  It was then she saw the glowing blue light coming from around the boards that

  blocked up the mine entrance.

  She could run. She could try and hide, but she had a feeling he would kill her rather

  than allow her to get away.

  He laughed. "There. You see? The Shadow Realm beckons. We'll be there soon."

  They moved past the mine, and as she walked by it, her heart almost closed off her

  throat, pounding in her ears and making her knees tremble with stark fear. She'd tried

  fending off this unmitigated terror, but something inside the mine called to her with a

  feral, awful voice she could hear in the depths of her heart.

  Something was in there. What, she didn't wish to know.

  They continued until the mine was far behind them and the slope of the path went

  up steeply. Her breath rasped in her throat as he urged her to take the trail faster.

  They'd almost reached the top of the trail.

  The shot blasted from the top of the ridge in front of them. Emma fully expected to

  feel a sharp, agonizing impact, but no pain arrived.

  Now was her chance.

  "Fuck!" Reddins cursed loudly.

  She aimed for his wounded arm and shoved him as hard as she could, uttering a

  defiant, angry grunt. He tripped and went down. She stumbled in the dark, heading

  back down the trail, hoping she could get far enough of ahead and whoever was

  shooting, to hide.

  Another shot rang out and she flinched. She sent up a silent prayer that she

  wouldn't fall on the precarious trail and plunge down a rocky slope. Footfalls echoed

  behind her, coming down the trail at top speed.

  Blood rushed in her ears, fear pushing her on and stretching her lungs to the limit

  as she used memory and sheer luck to negotiate precarious twists and turns. She was

  almost to the bottom when her luck ran out. She heard a strange rushing noise, then

  blue light enveloped her. She had a second to register searing pain throughout her body

  before she tripped on a rock and fell to her hands and knees. The jolt rocketed through

  her limbs, her palms stinging, her knees protesting with sharp needles of pain. Without

  warning, the rock gave way under her and she slid over the edge. Her scream pierced

  the canyon, and for that solitary moment, she believed death arrived.

  A thousand thoughts bombarded her at once. She would never see Shane again.

  Never again.

  In the distance, she thought she heard someone call her name, a strangled,

  desperate cry.

  Grabbing for purchase, she attempted to slow her descent, frantic for anything that

  might save her from the rocks below.

  Agony tore at her body as she rolled. Abruptly she came to a slamming halt against

  a boulder. She couldn't halt a whimper as her ribs protested, and her breath left in a

  rush. If she'd done serious damage, she doubted she'd make it out alive. Without

  moving, she tried to shove away pain and panic. A terrible trembling fluttered through

  her body, and her breath rasped. She swallowed convulsively and almost choked on the

  dry air.

  Lie still. Don't move.

  Every part of her hurt and she wondered if she should surrender to the shooter and

  end the misery. Several moments later, she heard shuffling sounds above her.

  Footsteps.

  Remaining immobile, Emma waited. Her heart picked up a disturbing tempo in her

  breast and she barely took a breath in case that small sound would betray her position.

  Finally, the footsteps moved away and, in relief, she closed her eyes. She put a hand

  over her mouth to stifle the cry that entered her throat.

  How would she escape? After careful deliberation, she decided the best thing to do

  would be to stay put until daybreak. She'd need to find a place to hide in case the

  shooter stayed and intended to search for her in the light of morning.

  Shots rocketed around the canyon below and she thought she heard sirens in the

  distance. Once again, she imagined she heard her name called.

  But who would be calling for her? Shane?

  No. He is dead. Dead.

  Hot tears leaked down her cheeks and she stifled a sob.

  In her mind the words echoed over and over again, the mourning of a widow. I love

  you. I love you. I love you, Shane.

  Time passed in a mental haze of agony and when she heard her name again, she

  opened her eyes and slowly turned over so she could see back up the slope. Lights

  bounced like strobes at the top of the hill and a milligram of hope surged within her.

  But were the lights friendly?

  More voices. Then a deep masculine voice from right above her position said

  hoarsely, "Tell us where she is, you bastard."

  "I don't know where she is." Cursing followed, a long vehement strand. "After I

  shot at them she ran. Could be anywhere."

  "I'm warning you for the last time, if you don't tell me what you've done with her, I

  will make certain you rue the day you were born in that fucking place you call the

  Shadow Realm!"

  "I don't know where she is." The voice gritted each word out.

  "If you've hurt her I'll personally see to it you fry. You won't get a chance to face

  execution in this realm. This electrical converter sword isn't a toy." Menace laced the

  words, but this time
she knew the voice.

  Shane. Shane's beloved voice.

  "Shane," she said, a sob breaking forth in her voice, relief practically paralyzing her.

  Wincing in pain, she levered herself onto her hands and knees. She realized she'd

  rolled down a gradual slope and not a complete drop, as she'd once feared. But not far

  below her must be a sheer fall to the canyon floor. One more false move and she would

  die.

  Thankfully nothing appeared to be broken, but every inch of her body throbbed

  and her limbs trembled.

  "Shane, down here!" she cried.

  "Did you hear that?" another voice, this one also familiar, came from the top of the

  slope. Officer Johnson? Seconds later someone edged down the slope.

  "Emma?" Shane's voice again.

  "Yes!"

  "Don't move! I'm coming for you."

  Flashlight beams bounced down the hillside, blinding her with light.

  In the bright light she saw Shane slowly making his way down the hill. He held a

  strange gleaming silver sword in his right hand. In a few short moments, she reached

  for him. She heard a clang as he dropped the sword.

  A large hand clasped hers. "God, Emma!" He pulled her toward him swiftly as he

  sank to his knees in front of her and drew her against his body. He explored her back,

  shoulders, and arms. "Are you hurt, sweetheart?"

  She shook her head, her breath coming fast as she tried to focus on the face so close

  to her own.

  "Shane," she gasped. Stark relief weakened her limbs and she sagged against him.

  She cupped his face in her hands, enjoyed the feeling of his body against her, reveling in

  the fact he was alive and holding her close. "I saw you lying on the porch and thought

  Reddins had killed you."

  She sucked in a painful breath and a sob broke from her throat.

  He kissed her, his arms crushing her to him. She tasted his lips quickly, pressing

  hard and desperate. He broke from their kiss. "He grazed my shoulder. The force of the

  shot threw me into the side of the house and knocked me cold."

  She touched his bloodied shoulder. "Oh, God. It must hurt like hell."

  "Not as much as realizing that the bastard had you," he murmured, pressing kisses

  to her face.

  She lessened her grip on him fearing that she might hurt him. A fresh spate of tears

  threatened her eyes.

  As his arms enveloped her tightly, he put his lips close to her ear and whispered,

  his voice husky, "I love you." He stuttered, his words coming broken. "When…when I

  realized you'd been taken…that he might have killed you…I could have died, Emma."

  "Shane," she said, wonder and fierce belief adding conviction to her words. "I love

  you so much it hurts."

  Emma cried in earnest then, tears of happiness, relief and love. As she touched his

  face, she felt tears on his cheeks and her heart melted under his tender words. She

  sobbed quietly and he held her against him as if he'd never let her go, kissing her

  temples, her cheeks, her lips with tender care.

  She pulled back to look at him. "I saw you lying there—"

  "Shhhh." He kissed her softly. "I'm here now…you're safe. Nothing can part us."

  She glanced up and realized the flashlight beams no longer shone down on them.

  They were totally alone. "Who was up there with you? Reddins?"

  He nodded. "Yeah, Reddins and a weredemon of great power from the Shadow

  Realm. Reddins refers to him as the One."

  She looked at the sword he'd placed on the ground so that he could hold her. "And

  this sword is…?"

  "It's used for killing creatures from the Shadow Realm. This is a new one. It was

  delivered the other day from the agency."

  Shane explained that the One wanted to find out where the necklace was and had

  followed Reddins and Emma.

  She shivered in the cold mountain air. "Reddins killed Grant."

  Shane nodded. "Wilder didn't know what he was dealing with."

  She laughed without true amusement. "I didn't know what I was dealing with.

  What will happen to this the One and Reddins?"

  "The One and Reddins will be in agency custody. They'll be sent back to the

  Shadow Realm from there. The One had been trying for years to escape the Shadow

  Realm in the first place. When he did escape out of the mine portal a year ago he

  inhabited the human body just the way his crony took over Reddins' body. The mine

  entrance is a portal to the Shadow Realm. Miners used to disappear all the time

  working that mine back in the 1800s. When Sadie went missing, it probably seemed to

  everyone at the time that she'd been swallowed up trying to work the mine herself.

  Once the SIA realized the mine was actually a portal to the other realm, we've worked

  to keep people away."

  "Won't people wonder where Reddins went?"

  "The official word will be he went into the mine to try and save you and was buried

  in a rock fall."

  "I didn't go into the mine."

  "Like I said, the official story is going to be a hell of a lot different than the real

  story. It's the way we have to handle all these situations."

  She shook her head. "But can't the weredemons escape from police custody?"

  Shane looked up the hill. "The SIA is sending two agents to help me. In the

  meantime, the local police can keep them under wraps that long." He tilted her chin up

  and caressed the side of her face with his fingers. "Johnson's been briefed on the reality

  of the situation. We don't like to let officials outside of SIA in on weredemon captures,

  but I had no choice."

  "Thank God we didn't make it to the mine," she said with heaviness and dread

  within her heart once more. "I probably never would have made it out."

  She trembled, physical and emotional pain bombarding her. Her sanctuary resided

  in knowing Shane loved her.

  He gathered her closer and kissed her forehead. "Don't think about that,

  sweetheart."

  "Just hold me. Please hold me."

  "Forever," he said softly.

  * * *

  Epilogue

  Shane waited patiently as he watched Emma's Explorer move along the driveway

  to the ranch house. He wondered if it was possible to be any happier.

  Three days had gone by since he'd plucked Emma off the side of the ridge and told

  her how much he loved her. With that knowledge, he knew the ghost of his father's

  deeds had dissolved. From now on, he wanted a stable life with home, friends and

  family.

  For three days he'd tested the water, wondering if she'd be receptive to his idea, his

  plan. More than anything he didn't want to crowd her or make her feel obligated to him

  in any way. He knew that love didn't always guarantee forever after. But he wanted

  eternity with her more than he'd wanted anything in his life.

  When Emma arrived at the ranch house, Charlie jumped up from her position

  outside the front door and rushed toward the Explorer. Emma got out of the vehicle

  and Charlie leapt on her, putting two dirty paws on her white shirtfront and practically

  knocking her down. It was so good to see the dog up and about. Fortunately, Charlie

  was a robust creature and the gunshot wound had barely grazed the hearty dog.

  Emma sagged against the Explorer as Charlie's weight sent her backwards. She

  winced. Two bruised ribs and
a sprained back muscle from her fall down the ridge

  would take a while longer to heal. Reddins' weredemon powers had actually caused

  her to trip in the first place when he'd sprayed a blue particle beam at her from his

  fingertips.

  Emma laughed and stroked the exuberant creature. "All right already."

  When Charlie finally dropped back to the ground, Shane made his way toward

  Emma. When he reached her, he stayed silent as he cupped her face and placed a tender

  kiss on her lips.

  "Hello to you too," she said softly.

  When he released her he asked, "So what took you so long? Did my aunt pull her

  famous shop-'til-you-drop sequence on you?"

  "No, it's actually a woman thing. It took me a long time to decide what I wanted."

  "Uh-huh. Well, it took me awhile to find what I wanted. It's taken me a whole

  lifetime."

  She smiled. "What have you got up your sleeve, Shane O'Donnell?"

  He took her hand and led her into the house. "I think you ought to stay here with

  me and recuperate from your experiences."

  "Isn't that what I'm doing now?"

  "No…you want to find that necklace."

  She sighed. "No one knows where Sadie hid that necklace, Shane. I'd like to find it."

  "I'd rather you didn't. The opening to Sadie's mine isn't scheduled to be blocked up

  for another day."

  She'd asked before why the SIA hadn't blocked up the mine earlier. The party line

  was that the SIA wanted access to the Shadow Realm by way of the mine. Shane raised

  holy hell with the head of SIA to obtain permission to have it blocked. He reminded

  them of the hundreds of other access areas available around the world.

  But with access to the Shadow Realm, that always meant the beings who inhabited

  the other dimension could find their way into this world as well.

  When he'd heard from Mac Tudor that mine closure would come about, Shane felt

  profound relief.

  She sighed and sank onto the couch. She looked pensive and he worried she'd

  refuse to stay here any longer with him.

  "Are you okay? How are your ribs?" he asked.

  "A little sore. I'm okay, though."

  "Good. But I sense something is making you unhappy. What do you need to be

  happy, Emma?"

  She smiled and he relished the way color came to her cheeks. "Being here with you.