Blood Burdens (The Shadow World)

by Brandy Nacole

That’s exactly what I was afraid of.

  Danika reassures me, “Don’t worry, they look badass.”

  I smile and start to ask why Cerelia’s minions went up in flame, then I remember. Micah. Where is he? Fear grips me as I think about all those other minions of Cerelia’s going up in flames. A lump forms in my throat at the thought of him going through the same.

  Once I get through the crowded ground, I search the battlefield with frightened desperation. I finally spot Micah, just a few feet away from where I last saw him. I glance behind me for Coy but I don’t see him anywhere. Danika makes her way through the crowd, but stops when she sees my face.

  “Where’s Coy?” I ask.

  Danika shakes her head. “I don’t know.”

  I look back over the battle field, searching for Coy. My worry and panic sky-rockets, making me feel a little dizzy. I feel like I should be running over to check on Micah but truth be told, I’m scared. What if he isn’t alive? I don’t know if I’m up for that reality yet. But either way, Coy should be there too. If he’s still alive.

  My body relaxes just a bit when I see Coy stand up. He’s covered in blood, and I don’t know how much of it is his, but at least he’s alive and moving. He’s on the outer edge of the battle field among a slew of lifeless Chimeras. He starts making his way to us, leaning heavily on his right leg, his left leg torn and bleeding. It looks like something took a piece out of him.

  Knowing that Coy is okay, there is nothing keeping me from Micah. I rush down the steps of the monument and onto the battle-ground below. Warnings ring out behind me from Witten and Danika. They didn’t see what he did so they still don’t trust him and want me to stay back. Ha, like that’s going to happen.

  Relief floods me as I see his chest rise. I run to him in a mad dash. Now that I know he’s alive, I need to make sure he’s real. Coy is trying to run to Micah too but his limp is hindering him. Just before I reach Micah, his eyes flutter open and I come to a sudden stop. Am I ready for this? Can I stay dignified while he walks away with Coy? I don’t know but I’m going to try.

  Coy’s almost to Micah now, so I decide to back off. Coy needs a few moments with his brother. Micah starts to sit up just as Coy reaches him to help. Micah is shaking his head in a daze and rubbing the back of his head. When he lifts his head, he doesn’t look at Coy but at me.

  Relief floods his face and he hurries to his feet, ignoring his brother’s protest to sit down. I stand there immobile as he holds my gaze. I become light headed when I realize I’m holding my breath. I wait for him to say something.

  But instead, he starts running toward me with relief flooding his face. When he reaches me, he embraces me with his strong arms, twirling me in a circle. “Thank god you’re okay.” Micah sets me on my feet and cups my face.

  My knees become weak as he looks at me with his smoldering green eyes, no longer flaked with red. Tears form in his eyes, and well in my eyes too.

  I try talking around the lump in my throat. “I didn’t—I mean—I wasn’t sure-” I choke out words but no matter how hard I try, I can’t form a whole sentence.

  “Shh, everything’s okay.” Micah pulls me back into a hug. I bury my face up against his chest as I start to cry. How can this be happening? I don’t understand how we can care for each other so much even though we’ve hardly met. This shouldn’t even be real. Did Cerelia do something to us? I’m not sure. Right now, after all this, all I care about is the comfort in his touch.

  My breath becomes labored as I think about him leaving. That’s still a possibility. He may be happy I’m okay, but he can still leave with Coy, forever. Queen Kaya’s words whisper in my mind. ‘Edwin is not the one that will bring you the most pain.’

  Micah pulls back to look at me. His eyes hold a dire desperation. “Don’t think that. I’m not going anywhere. I can’t.” He points to his heart and then to mine. “We are bound, Racquel. I could never bring you pain. So if your greatest fear is me leaving, then forget it, because I’m staying right here.” Micah reaches down and clasps my hand, giving it a warm squeeze.

  His touch burns my skin with a sweet intensity. His passionate green eyes make me feel like the only person on the planet. I grip his hand back. Then a part of my mind pushes through the fog lacing my brain, warning me. You heard him, Racquel. He’s only with you because you’re bound, whatever that means. He doesn’t really want you, he’s just being manipulated by some unseen force.

  I try pulling my hand away, but Micah won’t let go. An angry look crosses his face. “How can you think that?”

  What was I supposed to think? I knew nothing about him. Wait, I didn’t voice my thoughts. I give Micah a skeptical look. Can you hear my thoughts?

  “Of course. I’ve been hearing you from the day I was bound to you.” Micah lets go of my hand and steps back. I see Coy standing behind him with an angry expression.

  “How?” Although he can hear my thoughts, I speak the question out loud. The fact that he can hear my thoughts is creepy enough, but to start talking to him through them is way too creepy.

  Micah runs a hand through his curly blond hair. It’s a wasted effort, considering it just falls back into his face. “You know that Cerelia tried binding several others before me. She finally realized that she needed your blood to complete the ceremony. You probably didn’t realize at the time, but when the Chimeras attacked you in London, they obtained a vial of your blood.” Micah turns away, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “The experiment worked, and here I am. Little did she know that it bound me to you.”

  Micah looks up through hooded eyes to see my reaction. It’s like he’s afraid of my reaction. Honestly, I don’t know what to think. I am happy that he survived the binding but sad that he has to face what he was facing now. Not only is he forced to be a mixed Shadow like me, he’s also tied to me. How else was I used, I wonder.

  “Is that how she created the ones we fought today?”

  Micah shakes his head, “She didn’t have enough of your blood to turn any more. She became obsessed with figuring out a way to use her blood instead of yours. I don’t know how but she succeeded.”

  I glance around at all the bodies lying on the ground around us. Why did they all burst into flames after Cerelia died? Micah answers my unspoken question. “They were bound to her. So when she died, they died.”

  I gasp with horror. “So… you’ll-”

  “Die when you do? Yes.” Micah says, finishing my statement.

  I take a step toward him. “I’m so sorry she did this to you, Micah.”

  Micah looks at me with sadness, “The only thing she did to me was plant doubt in your head that I don’t really care about you.” His voice becomes a soft whisper. “That hurts more than anything else.”

  I still couldn’t grasp how we felt so much for each other. I didn’t understand it but at this point I didn’t care. The only thing I cared about in this moment was erasing the sadness from Micah’s face.

  I take the few steps that are separating us and run my shaking hands through his hair.

  Miserably, Micah says, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry if you don’t think I really care about you but I do.” Micah places his hands on my waist and takes a deep breath. “Since the day you left Brazil, I have dreamed of the day I would see you again. And now, to have you standing in front of me, doubting my true feeling because of what she did, kills me. Please, please don’t ever think that.”

  Micah tries to look down but I force his gaze to stay locked on mine. “I won’t.” I pour in as much honesty and desperation as I can so he will believe me. The bond might be drawing him closer to me but I know it only ignited something that had already started. “Besides, Zaire is bound to Jobe and I don’t see them crying over one another.” Micah lets out a small laugh. It was nice to hear his laugh. I could sit and listen to him laugh all day long.

  Our moment comes to a close when Coy walks by, shoulder-bumping Micah. “It’s good to see you too, my long-lost brother.” He limps away toward
the others.

  Micah sighs as he stares after his brother. “I guess I handled that wrong. I should have said something to him when I woke up but I couldn’t think about nothing but you.”

  I shake my head, “I don’t think that’s all of it. I kind of made a mess with him.”

  With a hint of jealousy Micah says, “I know.” I blush, realizing he’s heard everything that’s been going on between me and Coy. I duck my head down in shame but Micah lifts my chin back up. “You also did the right thing when you figured out about the intensity of a bite. I also watched as you took care of him, even when he wasn’t in his right mind and for that I will be eternally grateful.” He glances back up in the direction of his brother, “I’ll talk to him when we get home.”

  I can’t help the feelings that escape when he mentions home. He looks at me with a chuckle. Of course. He hears my thoughts. We are so going to have to fix that.

  If I can’t hear your thoughts it’s not fair for you to hear mine, I think at him

  Micah chuckles and shakes his head.

  Yeah, keep laughing. How come I can’t hear your thoughts, by the way?

  “I’m bound to you, remember? That’s how this works. I can hear your thoughts, feel your emotions, and connect with you psychically if I concentrate enough. Sorry to say it’s a one way street.”

  “So that’s how you could come to me in my sleep?”

  Micah nods his head.

  “Could you hear me when I was trying to reach out to you?”

  Micah sighs. “There are going to be a lot of question about our bond and we will have plenty of time to talk about them. But I think we need to get back up there.” Micah gestures to where the others are. They’re all starting to appear antsy though they’re kind enough to give us some privacy.

  “I guess you’re right,” I answer out loud.

  We walk hand-in-hand back up the steps to the monument. Addie looks at me with confusion, but also a tinge of happiness. I know she doesn’t understand what’s going on but she’s also happy to see that I’m happy.

  I walk up to Witten with Micah by my side. “Now what?”

  Witten regards Micah silently for a moment, before looking behind me at the battlefield. “Now, we bury the bodies.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  We spend the rest of the night burying the bodies of the fallen. Most of them are the cloaks who had died before Cerelia did, so they never went up in flame. We lost some of our Shadows too. Our numbers aren’t as great as the cloaks but it still doesn’t dull the loss. Danika takes a count. Twenty two of the Shadows who accompanied us to battle lost their lives today.

  I wasn’t close to many of the fallen, but I still feel a sense of sadness. They lost their lives because of one insane woman’s attempt at power. Several lives have been lost because of her. I’m just glad it’s all over, and that no more lives will be taken because of her.

  I’m still wearing the cloak Addie wrapped me in. I hadn’t thought to bring any extra to change into. Of course, I had never planned on shifting the way I did either. I’m still freaked out about my change. Power still hums through my body but it’s a good feeling. I don’t feel confused or lost anymore. Now I feel whole. Wings included.

  I throw some dirt on the last body I’m burying, shuddering at the act. This will be the last act made toward whoever I’m burying. No one will come mourn over their grave or even know they’re here. This cloak that I’m burying once had a life that was probably full of loved ones and happiness. Now it has ended and is finalized with a simple shovelful of dirt.

  I watch as the others finish topping off the bodies they are burying. Everyone has the same sad, tired set to their faces. No one wanted to have to do this or wanted the outcome that we were facing. Life is a precious thing and having to ring the final call on it is tough, even if it was the only option we had.

  “Hey.” Addie startles me with her appearance beside me. She has a few cuts on her face and is covered in dirt like the rest of us. She sounds tired and defeated.

  “Hey, how are you holding up?” She doesn’t answer me but instead pulls me into a hug. Her body shakes with sobs as she clutches onto me.

  “I hate her. I hate what she did to us, to all these people.” Her words are broke apart as she talks through the sobs. “I’m glad she’s dead.” I hold onto Addie and let her deal with her grief. No words are going to make her feel better, only time will do that. She never really did deal with the pain and shock of what happened to her, and to see all this only adds to that growing pain.

  After several minutes she pulls back, wiping tears from her dirt streaked face. “I’m sorry, I should be stronger than this.”

  I reach out my hand, rubbing her arm in a comforting gesture. “Even the strongest of people break.”

  “You don’t.” If she only knew. I have had plenty of moments where I broke down. The only difference is I keep mine hidden, or at least I try to. Lately it’s been harder to keep those doors closed. I always try to keep them closed around Addie but around Coy and Micah, they seem to open up and shatter.

  I pull her back in for a tight squeeze. Softly I whisper, “I do, more than I would like to admit.”

  Addie steps back, holding my hand we look out over the battle field. All the bodies are buried, the ground now uneven from the piles of dirt. Witten raises his hands and closes his eyes. After softly saying something, blue light radiates from his hands to cover the ground. The dirt shifts and levels out to look like it did the day before, smooth and level.

  I whistle out, “Wow, he’s got the magic touch.” Addie chuckles and wipes away a tear. It’s not going to be the last tear she sheds because of Cerelia but for now she’s coping.

  Micah walks by Witten, picking up shovels to load back onto the boats. Witten watches him closely. Everyone has been keeping their eyes on Micah. They’re watching him like they used to watch me, looks of suspicion and distrust. I want defend him but I’m hoping those looks will fade with the memory of what happened these last few months.

  I still haven’t seen Coy since he brushed past me and Micah. In a way I’ve been grateful for that. I know he’s hurting but I don’t know what to say to him that would really bring him comfort. Hopefully, Micah will be able to smooth all that over once we get home. A grin breaks out across my face again at that thought. It’s a new beginning for all of us, one that I’m ready to embrace.

  Addie notices my change of mood. “You’re going to have to explain that smile to me.”

  “I will.”

  “You know, you were pretty amazing.” Now she has a smile on her face.

  I duck my head a little. “No, really. Did I look like an idiot? The picture I have in my head of what I looked like is kind of grotesque.”

  Addie shakes her head. “Like I said, you were amazing. Your eyes were glowing beautiful bright silver and your fur was as black as a raven’s.”

  “You swear I didn’t look funny?” Picturing a wolf with wings was a hard feat to picture as amazing.

  “You looked majestic.” Addie wraps her arm around my shoulder, and we walk back to the boats where the others are already loading up. Her arm encases my new wings that are neatly tucked against my back. I wonder if I will ever get used to them. Everyone bows their heads as I walk by. The gesture freaks me out but I nod in acknowledgement anyway.

  Softly I whisper to Addie. “Why are they bowing?”

  “When you shifted, we could all feel your power. It radiated all around us and unlike Cerelia, it was drawing instead of repealing. That kind of power should be acknowledged and respected.” Addie nudges my shoulder. “Get used to it.”

  Get used to it, she says. I don’t want to be treated as some New Age goddess. Sure, I want the respect every other Shadow gets, but not this. I guess my grandfather got what he wanted, even if the outcome was different from what he had imagined. The thought of my grandfather pulls at my chest. I still haven’t told Addie that Cerelia had killed him. I guess now was as good a tim
e as any.

  I pull Addie to a stop before we reach the boats. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

  “I already know.” Addie says quietly.

  “How?”

  Addie looks up at me with a sad expression. “If you had found him alive, I’d know about it.” Addie pauses for a minute. I can see tears building back up in her eyes but she’s trying to keep them at bay. “I knew our grandfather wouldn’t have the heart to go through with this after you turned him away. I also knew that once he started telling Cerelia to back off, she would get rid of him. She already had a taste of power and wouldn’t let it go. If you really think about it, you knew too.”

  She’s right. I do know. It had been so hard for me to wrap my mind around my grandfather being able to do what he was doing. He was such a great man. He always loved and protected his family no matter what the other Shadows thought. I know he was just trying to protect me because he couldn’t stand to see his last family member in pain for the rest of their life. Once he realized he was doing the wrong thing, he would have tried to stop Cerelia. The only problem was, she was too strong for him.

  I hope he finds my grandmother in the next plane, and she forgives him. Then they both can look down and rejoice at the outcome. It may not be a perfectly happy ending, but we did manage to save the world. Plus, I have finally found acceptance not only with the Shadows but with myself. That was something they both wanted for me all along. I guess my grandmother was right, I was always the one who needed to stop what was happening. By doing that, I not only helped stop Cerelia but I also stopped fighting myself.

  I nod, and grab Addie’s hand. The comfort of knowing that he understood was enough for me and Addie to forgive him. I squeeze her hand and jerk my head toward the boats. “Let’s go home.”

  We leave Delos in the same condition it was twelve hours ago. The monuments are clean, the dirt looks untouched, except for some foot-prints that could be claimed as tourists venturing onto the island. A number of pillars were knocked over, along with some of the lion statues. They are back where they were when we arrived, thanks to the strength of the Lycans and Vampires working together. It had been a nice sight to see.