Hunting Shadows (Shadows 3)

Chapter Eighteen

We didn’t talk much on the drive to Connecticut in Ryan’s car. I was still trying to come to grips with what had happened to Jenny. A part of me couldn’t believe that she was actually gone. I couldn’t accept that that her life had been extinguished; she was too vivacious and full of life to just be gone in the blink of an eye. I wanted to cry, I wanted to wail at the injustice of it all and my inability to save her, but that wouldn’t bring her back. The only thing left to do was to make sure that her killers didn’t get away with it.

It was late by the time we got to the address Marie had given us. We pulled up to an apartment building that I instantly recognized. It was the one that I had woken up in, the one Marie had brought us to after saving us from Lenore and my father.

Marie buzzed us up after we rang the bell and we made our way up the stairs. When we entered the apartment, a woman who looked to be in her forties was standing beside Marie.

“This is Sophia,” Marie said and the woman nodded, smiling at us nervously.

“Nice to meet you, Sophia,” I said as I shook her hand, although the last thing I wanted to do was exchange pleasantries. I waited impatiently while Marie introduced Ryan and Simon to Sophia, wanting to move the process along as quickly as possible.

“I’ve told Sophia everything that’s happened, like you asked,” Marie told me. “She’s prepared to help us put you under.”

“Good. Let’s get started.”

Simon grabbed Ryan’s arm as they gathered around me. “If you feel anything going wrong, you better pull her the hell out,” Simon warned.

“I don’t want to put her life at risk any more than you do,” Ryan said grimly as he shook Simon’s hand off.

Simon was watching me with worried eyes as I felt myself slip below as the seers’ energies pushed me down into unconsciousness. I felt my body growing weightless and soon I was aware of nothing besides the interior of my own mind.

I strained my eyes, trying to make out the shape in front of me. I tensed when I finally recognized the figure.

“Jenny?” I asked in a trembling voice. “What are you doing here?”

Jenny’s green eyes looked as vibrant as they had when she was alive. She grinned at me as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

“Me? What are you doing here?” Her smiled faded. “Are you gone too?”

“No,” I whispered. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to save you.”

She shrugged, no longer looking concerned. “You can’t always control what happens. You should know that by now.”

“Do you know what happened to you?” I asked.

“Do you?” she countered.

“Your vardoger tried to kill you and I wasn’t strong enough to destroy it before you drowned.” My voice was filled with pain. “I’m so sorry.”

Jenny arched a brow. “Caitlin, is that really what happened?”

I looked at her confused. “Of course. I was there.”

She shook her head in disappointment. “Don’t believe everything you see with your eyes.”

“Then what really happened?”

“I can’t tell you that,” she said gently. “I’m not even really here.”

I was starting to get disoriented so I tried to focus my thoughts. “Do you know if my father was involved? Do you know where he is?”

“Your father is looking for you. A father always looks for his daughter. He knows you hold all the answers.”

“Where is he?” I asked, feeling myself grow frustrated. “How can I stop him?”

“Opposites attract,” Jenny said, her image and voice growing fainter. I wanted to reach out to grab her, to stop her from leaving, but I felt too weak. “Palladium and iridium. You think they’re opposites but what if they’re together? What happens then?”

“Jenny, wait!” I yelled but she disappeared completely before I was finished calling out her name.