Haunting Shadows (Book 2)

Chapter 17

Darkness – the absence of light. A small flicker here and there, a slight glint of moonlight from the wet ground below. I could barely see, fog and rain clouding my vision. Hunger – overwhelming. Images come in a blur, unfocused, shapes – meaningless. I was awake, but barely aware. Time was a fleeting memory, irrelevant. Minutes, hours, and days blended into a shapeless heap.

This must be what actual death, or the approach of it, felt like. Starvation was not the best way, nor the way I imagined myself, to go, but it appeared like it would be the thing to finally claim me. I was stupid, stupid, stupid. My stubbornness would be the end of me. I had absolutely no experience being on my own, being completely alone. I had no survival skills and my recent lapse into my magic has left me drained. I caused a thunder storm and now my energy was depleted. Again, completely idiotic. Not that I had a choice in the matter. My magic had a mind of its own, coming out when it felt like it. I really should’ve gotten that under control, or at the very least learned a manifestation spell so I could get some food.

I place my hand on the tree as an attempt to keep my grip on reality. I could feel myself slipping deeper and deeper and deeper into the abyss. The darkness welcomed me as one of its own. But that candle that both Andreas and Kalen claimed burned so brightly refused to be extinguished. The darkness would not claim another soul this day. My nails dug into the bark of the tree and I started trying to lift myself to my feet. I managed it barely, using the tree for support.

The rain was still falling, but that earlier buzzing in my veins was gone. I was not the cause of the rain this time.

I moved slowly from one tree to the next, the slight gaps between each an almost impossible distance to travel. I had never felt this week, this void of power… of substance. I was a walking jar, seemingly full from the outside, but hollow within. 

Spinning, spinning, trees, more trees. One then another, two and more. My head felt heavy, my empty stomach twisting in on itself. My eyes, still unfocused, moving, moving, moving. Stop. It stopped, my vision black. My worries gone.

*****

A splash of cold. My mind started suddenly to awareness. I gasped for air, my arms flailing around helplessly, my sight blanked out. Soft, reassuring hands found me and I tried not to panic.

“Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay,” a soft, female voice said. A pang of disappointment stabbed me in my heart, so sharp it caused me to cry out loud as if the pain was physical.

My vision started clearing and shapes started forming. I could still feel the absence of anything inside me. The girl—or woman, lifted something to my mouth. I was too exhausted to care what and welcomed the rush of cold liquid pouring down my throat. Water. It eased the ache in my insides, and the fog lifted from my mind briefly. The woman took on a physical shape, but all I could tell in that moment was that she was beautiful. An angel sent from above. And not Andreas. I tried not to let my disappointment show as she handed me a piece of bread. “Eat up, you need strength.”

I accepted it greedily and was about to gulp it down when she cautioned me. “Slowly, or you throw it all up.”

I heeded her warning. If she was going to hurt me, she’d have done so by now. I took slow bites, and my stomach seemed to fill up too quickly even as the hunger continued to gnaw at me. Instinctively, my hands went to my stomach, trying to soothe the ache inside.

The woman, with kind blue eyes, smiled at me. “Will you be okay to walk? It’s only a short distance to my father’s place.”

I nodded meekly and she helped me to my feet. But my legs were numb and she caught me before I tumbled back down to the ground. She let me lean on her for support and we began the long, painful journey to her house.

“I’m Natalia,” she said after we had been walking in silence for a whole, a friendly distraction from the pain. Little by little I started to make out details about her. Her hair was the color of light burgundy, and her jaw well defined and strong. And she was beautiful. The kind of beauty that called everyone’s attention to her. She had all the signs of the woman I wanted to be, but hadn’t had the chance to develop into yet. She was strong, and I… was just hoping to become that way.

“I’m… Lana,” I choked out, my voice raspy and dry from disuse.

She smiled brightly – kindly. She was nothing like my previous rescuers. I tried to smile in return, but even those muscles were worn out. The only thing that could recuperate me now was sleep; I hoped it wouldn’t take too long before I could close my eyes and welcome the oblivion. “Why… are… you… helping me?” I asked as we threaded along, each word requiring intense physical effort, leaving me out of breath.

She shrugged. “If I were in your situation, I’d want someone to help me. My mother taught me to do onto others what I wanted done upon myself. This is just my way to honor her memory.”

I was about to ask her what happened when she held up her hand to stop me. “Save your energy, you’ll need it. I know what you are going to ask. She was killed in one of the initial raids when Eerea first took over the kingdom. Labeled as a witch and that was that.”

I raised my eyebrows. That was the first bit of information I had gotten that gave me any idea where we were – not in Eerea apparently. “Where are we?” I asked, my voice having gained some strength

“You don’t know?” she asked and paused. “What happened to you?” I hated the expression of pity on her face.

“It’s… a long story,” I replied, my voice, although stronger, still breathless.

“We’re in Gynae, Eerea’s neighboring kingdom.” My eyes widened. I had never been out of Eerea, but I guessed it made sense that Raphael took me out of there to another kingdom. It was much easier to hide someone when they were taken out of the line of fire.

“I’ve heard of it, just never been here before,” I said, my voice cracking. I was truly alone now. No one I knew was even close to Gynae.

“What brought you here?”

“I was… sort of kidnapped, or saved… depends on how you look at it.”

“Kidnapped and saved differ light night and day…” Natalia said, a hint of suspicion to her tone.

I could feel that piece of bread starting to kick in, making me feel a tab bit more human that I had before. At this rate, perhaps I would make it to her house before I needed to crash again.

“In my case, they are one and the same.”

“When you are well rested, I’m going to ask you to explain,” she replied, her tone slightly amused. I nodded, offering her a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes.

The trees began clearing and I could make out a slur of cottages up ahead—a small village. “This is your village?” I asked her as we approached the arrangement of small houses.

She nodded with a bright smile. “Yes, but my house is located a little outside of it. We’re very close now… not too much further.”

We turned to the left, and she pointed to a mansion near the foot of a hill that appeared massive from even this distance. I could feel the energy leaving my body once more, but the promise of a place to rest was so close. I could hold on for just a few more minutes until we reached it. Just a few more minutes.