The Shadows of Erisdar (ON HOLD)

Chapter 10

Muffled voices drifted in and out of her consciousness, tangled in the fog clouding her mind.

"...haven't answered me," one said, low, tense. Male.

Her limbs felt like they'd been filled with wet sand, her thoughts sluggish and scattered. The jolting rhythm of hooves echoed through the wooden frame beneath her, each bump of the wagon jarring her body without mercy.

Another voice, quieter. "About what?"

A pause. Then sharper: "Don't play dumb. This girl—she's not like the others. You can't just pluck her up and dump her on the doorstep like a stray pup."

Percy and Darryl were speaking in hushed tones. About her. She kept still while she waited for her body to recover from the horrible feeling she had awoken to.

"Are you going to integrate her into the pack?" It was Percy speaking.

Darryl let out a weary breath. "I don't know. She's... not like us."

"Then why the hell did you take her?" Percy hissed, frustration rising. "And what are you planning to do with her?"

Darryl hesitated. "I don't know," he admitted. "She needs somewhere safe—somewhere those wolves can't reach her. If what they want is control of the valley, and she's the key to it... Then hiding her is the least we can do. She needs someone on her side."

Percy's tone sharpened. "You think hiding her's going to fix that? You can't just lock her away in your wing and hope no one notices. She's not exactly the quiet type, and you know damn well someone will find out. Why didn't you just offer her sanctuary instead of... whatever this is?"

"She was combative," Darryl said, his voice tightening. "Didn't give me much of a choice."

Percy shook his head as he thought of something more. "If she's slipped past you twice already, what's stopping her from doing it again? We can't afford that kind of risk. You know how hard we've worked to keep this place hidden. One slip - one outsider - and the whole pack could be exposed."

That line stuck with her. Exposure. That's what this was really about. They're not worried about her. They're worried about their secrets.

Darryl frowned. Percy wasn't wrong.

"She finds a way out, and people start asking questions. Outsiders start looking. And then it's not just her they find, it's all of us." Percy's voice dropped. "You know what's at stake, Darryl. Our way of life. The pack's safety."

Darryl fell silent, turning the idea over in his mind. Slowly, he said, "I'll take her to the old house."

Percy blinked. "The old house?"

"The windows are reinforced, the doors enchanted. No one gets in or out without the key, and I have the only one."

"You can't be serious." Percy stared at him. "You're just going to dump her there? What if she does something reckless? What if she-"

"I'm not an idiot," Darryl snapped. "I'll move in too, keep an eye on her while I figure out next steps."

Percy snorted. "Debatable."

Darryl glared. "It's too late to let her go," he said quietly.

Percy's jaw tightened, but he gave a sharp nod. On that, at least, they agreed.

Still, he couldn't wrap his head around why Darryl had brought her in. Sure, he couldn't leave someone helpless behind—that was just who Darryl was—but she wasn't like the others. It's not the same.

But this girl? She was different. And Darryl was intrigued.

"You called her a shadow walker?" Darryl asked suddenly.