Beyond the Shadows: Second Edition (The Shadow Series Book 1)
Page 22
That sounded very selfless and while I had seen their courage, no one's motives could be that pure. "What exactly is it that you want us to do?"
Matt placed a hand on Tara's shoulder, almost as though he was warning her. "When we collected Brayden from the barren lands before the mountain pass, I saw three whip tails by his side. Maybe he can teach us how to protect ourselves from the cats," he said.
Unease tingled through my fingers. It had to be more than that. Tara seemed to recognise my uncertainty and took another step closer. "Ethel has a knack for knowing things that the rest of us don't."
I froze. Had Ethel told them about my Enhancement? Was I really worth risking everything for? I had no idea what she saw in me, but the weight of expectation hung heavy on my shoulders. Brayden was the one with superhuman strength. And I was just ... me.
Tara dropped her gaze as though she'd made her point.
"Is Ethel okay?" I wondered.
"Fine," Tara replied. "As I mentioned, her healing power is far too important for the villagers to punish her. Besides, she didn't make her decisions alone."
"What do you mean?"
"Let's just say, she isn't the only one who wants to get to know you better."
Matt took Tara's hand. "We should get back before they notice we're missing."
"Wait," I let Brayden's hand slip from mine and stepped forward. "Who wants to get close to me? And why?"
"We'll explain when we can." Tara turned to Brayden once more as though she wasn't finished studying him.
Matt dragged her back. "We'll return in a few days."
"But I have so many questions. There's so much I don't understand," I spoke louder as they started walking.
"When things have settled in the village we'll come back. There will be a time for questions."
I watched helplessly as they disappeared behind the trees.
The brown slowly filtered back through Brayden's eyes and I returned to his side. "How much of that did you hear?" I asked. "I'm never really sure how your mind works when you're like that."
His expression remained hard. "I don't remember the conversation very well but their presence lingered."
I swallowed, wondering if he had any idea what they expected from me. "They brought more food." I took his hand but he didn't soften as I stepped closer.
"I don't like the idea of being studied like a museum display.”
"I guess they're just curious." I tried to appear relaxed although it was far from what I felt.
"Do you trust them?"
I nodded, working hard to convince myself. "Do you?"
"I'm not convinced they can offer us anything worth staying for."
I straightened. We'd spoken about staying for one more meeting with Tara and Matt but I hadn't expected it to be so short. I had so many questions and none of them had been answered. I could forget about the village and Ethel's idea of me having an Enhancement but the thought of walking away made me realise; if we left, we'd never know why this happened to us. My entire life had been torn apart, how could I ever just let that go?
"What about food?" I asked.
"I'm sure we'll find our own somehow."
"But it's inconsistent. Who knows what kind of plants are around here to eat. We could go days at a time without anything."
Brayden studied me. "This isn't about the food, is it?"
I shrugged. "I guess it's just that walking away means we might never know what caused this to happen to us."
"Do you think these people have those answers?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe not, but there are close to one hundred people in there. They all have stories and different experiences, they have to know more than we can figure out alone."
He tucked a stray hair away from my face. "It won't change the past. Our bodies are buried in the old world. We can never go back."
"I know." I closed my eyes. "I accept that, but I need to know if what I lost was for a reason."
He nodded slowly. "I don't know if you're ever going to get those answers, Sel."
"You might be right, but I need at least ask."
He dragged me closer until my forehead rested against his lips. "Then we'll stay. For now."
There was clearly an expiration date on that offer, and maybe when the time was right, I'd be ready to walk away too. But the shadow world had answers somewhere and I would do whatever it took to find out why my life had been stolen from me.
THE END
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Shadow Hunters
BOOK TWO OF THE SHADOW SERIES
IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER
Release Date: April 5th 2016
Shadow Hunters
BOOK TWO OF THE SHADOW SERIES
“He said it wasn’t like the Valley; he never said it was paradise.”
Selena has survived her transfer into the Shadowlands—she has already beaten the odds — but she soon discovers that although life outside the Valley may be different, it is no less dangerous.
While she searches for a purpose in her new life, Brayden sets out to prove he’s not bound by the compulsions of a hunter, but can he master his Instinct before the villagers come to destroy him?
NOW AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER
Release Date: April 5th 2016
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I would like to thank my amazing sister Sarah, she’s been along for the ride since day one. Substance editor, character surveyor, online art director, blurb critic and title guru. Your instinct for books astounds me. Thank you for your continuing support, I don’t know where I’d be without you.
Next in line is my darling mum, I never asked if she would mind helping, I just handed her four manuscripts and told her she was responsible for language editing. Thank you for completing the gruelling task without complaint—you stopped a lot of embarrassing mistakes slipping through the cracks.
Padraig Hayes has done an amazing job on my website, every single icon and symbol was hand designed, I know he worked tirelessly on it until it was perfect. Thank you so much for adding a professional touch.
Lastly, my small but enthusiastic fan club, you know who you are, thanks so much for reading the drafts and giving constructive feedback. All your advice was carefully noted and reviewed in the final editing process; a part of The Shadow Series is yours for the claiming!
About the Author
When I was a child, I wanted to be an author. It seemed like a perfectly attainable dream to me then, but of course, I grew up and realised writing was not the best way to make a future for myself. So I discarded the idea and decided to do something normal.
When I studied nursing, I thought I’d found a place for myself, but within six months of working in that field, I knew I needed more. So in July 2007, I bought myself a laptop and started writing in my spare time. It took me two years to complete my first book and by the time it was finished I felt as though I’d learnt enough to pursue the dream.
My love for writing has grown rapidly since then and now I know it’s something I can’t live without. It’s a place where there is no limit, no exact destination and my mind is free to exist in many worlds.
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