The Shadow Keepers

Chapter two

This chapter is dedicated to my besty in England slbren who's new to wattpad go check out her story Real Girl- http://www.wattpad.com/story/3075278-real-girl

Hope you enjoy this chapter xo

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 "So explain again to me what happened" Boredom hung on Zacks's words as he inspected his sharp nails. 

 

Aura sighed and rolled her eyes, this was the third time she'd explained what happened. 

"I wouldn't have to explain it again if you listened the first time!" She crossed her arms over her chest and glared straight at Zack. His lips formed a smug smile. He was clearly amused by her temper and that just riled Aura up even more.

 

"I just want to make sure I've not missed anything, that's all" His gold eyes held a mischievous glint to them. "Anyway, why were you out last night? I thought you were giving the clubs a rest. You know how much the stuff they give you can affect you after a while" He scratched the back of his head ruffling his blonde hair as memories flooded back into his mind. 

 

Aura lowered her eyes and spoke in a soft voice "Zack, you know I'm not that... Irresponsible." She thought carefully about her words. She glanced back up to see that Zack's expression has softened slightly. 

 

"I know" He sighed again as he stood up. "I'm going to go for a walk. Why don't you talk to Felix? He might have some advice" He walked out of the room without a reply. 

 

Aura knew not to go after him when he was like this. It was best to leave him alone.

 

Aura inspected the room she was in that hadn’t changed since she was a child. The fireplace still blazed with the warmth from the fire that had no wood or coal. They flames danced and twisted intricately, creating a new form with each flicker. She walked over to the bookshelf and ran her hands over the binds of the worn books. Each was older than her 18 years by far. 

 

She picked out the book that she had read so many times that she had the words memorized. The black book always felt cold to touch as she read each page. It was the rules that each Shadow Keeper had to read the Shadow World book. With over a thousand pages most Keepers had only read it once to brush up their knowledge of the world. But Aura felt it was her duty to know every single creature, place and secret that the Shadow World held. 

 

It was rumoured that this world held no sun, but a blue moon that lit the paths and never held so much light that it uncovered the shadows. Creatures of all forms and sizes habituated this world of darkness. There is the King of the Shadows and at his side reigns his Queen, their forms are told to be of impeccable beauty. Just one look at them cause hypnotize you into doing whatever they desire. 

The King and Queen are meant to keep their world and its Shadows under control. But once in a while some leak out from their world and into ours. Most of the creatures are easy to handle. Some are more ruthless and hard to catch. It seems the more evil they are, the more beautiful they are. This is where the Shadow Keepers like Aura come in. They handle the unwanted and send them back where they belong. 

 

Some might say that the Keepers are creatures of darkness themselves. With their razor sharp teeth, pale skin, ability to disappear and reappear wherever they'd like and their inhuman speed and strength. They are one of the best predators who are born to hunt down the Shadows. 

 

They can even transport themselves in and out of the Shadow World, as long as the portals between their worlds remain open. Like most things the King and Queen control the portals and most of the time they are closed. But on the occasional chance that the portal opens, the creatures are waiting and so are their Keepers.

 

Aura flicked through a few pages of the book and when she couldn't find anything that would help her she decided it might be best to go speak to Felix. Felix is one of the oldest Keepers around. He’s seen as the librarian as he knows almost everything there is to know about the Shadow World. 

 

She sighed while putting the book back in its place and walked out of the room down one of the many long corridors of the castle she lived in. She could easily transport herself to where Felix was but she preferred to stretch her legs. The corridor was lot by torches nailed to the wall highlighting the pictures of the past Keepers. She picked one up as she went down towards Felix's study room, which as always, was the darkest room in the castle. The soft padding of her feet on the cobblestone floor echoed quietly.

 

Luckily his study wasn't too far away and before she knew it she was stood in front of Felix's wooden door. She knocked quietly on his door and it echoed around the corridor. 

The door creaked open to reveal a friendly face, lines etched around his eyes from the many times he'd smiled throughout his life. Noticing who it was Felix opened the door wider and smiled at Aura. 

"My dear, what can I do for you at this time?" His voice was the comforting type. Aura didn't even think about the time, realising now that it must be the early hours of the morning. But luckily Felix rarely slept as he was up most of the time reading his books and writing notes. 

 

"Sorry to interrupt but while I was out I came across another...situation" Aura glanced around into the darkness as she whispered her words. It was rare that the Shadow Creatures would enter a home full of Keepers but you can never be too cautious. Felix's eyes narrowed as he realised that this was serious business and not a friendly visit. 

 

"Ah yes, well you better come inside" He ushered her in and took the torch from her hands and lit the few candles he had, making the dark room feel more welcoming. The light illuminated the stacks of books spread all over the floor and the many pieces of paper with messy writing and detailed pictures were sprawled all over his desk. 

 

"Please do excuse the mess" He said while he moved around the room trying to tidy up the paper by shuffling it into piles. Aura smiled as she watched Felix fumbling around the room. When he was satisfied he turned to face her with another smile on his face which quickly disappeared when he realised the situation. 

 

"Now, what happened?" Felix stood as Aura sat on the chair closest to her. 

 

"As you know I've been doing some research of my own and trying to find out about how the Shadows enter our world" Felix nodded at her encouraging her to continue. "Well I was... Out tonight" Aura knew Felix didn't like how much she partied so she left out the location. "And it was similar to the other times I have encountered a victim of the creatures. The blood curdling scream, the hypnotized witnesses that don't remember witnessing anything" Felix's face grew serious as he paced across the room. "I ran outside to help, but there was no body, no clothing or anything" Felix's pacing stopped. "I was about to look in another direction, thinking maybe the creature fled with its prey but then I noticed a bloody handprint smeared across the wall" Aura watched his body language but as always you couldn't tell what he was thinking or feeling so she carried on. 

 

"I was wondering, whether, if they even could, that the Shadows took their prey with them; to their own world?" Aura asked hesitantly, not even wanting to hear the answer that it is possible that the shadows can take their victims with them. As if they could, this could mean that hell has been set loose. And that means that her job is going to be a heck harder. 

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Oooooh! The plot thickens. Sorta. I have a rough idea of what I want this story to become but I just think as I go with new ideas popping up. So please comment, fan, vote etc! Chapter three should be up soon. Let me know what you think please :)