Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 111353 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 557(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111353 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 557(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
“Wow,” Nik breathed, quickly flipping through his notebook. My brows furrowed as he scribbled something down. “You really are a mortal.”
“Uh, yes, I—”
Dora wandered off, whistling to herself, and leaving me to chase after her.
I gently guided her back to the huddle. “Let’s think, guys. How do we find a shadow in a library of shadows, and then how do we capture it when we do?”
Nik hummed, fluttering his delicate-looking eyelids as he thought.
Unlike the other demons who made a fashion out of tight, revealing, and scorched clothing, Nik was dressed in simple, loose garments that looked as if they were woven from swinging vines and fresh, rain-scented moss. His vest, tunic, and pants had a mess of pockets, and he was pulling notepads from every one of them.
“Uhh, okay, the good news is that we won’t have to find the shade, because it’ll no doubt come straight to us so—”
“Wait, what?” I broke in. “Why will it come straight to us?”
“Because of you,” Nik replied as light and breezy as the wind. “I told you they like to drain a person of their soul and well...” He looked around. “You’re the only one around here with one of those.”
“At all hours of the day or night something or someone will be watching you, will be stalking you, and will be lying in wait for its chance to strike.”
I shivered. “I know it’s been said before, but hell is the worst.”
Nik chuckled. Whipping open his notebook, he scribbled in it—mumbling, “...funny...”
“What—”
“Is the shade coming for you, Yuma?” Worry laced Dora’s voice. “Oh no, what do we do?”
Nik peered around me. “You can do dark magic, can’t you, Dora?”
“No,” I blared, startling both Nik and Dora. “I don’t know that much about dark magic, but I know enough to know the price it extracts is too high. My sister isn’t going anywhere near it.”
“I understand,” Nik said easily, “but do you have another idea? Because even if we don’t find a way to win, we need a way to defend ourselves.” He gave me a look of sympathy I’d never seen on a demon’s face before. “You most of all.”
“I... I...” I tipped my head, eyes alighting on something.
A smile stretched my lips. “I have an idea.”
Ten minutes later, I pressed my back against the cool stone and slid down, getting comfortable and cross-legged on the floor. On either side of me, Dora and Nik put out the torches—plunging me deeper and deeper into darkness.
We were at the very back of the library, which actually took some doing because the place seemed like it was a mile wide. There were so many of us down here, searching around, but the voices of the other demons were just low, muffled murmurs floating through the stacks.
Dora put out the last torch. The air carried her voice to me because the gloom blocked out everything else. “Good luck, Alfreda.”
“Thanks, Dora.” Nerves settled in my bones. “You will remember what you have to do, right?”
“Of course, Temperance!”
That reply did not fill me with the reassurance she was going for.
Closing my eyes, I breathed in a steadying, calming breath—willing my heartbeat to slow.
After I told him the plan, Nik gushed that it was a good one. He said that when shades haunted the mortal world, they made their homes in ruins and graveyards—both places that were no strangers to trees, and therefore no strangers to dryads.
His dryad mothers had come across them before, and taught Nik about them—all of which he’d written down. Even though no one had tried what we were going to do that day, he said he didn’t see a reason why it wouldn’t work, so that had to be a good sign—
Freezing cold washed over me like a sudden and violent shove into icy waters.
I gasped—choking on the air rushing out of my lungs as unseen shadows clung to my skin, smothering me in its embrace.
It’s here already?! my mind screamed. So fast— Too fast! Dora and Nik aren’t ready— They... They...
Strength drained out of my limbs, bleeding from my body like ice cream melting on the floor.
Melting ice cream.
Was that what I appeared to be as I slowly slumped forward—my head dropping down, my shoulders falling, my spine forgetting which way was up.
“N... now...” I whispered.
Numbness spread through my flesh like chills. The shade drew me closer, welcoming my soul as though it was a mother greeting her child with a hug.
When I entered the library, I was struck by the heavy scent of damp, mold, and old parchment filling the air.
That was gone now.
I couldn’t smell anything. I couldn’t see for the darkness. I couldn’t feel anything, not even the cold as my forehead hit the floor.
“N... N—”
“Sleep,” whispered a soft, almost gentle voice. “Sleep.”
But... I can’t... There was something important... My eyes drifted shut. Something important I had to...