Shadows and Shade Box Set

by Amanda Cashure

  “I’m going to pin it on that since I see no other logical force that could have brought it down without those Sabers slipping their Concealers first. It makes no sense.”

  Silence settles again, each of us just trying to breathe and sip. Breathe and sip.

  “We have to go back,” he says.

  “Where?”

  “To the White Castle. I can feel the pull.”

  “You don’t want to?” I ask.

  “Nope. I don’t want to move.”

  “Me either.” I search my mind for anything else of importance before reaching into my pocket and pulling out Kitten’s egg. I’m almost grateful that everything we needed was easily grabbed, then realization hits me, and I groan hard. “We have to go back for Eydis’ potions though.”

  “What potions?”

  “The ones we need to destroy Lithael’s souls. The ones Eydis had in the cellar. And the Spring itself. We can’t leave it unguarded.” I groan at the mammoth-sized problem I just dragged into the forefront of my mind.

  “It’ll be safe to go back tomorrow, nothing but bodies,” he says.

  I open my mouth to speak, and we end up saying the exact same thing, “Just not her.”

  “She’ll need to be at the White Castle eventually,” I state, a fact that leaves a bitter taste on my tongue. “The Castle’s calling to her too. It might have been the last piece to the puzzle that saved us.”

  “I felt it, that connecting bond. Does that make us the first genuine Pentad? I mean, how is it even possible that the magic could bind us this far from a Castle?”

  He’s right. Most Sabers are called to the gates of the castles. They’re technically stuck within a tight radius until their full team arrives – almost always triunes – then the Dignitaries preside over the moment they form a circle and try to bond. The complete triune is awarded a leader, recently termed a Commander, whoever is the only one left standing when the magic hits. And the magic did hit us, tripling our own power. A genuine pentad despite the loophole Pax formed in the lore.

  “I have no idea,” I admit. “But I hope Pax has a plan because I don’t want her there until she can stand on her own Saber feet.”

  “You and me both, brother.”

  Morning fades into noon, but the giant vines like the shadows and keep most of the forest in shade. The perfect temperature to nap, and Aeons, does my power need it. It would be better if Seth didn’t fidget so often, and if every breath and stir from Kitten didn’t jolt me awake.

  “Is she in pain?” Seth asks for the millionth time.

  “No,” I answer for the millionth time.

  I rub my head, brushing now dry blood from my hair. She healed us – it makes no sense.

  The mortal has had less than a day with her Saber soul, and she healed us.

  We’re alive because of her.

  No Bubble

  The world awakens in feelings first. The feel of Seth underneath me, a mallow that smells of citrus and cherries and is the only one of them broad enough to almost be a bed. Man-bed – maed. No, that can’t be right. Bed-man – Bam?

  I like bam, and I snuggle a little into him, noticing the smooth-as-silk sensation of glass on my wrist. I run my thumb across my fingers, just a little movement, feeling the way my muscles flex in the band.

  Someone makes a worried hum sound from my left – Roarke. “They’re back, Kitten, if you can open your eyes.”

  Do I have to?

  Two men and two horses approach. I’ve got no idea how deciphering rustles and thumps into four independent creatures moving over the soft earth became something I can do. Not four – five. Even though Pax and Thane only have one heartbeat, I can feel both of them.

  They stop nearby, dismounting with belt jingles and soft boot thumps, as one of the horses snorts and paws at the ground. I’m not sure where we are, but I feel like I’m down low, possibly even on the ground. The air’s cool and calm. Nothing but the gentle sounds of nature.

  Seth snorts, startling awake underneath me, and I open my eyes to Killian – not even a handspan from my face.

  He bares his teeth and growls. “Stop trying to die, or I’m going to kill you.”

  Then he marches off.

  Pax shoots me a fleeting glance from beside his mount but doesn’t approach. He stays by the horses, unbuckling some things and rearranging others with determination on his face. If he’s not going to come to me, then I have to go to him.

  So I try to sit up, only to have Roarke push me back into Seth’s arms saying, “Shhh.”

  “Shhh, yourself, Roarke. Why is Pax taking the bags off my horse and putting them on yours?”

  “Because yours is injured,” Seth says, his voice heavy and still sleepy underneath me. “Are you in pain?”

  He wraps his arm around me and settles me into my original position. He has one leg stretched long on the moss-covered ground, the other bent and tucked underneath my ass. With a sigh, he shifts to free his trapped leg and stretch it out.

  How long have we been here? Here, which appears to be some kind of cave made from vines.

  My hair lifts off my neck, and I realize Seth’s hooked it to the side to expose my neck, specifically the back of my neck. The gentle touch of his fingers sends a shiver down my spine.

  “Vexy, answer me, are you in pain?”

  ”No,” I say, shaking my head.

  I ache, but I wouldn’t call that pain, and I have a variety of experience to compare it to.

  Pax and Killian look not quite healthy, but certainly uninjured, as they work together to sort the horses out, and Roarke looks confused but otherwise fine. They’re talking in hushed tones between themselves and occasionally shooting glances across at me.

  They’re okay. Every single one of them is okay.

  “Why are we camping?” I ask, rolling onto my side and closing my eyes. Before I realize what I'm doing, I’ve begun to doze back off to sleep.

  Seth tucks my hair behind my ear and leans in to whisper, “Because we need to ride for the White Castle, and you need to ride somewhere safe to recover.”

  I sit up so sharply that my ass slips out of Seth’s lap and the rest of me follows. I land flat on my back beside him, sending a sharp bolt of pain from the base of my spine up to my left shoulder.

  I groan, my back arching, trying to roll onto my right side, struggling, and failing.

  Seth leans over me, lacing his hand along my spine and gently cradling me up and into his arms.

  I gasp as the pressure releases, and the ache subsides.

  “She’s fine,” Killian grunts.

  “She’s gone white,” Seth says, his hand cupping my cheek and his eyes searching mine.

  I swallow, forcing myself to concentrate on the pain. On the way it laces down from my shoulder through my back. Each rib echoing the remnants of damage. Concentrating helps me stay conscious, and I move my mind away from the parts of me that hurt to focus on things that don’t.

  I’m wearing Pax’s shirt – that’s nothing new, but I wasn’t wearing this particular light blue Silvari cotton garment when I passed out. I’m still in the same pants, though, with blood splatters stained permanently here and there. I run my fingers over my lips, looking for blood. Seth traces them with his thumb, soft, concerned.

  “We washed your face,” he says.

  Crap, he looks scared.

  The back of my shirt starts to lift, and I try to swivel. Cool air brushes against my skin followed quickly by Pax’s warm fingers.

  “Pax,” I gasp, squirming.

  He can’t see my back. I can’t deal with him losing his shit right now. His brothers need him – I need him.

  “Shhh, Kitten. He’s seen them,” Roarke says, kneeling on my other side.

  Killian doesn’t move, fixing a bow and arrows and a spare sword over the top of the packs.

  Pax’s fingers run down my spine, sparking tingles that fill my concentration.

  “Killian,” Pax rumbles, and finally, the big guy walks
back over.

  The others make space, and before I know it, Killian starts pressing firmly into muscles that were barely ready for gentle – and may never be ready for firm. He kneads my shoulder joint, making the arm move, lifting it into the air. I hiss, but I don’t struggle.

  “Can someone please tell me what happened?” I ask when there’s a gap in the pain.

  “ShimmerSeed cut you down,” Killian provides. “You should be dead.”

  “Fuck being dead.”

  Seth chuckles, and Roarke runs a hand through his messy hair, with half a smile on his lips, but all four of my guys stare at me.

  “I mean it,” I say, adding a wince as Killian presses on my spine.

  “Do you need me?” Roarke asks.

  Killian fans both hands over my ribs, stopping me from being able to breathe.

  I snatch Roarke’s hand. For a long moment, no one says anything. Helped by the fact that I can’t breathe, and breathing is required for talking. Then the pain recedes, with the telltale white spots and sparkles of Allure.

  “Someone give me more details,” I demand the second I can breathe again.

  “Broadsword shattered your clavicle and scapula,” Killian says, pressing his fingers along my neck and over my shoulder. “Sliced through your left lung. Deflected off your lower ribs and just barely grazed your spine.”

  I shrug, made possible by Roarke’s pain relief. “That’s not too bad.”

  Killian leans forward, whispering in my ear. “You died in that Spring. That’s what had to happen. You don’t need to do it again. Ever!”

  I take a deep breath. “Chuck death,” I repeat. “Death and I are engaged in an ongoing dialogue about boundaries. We’re working it out, and I’m sure we’ll come to an agreement.”

  I reach under the collar of my shirt, feeling the edges of a scar that starts at the front before moving down my back.

  “Are you sure any of this is a good idea? She looks really weak,” Seth says, looking past me at Pax.

  “Her muscles are barely holding together. Ride too hard, and you’ll rip them apart again,” Killian says.

  “We’re safe here for a night. There isn’t a Seed alive that can get in here in one night.”

  “You can’t stay this close to the border,” Pax argues. “And the only thing that’s going to get her to safety so she can heal properly is distance. We’ll ride to Drayden, then on to Hirana. Jada knows what to do – she’ll get to you, and you will all meet me there or somewhere between.”

  I am so utterly confused that, at this point, I give up trying to understand.

  “What do you mean Jada knows what to do?” Killian asks.

  Pax runs a hand down his face, looking like he needs sleep. I don’t like it when Sabers need sleep; it’s never a good sign.

  “I already asked her to gather orders. She knows where Muinthel is hiding and can manipulate a few of the others. She didn’t like the idea but agreed that as soon as we arrive at the White Castle, she will be there to release us again. I need more time before Lithael confronts Beautiful – I need more time before they seal her to the Castle.”

  Killian grunts and nods – approving.

  Which is beginning to piss me off, but I keep my mouth shut because returning to the White Castle isn’t on the top of my list either.

  “And if she’s not?” Roarke pushes.

  “Then tell them we’re injured and require a rescue assignment. The Dignitaries will honor that, and it’s not a lie.”

  “It will take days – maybe weeks. Lithael has no duty of care toward his Sabers –” Roarke begins.

  Then Killian cuts in – “He’s going to use this to destroy us.”

  “It’s worth the risk,” Thane snaps, surging forward with glowing eyes.

  “Agreed,” Killian says.

  I don’t agree, but my head is spinning just from the arguing, especially seeing as though Killian seems to be on both sides.

  “Brother, you could be dead before we get to you.”

  “No one is allowed to be dead,” I declare. They all look sharply at me, so I add, “Death is my thing – it’s not allowed to be your thing, too.”

  Killian growls, getting up and pacing towards the horses before pacing back. He points at me, saying, “No,” but nothing else.

  Pax stands and walks away too, declaring, “Steal one last moment because we’re leaving now.”

  “Leaving?” I demand, if something so soft and weak can be called a demand.

  “Shhh,” Seth says, pressing his lips to my neck and distracting me.

  Completely distracting me – suddenly the other three are way over by the horses, and I’m alone in the gentle hands of Chaos.

  He makes it sound easy.

  Double back. Secret the potions to a secure location. Find a disbanded triune that could almost be anywhere, except I’m ninety percent sure the man will be on the Falcon estates – that’s assuming Pax and the others are willing to stake their kingdom on Tan. Then ride for the Castle and hope Jada is there. If she’s not, explain the ambush somehow. Tell them that Pax and Kitten were separated from us, which isn’t really a lie, so the TruthSeeds won’t know the difference. I can Allure anything into place when it comes to a basic truth or lie test, Darkness scares the crap out of them, and no one bothers with Seth because all of his truths are lies and his lies are often truths.

  And we have to do all of that right now.

  It’s too soon.

  “We haven’t had a chance to talk about any of what happened,” I say.

  “Talk quickly because we’re leaving.”

  We’re clustered beside the horses. Seth’s lips are on Kitten’s far enough away for her not to hear us. Not that we’re keeping secrets, just keeping things simple.

  The amazing thing is, even as he gently tangles his fingers into her hair and shifts to deepen their kiss, I’m not jealous. I want her next, but not now, which makes me feel uncomfortably proud of myself.

  “She definitely died in the Spring?” Pax asks, his voice cracking on the key word. “I felt my heart shredding to pieces.”

  “She felt completely gone from my magic. A person can’t have no desires. If I look, and I did, I should have at least felt a desire to breathe.”

  “Her threads dissolved,” Killian adds. “That light brought her back.”

  “I’m pretty sure – no, I’m certain – it was a soul, or part of a soul.”

  They just look at me for several long breaths as the pieces line themselves up and make themselves known. Mother ordered Kitten into the Spring; she stayed there for two hundred and seventy years and came out like a mortal. Aged like a mortal. Healed like a mortal. Had no sign of a Seed. Only the slightest hint showed any Saber ancestry, enough to confuse the crap out of me. Just a little something more. Like the fact that she wasn’t afraid of us, resisted my power from day one, and managed to walk right through our wards on more than one occasion. I thought it was the bubble; all of our powers were behaving weirdly. But maybe there was more to it. Maybe the majority of what made her Saber never came out of the well – until recently.

  “It was her soul,” I say, the words forming slowly as if partway through the sentence, I might find a flaw in my logic and have to take the idea back. But I don’t. “The Saber part of her soul was always in the Spring.”

  “Why would a Spring separate part of her soul?” Pax asks. “And is it back for good?”

  I run my hands through my hair, fixing it into a tight knot with the band on my wrist.

  “I don’t know. Why does any Spring do anything? Maybe the parameters were right. The writing on the glass said, Return the soul to the place of its origin. Also, now that I think about it, the writing warned us that the domain would come down: A shard from the barrier that protects us all. Or maybe that was talking about the border. I’m really beginning to loathe prophecies.”

  “Doesn’t explain how we missed being ambushed,” Killian growls.

  Pax runs his hand
over his face, pulling at tension that instantly returns. His stallion tries to nuzzle him, then gives up. “It does if one of our allies was in fact our enemy.”

  And he’s right, that was always a threat.

  “That complicates things,” I say.

  Killian makes a noise that translates to murder.

  “Be careful when you return to the White Castle. Some of our plans may already be undone.”

  “I know our plan. What’s yours, Commander?”

  “She might not be conscious by the time I arrive in Hirana, but that doesn’t matter. Keeping her safe does. I’ll book a room, let her recover, make some arrangements to let her stay there, purchase a safe house, then send for you.”

  “Let her stay and send for us – I thought you’d let her recover, then ride with her back to the White Castle,” I interrupt.

  “Not if I can help it. She’s still supposed to fight the grimm, and she can’t fight at all. We stick to our plan: remove the Sealers working for Lithael. Take the White Castle into our discreet possession. Get the masters to the Springs to hold the border in place and keep the mortal mages at bay for –”

  “How far’s Hirana?” Killian interrupts, which is possibly the least important question right now.

  One minute, one hour, one day – it’s all too far away.

  “Drayden’s a day from here. Hirana’s closer to two days unless we ride hard,” Pax says, “I never can remember one mortal city from another.”

  “You will be dead,” Killian grumbles.

  He’s clearly not planning to finish his sentence – so I do it for him. “You’ll be dead before you can ride from Hirana back to the White Castle. You can’t put yourself that far away with the Return Seal already pulling. You don’t come back to life.”

  “I’m strong enough.”

  “Stay in Drayden. Let her heal. Bring her to the castle. She wielded Silvari glass without even touching it – let me train her,” I plead, which turns into something close to babbling.

  Or begging.

  Whatever it takes.

  “No,” Pax growls, Thane rearing his head. “Don’t disobey me on this, brother. Jada will get you a new assignment, then come find me. She can bring the new seal – I will survive long enough for that.”