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

Bonus Chapters | Fried Egg Dress

Facing hundreds of Shadow Soldiers, whose fearsome leader Chernobog just happened to be my daddy dearest... It suddenly seemed so so much easier than last-minute picking a friggin 8th Grade formal dance dress!

I sat cross-legged on the forest-floor-inspired, hand-knotted rug in my aunt Tania's bedroom, absently twirling a lovely dandelion flower sprouting from the patchwork. 

"Found another one over heere!" Tania's head and her entire torso were buried deep inside a bird cage-like ginormous wardrobe. 

Her hands clad in elbow-length, black 'n' white gloves resembled badgers' paws as the woman hastily dug out all kinds of tank tops, skirts, and dresses, tossing them behind her back without even looking.

"That's nice, auntie," I meowed weakly in a feeble attempt of approval.

A mushroom-shaped blouse in all colors of the rainbow landed straight on my head, heavily-scented with an unpleasant mothball smell.

"Hey, how about this one?" Her muffled voice asked.

I waved my hands around to defend myself from the intruder, coughing and sputtering. After some serious wrestling with the garment, I finally defeated the ghastly-looking linen monster and threw it away into the farthest corner of the room. 

"Um... I think it's not really my style, you know?" 

I was. Not. Trying. That. On. Even if it were the last thing on Earth I could wear.

Radogost. Radogost. Radogooost! I held my head in my palms, repeating the mantra in my head.

Truth be told, I had barely been refraining myself from shouting the name of the god of hospitality out loud for the past half an hour. 

I soo needed the little man. God. The little god man. Right now. Both him and his magical hut.

I closed my eyes and faux-willed that beautiful V-neck sweater dress from Hollister into existence.

That was something I could get behind! 

"You look beautiful, Dana."  Max Martinez had said, when I wore it for him in the cabin shopping mall we both imagined together. 

My hands went to my neck, as I remembered that beautiful golden sun pendant hung on a simple, elegant ink-black cord which completed my look. 

Max had envisioned it for me. 

Le sigh. 

I bit on my lower lip so hard I drew blood, and sniffled, fisting away a streak of runaway droplets on my cheek. 

My heart ached.

Will I ever see him again? Talk to him ever again? Is he okay?

It's been only a week without Max and it already felt like a part of myself was missing. 

I went to bed in tears and woke up in tears. My pillow probably had enough of me! 

But I made a decision. 

After the prom, I will go and seek him out.

The worst thing was, I had no friggin idea where to start looking for him. 

I didn't even know where his mommy dearest had taken him. 

"I know!" My aunt exclaimed.

I whipped my head in her direction, hoping she actually was this clandestine mind reader and that she was answering the burning question of my heart. 

Why not? Was it so improbable? After all, almost everyone in my family had some kind of super powers.

Sadly, the only thing I saw was her very ordinary head chock-full of grey slash blonde curls, adorned with a very extraordinary stray Hello Kitty undie which was hanging from one of her ears.