Haunting Shadows (Book 2)

Chapter 14

Andreas’ eyes furrowed. “You are going to have to be more specific, Casian. I happen to know many women who have died, or as you are insinuating, supposedly died.” His tone was skeptical, not even giving possibility to hope. Casian must have been messing with him, testing him.

Casian folded his arms across his chest, staring at Andreas with narrowed eyes, shaking his head slowly. “There is only one that you are unsure of, Andy. You and I both know that. Just one that was never buried. Just one you didn’t have time to grieve yet.”

Andreas balled his hands into firsts, his nails drawing blood. This had to be a test. What else could possibly explain the words coming out of Casian’s mouth? He hadn’t realized Casian’s nature was this cruel, igniting hope where there was none. He knew what Casian was implying, of course he knew… from the moment the words left Casian’s lips, but it was impossible. He had held her, seen her lifeless body. It was a twisted move from Casian.

“What game are you playing, Casian? Do you really hate me this much?” Andreas asked, his emotions hidden.

“I do not hate you; I could never. Despite your many flaws, I still consider you my best friend. Nothing is going to change that. She’s alive, Andreas. I’m telling you the truth.”

Andreas shook his head, small cracks running up and down his once carefully constructed walls. “What you are saying is impossible. I held her in my arms, there was nothing left of her. No pulse. No constriction and expansion of her lungs. She’s dead. I know she’s dead.” He tried to keep his feelings in check, but his voice wavered as images of Lana’s crumpled figure resurfaced in his mind. He exiled them immediately.

Casian’s expression softened. “Andreas, I’m in the land of the dead, a land she has not entered. I’ve seen and spoken to your parents and Dylan.” Andreas cringed at the mention of his brother. “But Lana has not appeared. The only way that is possible is if she’s still alive.”

Andreas threw his arms up in exasperation. “If she’s still alive then why am I still in here? Why was it necessary to get me out of the picture?”

“People have their motives.”

“This is a pretty shitty one.”

“I’m not trying to upset you; I’m only trying to help.”

“How. Is. This. Helping. Me?!”

“You are throwing your life away because you think you’ve lost everyone! But you haven’t! You just need to find her! That’s it.”

The sorcerer shook his head, his eyes filled with a deep sorrow, though still hiding so much. “Even if by some miracle she is still alive, you are still dead. My parents, still dead. Dylan, Still dead. Elliot and Maria, still dead.”

Casian closed the distance between them and placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “And you’ve managed to live through all of that.”

“But the scars are still bleeding, they’ve never stopped bleeding.”

“You don’t want them to heal, this is your problem, Andreas. I understand your loss, but at some point you are going to have to let go of the dark cloud hanging above your head. You cannot keep clinging to the past.”

“The future does not seem very bright, the past is all I have.”

“Then have you forgotten the present completely? Things don’t change later, they change now, and only if you do something about it.”

Andreas pulled his hand through his dark hair. “I’ve been unable to affect change my whole life, what makes now so different?”

“You are wrong to think you do not affect change. You just don’t see it. You’ve grown blind and all you need to do is open your eyes. See the clues for what they are.”

“Is this my test then?”

“I’m not here to test you, Andy.”

“Don’t call me that. You have to be here to test me. That’s how the cove works, Casian.”

Casian shrugged. “I just needed to talk to you and the cove allowed me.”

Andreas narrowed his eyes. Something strange was going on with Casian. Too many things caused question marks to form in Andreas’ mind.

“Why are so many things not adding up when it comes to you? You are dead, but age. You visit the crystal cove, but have no test. Neither of those things make sense.”

Casian started pacing about the cove, his figure becoming slightly sharper. “I have no idea. Honestly. When you mentioned it the first time, it puzzled me also. I never once gave it a thought, but it is strange I managed to continue aging. Perhaps we are more bonded than we initially thought. I might be living vicariously through you,” Casian teased, but with only a slight smile on his face. Andreas could tell he was worried about it and he was trying to hide that worry by making light of the situation.

“Casian, you know I know you better than that. What’s bothering you?”

Casian mimicked Andreas’ earlier gesture and pulled his own fingers through his hair. “I’m worried about what it could mean. Something could still be wrong with me.”

“Aren’t the dead supposed to be at peace?”

Casian frowned. “Not exactly. We still have problems, small problems though. We don’t need to worry too much… but this has me worried. What if the angels have other plans for me or I’ve been cursed?”

It was Andreas’ turn to be the comforter once more as he had been all those years ago. He moved to Casian, and placed his hand on his shoulder. It shocked him when his hand didn’t fall through as what happened with his mother, His hand didn’t exactly connect with Casian’s shoulder, but it was suspended in the air, but he could feel the shape of a shoulder.

“I can feel you, Casian,” Andreas announced, shock lining his words.

Casian’s expression mirrored Andreas’ tone. Something was definitely going on with Casian – something they were both unaware of.

Casian opened his mouth to speak, but before the words could come, he disappeared. The shadow of Andreas’ friend faded just as Emilia had, leaving Andreas more puzzled than he had been before. And once again, he was alone, surrounded by nothing but crystals as far as he could see. There was more to what was happening with his friend, and Andreas had a feeling whatever it was would affect him in the future. He couldn’t be sad that his friend was once again. Somehow he knew he’d see him again.