Beyond The Shadows (Shadows Saga bk3) ON HOLD

Chapter 13-Mistake

Mara had found this trip to be a bit harder than the last one she'd taken. At least she hadn't run into any problems with Nightshades attacking her, though she didn't want to jinx anything.

She was on her second village since she'd used the spell to go back to see the scene and attempt to analyze it. She'd had no luck figuring out who the people were. It had been the only images playing out in her head whenever she closed her eyes. It had kept her awake the first night, and provided very little sleep the night before.

Feeling like giving up on the entire plan to move people in, Mara sat at a dining table. She'd once again found someone who had been willing to move into the kingdom and had offered their house for her and her guards to stay in.

"What's wrong, ma'am?" Vaun asked her.

He'd been the only guard who'd become comfortable enough to talk to her. She'd thought once he did, that others would follow, but they hadn't. She couldn't really say that she was disappointed though. The other guards didn't seem too fond with having to be there, and she didn't really feel like talking. The entire trip so far had gone off without a hitch, minus the fact that nearly no one wanted to go with her to the kingdom. She couldn't help but wonder if they were right, that she was just a girl who had no clue. When something had been dead for generations, was it really possible to bring it back?

"It's nothing. I've just been wondering if this is even worth it. I've said that I'd go to these villages and help people. They're witches, they can do it themselves it doesn't take that much. I know this is just some sort of publicity for me. I know it's just to make me look good, but obviously no one's buying it."

"If you don't mind me saying, I don't think that's the case at all. Those people are seeing that you truly do care about them. You don't just rule over the decisions of your people, you interact with them and you try to make this world a better place for them. They may not see your work first-hand, but I have and it's remarkable." Vaun smiled slightly and Mara returned the gesture.

"Thanks." After a moment of silence, Mara dismissed herself. Although Vaun's words had helped, she was far too drained to keep up any sort of conversation.

Making her way to the room she was staying in, Mara looked over her shoulder to see if any other guards were around. In this area of the house, it seemed like she was alone. She knew better than to think that were entirely true, but she was as alone as she could be.

Searching through the bag, she found the picture of her and her parents again. It had been something she'd constantly been picking up. It was the day, another full year gone by. It was something she never really got over; no matter how many years it was, no matter the tally, the pain still stuck with her. She wanted just one more happy memory, to see their faces laughing and smiling one more time.

There was a way though. Mara had thought about it a couple times, just a passing thought, nothing too serious. The need was so real now though. She couldn't go to their graves and she couldn't take them flowers. Mara couldn't have that closeness with them, but with her developed abilities, and after working with the spell already, there was one way she could see their faces again. She could see them at a time when they were happy.

Mara pulled out the book and gathered everything she would need. She flipped through the pages until she was looking once again at the spell that would allow her to travel back and become a viewer.

Her hands were shaking with anticipation. This was something she'd wanted to do for years, to have just one last glimpse. It was something people weren't allowed, but she wasn't just a person. She was a witch, and she was going to use that to her advantage.