Shadows of the Night | BOOK 2 DRAFT

27

27.

Cynthia's shadow stretches across the ground, swallowing the light streaming from behind her. Back in the hollower village, she only ever wore long dresses that gathered dirt as they swished along the ground. Now, her once long gray hair is cut to her collarbone and she wears long black pants that hug her body. She looks frail and bony, nothing like the woman I remember.

The stabbing feeling in my gut overtakes everything else as I lie flat against the ground. I squeeze my eyes shut, as if to blink away this nightmare. But when I open my eyes, she's still there. In the shifter village.

"How is she here?" Cassia whispers, voice filled with horror.

"Get back," Eric barks, grabbing my arm. I stumble backwards till Cynthia is blocked by the trees, but Elias, still perched low, doesn't move. His eyes are glued on her, unmoving, stuck somewhere far away where nobody can reach him.

"Elias." Eric shoves him. They meet gazes, words passed through their wordless stare. Cassia grabs my elbow, pulling me gently back into the forest. I don't protest, glancing over my shoulder once more. I can't see Cynthia, but I can see her shadow cast across the earth.

We stop once we're deeper in the forest, away from the view of the castle. Malik stares behind us, bewildered, and Cassia nibbles her lips nervously. Eric and Elias arrive seconds later, Eric cursing beneath his breath and Elias deathly pale.

A heavy silence lingers in the air, compressing down like a weight. "We have to do something," I say when nobody else speaks. "She must've done something to the villagers. To Aliyah, to Bastian—"

"My guards," Malik murmurs, eyes on the ground. "They're the best of our village, trained right from childhood." He looks over his shoulder, back in the direction of the village, voice filled with horror. "That hollower couldn't have done this alone."

My heart thumps as he meets my gaze. How many of them are here? Are they all immortal?

Behind me, Elias starts to move. He throws his backpack on the ground and starts to rifle through, pulling out the coat stuffed at the top.

"What're you doing?" Cassia asks. He doesn't answer, throwing out a couple of the water bottles to get to the bottom. "Elias—"

"I'm going to kill her."

Cassia and I exchange looks, and her expression confirms the concern brimming inside of me. He finds what he was looking for, pulling out the shadow. He unravels the cloth around it, releasing the teal stone engraved in the hilt. He handles it delicately, turning it over in his hands, eyes trained on the tip.

Eric takes a few steps forward. "We need to find out what's going on."

"I know what's going on," Elias says. "That hollower has taken my village captive. She's infiltrated our people. She's the one with the serum, she's the one who took me, she's where this ends. And I'm going to kill her."

I step back, bark from the tree behind me rubbing against my skin. His words drip with venom, disgust, hatred. I've never seen this version of Elias before. Before anybody can say anything, he twists on his heel and starts walking back, shadow in hand.

We're all shocked, expect for Malik. Malik steps forward, puts a hand on Elias' shoulder. Elias shoves past him. He stands in front of Elias, blocking him. Without a second thought, Elias launches him across the clearing. Malik whacks against a tree with a thud, groaning.

Eric zooms in front of Elias. "Eric, get out of my way," Elias says.

"Stop. Just think for a moment."