The Shadows Between Us

Chapter 1

Panting heavily, I stopped running. I was doubled over and stumbling, but I knew I couldn't stop. The darkened beach seemed empty, but I knew they were right behind me. I could feel it.

Not that I knew exactly what they were. But I knew something was following me, something that I did not want to catch me up.

"Leave me alone!" I yelled hoarsely into the empty air. "Why are you—"

Oh no. I felt the space in front of me... change. I stumbled backwards. "No, no, no, no! Leave me alone!"

What's wrong, little demigod? It was that voice again. Scared of some little daimons? You're weak. I've met spawn of Poseidon ten times as strong as you.

"I don't care who you've met! I'm not them! Go away!" I knew it was pointless. I'd been shouting at it for days now, yet it still followed me. At first, when It'd started chasing me, speaking to me, I'd been confused, bewildered and definitely frightened, but now... okay, I was still frightened, but I was also angry.

My ears popped, and I ducked on instinct, prompting a hiss from behind me as something flew over my head, splatting on the ground in front of me and turning the sand black.

It'd only barely missed me this time. I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep this up, but I turned and ran again.

No matter how exhausted I was, this thing wasn't going to stop, so neither was I.

You can't escape me forever, weak little half-blood. I will find you. Not even those puny barriers at that camp of yours can stop me for long. I forced myself to ignore it.

I just had to find that... place. Some sort of refuge. And I needed a refuge right about now. Ava had said... Ava had... no. Don't think about her. She's gone.

She's gone, and it's all my fault.

Keep running, powerless one. I can feel your strength sapping. You will fall, and I will be there when you do. Keep running.

I took a shuddering breath, pushing away the hopelessness it's words gave me. My legs were already protesting from the strain of the past few weeks. But stopping wasn't an option.

Against my will, Ava kept appearing in my mind. Her smile, the way she always knew what to say to keep me going... It was a punch that knocked confidence out of me when I thought about her. I could still hear her voice, laughing at me, pushing me — sometimes onto my face if needed — no.

"No," I muttered to myself, shaking my head as if that would help. Don't think about her. Just focus on staying alive.

The voice, though, was insistent, weaving its way into my thoughts, driving me closer to the edge of panic. Yes, keep running, it taunted, but it won't save you. Not from me.

She'd called it...camp. All I knew about it was that I had to reach it, that it was my only hope.

Ava couldn't save you, the voice sneered, its presence wrapping around my thoughts like a vice. And you can't save her. She's lost to you. Don't delude yourself.

I stumbled at its words, and my foot caught on something in the sand. I went down hard, the impact driving the breath from my lungs, but I scrambled to get up.

Pain flared in my side, adrenaline delaying it, but every muscle screaming in protest. There wasn't time to be hurt, to be tired, to be scared.

I was all of those things. But I had to survive.

You're slowing down, the voice purred, as if it could sense my weakening. You can feel it, can't you? The end is near, little demigod. Just give in. It will be easier that way.

"No!" I screamed, the sound tearing from my throat. "Don't you dare—"

You were always too strong-willed, not enough... of what I need. It won't be such a shame, when you're gone. Power curled in every nook and cranny of its words, and I felt myself almost believing it for a second.

"I'm not nothing," I spat back, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. "I'm not giving up."

But the bravado felt hollow, and the voice knew it. Keep telling yourself that, it chuckled, dark amusement lacing every syllable. But you know the truth, don't you? You know what you did. You know why Ava is gone.

I flinched as if the words had physically struck me. Ava's face flashed in my mind again, her eyes full of trust, and I felt the familiar surge of guilt, a black wave threatening to pull me under.

"No... no, I didn't..." I muttered, stumbling forward, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

You did, the voice insisted, cold and merciless. You failed. And now you'll fail them, too.

You're alone, the voice whispered, almost tenderly now, as if offering a twisted kind of comfort. No one is coming for you. Just stop, and it will all be over.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block it out, trying to focus on the sound of the waves, on anything but the voice that was breaking me down. "I'm not alone," I said, forcing the words out despite knowing they were lies. "I still have hope. And you can't take that from me."

For a moment, there was silence, as if the voice was considering my defiance. Then it spoke again, colder than before. Hope won't save you. It never has. You know the price of hope.