The Shadow Shifter

by Dahlia Leigh

  “Yes. The pendant also belonged to four other great Sentinel queens of the past. It contains powers you will need as you grow into becoming the Sentinel queen, but you will need to earn their full strength and learn to harness the power to your own abilities, because otherwise, the power will control you. The pendant is designed to slowly release its gifts as your own power and abilities grow.”

  Ashlynn reverently placed the necklace around her neck and instantly felt a connection with it. “I can feel it… the power. And I can feel my mother too, Asteroth. It’s amazing.”

  Blurry memories sparked in her mind. Memories of Ashlynn as a child, of hugs, of comfort, of feeling safe. She squeezed the necklace tighter but then shook her head to clear it.

  “Thank you. I will do my best to learn all I can and to harness the power of the pendant.” She glanced at her necklace once more, thoughtfully, then back again at the portrait containing her mother, wearing the necklace when she was the Sentinel Queen. She stared into her mother’s eyes, then at the handsome men by her side, one of which had to be her father. Ashlynn lifted her chin defiantly, thinking it might be nice to have just one warrior watching her back, even if he would probably die. If he accepted the dangers, she could allow him to fight by her side until the inevitable happened. She clenched her jaw, thinking she wanted to minimize the casualties, and thus would choose only one instead of an entire team.

  “I understand there are greater things at work in order to keep the veil protected. I do not need an entire team, but I will choose one warrior to help me in my mission to protect this castle and make right what happened to my family fifteen years ago. You will need to assist me in finding options to choose from.”

  “Of course,” Asteroth agreed all too easily and a bit too enthusiastically.

  “Where do we begin?”

  “Already taken care of.”

  “What do you mean?” Ashlynn asked with a frown, confused.

  “I’ve already sent invitations to the best of the best warriors who will compliment you. They will arrive tomorrow,” he said. The little owl rose to his toes and the tone of his smug little voice made Ash think he was proud he had been one step ahead of her.

  “You’re such an ass.” She sighed. “Remember, I’m only choosing one.”

  “Of course.”

  “Well, I better get in some practice before my castle gets infiltrated with strangers. I will see you in the illusion room,” Ashlynn said then stood to leave.

  Chapter Six

  Ashlynn

  Ashlynn entered the room of illusions and heard the slightest whisper of noise, felt the shift in the air, and turned, prepared for what was to come just as the whirrel jumped down from a rafter near the ceiling.

  “Aha! I got you,” Ashlynn shouted as she caught her little furry friend in mid-strike. Ashlynn ruffled Hijinx’s head and laughed. “You tried to surprise me didn’t you? Maybe next time.”

  Hijinx made his funny sound then jumped from his perch and scampered toward the tall gray gargoyle in the corner. The gargoyle’s steely blue eyes opened and Asteroth revealed his presence to the creature. “Hello, little friend.”

  Hijinx chattered excitedly in return.

  “And how may I accommodate you, my Sentinel?” the gargoyle asked with a flourishing bow.

  “So formal now, are we?” Ashlynn asked with a raised brow while she strapped on leather armbands and then placed her daggers in the holsters at her waist and inside her boot.

  “I only wish to offer the respect you have earned due your station.”

  “Thank you, Asteroth.” Ash paused and thought of what she needed from him. “You have witnessed all the battles and tests the Sentinels have faced. I’m looking for scenarios to test my pendant in order to discover what it will do.”

  “Wise decision. I can set up some battle simulations and other situations of sorts to see if we can determine what power will emerge first. You won’t have to actually fight in these scenarios, you can watch previous ones and see how your pendant reacts.”

  “Let’s try it!” Ashlynn shouted as she jogged to the back wall to allow Asteroth a moment to prepare the room.

  Scenes flashed around Ashlynn. She watched with rapt interest as centuries of Sentinels, their teams, and their armies defended the castle from threat after threat in high-speed motion. With each new scene, Ashlynn glanced at her pendant, but nothing seemed to stir her new gift. She even tried to interject herself into some of the battle scenes to help the pendant along but to no avail.

  Finally, one particular illusion emerged into the room. Ashlynn could tell she stood in one of the tallest towers of the castle and watched as the past Sentinels’ armies fought against creatures of all manners who had broke through the gateway.

  “This must be from part of the great battle fifteen years ago,” Ashlynn noted aloud, watching the scene before her.

  One particular creature stood out to her, one she had only read about but never seen in any of her training with the castle. Grievers—mindless minions of the dark, akin to the Shadow creatures of Nightstead, made of shadow and bone, much like a shadow-cloaked skeleton but creepier—infiltrated the castle grounds. However, most don’t see the shadow-cloaked skeleton part, only a small, ghoulish, dark creature with wings, red eyes, and sharp teeth.

  “You said the Grievers only do the bidding of one master, Asteroth. That means someone was behind the battle. Their infiltration was not just a breach in the veil. Why have you not mentioned this to me?”

  “I can’t remember much about how the battle started,” the castle said with a growl. “I’m afraid my memory is getting worse. I’ve lost pieces of vital information.”

  “Never mind.” Ashlynn gasped as her necklace warmed. “Asteroth, my pendant is doing something.”

  “Interesting. What is it doing?”

  “The medallion grew warm against my chest. I can feel the power pulsing through the pendant into me. Does it have something to do with the Grievers?”

  “Funnel the power from the necklace and focus the energy toward the scene to see what happens.”

  “Somehow, I feel like I’m humoring you,” Ashlynn mumbled under her breath.

  “Just do it, and quit mumbling. It’s not becoming of you,” Asteroth said.

  Ashlynn did as he instructed. “I can see through the glamour of the Griever’s shadow magic. I see them as they are, skeletons wrapped in dark shadow.”

  “Good. Anything else?”

  “Shit. I lost the image,” Ashlynn said, slightly winded, as if she’d run a great distance.

  “The pendant’s power takes strength and intention. The magic uses a great deal of energy to hold. You will have to hone this power and gain control of the magic so your own power grows with it.”

  “I would say so. I’ve never felt anything like that before. The power was incredible as it rushed through me, but as soon as the extra energy departed I was left weakened. Only for a moment. I already feel almost back to normal.” Ashlynn stretched her arms out over her head then rolled her neck.

  “The full access of the magic won’t take long, but you will need some practice with the pendant’s power now that you have an idea what the first gift of power is.”

  “Yes, I feel it has something to do with seeing through magical glamours or deceptions or possibly even dark magic. I’m sure the pendant will clarify as I use the power more, but that’s my initial instinct.”

  “From what you described, that sounds accurate. Well done, Sentinel.” Asteroth changed the room back to the original state. The gargoyle statue, with the furry whirrel perched upon his horned head, offered Ashlynn an awkward smile as only a magically animated metal statue could.

  “Thank you. I think I’ll get some tea then some sleep.” Ashlynn reached for Hijinx, and after he jumped from the statue to her shoulder, she left the room of illusions then headed for hers down the hall.

  Upon entering her room, she found a steaming cup of her favorite tea sitting o
n the side table by her cozy reading chair. Hijinx jumped onto one of the nearby shelves then scurried high onto a ceiling beam.

  “Thank you for the tea, Asteroth. We have a big day tomorrow, I’ve been told.” Ashlynn winked at him. “I’ll talk to you in the morning. Goodnight.”

  From the small statue on her bookshelf Asteroth said with a chuckle, “We do indeed. Warriors will begin arriving in the morning. Goodnight, Ashlynn.”

  Chapter Seven

  Darien

  Night approached as Darien led the shadow shifter pack alongside his father. For speed and efficiency, the pack—at least those who had chosen to run with them to Asteroth Castle—had shifted into shadow form. Thankfully, shifting from human to shadow creatures allowed them to remain fully clothed. Otherwise, they would go through more clothes than they had resources to sustain. In shadow form, the pack was an unstoppable force; beasts of darkness who thrived in the hours of the day where light and shadow merged, allowing the night to shield them.

  Darien relished in the power and vibrations of strength from his shadow beast. Extending his arm out in front of him, he saw where his human arm had been, transitioned into part beast with dark fur and claws, semi-transparent, with smoke and shadows constantly flowing about him, covering the monster he had become. In his almost translucent state, he was able to blend more fluidly with the natural shadows of the mortal world. However, he could also feel his shadow brethren call to him from the other side of the veil, beckoning him to join them. To free them. Their shadow beings were still somehow connected, though separated by realms and magic. The danger was if they stayed in shadow form too long, they could lose themselves to the shadows, unable to return to human, dying in a land not created to sustain them. A small contingent of their top-side pack had become lost to their shadows and joined the Unbound who originally chose not to take a human host when they first arrived from Nightstead. The Unbound, as the pack called them, were not many and proved unrulier than those who could process life more with their human minds than their shadow. The alpha kept the Unbound in reserves for when they needed more shadow than human minds.

  Finally, the pack stopped just outside the borders of Asteroth Castle for the remainder of the night. Back in human form, the pack set up camp. Darien was not expected to meet with the Sentinel until morning.

  The castle was a sight to behold even from the distance where they camped within the protection of the nearby forest. Through the trees, Darien studied the layout of the land he was about to enter. Though there was grass and open space surrounding the castle, he knew there to be a boundary—a magical shield—separating the castle from the rest of the world. He knew the history. The border made sense. But he couldn’t imagine not being able to run wild and free where ever and whenever he wanted. At night, however, perfectly placed lanterns glowed along the outside of the castle, illuminating all the undamaged areas of the walls. With his sight to see in the dark, Darien could see other, more unattractive sections of the castle where remnants of past battles still remained. Cracks in stone and broken sections of exterior walls reminded him that even strong, resilient structures were not impervious to destruction over time and constant battle. He thought of what his father and all the shifters had gone through to remain strong.

  In the right line of sight, and from the reflection of light from the lanterns, Darien could see the faint outline of the almost invisible dome shielding the castle. A magical shimmer danced playfully across it. He had to keep adjusting his eyes to see it, but it was quite beautiful.

  A dim light flicked in one of the upper windows of the castle, and he saw movement behind it, but could not make out the person inside. He wondered what the Sentinel would be like having to live in such constraints. He would find out soon enough.

  Darien watched the rest of the pack who joined to see him off and show support for his father. Truly, the only needed to accompany him to the castle was his father and his father’s guard, but the pack was tight, and he was sure his father liked to have a show of strength whenever possible. Plus, he imagined many of them were curious of the castle and what the Sentinel might be like. He knew the struggles many of them had, and yet, they still followed his father and the traditions of old like they were the only life-line available to them. Darien hoped he might be able to find an alternative, perhaps even through the Sentinel.

  Darien’s betrothed, Rozalind, spoke with a recently mated shifter couple. He watched her as she interacted with them, her stance, and how she moved her body. They had grown up together, and her father was the alpha’s best friend and right-hand man. Darien had never truly felt he and Rozalind were on the same page; she didn’t understand him. Her stance on the pack was much more like his father’s views, and he didn’t feel she supported any of his ideas for growth or new developments for the pack. When he thought of his future mate, Darien knew he should feel more at the idea of spending the rest of his life with her. Like the couple she spoke with, he had known them for a long time, too, and he saw the way they worked as a team together and the way they loved each other. Something inside him craved to know that feeling. But as the alpha’s son, he was matched with the female who would complement him in leading the pack—at least in his father’s eyes. To his father, Rozalind was a good match. Having her with them for the send-off only added to his growing irritation. He couldn’t explain it, but something in him—perhaps his shadow nature—told him things were about to change. However, for better or worse, he couldn’t yet say.

  Tomorrow would be interesting.

  DARIEN

  The next morning, Darien stood with his old friend Nate, admiring the castle in the golden glow of the morning light. Darien trusted Nate and wasn’t surprised when Nate opened up with him as he often did.

  “I can’t help but wonder what the Sentinel is like. We’ve grown up with heroic, battle-filled stories; tales of their vast army and powerful magic, but now the army is gone, and only one Sentinel is left. I can’t imagine what impact only one could make on our world, and how she is expected to protect it from the unimaginable dangerous that lurk in the Void.”

  Darien glanced sideways at Nate. “I have wondered those same thoughts. We’ve heard of the castle’s greatness, born of a power so immense the castle has a life of its own. I secretly find being selected as a candidate to be an honor. Though don’t tell my father I said that.” Darien offered Nate a conspiratorial smile.

  Nate whistled. “Damn, you get everything man. An invitation to the most historical landmark in our world and a smokin’ hot fiancé.”

  “I’ll trade you on that last one, buddy. Looks aren’t always everything.” Darien chuckled as if he was joking, but both knew the truth. He had shared his concerns with Nate before and trusted his confidence. Nate punched him playfully in the arm.

  Nodding back at the castle, Darien added, “The Sentinel is most likely a weak hermit anyway, having to live alone in a castle her entire life. No wonder she needs a team.”

  “Yeah, nice try. You know this will be an adventure you won’t forget,” Nate rebutted.

  Even though Darien didn’t want to become the alpha of his father’s pack, he wasn’t sure what he did want. His destiny had been decided since he was born, and he didn’t have any options to fight it. Joining the Sentinel’s team would be a brief reprieve from his usual day to day. But for now, he would take what he could get.

  “Son, it is time we made our way to the castle.” The alpha spoke from behind Darien. He turned to see his father and Rozalind approaching together. He steeled his spine and nodded. He had a job to do.

  Rozalind reached for his arm and pulled him close to her as they walked arm and arm behind his father. Petting his arm slowly and seductively as they walked, Rozalind lowered her voice and leaned into him. “Do make sure you hurry back, my mate. We will make such a great team, you and I, when I can govern at your side. I don’t want to rule this pack without you, though I suppose I would if I had to,” she purred with a sickly sweet, me
lodic tone, but underneath her tone Darien heard an underlying edge that raised the hairs on the back of his neck.

  Darien looked down at her, but she would not allow him to catch her eyes. He subtly growled a warning at her from deep within his chest. “Though you are skilled at leading mindless sheep, my father would never give you the throne over the entire pack without me at your side.”

  Rozalind simply continued to absently pet his arm and smile as if his words had no effect on her, but instead were words of adoration.

  His father stopped just before they were to exit the cover of the forest and enter the open land in front of the castle border. “Son, a word before we arrive.”

  Darien stepped from Rozalind’s clutches and moved to his father’s side for a private, father-son heart to heart.

  “Darien, though I could not hear your conversation with Rozalind, I did hear your growl of warning toward her. I’m sure whatever she said did not warrant that kind of response toward your mate.”

  “Future mate,” Darien corrected.

  “Still, she is to be respected as such, just as I did with your mother. She has been chosen to assist you in leading this pack and keeping the traditions of our past.”

  “Whatever. Let’s get this over with,” Darien said with a grumbled response, well aware of his duty and what was expected of him. His duty was what caused him to tolerate all that grated against his soul.

  “Remember, I want you in and out. Get information and report back to me your findings, and discover the Sentinel’s weaknesses,” the alpha reminded him.

  Crossing his arms at his chest, Darien half-heartedly acknowledged his father’s words. “I understand. The Sentinel will be waiting for us. I don’t want to be there and away from the pack longer than necessary.” He turned toward the castle and then stepped away from his father before officially being “dismissed,” and felt the hard stare of his father at his back.