Into the Shadows
Jenn D. Young
This book would not have been possible without love and support from my friends and family. Thank you to the guys of Lord of the Lost. Without your musical influence to give me the inspiration and the motivation to write, this would not have been possible. Chris, Class, Pi, Gared and Nik, thank you for continuing to make music that inspires and encourages. Your music makes a difference. To my best friend, Mike. Thank you for standing by my side for almost twenty years, for kicking me in the butt when I needed it and for picking me up when I have fallen. This would not have happened without your support. To anyone who has a dream: Don’t be afraid to reach out, go for it, and ask for help along the way. You can accomplish anything you set your mind to if you believe in yourself.
Playlist:
Loreley – Lord of The Lost
Black Halo – Lord of The Lost
Midnight’s Chant – Kalidia
Diamond Eyes – Deftones
When You’re Asleep – Lord of the Lost
Through the Mirror – Beyond the Black
Total Eclipse of The Heart – Exit Eden
White Water – Kobra and The Lotus
Love Goes On and On – Lindsey Stirling Ft. Amy Lee
Slow Burn – Apocalyptica
Supernatural – Aesthetic Perfection
Suckerpunch – Delain
Wrong Side of Heaven – Five Finger Death Punch
Under Your Scars – Godsmack
Under The Sun – Lord of The Lost
Prologue
Lorelei
I looked down at my small hands, pulling apart my fingers, watching as the sticky red substance clung to the webbing. The tears flowed freely down my face, my sniffles the only sound in the otherwise silent room. The scent of blood hung heavily in the air. My breath came out in white clouds in the freezing air. I couldn’t feel the cold that crept in from the broken window. I couldn’t feel the pain.
I couldn’t feel anything.
Bodies littered the floor of my room in the house where we were living, just outside Seattle. I loved this city. We had been here for two years. The longest we had ever been in one city before moving. The climate had suited me quite well. The rain had comforted me. I would spend hours outside dancing in the downpours, jumping in puddles, feeling the fresh water wash away all the troubles of the day. In the water, I felt complete.
Even at thirteen years old, I experienced and saw things far beyond my years.
The attackers came in the middle of the night.
I had been dreaming of playing my violin in a field of heather. The scent tickling my nose as my fingers flew over the instrument, the bow rocking back and forth along the strings. Masculine laughter faded along with the dream. It was always the same. As soon as I would wake, I could not remember his face.
Just the feeling of his presence made me feel safe. Like I would always be protected. Tonight’s dream was more vivid than the others. I could hear the lyrical sound of his voice as we spoke of music. He was playing his cello, my fingers touched the cool amber wood as I admired the beautiful instrument.
Theera….
Chapter 1
Lorelei
A palm clamped over my mouth as my eyes flew open, adjusting to the darkness of my room. “Quiet,” Mother had whispered in my ear, the dream fading from my conscious thoughts. “They’ve come. You know what to do, baby.” Her green eyes sparkled with unshed tears in the blackness of the room.
We had practiced our routine many times over the years. I scrambled out of my bed, throwing off the covers as I wiped the remnants of sleep from my eyes. Reaching underneath the frame, I carefully pried open the hidden compartment that held the bag filled with essentials for leaving quickly.
We always rotated the supplies every few months to keep them fresh. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, cash, documents, water bottles, and emergency food. All wrapped up in a discreet black backpack that was easy enough for me to carry, the bag was a vital part of the rooms throughout the places we lived in.
“Hurry, Iah. I will hold them off. Hide in the closet.” She took my cheeks in her hands and placed her forehead against mine. I watched as her eyes squeezed together tightly, the expression on her face hardened and determined.
“Mom, we can escape together,” I whispered, clinging to her wrist, willing her to follow me. This time felt different. Deep down inside, I knew that she would not be coming with me.
My stomach rolled, and the anxiety I felt intensified as the smile on her face turned sad as she shook her head. “Go, baby.” She pried my fingers from her arm and patted the top of my head to comfort me. “Now.” Her tone turned insistent.
Scrambling to my feet, I made my way across the room. I felt for the small catch that released the panel and scooted into my hiding place. Knees pressed against my chest as I worked to control my breathing by slowly counting to ten. The forces we were running from had superior hearing and I would need to maintain almost perfect silence to preserve my hiding place.
“Morgana, my dear. How good it is to see you after all these years.” The deep voice dripped with malice.
My hand covered my mouth to conceal the noise as men piled into my small room. “Andras. I see you are still working for Kristoff.” Mom inched slowly along the wall, maneuvering herself into a better position to battle the foes she stood against. She had always made a point of hiding weapons throughout the house, but could access them quickly if needed.
“Where is the child, Morgana? We can spare all this bloodshed if you just hand her over to us now.” Andras examined his fingernails, boredom clouding his expression. His black eyes took in her movements, but either he did not consider them a threat, or he was calculating his own next move.
“What child would that be?” She cocked her head in confusion, her voice smooth as silk and sweet as honey as she layered her compulsive powers deep within the tones.
Andras sighed as he pulled a knife from the inside of his suit pocket. “Don’t play dumb with us, Morgana. The child that sleeps in this room, obviously.” He waved the silver tipped knife around, pointing to fantasy posters and books littered throughout my personal space. I never decorated my rooms with much. When we had to move, it was typically sudden, and we couldn’t take much with us.
Every new flat, apartment or house we stayed in, my mother made sure that I felt at home and welcome. She re-bought me the same copies of my favorite books, made sure we had plenty of songs on our iPods and I was well taken care of. The one thing I could not live without was my beloved violin, which Mother always made sure she grabbed during our mad dashes.
“Tisk, Tisk, Morgana. You know better,” Andras taunted as he zipped across the room and grabbed her wrist just before she reached for the knife strapped under the desk.
I clamped my palm over my mouth to stifle my whimper. Andras twisted my mother’s arm behind her back at an awkward angle. Bone snapped and a screech of pain reverberated in my enclosed space. I squeezed my eyes together, tears threatening to fall as I tried to block out the noises coming from the room.
“Andras.” The full force of her voice hit me square in the chest. On the rare occasions that she would use her gift of compulsion, it was never to the full extent. The one word uttered from her mouth, drew all the air out of the room, bending all of those within earshot to her will. Andras fell to his knees in front of her, his eyes spitting fire and hatred.
“Drop all of your weapons.” My eyes snapped open with surprise and saw as guns and knives hit the floor with her command. My skin crawled as the compulsion wrapped over me. As I grew older, we learned that her voice no lon
ger worked on me. It left me physically sick and drained when she had tried using it, even when I was in the same room. The familiar knot in my stomach resurfaced, bile rising in my throat. I clawed at the skin of my arms, the painful sensation not ceasing.
Sensing my discomfort, Mother eased up on the compulsion slightly. I let out the breath I was holding in and my pulse slowed. It was just enough for Andras to regain control and his fingers inched toward his knife.
Glass shattered as I screamed, the knife piercing the flesh just above her belly. The sickening smile on Andras’ face had me shaking in fear. “Big mistake, little Nephilim.” His words were like acid in my ears as he twisted the handle of the knife. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth as she looked to my corner.
I love you, Iah. She mouthed the words. Iah. She always called me that. It meant moon in Egyptian, her native language. I was always the moon in the sky for her.
Her eyes fell closed and an eerie silence fell over the room. Faster than lightning, she pulled the knife from her belly and cleanly sliced across the throat of her attacker.
Crimson blood arced in a brilliant spray, splattering across her face, which split into a smile. “You always underestimate me, vampire.” Reaching under the desk beside her, she shuffled the special dagger in her palm before stabbing him cleanly in the chest. His skin turning an ashen color, Andras gasped before falling backward. Dust scattered as his body disintegrated.
“Now, who’s next?” Her wound forgotten, I watched in awe as my mother fought off the half dozen other attackers in the room. The vampires hissed, their yellow fangs dripping with saliva as they charged toward us. The compulsion wearing off, allowing them to pick up their weapons to defend themselves again.
Gunshots rang out as I was blinded by the flashes of light. Twirling her body around in a graceful circle, she dodged the attacks of one male as she ducked and caught her blades along the back of his knee, sending him to the ground with a grunt of pain. With a quick stab to the heart, he turned to ash as Andras did before she crouched to miss a Katana sailing toward her neck.
Rolling across the floor, she hopped to her feet behind a third man and snapped his neck. A long hiss of pain had her arching her back as a bullet pierced her shoulder. An evil laugh came from the lone female assassin in the room as she squeezed the trigger of the gun several more times. Two more bullets connected, one in the thigh and another in her lower abdomen. A clicking sound signaled the end of the magazine.
Movements began to slow as she took down another of the men with a knife to the back. Just the woman with the gun remained. Blood stained the carpet and was dripping down her body in a steady stream. I couldn’t help the tears that leaked down my cheeks.
“Just you and me now Morgana,” the woman taunted as she threw down her gun with a grunt of frustration. “Too bad you won’t be around to see it when I hand your brat over to Kristoff. He will be so pleased with me.” She puffed out her chest and licked her fangs.
“Ashley, you will never lay a hand on her, much less hand her over to Kristoff.” Mother laughed. I knew that laugh. It was the one that lulled you into a false sense of security. It calmed your nerves, slowed your heart and controlled your emotions. I could see the look on Ashley’s face began to falter. The hatred dropped slightly.
Ashley lowered her guard for just enough time. With a powerful wrench between my mother’s hands, Ashley’s neck was broken, and her spinal column severed. Vampires could be subdued for a small period by severing the connection to the brain. It was one of the first lessons I learned about supernatural fighting. It allowed you about a ten-minute window where you could either escape or fully sever their head.
A garbled sound pulled my attention back to my mother, and I watched in horror as she fell to her knees, clutching at her wounds. Her hand reached out to me. Her fingers coated in thick, red blood.
Tearing at the wall, I scrambled to her side as she fell further backward to the ground beside my bed. I cried out as the sobs left my small body. My throat closed as I looked down at her.
“Lorelei, you have to listen to me.” She smiled at me, her thumb sweeping away the tears that ran down my cheeks. There was so much blood everywhere. I looked down at her, my lower lip trembled as I tried to control my sobbing. Red pooled around her from the many gunshots and stab wounds. Her once bright auburn hair was matted to her head, sticky with blood. Her skin was waxy and pale, lips colorless and faded.
Even I knew my mother was dying. No one would be able to survive those wounds. Not even an immortal like her.
“No one can find you, little Iah.” She coughed, her voice weak as she tried to sit up. “You must stay hidden at all costs. You are precious and must be protected.”
This was not the first time she told me this. We were constantly moving, being chased by the bad men because they were after me. My abilities. Mother would never tell me exactly what it meant or what they wanted from me, but I knew it was bad. She had always tried to protect me from everything.
“Morgana!” I heard a masculine shout and approaching heavy footsteps. “No,” he uttered as he came into view. The man was frightening, well over six feet tall with an athletic build, olive skin and long black hair. His aura was bright red and pulsing with anger, causing me to shudder with fear.
It was another assassin. It had to be.
I threw myself over my mother, screaming, as I tried to protect her. I couldn’t let anything else happen to her. “Angel, it’s okay,” she whispered softly. Reluctantly, I pulled away from her as the man approached us and Morgana eyed him with a weary expression.
The man’s golden eyes glistened with unshed tears as he knelt beside her. Taking her hand in his, he laid it gently against his cheek. “I’m so sorry, sister. I was too late. My vision came minutes too late.” He bowed his head in grief. An agonizing sound pulled deep from his throat as he threw his head back and roared his anguish.
Mom smiled at him—the light in her eyes was beginning to fade. “We knew it would happen Kaniul. We cannot beat our final fate.” Her face contorted in pain and a moan left her mouth. “You must watch over for her now.”
More words were said in her native tongue. I had been trying to learn it, but it was a complicated, dead language that I could not grasp easily. The man, Kaniul, looked from my mother to me and back again. His expression was pained, tears now running freely down his face.
He nodded. “I will take care of her, Morgana. You have my word, dear sister.” He kissed her open palm and laid it on his chest, just over his heart. His voice was deep and raspy, the words forced from his throat. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed harshly, trying to compose himself as he clung to her pale fingers.
“She can’t remember any of this, Kaniul. Promise me you will make her forget. She must have a normal childhood. As normal as we can make it. With the mortals.” I couldn’t believe I was hearing these words leave her mouth.
“No,” I shouted, denial clouding my judgment, causing me to act irrationally. “Mommy, no, you will be okay. He will not need to take care of me, because you will be just fine!” I shook her shoulder, not understanding what she was saying.
She would not die.
Mommy couldn’t die.
“Iah, it is my time.” She took my hand and placed it over her wrist. The eye of Horus mocked me. Mommy had always said the eye of Horus would protect us. It had not protected us now. I traced the black lines of the eye, standing out against paling skin. I felt both of their gazes on me. My teeth gnashed together as I tried to process what was happening.
“Trust your instincts, listen to your heart, don’t forget your music.” Her lips were cool over my fingers. It wouldn’t be long now.
“Your father has to be so proud of the beautiful young woman you have become, my Iah. My moon. I will always love you. Keep flying, my angel.” She took one last shuttering inhale as her eyelids fluttered closed.
I felt the moment her heart stopped beating.
The m
oment her spirit left her body.
Heart aching with physical pain, I looked down and squeezed her hand one last time before placing it gently across her breast. My soul cried out, seeking retribution for the injustice I had suffered. I was only thirteen years old. How was I supposed to live without my mother?
She would never be there to hold me in her arms. Braid my hair. Sing me to sleep. Play music with me.
I would never hear her beautiful voice as she told me stories of growing up in Egypt among the pyramids.
She would never be able to tell me about my father.
My nails bit into the flesh of my palms leaving perfect half-moon circle indents. I could hardly feel the pain as blood dripped down my fingers. I was utterly incapable of feeling anything at that moment.
Kaniul whispered softly in Egyptian, his words rushed as he said his final goodbyes to his sister. The pain was evident on his face. Lines were etched into the corners of his eyes, his brow furrowed in concentration and grief as he laid a final kiss on her forehead. “Goodbye, Morgana.” I barely heard the words. His voice was clouded with emotion and his accent thick on his tongue.
It dawned on me that this was my uncle and I had never met him before.
My mother had hidden me away from the world and apparently her own family too. My world was beginning to shatter around me. Kaniul turned to me, his amber eyes sparked with flecks of gold as he took in my appearance. It was the first time I truly looked at him. He shared features with my mother, having the same full mouth and almond-shaped eyes. While his skin was darker, his a much richer mocha brown compared to her olive tones. He had straight jet-black hair reaching the tops of his ears, and a classically handsome face with high cheekbones and thick black eyebrows.
“How I wished we could have met for the first time under better circumstances, Kishka,” he whispered softly.
He was still crouched next to her body and reached out a hand to touch my shoulder. Hissing, I pulled several feet away and wrapped my arms around myself. “I don’t know who you are. Go away.” The compulsion in my voice bubbled up from within, my tones layered with a lyrical melody not unlike my mother’s.
Into The Shadows (Shadows Ascending Trilogy) Page 1
