Chasing Shadows

by Rebbeca Stoddard

  I stared at the bright test pattern that bounced around on the black screen. My mind raced at the visions that had flashed before my eyes, and I took slow, deep breaths to calm my erratic heart and emotions. Ever since we had learned how to contact each other psychically, we had become more in tune with each other’s emotions. At times it was wonderful, but at times like this it was irritating and a slight inconvenience. I knew the dream was only a manifestation of my guilt about keeping my plan from Sebastian. We were technically married—maybe not in the mortal world, but that didn’t mean as much as it did in the supernatural one—so weren’t we supposed to share every thought, idea, and plan with each other? Being as quiet as possible, I stood up and began to clean up the living room. It was better than pacing the floor. This way, if he woke up I didn’t have to tell him I was having a small panic attack about a secret I was keeping from him. Letting a small huff of air out when I was finished picking everything up, I turned off the TV then woke him up and we headed upstairs and into our bed.

  Chapter 20

  Throughout the next week, I sent Sebastian to the store periodically to get him out of the house so I could prepare the abscondere potion. On the last day I sent him out, I made a quick healing wreath that I placed above our front door and a small healing bracelet for him specifically so he wouldn’t be suspicious about why I was sending him away. He had gushed happily over the bracelet and admitted sheepishly that he had been a little worried I was trying to get rid of him for something more sinister or serious. I had to bite down on the surfacing guilt as he spoke the words, and I placated him by telling him I simply wanted to surprise him with something nice.

  The moon was growing in size, and the days stretched longer in anticipation. I had grown more affectionate toward Sebastian, and he didn’t seem to mind it or wonder why. We were sitting on the bed, and I was staring at him. He was sitting propped up on the pillows, a book in his hand, and the blankets only shielding the lower half of his body. Every so many pages he would glance up and raise an eyebrow. After a while, he set the book down on his nightstand and sighed. His green eyes turned dark and his face went serious. My body went still at his look. He knew something was up. Each memory of the last week and a half flashed through my mind, and I couldn’t find anything that gave me or my plan away. Sebastian’s eyes flickered with confusion as he watched me panic slightly.

  “AubrieAnna . . . ” he said, soft, cool, and collected, just like his voice always was.

  I groaned inwardly at the sound of my name coming off his lips. “Hm?” was all I could manage.

  “Why are you so jumpy and into me lately? I like the second part more than you realize, so don’t get me wrong there, but you’re just attached at the hip with me lately and I’m a little confused.” When he spoke with the serious tone he was using now, his accent came out stronger than normal, and it did things to my brain that no one voice should be able to do to anyone’s mind.

  “I just feel it.” I looked down at my hands and started picking imaginary lint off the comforter. “It’s coming soon, and I’m a little scared . . . ”

  Sebastian didn’t say anything at first, and I couldn’t look at him. I hadn’t lied when I answered him, because I knew it was coming soon, my entire body tingled every time I stepped outside, but it wasn’t the full truth. He still wasn’t saying anything, and I was focused so hard on the comforter my magic had actually tugged a single thread free from the stitching. I picked at it quite aggressively. Darkened hands touched mine and a calming sensation settled over me. I stopped yanking on the small string and looked up into the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen. “Why did you not tell me?” His voice was soft, hands warm, and eyes distracting.

  I stumbled over the words that came out of my mouth. “I . . . I didn’t want you to worry about me, or worry about when it’s actually going to happen. I just wanted nothing but you and me.” I looked down at our hands when I finished speaking.

  His thumbs stroked loving circles on the backs of my hands. “There will always be you and me.” The soothing circles stopped as his firm voice was silenced by the end of his words. I still couldn’t look at his face; I didn’t want to lose my breath yet. Warmth grasped the back of my neck and my cheeks with fierce eagerness. Still feeling shy, I looked up at him through my lashes, and my breath caught. Sebastian’s eyes were full of understanding, desire, love, and fierce determination. He yanked my face, forcing me to look at him, and I did. I stared back at him with every emotion in my body. We stared at each other like that, emotions in our eyes, breathing in heavy gasps, as our desires and need to be close to each other flooded the room in a scent that was heady in the most beautifully intoxicating way.

  Soft sweet lips crashed down on mine so hard I thought I was going to break under them, but I didn’t and I was so thankful. Without any hesitation, my fingers yanked him closer to me. We were chest to chest, and I couldn’t stand the sudden heat that was running through my bones. It made my muscles shake while my blood boiled and my brain shut down completely. All I could think of was getting as close to him as possible. I knew he felt it too, because his fingers shredded through my T-shirt and gripped at the parts of my skin that were suddenly bare. Air cooled my feverish skin, making me shiver. He seemed to take the hint and pulled me down onto the bed, covering my body with his surprisingly overheated one.

  Our bodies were melded together and our lips never seemed to part. We were one, and there was nothing in the world that I wanted more than to feel his soul touch mine. Without thinking twice, I scratched at his back and clawed my own hand to shreds. Blood oozed from the scratch, just below his left shoulder blade. Lightly, I pressed my freshly bloodied palm against his wound and gasped in sheer awe.

  White light seared my vision and my soul shuddered inside my body. It was ecstasy and joy fused so completely that I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to handle it anymore. Lights sparked in every inch of my being, like an explosion had gone off, and every positive thought and feeling was released to freely ping off my insides. Our souls met and shared an embrace unlike any other I had ever felt. My arm was burning with a pain that was almost unbearable. Fearing that I was somehow on fire, I looked down at my arm and gasped. The white light that had burned my eyes was coming from me, from us. I looked up from the light we were emanating and into his eyes, and I saw the same shock that was bombarding my own thoughts. His eyes went heavy, and I knew he was feeling every single thing that I felt. Every muscle in his body shuddered and shivered before he collapsed in a sweaty heap.

  I moved my hand away from his back and saw that the wound on my palm had healed and scarred. It wasn’t a jagged sheer white line; instead, it was blue and purple, like an iridescent bruise. There was no tenderness to the skin, just the new, discolored bruise. Curious, I reached over Sebastian’s back and touched my palm lightly. My skin was still soft, but it tingled lightly when I ran my fingers across the line. I tried to peek over Sebastian’s shoulder to see if his cut looked the same as mine, but his heavy weight against me told me he was asleep. Even though I couldn’t see it, something inside my chest told me it looked the exact same.

  ***

  My skin had cooled so suddenly that shivers crawled along my skin, giving me goose bumps and waking me from a deep sleep. I had lain there under him for what felt like hours, thinking about our souls meshing into one being, and had eventually closed my eyes and fallen asleep. Clutching the blanket tightly around me, I rolled over to look at Sebastian. Just under his left shoulder a shimmer of purple glinted in the failing daylight. It took all of my effort to not reach over and touch it, to feel if it was just as soft as the surrounding skin.

  A ping from downstairs caught my attention and pulled me back to reality. The sun was setting. I scurried to my feet and rushed to get dressed. Sebastian groaned sleepily from the bed while I rummaged around in the closet. Luke had told me we would be walking through the woods, so I had to dress accordingly without looking like I was going for a run. Foo
tsteps alerted me to the fact that Sebastian was up and moving around. I threw on my leggings, a sweatshirt, and some tennis shoes and popped out of the closet. A confused look stumbled across his face and his right eyebrow lifted up in a question.

  “I told my parents I would babysit for them tonight so they could have a date night, remember?” I smiled softly at him.

  He nodded once before he turned to walk into the bathroom, thought better of it, and turned back around. “What in the world did you do to me today?”

  “What do you mean?” I cocked my head to the side, then had one of those aha moments and immediately tried to explain how I had felt in that moment and what I had done.

  “So you somehow managed to get our souls to actually meet up with each other inside of our bodies, and that’s what it felt like?” Sebastian’s normally cautious eyes were wide with amazement and awe.

  Thinking back to what had been going through my mind in the moments before, I realized I had no idea how I had done it. I could feel my face twist with shock and confusion as my thoughts led me back to that moment when our souls collided.

  His eyes slit with worry and he demanded, “What is it?”

  “I have absolutely no idea how I did it. I literally have no clue how I knew what I was doing. I’m so sorry; I could have easily harmed you and would have had no idea how to fix it . . . ” The weight of my naivete seemed to bury me alive.

  He heard the sincerity in my apology because his face softened and he pulled me in for the most reassuring hug. His hands rubbed my back as I tried to take long, deep breaths. I let him soothe me for a few moments.

  Chimes from my phone pricked at my ears, and I sighed heavily. “I guess they are probably wondering when I’m going to be there.” I brushed my teeth in the bathroom, gave Sebastian a kiss, and headed out.

  My Bug was cold and took a moment to warm up. I used that moment to reply to the texts that had gathered on my phone and to get directions to where I was actually going. Warm air finally blasted through the vents. With a deep breath, I put the car in reverse and pulled out of the driveway. It was actually happening; my plan was happening.

  Twenty minutes later, with a full moon rising in the night sky, I arrived at my destination. I climbed out my car and stared at the small farmhouse in front of me. It was quaint and slowly being taken over by vines as weather continued to destroy the outside. My body was shaking with anticipation, and I had to stop and take deep breaths. The vials I needed were in my jacket pocket, and I slowly clambered up the creaking front steps. I raised my hand and was about to knock when the door was yanked open. Two figures stood in the doorway: Luke and Mrs. Summer.

  We hiked for hours. Our shoes were coated with mud and twigs, while our clothes were being scraped and clawed by underbrush and low-hanging branches. Fog had settled over the entire area, making the long trek far more eerie and foreboding. Owls hooted, mice scurried at our scent, and deer snapped branches as they hurried back to their resting places for the night. I was told we couldn’t bring flashlights or lanterns, so that meant the only thing to light our way was the big moon in the sky.

  Shivers tingled down my spine. It was getting colder by the second, and I was wondering with an undeniable amount of frustration when we were going to be in the clear. However, soon I didn’t have to wonder anymore. Mrs. Summer stopped abruptly and I trampled into her. Now that we had finally stopped, I noticed how much my legs were protesting in burning pain.

  Fingers snapped in front of my face and I jerked upright. “Sorry, wasn’t paying attention.”

  Luke rolled his eyes.

  “This is where I open up the portal, so this is where you drink the potion and transform. I will be gone the second my chanting is done, so you had better hurry up and do what you need to do. I do not want to be around this place once it’s open.” Mrs. Summer had brought a few of her own things in a small pack. She knelt down and was pulling things out as she spoke to us.

  I drew back the hood of the black cloak that Luke had given me. He pulled out a knife and gave himself a small cut on his hand. The vial filled with his blood rather quickly, and I began to mix it with the rest of the potion. “How will we get back?” My thoughts kept going back to how we were going to get out once we had gotten Clamora.

  “I will give you something that will open a portal on their side. It will only last for about fifteen seconds, so you will all have to jump back through rather quickly. Once it is closed, it cannot be reopened.” Mrs. Summer said the last part in a stern tone, but there was a sense of caring in her words that was much more delicate than the woman herself.

  Luke took a deep breath. “So we have to be extra quick but slow enough so they won’t be able to follow us out?”

  She nodded her response as she began to mix things together.

  “Should be easy enough.” He shrugged and leaned against a tree.

  Mrs. Summer worked quickly with various objects that I had never seen before; something told me that only people who were half-bloods were familiar with them. The vial in my hand was warm and smelled of something odd, like oranges mixed with dirt and blood. I had to wait until she gave me instructions or the go-ahead to take it and begin the spell. Anticipation wove in and out of my muscles, making me bounce in place.

  “Okay, I’m just about finished. This won’t take you directly to their world, just to the place you use to gain access. There are too many dimensions to jump through in order for you to get there, and I can’t get you directly there without creating suspicion.” Mrs. Summer paused and shifted around. “Take that now, and listen while I give you the rest of my instructions.”

  I nodded and put the vial to my lips. It was sticky and bitter; there was no taste of oranges, no taste of blood, only dirt and something very wrong. Pain stabbed at my chest, and I doubled over. Stomach acid crept up into my throat. I bit it back down and took deep breaths. Every inch of my body burned, as if my cells were fighting off something that wasn’t supposed to be in my body. My veins stung like they were poisoned, and I wanted to tear my skin off and run away from it. Then, just as quickly as it all happened, it was over. A dull ache in my muscles was all that remained.

  Gasps came from both Luke and Mrs. Summer. “What? What is it?” I started to panic. What if it hadn’t worked? Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and gathered the courage to look down. A whoosh of air came out of my mouth, but it didn’t quite register that it had. My body was glowing in a black mist. The only thing that seemed normal to me was the fact that my skin was still its normal pallor. I stared at my hands and arms as they continued to change. The normal overly purple color of my veins was gone. They were now navy blue, so dark that they were almost black. But that wasn’t the odd part about it; they glowed, as if the blood that was in them was being illuminated by a black light. Nothing in the grimoire had told me anything about the transformation my body would undergo. I had to know if they saw what I saw, “Am I . . . am I glowing to you guys?”

  Both of their heads snapped back in confusion. Luke shook his head, and Mrs. Summer just stared at me like I had lost it.

  “I take it that you guys don’t see it . . . ” I trailed off, letting them understand I was still wondering if they saw what I saw.

  “No, we don’t.” Luke was entirely breathless. I had never seen him like that. He was always cool and calm, like the eye of the storm.

  “Okay, so did it work?” I demanded.

  “Yes, it did. And you look . . . beautiful.” His cheeks flushed.

  “Uh, thanks?” My voice felt oddly thick, and I didn’t want to acknowledge that he thought I made a beautiful evil entity. “Okay, so what are the rest of our instructions?” I looked at Mrs. Summer then and listened carefully to every word she said.

  We ran quickly through the darkened forest. The portal she had made dropped us in a different dimension, but still in a highly wooded area. There was no moon, no stars, only darkness. Luke said that we were only a mile out from the entrance to the world of
the shadows, but we had to hurry. I only had two hours until the potion faded away. My breath was coming out in pants while my heart hammered relentlessly in my chest. It was difficult for me to keep up with him. His blood in my body made my vampire abilities weak. The only good thing that came out of the spell was that the glow only I could see lit the way around me.

  Luke stopped suddenly and peered straight ahead. A small flash of red flickered about forty feet in front of us, and something hummed at the back of my mind. He looked at me and nodded once. Before we left Mrs. Summer’s house we had sat down and he explained a few things to me. Now was the time those things were going to come into play. I pulled the hood of the black cloak up, drawing my face back into the shadows, and I stood up straight, giving myself an air of sophisticated cockiness. He led the way, walking at a normal pace.

  Bright red shot up in front of us. It was blinding in an unpleasant way. Evil screamed from within the light, and the closer we got to it, the more I felt dirty and wanted to run away. We couldn’t turn back now, though. The guard was stamping his foot impatiently as Luke spoke to him. Stamp, stamp, stamp. Each time his foot flopped down on the dampened ground it grated at my nerves. My eyes twitched and I glared at his foot. A heavy grunt from the man made me look up at his face. He must have been an attractive man once, when he was human, anyway. Thick fingers gestured for me to come forward. I took a few steps closer and stared up at him.