Shadow's Touch

by T. M. Hart

  I laughed again, purposefully trying to taunt him. "What's the matter? You don't care to be the seat of evil, your highness?"

  I didn't see him turn around, nor did I see him approach me. He was too fast, and the room was too dark. Before I knew it, he was in front of me. His hands remained just a fraction away from my arms as though he was going to grab me but had stopped himself at the last second. I found myself looking up into his face and I gasped.

  The descriptions I had heard of the Prince of Shadows had been ones of horror. He had been described as a beast with horns, a monster with rotting flesh, a psychotic lunatic, the ultimate personification of evil.

  What I saw before me was much worse, much more frightening, than any of the nightmarish pictures which had been painted of him. What I saw in front of me took my breath away and made me question my ability to carry out my plans. I gasped in horror.

  He was gorgeous. Even with the combination of despair and rage contorting his face, he was the most beautiful being I had ever beheld. His marble skin was flawless. His eyes were haunted, yes, but they were an incredible electric blue, accentuated by the dark slash of his brows.

  His patrician features were an artist's dream. Even the grim set of his lips could not disguise their fullness. The front of the black shirt he wore was unbuttoned revealing a sculpted chest that was highly defined. Ridges of granite muscle traveled down his midsection.

  I took a step back, and this time he did clamp his hands down on my arms, holding me in place. "You do not get to force your unwelcome company upon me and then leave at will,” he hissed.

  I cried out, unable to stop myself. The sensations from his touch were all consuming. The despair, the desolation, the fear and anger, the need, the want, the desire; it all came pouring into me.

  The control began to slip from his words and he spoke with a growl of anger. "You want a proper welcome from your husband? You will be sorry. Perhaps you will learn a valuable lesson." And then he crushed his lips over mine.

  The brutal assault of his emotions came slamming into me, and my knees buckled. His arms wrapped around me, caging me against the hard ridges of his body, keeping me upright. It was too much, I was suffocating from the onslaught. There were too many warring emotions and yet they were all leading to one outcome. The fear, desolation, lust, and desire were all culminating into an unbearable need. I experienced his emotions as if they were my own, and I needed touch, acceptance, and love so desperately I would do anything to possess them.

  My fists which had been pounding against his chest moved up to clasp the back of his neck. But the moment I tried to pull myself into him, he reached back to remove my hands and shove me away. I drew my fingers up to my mouth in shock and embarrassment. I had wanted him. I would have done anything with him if he had not pushed me away. The emotions had been too forceful to fight, and I had surrendered.

  Yet he had rejected me.

  He stood there, chest heaving. Black veins had begun to thread through the beautiful blue of his eyes. "Leave," he commanded. When I didn't move immediately he shouted, "Now!"

  With his roar, the small fire extinguished casting the room into complete darkness. Instinctually my energy flared, creating a new source of light in the room. However, the Prince of Shadows was nowhere to be seen.

  I didn't wait around to find out what happened to him. There was dark evil in the room. Although my Light protected me, I had a feeling it was not as much of a bastion as the prince himself had been.

  I turned and ran.

  Chapter 13

  Weak.

  I had thought him weak. I couldn't stop shaking after being exposed to his power. How he had held it all back—how he could hold it all within—I couldn't fathom.

  It was difficult for me to understand what I had felt from him, what I had experienced. But one thing that was clear was that I had wildly underestimated my objective here. This was not going to be simple.

  The Dark Prince hadn't even unleashed his power upon me, I had merely been a tourist—taking a peek inside. Exposed to a mild fraction of it. But that was all I needed to see to know he would not be easy to kill.

  However, although I was wary, I was not fearful. Something strange was certainly going on, but I did not feel I was in immediate danger. Maxim, the prince, the Crone . . . they could have made any number of attempts on me, but I had been left alone.

  That was why when I saw something strange the next evening, I went to see what it was.

  I spent the day trying my best to research info on the Shadow Court's private company again. I also called Maxim to get an update on my introduction to the court. He made some excuse as to why a visit had yet to be scheduled assuring me that he would continue to work on it. And I had a suspicion that he was jerking me along.

  I also continued to search the Manor. I wanted to know it from top to bottom, like the back of my hand. That way if I found myself in a compromising position, I would know the tools, hiding spaces, and exits around me.

  But when evening fell, I returned to my suite figuring I would wait for the Crone. I still wanted to follow her and find out where she went at night. However, first I went through each room of my quarters to make sure I was alone. I decided I should be doing this every time I re-entered the suite.

  I was just about to exit one of the spare rooms, when I noticed something from the window. From the woods behind the manor grounds, I saw two pinpricks of light slicing through the dark night.

  I couldn't imagine what it was. Anytime the two thin beams moved, it was in synchronization. The beams were too small in diameter to be from a vehicle, and they moved together so it was hard to imagine that two flashlights were being wielded in perfect unison. Even if they were, the beams were too thin, they did not widen the way a flashlight beam would.

  My quarters were on the fifth floor of the manor. From that height, I could see the light through the tops of the trees and arcing across the night sky. Whatever was causing the illumination was down on the forest floor.

  Despite my encounter with the Dark Prince the previous night, I still believed myself to be incredibly capable. I believed that I had the upper hand in this entire situation . . . It's funny how our views of ourselves do not change quickly.

  But more importantly, I was used to slinking through the darkness of night while hunting monsters. I had yet to develop a healthy fear of the dark. Of the unknown. I had yet to learn the rules. I had yet to learn of the evil things that the darkness can bring.

  So you can understand why I made my way outside. I possessed a false sense of security. And with that, a person can do reckless things.

  Another factor which made me bolder was a shift in my perspective. I had felt an evil presence in and around the manor. However, after finding the abandoned wing buried underground—the prince's wing—I knew that space was the dark, lifeless heart of this manor. It was where the evil upon these grounds nested. The rest of the manor now seemed almost tame in comparison.

  Closing my suite doors without a sound, I made my way down to the large foyer and out the back entrance. Through the weeds and bramble, I passed by the overgrown gardens and the empty stables. I headed straight for the forest.

  After stepping on a thorn, I realized I hadn't bothered to put any shoes on. I thought it odd, that I had rushed straight out in the flimsy dress I wore and bare feet. With the sting of my torn flesh, I became confused about my hurried actions. I slowed for a moment, deciding I should return to my quarters, but then those pinpricks of light sliced through the blackness of the night sky again, and I couldn't help but direct my focus upon them.

  I made my way toward the tree line to get a closer look. As I approached, I studied the beams of light. There did not seem to be any predictable pattern to them. They would shift around, wink off for a moment, remain steady, and then disappear for several seconds.

  Once I felt I was close enough, I silently scaled a tree. If I'm being completely honest, before I began to climb, I tucked the h
em of my dress into my panties. I'm sure it looked ridiculous, but I didn't expect anyone would see me. I grumbled to myself, annoyed that I was in this useless garment and irritated at the loose hair tumbling around my face and shoulders. This was why I always wore leathers and a braid.

  Despite my attire, I deftly climbed towards the top of the tree and reached a sturdy branch. I crouched there against the trunk and surveyed the forest around me searching for the source of those beams. What I saw in a small clearing below, surrounded by trees and darkness, gave me chills.

  It was a little girl.

  She had white-blonde hair and was wearing a tattered dress. She seemed to be playing some sort of game while muttering to herself. Rows of stones and pebbles were lined up in front of her, and she kept shifting them around.

  Mutterings of her child's voice were drifting through the night air. " . . . not right . . . won't work . . . maybe . . . no, no . . ."

  A lantern sat in the center of the clearing providing a small glow of light. Next to the little girl was a massive black wolf. He was lying down with his head on his paws, watching her.

  And those two bright pinpricks of light . . . were coming from her eyes. She would pause every now and then to stare up into the night sky, seeming to search for something, before returning her attention back to the stones on the ground.

  I had not been expecting anything like this. I sucked in a startled breath. The little girl picked up her head, and the two beams of bright light landed on my face.

  Out of reflex, I threw my arm up to shield my eyes, and I went falling backwards.

  Had I been in a fighting state of mind, I would have righted myself and landed on my feet in a crouch. But the eerie tableau I had just witnessed had me confused and disoriented. I landed with a thud on my back—the breath knocked from me.

  Before I had a chance to sit up, the little girl was above me. She peered at me, not saying a word.

  I couldn't take her blinding stare. Trying to push myself away from her, I sat up. "What are you?" I breathed.

  "That is a rude question," she replied, her voice void of emotion.

  "I'm sorry," I told her. I stood, adjusting my dress. "What are you doing out here? Where are your parents? Shouldn't you be at home?"

  "I'm playing a game. I like games." She turned around and made her way back to her rows of stones. Sitting down in front of them, she picked one up and held it out to me. "Would you like to play?"

  I took a step towards her, wanting to get her out of the woods immediately. But the large black wolf rose to its feet then. Hunching its back, it bared it fangs and growled at me.

  I lifted the hem of my dress, wrapping my hand around the hilt of the dagger strapped to my thigh. Not wanting to frighten the little girl or startle the wolf, I kept my voice low. Keeping my eyes on the wolf, I said, "Very slowly, I want you to cross to me. Okay, honey?"

  Instead, the little girl stood and went beside the wolf. She placed her tiny hand on the wolf's head and began to pet it.

  "He won't hurt me," she said. "You should be nice to him. He knows you don't like him. He could be your friend if you're nice to him. Just because he's big and scary, doesn't make him bad."

  The little girl blinked her large beaming eyes up at me, seeming to wait for a response. It was impossible to meet her blinding gaze. I assessed the wolf instead. The dark beast had turned his head up to the girl's touch and was now nuzzling her hand.

  Regardless of the fact that the wolf seemed to tame at her touch, I knew I needed to get her away from it.

  "Honey, where do you live? I'll help you get home." I told her.

  "Not yet," she replied. "I'm still playing." She went to sit in front of her stones once more. The black wolf resumed his spot, lying next to her on the forest floor.

  The little girl picked up one of the rocks and held it out to me. "This one can be yours."

  "Okay," I told her. "But how about we take a few of the rocks inside and we can play until your parents are able to come get you?" I tried.

  The little girl sighed, cradling the rock she was holding. "It's too bad I have to break it," she murmured.

  "It's okay. You don't need to break it. Just bring it inside."

  She looked up at me again, those beams of light blinding me. " If I don't break it open, I can't show you what's inside."

  "I've seen rocks before. You don't need to break it just to show me."

  There was something about the timbre of her voice that made goosebumps break out across my skin next. "This isn't an ordinary." She held it up, twisting it this way and that while staring at it. "You would never know there was more inside . . . unless you break it open."

  At that, she squeezed the rock. With a loud crack, it split down the center just as a strong wind swept through the forest clearing which sent the fallen leaves flying and arcing around us in a fluttered frenzy. The small flame in the lantern distinguished and at the same moment, the little girl closed her eyes. The clearing was plunged into blackness.

  "Why keep such beauty hidden away from anyone to see?" the little girl whispered in the dark.

  When she opened her eyes, those beams of light fell upon the rock in her hands.

  It was true. It had not been an ordinary rock she was holding, but a geode. Clear quartz and purple amethyst sparkled within the center.

  The little girl tried to piece the two halves back together and set the geode on the ground. However the moment she let go, it tumbled open. She canted her head while staring at the sparkling centers and her voice was sad. "It can never be as it was."

  After a moment of silence, I felt a need to comfort her. "Does it matter that it's broken? It's quite interesting and lovely. And you can still use it in your game, can't you?"

  She held her delicate and dirty hand over the two broken pieces. With a wave of her fingers, the two halves fused together and were made whole once again. Yet, a thin white scar was left where the crack had been.

  She shook her head with deep regret. "No," she breathed. "I'll always know . . . it was broken."

  I gestured to all the other rocks in front of her. "You have so many others."

  The little girl shrugged. "I suppose." Her gaze swept across all the little stones and pebbles lying before her causing those beams of light to arc across the ground. "But how will I know which are special and which are ordinary. I will have to break them all to find out."

  "I quite like them broken open," I told her. "Regardless of how you find them, they are all still rocks and stones whether they're whole or not. They are just taking on a new shape and size. And through the process you get to explore and discover. I think it's rather exciting to uncover new facets about things. Don't you?"

  But before the little girl could respond, a howl pierced the air of the quiet night. The black wolf sprang to its feet again arching its back and baring its fangs with a growl.

  The little girl also stood and turned her head. "It's coming closer," she whispered.

  I had had enough. "Look, we need to get you home," I demanded. "Where do you live?"

  She pointed behind me. "On the other side," she said simply.

  I glanced over my shoulder. I tried to look through the trees to see if there was a house or building, but there was nothing in eye sight. "I can walk you back," I told her.

  But when I turned around . . . she was gone.

  Chapter 14

  I kicked in the back door. I was so angry. I couldn't handle any more ridiculous bullshit. And on top of it all I looked like an idiot. I was barefoot and in a flimsy dress with my hair loose, all down my shoulders and back.

  I needed to kick someone's ass. I would have given anything to be out hunting Shadows. I began to storm up the stairs on my way to my suite when I realized I could—and should—be hunting the Shadow.

  I was going to head straight for my closet. I was going to dig out the one pair of fighting leathers I had tucked away along with my black halter top and boots. I would secure my hair in a long braid
, check all my weapons and do what I fucking came here to do. I was going to assassinate the Dark Prince.

  I had had enough of the theatrics.

  A small voice protested. It's not the right time. Your position hasn't been announced. You don't have enough information. Just wait a minute and calm down!

  But I stuffed the objections away. The details didn't really matter. A dead prince was a dead prince.

  Reaching my quarters, I flung the suite door open and slammed it behind me. Then I stopped in my tracks. He was here.

  Although I had left fires burning in each hearth on both sides of the room, they now smoldered with embers. The candles in the chandelier overhead had also died down, and only two remained.

  And without a moment's hesitation, I struck.

  With one hand I sent a blast of energy hurtling through the room, igniting each fireplace with an explosive start. At the same time, my other hand grasped the dagger from under the hem of my dress and launched it unerringly for the prince's heart.

  That should have been the end of it. The speed and precision of my deadly throw along with the distraction of light filling the room, should have killed him. In any of the circumstances I had ever found myself in, this attack would have been fatal.

  But instead of the satisfying thunk of metal into flesh I was expecting, I heard a cold ping reverberate through the room. And just as fast as I had lit the room into bright light, it was plunged into darkness. Before the knife had even made it to the wall where it was lodged, I was trapped.

  One sinewy arm was snaked around my waist while I was jerked against the granite wall of his torso. My chin was grabbed and yanked to the side. Cold lips pressed against my ear.

  His silky dark voice was agitated. "I warned you. Do not be foolish. You cannot defeat me."

  And at his touch I shuddered. Just as before, I was somehow immersed into that darkness he carried. There was such coldness. Such emptiness. Such misery. Bottomless. The torment and despair culminating into that unbearable need. God, he made me ache.