Shadows and Stars

by Becca Fanning

  I ignore his piercing eyes and the growling guttural sounds he makes in the back of his throat. Caleb doesn’t frighten me. I know it’s his jealousy talking. He loves Roman just as much as I do, if not more.

  Rose and Roman come in next. She’s carrying several volumes of large books, and so is Roman. I look behind them for Soraya, but she isn’t there. Roman looks from me to Caleb and follows my gaze.

  “Soraya is outside on guard with the others. We have a lot to get through and we don’t need any distractions.” He places the pile of books on the side table. Rose sits her pile down next to his.

  “What are those?” I’m looking at a shit load of books, but have no idea why they’re being brought out.

  “Ancient Grimoires from your lineage. They contain a wealth of power fused by magic, both dark and light. For what we have to do, we might need both.”

  “Time’s running out. It would take me a year to read all of them?”

  Rose places her hands on her waist and scans from one end of the table to the other, then regards me.

  “If my suspicions are correct, for you, it’ll take less than fifteen minutes of solid concentration.” Rose gestures with her head for me to come closer.

  Indecisively, I do, stopping by her side. I admire her confidence in my abilities, but I have my doubts I can do this.

  “I have a spell you need to say while your palms are placed flat on top of the books. Roman and Caleb will guard the door from outside. I’ll call them back in when we’re done.”

  As if on cue the men leave the room, closing the door behind them. My heart is pounding, and my mouth goes dry. I’m not sure about any of this; what good will putting my sweaty hands on some old books do? Clearly, to place so much faith in abilities I have yet to explore properly, means they’re losing hope.

  I thought Rose would discuss it with me first, ease me into things. But this reading volumes of what look like giant encyclopedias in fifteen minutes through touch alone was too farfetched, and I wasn’t biting, not anymore.

  NINE

  “I CAN SENSE you’re doubtful. You trusted me once, when you were little. I’m asking you to trust me now. What’s the worst that can happen?”

  Really? Umm…I don’t know but just off the top of my head, what if I do something wrong and send us to the moon? It’s not as if I’m driving everyone to the store. Rather, I’m expected to travel between worlds and she asks what’s the worst that could happen.

  “Nothing…that’s what I’m afraid of—nothing will happen, and I’ll let everyone down. I’m not saying I don’t believe you. It’s just that I don’t know if I believe in me like you do. I’m still accepting what I’ve been told. If it’s real and nothing happens, then I’d have disappointed my friends. It’s a lot of pressure having those I care about rely on me to do something I’m not sure I can do. I’m not a fixer. I’m the one who needs fixing.

  “I just want to wake up from this dream, and go back to being my regular self again. Once I lay my hands on those books you say belong to my family, life as I’ve known it could be over.”

  The way she looks at me brings me back to the first time we met. Her face softens, and I can read her thoughts before she says a word. She’s pleading with me; giving me a pained stare, her eyes are begging me to trust her.

  She shuffles from one foot to the other before coming closer and placing a reassuring hand on my arm. As if carrying a huge load, she lets out a weighty sigh.

  “That life was over the moment you stepped through the doors of Paranormal Realms. You have to face it, Winter, this is you. This is going to be your life whether you accept it or not. I was wrong to have Bellamy take your powers. I should have asked her to teach you how to control them; to suppress them yourself. Stripping you of this life for fifteen years and expecting you to fall back into it is crazy, but we have no choice. We need you.”

  I shake my head. I can’t think for the scratching in my mind and the gnawing on my insides. I don’t want to do it but a force greater than me takes me closer to the books. My mouth is drier than a saltine cracker, and if I held a mug under my palm, I’d fill it from the sweat alone. I rub them down the sides of my jeans.

  As if she can read my thoughts, Rose hands me a glass of cold water. I can’t say from where. I gulp it down without hesitation. Anything is better than the sandy texture on my tongue.

  Thinking of my friends, I make my decision—doing nothing would be worse than if I tried and failed. I move even closer to Rose.

  “What do I have to do?”

  “Place your palms flat on the top of these.” She holds my wrist and guides them into position. Gently, I place my hands on the Grimoires. They sink through like quicksand, up to my elbows.

  My arms are trapped in the pages of these books. I should feel afraid, but I don’t. A strange calm comes over me. I face Rose. “What now?”

  “Now we recite the enchantment. Repeat after me.”

  She says the words I’ve never heard before in a language I don’t understand, yet they feel familiar. My hands are being pushed upward from within until my palms are glued to the top of the books. Then the strangest sensation comes over me. It’s like marching ants under my flesh, and I watch as the words absorb into my skin, then crawl inside my head. I feel them assault my every fiber; neck, cheeks, forehead, everywhere. The invasion is followed by whispers echoing from inside.

  I close my eyes and give in to the bombardment of words, old and new, filling my brain and expanding my mind. I know things both ancient and modern, languages I’ve never learned or spoken are suddenly familiar to me. I’m filled with knowledge, and I know what it is I must do—what’s expected of me.

  “You are protected by the blood of your ancestors. You are the anchor between worlds. We all have a purpose, and this is yours.” A subtle, unfamiliar voice repeats the words over and over.

  Feeling empowered by generations of magic, I say the same. “I am the anchor between worlds and protected by my ancestors.”

  Energy surges through me. It’s as if new life is being pumped into my veins.

  I’m unsure of how long I’ve been standing, time seems to slip away. My body absorbs every piece of text written from a long line of powerful witches. The energy is still surging through me when Soraya bursts into the room with Roman and Caleb in tow. She yells, “Werebeasts are coming.”

  TEN

  “LET’S GO.” Soraya grabs my arm. We’re leaving the room when I look back and see Caleb and Roman shift into wolf form and head in the opposite direction from us. Rose stands over the table of books, with her eyes closed and arms open, mumbling something. I’m putting up some resistance to break free of Soraya’s tight grip, but the girl is stronger than she looks.

  “No…I don’t want to leave them.” I stop in my tracks. “We have to go back and help.”

  “Trust me, I love a good fight, but right now, getting you to safety is what we need to do. If you get hurt, it’ll be good for no one. I’m sure they’ll be right behind us.”

  There’s a loud uproar and out of nowhere, white wolves charge us head-on. I’m still feeling the words from the Grimoires stream through me, when I raise my hand and send one of them flying into the air.

  Others with it circle around the injured canine, while one stands directly in front of the pack, growling at me.

  “Don’t!” Soraya yells, placing herself directly in front of me and the white wolves with her arm extended. I look at the canine and then her.

  “Winter, they’re one of us, and are coming to help.”

  My hand springs to my mouth and I gasp as Soraya makes her way to the injured animal.

  I feel terrible. “Oh no! I’m so sorry.”

  She kneels beside it. The wolf moans and brushes against Soraya. “She didn’t know,” she says to the animal lovingly, checking his left and then right side for injuries. “You’re okay.” Soraya pats him and seconds later, he’s on all fours, running past us.

  I’m wondering how
to tell who’s who. As if she’s reading my thoughts, Soraya says, “You’ll get to know who’s the enemy soon enough. Unfortunately, it looks as if today is that day.”

  “Let’s go, ladies. We don’t have time for small talk.” Rose comes up behind us fast. Soraya rises and grabs my arm, but I pull away. I’ve had enough of being dragged along.

  “I can move on my own. As for the shifter-wolf, will he be okay?” I’m struggling to keep up as we navigate through the space. What once seemed like a house, now looks more like an underground tunnel.

  “Yes. And just so you know, he’s an actual wolf, not a shifter.”

  I’m confused. How the hell do they keep track of all this?

  “Remember, white wolves are our friends. They’re from my bloodline and look as I do in wolf form.”

  That seems simple enough. But somehow, I gather there are more rules to come. We’re running at full speed when we reach a door. Rose pushes it open and the outside light nearly blinds me. Before long, we’re in a wooded area, and I definitely don’t feel safe.

  “Where are we going?”

  Moving at full speed, I’m thankful for maintaining my morning running routine and the sneakers I’m wearing. Even with them, I’m struggling to keep up with Soraya and Rose, who seem used to fleeing for their lives.

  “To a place I had Roman clear out just yesterday—a nearby underground cellar. I wasn’t expecting this so soon, but I planned for it. Roman was there making it secure, when you and Soraya were attacked last night. We can come up with a plan there,” Rose explains.

  I’m constantly peeking over my shoulder. “But what about Roman, Caleb, and the others?”

  “They’ll be fine.” I slow down and half-turn to see Soraya kicking off her shoes. “Keep running,” she yells and takes off in the other direction.

  Rose is calling for me to come on but I can’t move, not in the way she wants me to go, when I see my friend shifting into wolf form midair. A beast-like animal is headed straight toward us. It must be the werebeast she warned us about. This creature has a grim appearance—large head, glowing, yellow eyes, and is on all fours. Its sopping wet tongue is hanging out is if it’s ready to devour someone. She jumps down on it, and I scream.

  Rose pulls my shoulder. “Winter, I need you to focus; we have to get to shelter. They’ll be fine.”

  I hear what she’s saying but her pleas come second to what I’m seeing. More of the beasts are headed toward us, and Soraya’s fighting off two of them at once.

  All of this power surging through me, and I don’t know what to do. I feel helpless and for a minute, it seems all hope is lost. I have to do something.

  A second animal is coming at us. Rose raises her hands and twists her wrists opposite each other. The werebeast body slams against a fallen tree trunk—lying deathly still. She hasn’t only knocked it out, she’s killed it. That’s when I realize, the snapping of the canine’s neck happened right when she initiated the wrist movement. Then I remember the way I would maneuver things as a child. I know what I need to do.

  More are coming when I turn to Rose. “I can do it. Let me. I don’t want them to fight alone.” Hopefully she stands with me because I’m not leaving without the others.

  She’s doubtful, but still, she agrees.

  I start with one of two werebeasts attacking Soraya. I mimic the same movement as Rose, which is what I did earlier when I attacked the innocent wolf, but this time, I mutter, “Break neck.” Saying it seems to help. It’s working for a while until more of our enemies emerge.

  Just as I start to worry, I see Roman and Caleb, or what I think is them, running toward us with several white wolves trailing behind. I can’t be certain since I’ve only seen them in shifter form, once.

  There’s a problem. Rose and I are right in the middle. Caleb and Roman are coming from one direction and the beastly creatures from another.

  Looking at Roman, I assess the distance from where we are. The werebeast will get to us before Roman and the others. Rose and I are on our own.

  Circling around, I search for anything I can use as leverage while Rose uses magic to take down as many of our enemies as possible. The trees catch my attention.

  “Rose, I can bring them down.” I nod toward the trees.

  “No, Winter. It’s too much, too soon.”

  “I can do it.” I don’t give her a chance to respond and when she does, I’m in my own thoughts and unable to focus on what she’s saying.

  Stretching my arms, I rotate my position, calling for the trees to uplift from the ground. As they do, I send them flying toward the beasts which gives me time to carry out the other part of my plan; I need to create a barrier. It’s not long before I’m done. This gives Soraya, Roman, Caleb, and the others a fighting chance. Rose is taking down the ones who manage to get around the barrier. She tosses a disbelieving glance my way. Once the trunks are stacked high enough, I can take out the majority of them all at once, but we’ll still need to fight off the ones who manage to get by.

  I hadn’t realized the amount of strength needed to use magic. Suddenly, every muscle in my body is hurting as if I’ve been using them to physically move the trees. Pushing past the pain, I turn toward the fallen and now stacked trunks. With one forceful movement, I send them flying onto our enemies.

  Many are down, and we have the upper hand. Turning to the fallen, I snap the necks of each, one by one. I keep going, despite feeling weak and dizzy. I don’t notice the drizzle from my nose until it falls to my lip, and I taste the blood.

  “Oh no, Winter!” I hear Rose’s voice right when I begin to slide to the ground.

  I recall the burning sensation from the assault on my nostrils. The ammonia from the smelling salts shocked me into consciousness. I’m lying on a makeshift bed, coherent but still a little muddled. My hands tighten around the material under me. I move my head toward the shuffling in the room. Even with my eyes closed, I know who’s here because of the voices echoing.

  “She’s coming around,” Soraya says.

  I open my eyes, expecting to see Roman leaning over me, and he is. “Are you all right?”

  I lick the dryness from my lips, and his hand touches my shoulder. I turn slightly and kiss it before pushing myself to an upright position.

  I clear my throat. “Stop fussing, I’m fine.”

  He cocks his head to the side and regards me. “Are you sure?” His voice is a bit shaky and strained.

  Realizing the roles have reversed, and he’s now the one needing confirmation, I place a gentle hand on his. “I’m sure. I know my purpose, and I’m ready to accept it. I won’t be caught off guard again. Not after today.”

  The dullness in his eyes is replaced with a shimmer of hope.

  Swinging my legs around, I stand to my feet and walk over to the stack of books on the floor. I fold my arms as I redirect my attention. My glance shuffles from one to the other, stopping at Rose.

  “I had them brought here.”

  “And where’s here?” I ask, viewing the barred area behind her. She peers over her shoulder and then back at me.

  “The cellar I mentioned earlier. It was used to train young wolves to transform at will. This place was designed to keep them, and those on the outside, safe, while the young wolves mastered control. An ally who helped out here, told me about this place. It hasn’t been used in over a decade, and will be one of the last places anyone will think to look for us.”

  This time around, I’m more willing to accept what I’m being told. Perhaps it’s because I’ve seen it all was real.

  I walk over to the Grimoires and trace the gold, embroidered trim of one of them. “If you were able to move these books from one location to the other, using magic, why can’t you do the same to get us out of here.”

  Rose laughs mockingly. “Unfortunately, people aren’t so easy to navigate when it comes to magic. The exceptions are those born with the power to teleport. Even then, you can’t go from one world to another, at will. Not unless�
��”

  Her gaze holds mine, and I know what she’s about to say. “Unless you’re a vessel.”

  Rose nods. “You got it.”

  The others are off to the side, taking it all in. I’m considering if I should be pissed or grateful, and give them a pass for wanting to protect me. Still, they need to understand, I’m not some delicate flower.

  “One of you should have told me the truth about all of this sooner.” I spread my arms apart. “Blindsiding me wasn’t the way to go. What if whoever’s after me would have gotten to me before you had time to tell me what was going on?” I fill my voice with as much of my anger and frustration as possible, looking at Soraya, then Roman.

  “Don’t be pissed. I couldn’t tell you what I really was. I didn’t know how you would take it. But trust me, I wasn’t going to allow anything to happen to you.”

  “Soraya, you’re not superwoman.”

  She opens her mouth but nothing comes out. All of this shines light on her sudden clinginess. Her need to move in with me; always wanting to hang out; always checking on me when we were apart. Thinking about it, I doubt she and Liam really broke up.

  “She sure as hell thinks she is.”

  I give Caleb a scolding look, letting him know I’m not up for his bullshit.

  Shaking my head in disbelief, I try to absorb so many new details about people I thought I knew and loved. We’ve been best friends for ten years, and I never had a clue. Aside from the weird colored eyes, everything about her was normal.

  “And you, you knew about this as well?” I pin Roman under my scrutiny.

  He lowers his head, and I shake mine.

  “Did I know what she was, yes. Soraya is a distant relative of Caleb and me. But I had no clue she was bringing you here. If I had, things would have gone down a lot smoother, and you wouldn’t have almost gotten killed.” He narrows his eyes at Soraya.

  “What? Are you kidding me? We already had this conversation. I couldn’t leave her out there, alone. And I had to come look for you guys. I was kind of out of options, dude.” Soraya walks over to me. “I would never put you in danger purposely. I didn’t know they had trackers after you here, inside the realm.”