Wings of Shadows ~ Book 1 ~ Beginnings ~

A wish

"Rivynn..." he murmured, opening his eyes.

"You don't have to worry. Your sister is alright," an unfamiliar voice spoke to him.

Slowly, Rain realized he was back in his bed, and standing watch in the doorway was a stranger. Long, pale hair cascaded in ornate braids down his bare, tattooed back, and in his hand he held a long, elegant sword.

The recollection of earlier flashed through his clouded mind. They had come for her... Rivynn was gone...

'You can rest now. My friend Elias will stay with you tonight. I promise, Rivynn will be well cared for...' The words that had been whispered in his ear came to his mind, and he remembered feeling like he could trust them...

It was taking all his effort just to breathe... And he knew that if he fell asleep now, he wouldn't wake again...

A dark form, darting through the trees, drew the man's attention. It was then Rain realized it was night but the room was filled with so many candles it was almost like daytime.

"Are you trying to keep the shadows away?" he asked faintly, recalling what happened the last time he tried using a candle against one.

"That is no longer your concern, little one," Elias replied and turned to face him. "You should go back to sleep."

He shook his head. He had made a deal with the shadow, and it was his turn to keep his end of it. With the last of his strength, he crawled out of bed.

The stranger's jaw tightened at his feeble defiance, unaware of the reason behind it.

"There is nothing to fear. I will keep the shadows away," he said coming over, catching him as his legs gave out before he had gone more than a couple steps.

He was about to put him back to bed when suddenly the ground began to shake.

'How dare you try to keep me from what is mine!' a voice roared in both their minds and the whole room was swallowed up in darkness. The candles tried in vain to bring them light, but the shadow devoured them too.

Elias managed to lay Rain back in his bed.
Then with a flourish, his blade burst into silvery blue light. "I won't let you touch him!" he snarled as the shadow shuddered at the glow.

But it laughed with cruel, condescending amusement. 'You are a fool to assume I am the same as other shadows... And an even greater one to come between me and my shadowling!'

Its silver eyes flashed before lunging through the doorway straight for its enemy.

Unflinching, Elias met the darkness with his luminescent blade.

The shadow caught the sword between its deathly black jaws and braced itself against the power it emanated as the man tried to drive it onward.

Then, just like with the candles, the shadow began to consume the light from the weapon.

From where he lay, Rain could see the stranger straining to keep his sword ablaze, but at the same time, fear crept into his fierce eyes.

Rain could feel the shadow's ruthlessness as it, too, noticed.

"Please stop..." he cried, but it came out as barely a whisper.
However, at the sound of his voice, the shadow suddenly whipped its head and cast the sword and its bearer aside.

'You should not defend him!' it scolded, turning to face him. 'By keeping you from me, he ensures your death.'

"Get away from the child!" Elias shouted, having regained his footing. This time, however, the burning light from the sword swelled and raced up along his arm, engulfing his entire form before arching over his back into a pair of blazing wings.

'I'm afraid you must hang on just a while longer, my little shadowling...' the shadow said quickly before turning its full attention to its opponent once more.

Rain knew he should be afraid, but his eyelids were growing too heavy and every breath was a struggle.
Through his fading vision, he saw the two clash once more... grateful that Rivynn wasn't here...

At the thought of his little sister, however, a longing gripped his heart... and from it, an even stronger desire...
He wanted to live...
Not just for one more day...
He didn't want to disappear... just like he didn't want Rivynn to disappear...

Clinging to that wish, Rain knew what he had to do.
Slowly, he stretched out his hand, but this time, instead of calling for light, as he had before with the candles, he reached for the darkness... for the shadows that had stalked him all his life...