بخش 33

CHAPTER 64

THE BLACK POOL

OMBRA’S SHIFTING FORM hovered alongside the blinded Jenna, who groveled at the hem of his cape, her ink-stained eyes stinging painfully. The knife, with its shining blade, lay on the floor between them.

“My lord…” said Jenna, “I’m sorry. Forgive me. I—”

“A knife?” came the low wheeze of Ombra’s voice. “You might have hurt her.”

“I beg you, my lord—”

“We need her, you fool.”

“I only meant to—”

“You dare disobey my instructions?”

As he spoke, Ombra moved so that his cloaklike shape edged over the maid’s shadow, cast by the hall’s flickering wall lamp. Jenna’s stinging, bloodshot eyes widened in fear.

“No!” she cried, trying to scramble away on the floor. “I’m sorry, Lord Ombra! Please!”

But it was too late. Jenna’s shadow, where it touched Ombra, was turning bloodred. The coloration spread rapidly across her shadow to her feet, then through her legs into her black-and-white uniform, disappearing briefly until it appeared again on her arms, her neck, her face.

Jenna, her entire body crimson now, writhed on the floor in agony, her voice weakening.

“Please…no…”

Ombra stepped off her shadow. Instantly the redness began receding from her body, flowing back into his cape, as if sucked into a huge black sponge. Jenna’s skin returned to its sallow, pale color. Her eyes wept indigo tears.

“You will remain here,” Ombra said, “and await my orders. You will obey my orders exactly.”

Jenna nodded vigorously.

Ombra turned the doorknob, pushed: the door was locked. He looked down at the bottom of the door. And then he disappeared.

Except that he had not disappeared. Where he had stood, now there was only a shadow—a black, lightless pool on the floor, next to the crack at the bottom of the door.

Silently, the shadow began to flow forward under the door, and into Molly’s room. CHAPTER 65

AN URGENT SEARCH

PETER PERCHED ON a narrow ledge outside the third floor of the house. He had been flying from window to window—the house had dozens—peering painstakingly into each one, looking, without success, for Molly. He’d tried opening them, but they were latched shut. He’d also considered breaking one, but the panes were too small for him to climb through.

A few minutes earlier he’d heard muffled screams; these had drawn him to the window of the room he stood outside now. He’d gotten there just in time to see a lady-—not Molly—being dragged out by Slank and another man.

Now, looking down at the front walk, he saw the lady being carried roughly to the cab. She was putting up a game fight, but she was no match for the two men. Peter hesitated, wanting to help the woman, but knowing that he could not leave Molly alone in the house. He watched helplessly as the men forced the lady into the cab; two of the other men climbed in after her. The driver flicked the reins, and in a moment the cab disappeared into the foggy night.

Peter turned back to the house and resumed going window to window. His search was all the more urgent now. The dark-cloaked man had not emerged from the house. He was still inside, no doubt looking for Molly.

Peter had to find her first.