Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 65042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
“Shadow, please—” I was starting to cry now—my eyes stinging with salty tears.
“Don’t let my sacrifice be in vain,” he said, and his voice broke on the words. “Please, little witch… I love you. Go!”
And then he turned back to the monster, slamming into it with everything he had left.
He was becoming more translucent with every strike—more air than substance. I could see the forest through his chest now, could see the gray mist glinting faintly through his dissolving hands.
I realized—horribly—that soon he’d be gone.
And I would be all alone with the bloated thing that had climbed out of the corpse.
The thing screamed again, a terrible, gloating sound—it knew we were going to be alone together too. And it was hungry.
I took one last look at Shadow—my fierce protector, my monster under the bed. He’d thrown himself between me and danger, just like he always had. But now he was fading…leaving me through no fault of his own, and I had to go.
Tears blurring my eyes, hot and stinging, I turned and ran.
Branches whipped at my face as I tore through the dark forest. The air burned cold in my lungs, and the shadows seemed to reach for me with clawed hands. I barely saw where I was going—only the faint shimmer in the distance, the iridescent glow of the magic bubble that surrounded Hidden Hollow.
“Please,” I gasped—half prayer, half sob. “Please, oh please!”
Behind me, I heard crashing—branches breaking and trees splintering under the weight of something enormous.
It was coming—the black, bloated thing was coming for me.
That horrible voice—low and wet and full of hunger—rose behind me like a taunt.
“Come back, little Danni,” it crooned. “Your protector’s soul was tasty, but I know yours will be better. How I long for a sweet, juicy soul… come to me, and let me eat you, so the two of you can be together forever in the darkness.”
My legs almost gave out and for one awful heartbeat, I actually hesitated. Could it be true? Could I be with Shadow again—wherever he’d gone?
The thought wrapped around me like a cold, tempting fog.
But then I saw his face in my mind—the fierce tenderness in his eyes, the way he’d begged me to run.
Don’t let my sacrifice be in vain.
I gritted my teeth and pushed harder, running faster than I ever had in my life. The breath was tearing in my throat and my lungs felt like they were on fire. The shimmer of the barrier grew brighter until it filled my whole vision. The bubble—I had to reach the bubble!
“Almost there,” I panted. “Almost—”
Something cold touched the back of my neck—like ice. Like a dead man’s fingers.
I screamed and threw myself forward—through the shimmering veil.
There was a snap like breaking glass, and I stumbled out onto the soft, dewy grass of Hidden Hollow. The warmth of the town’s magic hit me immediately—a living pulse of energy that wrapped around me like a blanket made of pure, magical safety.
I turned, gasping, just in time to see the thing slam against the outside of the bubble.
It hit with a crack, claws scraping and sparking against the surface like nails on glass. For a horrifying moment, I thought it would break through—the translucent bubble stretched thin where it struck, warping under its weight.
But somehow, it held.
The creature hung there, clinging like a giant, fat black spider, its claws scrabbling uselessly. Then, with a shriek that made my ears hurt, it spread its leathery wings and lifted off into the dark sky.
Gone. Oh God, it was finally gone.
I sank to my knees, sobbing, relief and grief crashing over me in equal waves.
Shadow was gone, too.
I pressed my hand to my heart, gasping through the ache.
He’d saved me…and I’d left him behind.
I was probably never going to see him again.
37
DANNI
I held myself tightly, rocking in place as sobs tore through my chest.
The cold was gone—the nightmarish woods, the monster, the horror—but I couldn’t stop shaking. My cheeks were soaked, my throat raw from crying. I didn’t even realize I was whispering his name over and over until I heard my voice break on a sob.
“Shadow, oh Shadow, please…”
And then, like a flare of light in the darkness, a thought struck me.
What if he’d gone back?
Not gone completely—just returned to where he came from. The place I’d first found him. The place he’d always been, watching and waiting and protecting me.
Under the bed.
The moment the idea hit me, I latched onto it like a drowning woman clutching a life preserver. It didn’t make sense—nothing made sense—but it felt possible. It felt right.
Maybe… just maybe…
I surged to my feet, nearly tripping on the hem of my long sweater. My legs were unsteady, but I didn’t care. I ran—stumbled, really—toward the cottage, the warm lights glowing in the windows like beacons of hope.
“Please be there, please be there,” I whispered, fumbling with the latch.