by Dahlia Leigh
Ed cleaned up the putty from the ground and then set up another one. “Ok, how about this one?” More smoke filled the room than the one before but instead of the illusion turning into an animal, the smoke stayed in large mass.
“Is the smoke going to do something?” Ashlynn asked confused. But Edmund only shook his head. Ashlynn knew he was going easy on her to start with, but she appreciated the practice with her pendant anyway. She gripped her amulet. “Oh! I see it. The smoke was the illusion. Within the smoke I see a tiger!”
“Good,” Edmund said.
“You’ve gotten better at bigger illusions in such a short time,” Ashlynn said, impressed.
Edmund stuck out his chest at her praise.
Ashlynn cocked her head with her hand at her mouth in deep thought. “I want you to try something for me. Could you try to infuse an illusion with a spell and see what that does?”
“Yes, I see where you’re going with this.” Edmund pointed a finger at her, beaming. “I can perform a spell but it will take a few moments as I don’t have my own magic.”
“Ok, you prepare the illusion, then I will infuse the powder with magic.”
“Isn’t that like cheating? You’ll know what the illusion is before it happens.” Ed complained in a teasing manner, giving her a cheeky grin.
“No, because you are preparing the illusion part. I won’t know what you did to it.”
“You’re brilliant!” Ed bustled around the table once more, adding a pinch of one thing, then a pinch of another. “Ok I’m ready when you are.”
Ashlynn touched the vials, infusing them with her magic to empower the spell when ignited. “Let’s see if this works.”
Ed threw the putty to the ground and took a step back.
“You afraid?” Ashlynn teased, reaching her hand out to touch Edmund’s forearm.
Uncomfortable at first, Edmund looked down at where her hand connected with his arm. He sighed. “When you touch me all the chaos in my mind settles and I feel peace and… you. Just you, your presence surrounds me. The feeling is nice.”
Ashlynn smiled. Unsure what to say, she changed the subject. “Thank you. You ready to try this?”
Ed nodded, watching the smoke as it rose from the ground. The smoke moved faster and thicker. “Ashlynn, try focusing your pendant’s magic without touching it this time.”
Ashlynn frowned. “Why?”
“Because if the pendant is connected to you, you shouldn’t have to always touch it. The more connected, the easier power should flow. And in battle your hands might be busy fighting.”
“Good point.” Ashlynn steadily inhaled as she prepared herself. Keeping her hands positioned at her side, she focused on the smoke as it transformed into the most realistic illusion yet. A swarm of four Grievers burst out of the smoke and into the room, flying around, dodging in and out of lab equipment in a frenzy. Ashlynn caught herself from screeching just in time, but still they both ducked when the creatures flew overhead. “Whoa!”
“Focus, Ashlynn. It’s harder to do with a moving target.”
“I got this.” Ashlynn zeroed her Sentinel eye on the Grievers and pulled on the magic within her and felt a sliver of the pendant’s magic there alongside her own. She gasped at the realization. Edmund had been right. In her sight, the Grievers dissolved back into smoke. “I did it!”
She glanced at Edmund, ducking and dancing around the room, dodging the Griever illusions even though he knew they weren’t real. She almost laughed. She forgot he didn’t see through the illusion as she did.
“That was fun. We need to do that more often,” she said. Edmund cleaned the putty off the ground from the previous illusions.
“You gave me an idea. I should be able to concoct very specific types of magical illusions, such as that one, by altering the spells and preparing them ahead of time. We could use them in a fight, or at least to slow down an enemy.”
“Absolutley.” Ashlynn paused for a moment while Ed prepared the next illusion powder. “Edmund, tell me about your family and where you come from.”
Edmund fumbled with his vial, but caught the glass before it fell and broke. “My father was the most esteemed alchemist in St. Croix and the surrounding provinces… maybe even the world. He taught me everything I know, but I never quite learned all he knew. I trained with him and his colleagues up until recently.”
Edmund mixed the powder and the liquid and prepared the putty. He frowned and sighed.
Ashlynn’s heart recognized the pain she saw in his eyes. She bit her lip and ventured a guess. “You said was. What happened, Ed?”
Edmund’s eyes rose to meet hers and he sighed. “He was in a terrible accident in his lab. There was an explosion. The accident was my fault. He died. You ready for this next one?”
Ashlynn nodded not wanting to push him. He threw the putty and, instead of smoke, a thick white fog emerged from the ground. The fog was sluggish as it rose. She frowned not able to see through it as fast as the others. Her mind was distracted with Edmund’s words, and she needed to focus on her pendant. The necklace warmed the more she thought of it. Her focus brought the power closer to the surface until the magic forced its way through her. “I see a white Rhino charging me.”
Her pendant heated more at her chest. Her fingers itched to cradle the necklace but allowed her mind to follow the stream of energy the pendant created. The image shifted. “Whoa. The rhino was the initial illusion covering some kind of darkness turned into a… a grim reaper? Interesting choice. But you hid an illusion within an illusion. Clever, Ed.”
Edmund placed his hand on his chest and gave her a gentlemanly bow. He wasn’t being theatrical like Taegen, but more sincere and sweet in his own playful way. Ashlynn smiled, feeling a little disarmed by his goofy charm. She hadn’t had that much fun practicing or training in the manner they were in quite some time. She found their time refreshing but also a little unnerving. Ashlynn cleared her throat. “Could I look at your spell book again?”
“Of course. I’ll set up the next illusion while you do,” Edmund said.
Ashlynn moved over to the other table and sat on his stool, with her back to him, while she took a moment to calm her mind and explore his fascinating book.
“Ashlynn, I’m ready when you are for the last illusion.” Edmund straightened his lab coat and his glasses. Something about his mundane actions struck Ashlynn with a strange fuzzy feeling in her stomach.
“I’m ready.”
Edmund threw the putty to the ground and a large burst of black smoke erupted from the ground. Ashlynn gasped as she peered through the smoke illusion. She must have been getting much better using her pendant. She barely had to focus to see through the illusion.
“How did you do that? Edmund you created an illusion of a shadow shifter, I can see him.” She inhaled so hard she almost choked when she realized who the shifter was. “You replicated Darien? That’s amazing, he’s so… he’s so… wait a minute.” Ashlynn frowned, looked down at her pendant then looked at the image of Darien and frowned further. Stepping closer, she hung her head and laughed.
“You tricked me! Darien, shift back.” Ashlynn couldn’t believe they had tricked her. The image before her was not an illusion at all but truly Darien in the lab. “How did you do that without me seeing?”
Darien’s face contorted with great restraint as he tried not to laugh at her. “When you were looking at that book, I entered and shifted at Edmund’s instruction. It was truly all his idea.”
“That was fun! The look on your face was worth it,” Edmund said with a cheesy grin.
Ashlynn smacked Edmund in the arm and then Darien as well. They both laughed, and she joined in. Ashlynn had never laughed so hard with someone else. The expression felt good. They made her feel good. Her heart felt light.
“I still was able to figure it out, so I didn’t lose that one.” She shook her head in disbelief. She then remembered he had interrupted her time with Edmund.
“What are you doing here, Darien?”
Darien’s face sobered and he straightened his shoulders, his demeanor returning to the son of the alpha. “I was on watch at the perimeter. You need to know my father sent the Unbound creatures to survey the castle. They remained outside the dome boundary, but I encountered one at the edge and sent him and the others back to my father.”
Ashlynn thought over what he said. “Thank you for telling me.”
Unexpectedly, Darien elicited a curt nod. His expression clouded, he appeared about to say something then thought otherwise and then strode out of the room. Ashlynn studied the difference in personality he presented then turned to Edmund.
“And thank you, Ed, for practicing with me. I need to speak with Asteroth but will see you later.”
“Thank you, Ashlynn, I enjoyed our time,” Edmund said, smiling.
Ashlynn walked out of the lab with purpose, intent on learning all she could on the Shadow Shifters from Asteroth.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ashlynn
Sitting cross-legged on the floor in the illusion room, Ashlynn gathered her thoughts. She knew only a little from her books and what Darien and the castle recently told her, but she still felt her information lacked. “Asteroth? Will you tell me more about the history of the shadow shifters and the Unbound? The alpha has strong feelings against me—or perhaps he hates all Sentinels since he’s never met me before the other day—but I want to know why.”
“I will do better than tell you, Ash. I can show you. Observe.”
The room grew dark and, within moments, Ashlynn was transported back to a time in the world she did not recognize. The sky was filled with a haze of reds and grays. Before her, she spotted Asteroth Castle. In a time before hers, the castle was fortified, solid, and complete. Stone upon stone lay intact, and the grounds were immaculate. His presence was fierce and unyielding. Ashlynn realized how much Asteroth had physically deteriorated since. Asteroth’s voice interrupted her analysis of the area.
“Hundreds of years ago, the Unbound—shadow creatures of Nightstead—were allowed to come through via the veil connecting the Void. They had trickled through in smaller groups as a test to see how they integrated with humans and the beings top-side.”
Ashlynn watched the visual unfold while Asteroth told his story. Emerging from the castle grounds were hulking beasts of shadow. Intimidation emanated from them with their glowing eyes, skewed horns, and transparent, humanoid, beast forms. Tendrils of shadowy smoke writhed over their beings, alive with movement. They left the castle and scattered across the lands out of sight.
“Some time went by and the Sentinels, in conjunction with the council of top-side beings, learned the Unbound needed to fuse with a human host to blend in and adapt to our surroundings. They soon felt their presence was a threat to humanity even though the Unbound had no intention, at the time, of overrunning the human race; they simply wanted to survive. The first shadow creatures who arrived persisted the humans consented, and the fusing was a mutually, non-painful union. However, the Unbound learned of the whispers of the council and panicked.”
The image changed and scores of Unbound flooded out from the castle walls into the world, stirring chaos as they rushed to ensure they had a place top-side.
“More and more began to rush through the Void, causing their own chaos, disrupting the common goings on. The demon families were not happy as they attempted to keep the Unbound out of their business. The Sentinel Queen of the time made the decision, for better or worse, to bar the Unbound from crossing through the veil, and then had the veil magically sealed.”
Ashlynn watched in awe as the scene played out. She understood the concern for the humans top-side, but she also understood the shifters wanting freedom for the rest of their brethren. Ash wondered what she would have done if she had been the queen at the time.
“So that is why Alpha Berone hates the Sentinels.”
“That, and his wife, the rest of his family, and his Unbound brethren remained trapped in Nightstead,” Asteroth said.
Ashlynn paused. “The queen would not allow his wife to pass through for them to be together?”
“She offered for him to return to Nightstead but no other Unbound were allowed to leave. He had a young son at the time and wanted a new life for him.”
“Darien.” The weight of his words struck within her heart.
“Berone chose to stay, his wife lost to him forever. He has been bitter ever since.”
Ashlynn thought over all he said, understanding gave her a new light on the alpha of the shadow shifters. “So, after they fused with humans, that is when they became shifters and gained the ability to change forms?”
“Yes. The human bodies enabled them to use the human form, but their ancient magic innate to the Unbound remained and allowed them to keep that form as well. Alpha Berone gave them a new name for their new life top-side.”
“The shadow shifters.”
“Yes,” Asteroth said. “However, there is a small grouping of the top-side Unbound who refused to lose what they deemed their rightful heritage. They have remained without a human host as the Unbound. The consequences of their choice have resulted in a lessening of their power and control. Their minds have diminished, leaving them to be a bit challenging and unruly. Being ruled by the strongest of alphas is how they functioned in Nightstead. Their race top-side is close to extinction as their ancient magic drains, seeping back into the land; back to their place of birth.”
“Their story is sad,” Ashlynn said.
“It is, but so are many others.” Asteroth paused. “It’s what they do with their lifestyle and choices now that matter. They are a dangerous group at the most controlled of times, but in the past, when they have been loosed on towns, villages, entire societies… they were almost unstoppable.”
Ashlynn leaned back onto her hands, still on the floor. “I’ve read some of the histories. They could destroy entire villages, burning, homes and buildings to ash in a single night in shadow form.” The visual idea of that scenario sent chills down her spine. Then she asked, “Shadow form is the only source of their magic?”
“Yes. They were angry and lashed out because of their lost brethren. But since then, peace has existed for the last fifty years or so. I do fear, Berone is harboring his hate, waiting for the proper time to make his move. You need to tread lightly with him.”
Ashlynn jumped up from the floor and walked toward the door. “Thank you Asteroth. Your insight and history has been most helpful. I have some things to think on tonight.”
“It is my pleasure to serve you, Sentinel.”
Ashlynn shut the door behind her and looked up just in time to see Darien coming out of his room several doors down the hall, walking toward her. Not paying attention at first, he watched the ground. His shoulders were hunched and the scowl on his face indicated he was deep in his own thoughts. As if sensing her, his head jerked up and spotted her. Stopping in his tracks, his eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. Then unexpectedly he turned to head back into his room.
“Darien?”
He paused but didn’t face her.
“Is everything all right?” Ashlynn asked.
His shoulders rose with a slow intake of air. He faced her, confusion clouding his expression. His gaze slowly roamed her face then hungrily moved south, taking in all of her. Ashlynn’s face flushed. She’d never had a man look at her that way.
“Darien?” She prompted him, her voice strained with the new feelings her body experienced against her will. She swallowed. “I’ll just see you at dinner then.”
Darien advanced toward her, his large strides reaching her in a few steps. His large, masculine body moved in close to her, backing Ash against the wall.
“Darien what are you doing?” Ashlynn’s voice was breathy and unsure, but she didn’t stop him, wanting to see where he was going to take this encounter.
“You make me feel…” Darien practically growled with his forced confession. “You make me feel. I feel so much mor
e when I’m near you. I’ve never felt this way from a woman before.” His body pressed her against the castle wall, moving in even closer, bracing his hands on either side of her head. Ashlynn watched him, heard his words, and felt his body against hers. She instinctively longed to press her body against his in return, but she recognized her own out of control feeling and shut it down, unwilling to allow her response to progress any further.
Darien leaned his head, his nose grazing the sensitive skin between her neck and collarbone. He inhaled her scent, sending shivers down to her toes. But he didn’t move any farther, his forearms flexed next to her, restraining himself. She let him continue, curious to know what he would say. He whispered near her ear. His warm breath tickled her. “My head spins, and I feel out of control, my inner shadow beast feels out of control. I don’t know what to do with that.”
Feeling the shift in control, Ashlynn knew what she needed to do. “What about the woman you were with at the gate?”
Darien froze, her words the equivalent of ice pouring down his back. He looked her in the eyes and gave her a fraction of space between them. She expected to see guilt in his expression, but instead, she saw resolve.
“Rozalind has been my betrothed for many years. She was chosen for me by my father. I haven’t thought of her since I have been here. Like I said, I have never felt with her what I have felt for you since the first moment I saw you. I’ve never felt anything with her. She is not who I want to be with. Ashlynn, I know you may not choose me, but I want you to know I’m in this and for the first time I feel it here,” Darien placed his hand on his heart. He moved away from her, giving her space, “The choice is up to you.”
Ashlynn watched him walk back to his room, the tension and weight upon his shoulders much less visible than when he stepped out of his room. He had physically left her breathless. In books, she had read of that experience but never believed such a response to be realistic.
“I need a cold shower,” she whispered, looking both directions to ensure no one else had witnessed the encounter where her body was traitor to her own mission of mind.
