Shadow Girl: Book One (OLD)

Chapter Eight

I woke up and stretched hearing the sounds of the river. That night still gave me an uneasy feeling, but I tried my best to shrug it off. I grabbed all of my things and got up. I noticed Lukas standing, staring at the river.

I went over to him and tapped him on his back and he got out of his daze.

"Should we get going?" I asked him.

He didn't say a word, he just nodded, like he had something on his mind.

"Are you alright, Lukas?"

"Yeah, just didn't get much sleep last night," Lukas said in a quiet voice.

I didn't quite believe him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." he rubbed his eyes.

"Okay, but if you are hiding something from me, I will find out."

Lukas gave out a short laugh. "Alright."

I smiled at him then motioned him to keep walking.

Again, when I explain this, always trees, the top of the castle, but this time was different.

It was dead quiet.

No sound at all.

No creature, monster, animal, or anything in sight. It was very strange.

I was feeling unnerved and shaky. It was never this quiet out in the forest.

But then it happened.

A swirl of shadow whisps became a tornado swallowed, then I saw them...

Shadow Wolves.

Then the shadow tornado swept me up and not Lukas, which was strange.

I yelped from being sucked up by this thing, hearing the loud wind surrounding every sound, even though it was quiet. What I saw next made my eyes widen.

It was a woman, but I couldn't quite see her facial features, because it had appeared she was in her shadow form. I heard her speak, even though the wind was blocking all sound. But I heard her say, "It's been a long time, hasn't it, darling?"

After that, everything went black, just like the time the Shadow Wolves were chasing me from the very beginning.

I woke up, my body feeling heavy and sore. My vision was blurry but quickly cleared. I saw I was taken into a large, dark, room. I looked behind me, seeing a large, black door, with gold and purple designs on the outside. No doubt I was in the castle, Lukas not in sight.

I noticed my hands were in chains when I moved them, hearing the chains rattling softly against each other.

Just then, a woman appeared from the darkness from the stairs, her golden eyes glowing in the shadows.

"It's been a long time..." she said. "hasn't it?" Her voice was soothing, yet mysterious.

Her voice echoed against the castle walls. She repeated the same phrase, but except the 'darling' part.

I just stayed silent, feeling myself shaking.

The woman didn't say anything, either. She just walked down the stairs. I could see her clearly now. She had a deep burgundy off-shoulder gown with a gold and silk shawl that draped over her forearms. I heard the tapping of her heels against the black and white marble floors. She had raven, past waist-length hair, and on top of her head was a gold crown with onyx and amethyst jewels.

She kneeled to me, cupped my chin and she stared into my eyes. I clenched my teeth in fear, a single hot tear from either of my eyes slid down my cheeks.

"Not much of a talker, are you, dearest?" she smiled, deviously.

"Who are you?" I yelled in anger, some fear in my voice, as it echoed, filling the mostly silent castle.

She tilted my head up, firmly.

She squinted into my eyes, then they opened back up, like she remembered something or someone.

"It's maybe not that obvious, but I'm your aunt," she said.

My eyes widened with fear. Then I remembered what Lukas told me.

Queen Sorcha.

This was her, I had no doubt, but that meant I was related to this monster, but that also meant...

My heart stopped.

Sorcha let go of me and stood back up.

"Lukas," she called out to the top of the stairs.

I flinched.

Lukas?

"Yes, Your Majesty?" his voice came from the top of the stairs. And that's where I saw him.

I bit my lip to keep myself from crying or making a weeping sound.

"Take her to the dungeon, I want her gone from my sight."

Sorcha stared at me menacingly.

"And for other reasons..."

She gave me an evil, cunning, and mischievous grin, which made me feel sick to my stomach.

"Yes, My Queen. Timber! Amaya!"

After he said that, Timber and a girl, presumably Amaya, came out of a side door on the bottom floor where I was currently at. Timber was wearing a black suit with golds and silvers at the cuffs of his sleeves and the bottom of his tailcoat, and he wore plain black boots, and his hair was in a ponytail Amaya was wearing the same thing. She had brown hair with blonde highlights and striking amber eyes.

They walked towards me and unlocked my shackles. I was about to jolt for the front door, but I stayed as they took me to the dungeon. I looked back and I saw Lukas mouth the words...

I'm sorry.

I felt hurt that I started crying, but only my tears were visible, I didn't make a sound. Lukas broke my heart, only because he wasn't honest with me that led to betrayal in the end. It was exactly like the dream I had, except I wasn't being chased, I was captured.

I would never forgive him.

Ever.