Dana Ilic and the Shadow Door (Lightwielder Chronicles #1) | ✔️

8 | I Really, Really, Really Hate Apples

"Neatooo! You have eye-headlights, D! Err... Eye-lights?"

"What? I've got some kind of... light vision? O-M.G." I let out a nervous chuckle. "I'm a total freak."

"Nooo, what are you saying! You're awesome!" Max's face broke into a huge grin.

"You think so?"

No one had ever told me I was awesome, before.

"Yeah! Just imagine: with you around, we'll never need a flashlight again!"

I giggled. "Ooh, wait. Lemme try something."

I shut one eye. A single light beam was still lighting our way.

Then I willed both to 'turn off,' and it worked.

"Siiick." Max whistled.

It made me feel pretty good about myself.

"Hey, what's that?" I peered at a dark column that suddenly materialised at my feet, and jumped away.

"What's what?" Max glanced downwards at what I was showing him, but it was clear he couldn't see anything.

Not like me.

How come I'm the only one I can see it? Have my eye-lights turned me into some dachshund for Shadows? Shadowy detective?

That faint plume of shadowy smoke again. This time round, it zig-zagged through the alleyway and out of my sight.

Had the Shades passed this way? And... Blake?

"You can't see this... erm... Shadow trail?"

"Nuh-uh." He rubbed his temple. "You sure that's what we're seeing?

"Positive. Saw the same thing in the boys' restroom."

"Sure we should follow it? Maybe we could, you know, just ask around for directions?" Max said in a pleading voice.

I first walked, then jogged, and finally ran after it.

"Wait up, D!" He started after me, almost tripping on a stray orange peel.

I collided with a pink-sweatered grandma carrying two checkered bags full of various groceries. She mumbled something about 'youth these days.'

I muttered a brief sorry before speeding up even further. The woman didn't seem to notice my eye-lights at all!

The shadowy smokey trail grew thicker and thicker. At one point I didn't even need the extra illumination.

After tripping and cursing and generally feeling miserable for another mile or so, we broke out on a wide avenue. The smell of the food reminded me that I hadn't had any nourishment since supper, and my stomach rumbled unpleasantly.

On our left there was a closed-down gas station, a tattered billboard for a new Avengers movie, and one open business, which was the source of the good smell.

It wasn't a fast-food restaurant like I had hoped. It looked like a weird grocery shop. The main building was long, low warehouse, surrounded by dozens of... bird cages? The sign above the gate read:

ZHARA'S TOOTIE FROOTIE SHOPPE

"D, is that what I think it is?" Max whispered.

There was no mistake. The plume of smoke led straight through the bird cages and into the grocery shop itself.

I peered ahead. There was something, or someone blocking our path.

A dark, tall silhouette on...

"Is that a... Motorbike?" I exclaimed.

And it was.