Haunting Shadows (Book 2)

Chapter 69

Andreas was livid as he watched Lana walk out the door. Every fiber of his being was screaming for him to stop her, but he didn’t because he had told her to go. Leita made some comment about the situation, but he wasn’t listening to her. She was nothing more than an annoyance that he had to remember to get rid of.

Instead of stopping Lana, he instead simply decided to follow her. If she was going to insist on being so stubborn, he still needed to make sure she was okay. What he had told her had been the truth. He would not survive losing her again. An angry Lana he could live with. A dead Lana would kill him. He would much rather have her hate him than live in a world where she does not exist. Even though Andreas refused to admit that he was in love with her, he couldn’t deny that the little witch had snuck her way into his heart and wrapped herself completely around it.

Relief became Andreas’ main emotion when he got outside and noticed that the dragon was gone. The girl and Aska were still there, but the other dragon that had been threatening them was gone. Lana’s stubbornness wouldn’t be the end of her today.

He watched as she walked over to where Casian and Kalen were standing. Concern was etched into her beautiful face as she regarded Kalen. The latter had a massive gash running across his torso, but he seemed to be reassuring him that he was find, even though he flinched as he said so. Andreas’ own concern for the other sorcerer subsided somewhat. He was smiling and pulling Lana in for a hug, and that had to mean that he was fine.

Andreas envied the easy relationship Kalen had with Lana. And he forced himself not to go over there and pry Kalen’s arms off of his little witch. He knew Kalen would be a much better option for Lana. He could make her happy and keep her safe, two things Andreas could not guaranteed her. Casian walked over to Andreas with a bright smile, and without warning pulled the sorcerer into a hug.

Andreas, unused to this display of affection from anyone, stiffened. Casian pulled back, sensing Andreas’ discomfort, but his smile never waned. “We did it! Or rather,” Casian gestured at the girl, “she did it.”

Raphael was kneeling next to an unconscious Eric and the girl was making her way over to Casian and Andreas. With her daggers still in her hands, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the two friends, her expression weary. “Thank you,” Casian said to her before she could say anything.

She nodded. “I apologize for my father. He was corrupted a very long time ago. Helping you was nothing more than my duty. Not Aska or I could just sit by and let him kill you.”

Casian extended his hand toward her. “If it weren’t for you, many if not all of us would’ve ended up dead.” Andreas scoffed and Casian rolled his eyes. “Ignore him, he has a problem with gratitude.”

The girl eyed him with a raised eyebrow. “I’m Roxi,” she said accepting Casian’s hand.

“Casian, and Mr. Dark and Brooding over here is Andreas.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Lana and Kalen joined them, and Andreas couldn’t take his eyes of the former. She seemed lighter in Kalen’s company. The darkness he shrouded her in didn’t seem to have an effect on her with the latter around.

“And this is Lana and Kalen,” Casian announced. “This is Roxi,” he said to them.

They exchanged smiles and Andreas couldn’t help but think all of this to be extremely awkward.

“Thank you for helping us, Roxi. We would have been screwed without you,” Kalen said with a charming smile. Andreas studied him closely. Kalen’s color was off. He was extremely pale, but Andreas tried not to worry.