Shadow Walker (Revenant’s Series Book 1)

by Elissa Daye

  Chapter 15

  When Lyssa rose the next day, images of the night before teased her, she wanted much more than one moment. Part of her wished that Hunter had come back last night. She couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to wake up in his arms. Someday, she hoped to find out.

  After showering and changing into her clothes, Lyssa looked at herself in the mirror. Did she look any different? She felt different. Never before had she let herself get so carried away. In fact, being comfortable with her nakedness wasn’t something she thought she’d ever feel. A blush filled her face as she remembered how she had walked brazenly toward him. Lyssa had never dared to do many things before, but with the time she had spent with Hunter and getting to know herself, she was starting to feel comfortable in her own skin.

  Lyssa opened her door and looked around the corner. She hoped to avoid Jackson. What if he’d heard them last night? That would be embarrassing.

  Tiptoeing into the kitchen, she quickly poured herself a bowl of cereal. She was putting the milk back in the fridge when she heard him clear his throat behind her. Putting her hand to her heart, she feigned surprise. “Jackson!”

  “You have a lot of explaining to do.”

  Oh, dear lord, he had heard them. “You didn’t…?”

  “What? Hear you getting it on in the other room? No, I didn’t. You did, though, right?” His eyebrow raised as if he was willing to give her the third degree.

  “Well….”

  “You’re blushing! Oh, honey. It’s about time.”

  Lyssa grabbed a spoon and sat at the table. She let her hair fan around her face as she tried to keep it from sight. When he sat down next to her, she knew it was useless. “I’m not a nun, Jackson. I’ve had sex before.”

  “Not good sex. I’ve never seen you blush before. It must have been really good.”

  Taking a deep breath, Lyssa attempted to brush his words off but then decided that was the last thing she wanted to do. Right now, she was not all that sure what was supposed to happen next in her relationship with Hunter, and what she needed was a girlfriend to talk to. Jackson was the next best thing, probably even better since he did have the male perspective to add to the discussion. “Okay, so it wasn’t something I planned.”

  “Sometimes that’s the best kind.”

  “You wouldn’t think so, but emotions were high, and things just escalated.” Lyssa stirred her cereal with her spoon.

  “Escalated how?”

  “Desperation, I think. His need to make sure I was all right, the fear that drives us every time we are separated.”

  “How romantic.”

  “It’s not the way I thought it would be the first time, but that’s kind of my fault. He tried to put distance between us. I just don’t think it’s necessary.”

  “Things never end up the way we expect, but that doesn’t mean it’s not right for us.”

  “But I don’t know what this means for us. He had to rush off to some meeting with the Craven. I wish we could have talked about it.”

  “He’ll be okay, Lyssa.”

  Jackson must have noticed the fear that passed through her mind. Lyssa was terrified that something horrible would happen to Hunter. She knew he could take care of himself, but the Craven had no conscience.

  “They wouldn’t think twice about ending his life. They might even enjoy it.”

  “No, they wouldn’t think twice. You’re right about that. But you can’t spend all your time worrying about his safety. You have a job to do too, Lyssa. And if you feed these dark thoughts, you won’t be able to do it.”

  “You know what? You’re right. I can’t spend too much time with these worries. I have a lot of work to do. Speaking of which, are you mad at me too?” Lyssa looked up at him, for the first time worried that Jackson might disagree with what she had attempted to do in the Land of the Shadows.

  “I don’t disagree with what you did; I just think you could have been a little safer with your approach.”

  “Perhaps, but I just couldn’t help myself.”

  “I know. Those spirits were in pain. I can’t imagine what it must feel like to think you’re going to cross over to a better place, but end up trapped in a neverending cycle of pain.”

  “I’m going to figure something out. I don’t know how, but I will.” Lyssa looked at the clock on the wall. “Crap. I have to be in class in ten minutes. We’ll talk later?”

  “Sure. I have to study for a test anyway.”

  Lyssa stood up and hugged Jackson tight. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “Being the best friend a girl could ever ask for.”

  Jackson put his hand to his heart and gave her a huge smile. “Darling, you know I love you. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Now, get to class.”

  Lyssa spent the next three hours in one lecture hall after another. She was almost ready to climb the walls when she was done. When the last class dismissed, Lyssa collected her things and made her way across the quad. Her thoughts turned to the shadows and the Craven that were creating opportunities for them to ascend into their world. She didn’t notice Hunter until he was walking beside her.

  “So….”

  Turning her head to him, she tried not to sound startled. “Hunter! You scared the life out of me.”

  His cheeky grin was annoying. “Well, a guy’s got to get your attention somehow.”

  “I believe you had my full attention last night.” Crap. Did she just lay it all out there like that? She hadn’t meant to.

  “About that.”

  “You have regrets?”

  “We can’t talk about this right here, Lyssa. Let’s go somewhere private.”

  “Fine. Come with me.”

  She walked him over to some giant fir trees and grabbed his arm to teleport them away. When the air stopped spinning around them, they were standing by the bench overlooking the Badlands. The scenery was much the same as it was before, peaceful and calm, while inside, Lyssa felt a turbulent storm racing.

  “So, we were talking regrets?” Lyssa looked up at him, ready to bear the devastation of his words. Had she pushed him too far last night? Did he need more time to figure out their relationship?

  “I do have regrets, but not the kind you think.” Hunter brushed her hair from her face before kissing away her fears. When he pulled her against his body, she reveled in the nearness. When they came up for air, his breathing was just as ragged as hers.

  “So, what do you regret, Hunter?”

  “Having to leave you. But I can’t control what I have to do.” Hunter stepped away from her as if to give himself space to breathe.

  Lyssa remained standing, overlooking the valley, as Hunter made his way to the bench. To her, it seemed space had worked its way between them. Whether seen or unseen, it was there. Until his job was over, it would always remain. Lyssa could let it push them apart or choose to disregard it. To let it not exist when they were together, even though it tore a hole in her heart when he was gone.

  Lyssa turned around and faced him. He looked much more haggard than usual as if something was troubling him. “Hunter?”

  He looked up at her as if seeing her for the first time in forever. She wasn’t sure where he had gone in the mere seconds of silence. “Yes?”

  “We have to stop letting the shadows rule our hearts.” She sat down next to him and put her hand on his leg and her head on his shoulder. “We are here now. It may not seem like much, but it’s enough.”

  Hunter put his arm around her and stroked her hair. “You’re right. And when I get a break, I want a do over.”

  “Do over?” Why would he need a do over? From what she remembered, their first encounter was nothing short of spectacular.

  “Or a round two? Perhaps a few rounds if we have time.” Hunter captured her mouth in his, an
d Lyssa felt his warmth all the way down to her toes. When he released her, they remained there, sitting in the silence as they gazed out across the Badlands. The air was a little chillier today, so she snuggled closer to Hunter’s side. He lifted his arm and pulled her closer to him. It was nice to sit there with him, to just enjoy the calm around them. Words were left unspoken between them, for there was no need to say anything else in the time and space they had left for the day.

  Her mind wandered across various topics, one of them being her birthday, which was coming up soon, and that she had only spent it with Jackson in the past. She wondered what it would be like now that Hunter was in her life too. Would Jackson be upset if she wanted to spend the night out with Hunter instead? Of course, she only assumed that Hunter would take her out, especially since she had not shared her birthdate with him yet.

  “All you had to do was ask,” Hunter said with a quirky smile.

  “I thought that was supposed to be up to the guy to do.” Lyssa jabbed him in the ribs with her finger for reading her thoughts. Realizing he had read her mind, she quickly put her thoughts on lockdown and looked up at him.

  “I have to be away for a few days, Lyssa. But when I return, we’ll go out somewhere. We’ll manage it. I promise. Jackson can always come along too if you like.”

  The idea of spending her day with Hunter made her feel warm and cozy inside until a cool wind brushed along her backside. Lyssa pulled out of his embrace and stood. Looking out over the valleys below them, she felt the energy change. Something wasn’t right.

  “We need to leave at once. Before we’re detected.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “No time for questions, Hunter.” She grabbed his arm and teleported them back to the Watch Tower as quickly as possible. “It wasn’t me this time, Hunter. I think they were looking for you.”

  His gray eyes narrowed at her. “The Craven must have sent them to find me.”

  “Does that mean they are on to you?” Worry and a sinking dread churned in the pit of her stomach.

  “No. It’s the natural order of things. It’s fine, really. I promise.”

  Lyssa put her hands on his face and looked at him. His thoughts were blocked from her, as usual. She felt like he was telling her the truth in this instance, but that there was something else that he was not telling her. For now, she would have to be satisfied with the answer he had given her.

  “I have to go.” Hunter walked away before she could say goodbye. For the past few months, saying goodbye had almost become a ritual, and lack of it made her feel empty inside. It did not sit well with her at all.

  Lyssa spent the night studying the map in the study, but even that couldn’t distract her from the foreboding that filled her. When she made her way home to her room, finding sleep seemed almost impossible. Her dreams were plagued with visions she couldn’t decipher until Hunter’s face appeared front and center. That night, she dreamt that the Craven had called Hunter home to roost. She could see him in the dimly lit room as the Craven nearest him beckoned him forward. She could see the man clearly. He was a large man, with a round head that appeared to be shaved close to the scalp, making his head appear melon-shaped. The way his eyes squinted made him look very much like a cartoon mole. He was dressed in black from his head to his toes, and the only thing about him that made him seem menacing was the athame he held in his hand. Hunter bowed before the man, and when the man brought the athame up to Hunter’s neck, she expected him to flinch, but he made no movement at all.

  “Take this athame. You know what to do.”

  Hunter grabbed it and approached the box in the corner. Reaching into it, Hunter pulled out a snake that was hissing at him fiercely. He held the snake down on a large overturned crate and sliced the athame through the air.

  Lyssa could not see what happened next, for she woke up in a deep cold sweat. Lyssa felt the sorrow float on the air, and she knew that part of Hunter had died that night. Taking life from the innocent was not something he would take lightly, especially animal life. He had such a connection to the creatures of this world.

  Full-blown panic raced through her veins. She knew this was not just a dream, and it wasn’t the first time she had dreamt of him. It was, however, the first time she had seen his actions amongst the Craven. She had no idea why the connection was stronger, only that she trusted it. Lyssa knew that the innocence that had circled around him so easily before would no longer be there. His peaceful energy that she had come to love would never be the same. Had she not survived insufferable pain early on, she would never have known this truth herself. Darkness wasn’t something that was easy to shake. He would be plagued with the things that these Craven made him do, and yet he would do it for the greater good, to save the world from the horrors that would soon be on the way. They were all counting on him to make a sacrifice that would scar him for the rest of his life, and it tore her apart. All she could do was be there for him to pick up the pieces one day at a time.

  Chapter 16

  Hunter never spoke of what she had seen that night. He never even alluded to it in front of the others. Lyssa never shared her dream with him either, even though she wanted to help him shoulder some of the pain. He did tell them that he had passed an initiation and was now considered a full-fledged member of the Craven. Logan had passed his as well. From there, the men were doing what they could to help them pinpoint the movement of the Craven without it being obvious where the information was coming from. Every time new information was passed on, the Guardians felt the need to act, but they knew that if they attacked them too early, it would reflect poorly on their undercover Guardians. While the mission was important, so were the Guardians hiding within the Craven’s depths. Lyssa knew that one day they would gather enough intelligence to take action. Until then, she counted the hours until Hunter returned.

  Even though Hunter was extremely caught up in his mission, he remained true to his word. He made sure to fulfill her birthday requests by sending her a message that he would be back in time to go out with her, so Lyssa spent the morning with Jackson, anxious for Hunter to return.

  “Happy birthday, dear one.” Jackson pulled a package from behind his back and handed it to her.

  “Thank you!” Lyssa reached for it and pulled it to her chest.

  “I wouldn’t thank me yet. Wait until you see what’s inside. You might want to give it back.” Jackson tilted his head and crossed his arms in front of him.

  Lyssa tore open the wrapping and found a photo album tucked inside. Lyssa opened up the first page and shrieked. “Where did you get this?!”

  “I have my sources.” He winked at her.

  Pictures of their youth together were plastered on every page. The years of horrible hair cuts, tight fitting jeans, and huge ruffled shirts looked back at her. She hadn’t seen pictures of her school days in quite some time. When she was living them, she’d never felt anything less than awkward and disgusting, but looking at them now, she found beauty and light.

  A tear sprang to her eye, and she wiped it away. “I was….”

  “You still are beautiful, my dear. I just thought you needed a reminder.”

  Lyssa threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him in a tight hug. “You always know what I need. How in the world did I ever get so lucky?”

  “Better lucky than cursed, I suppose.”

  Lyssa fingered the picture of them standing together by the wall. Jackson had his arm around her shoulders and was kissing her on the top of her head. The photo brought back memories she had locked away. Their relationship back then had been symbiotic. She had needed someone she trusted with her heart, and so had he. Both were confused teenagers desperate for love. They had found it in an unconventional way—dating.

  “You were my safety net when I was trying to figure out myself.” Jackson put a hand on her arm.

  “You know it broke my heart t
o hurt you, but I knew you needed more than me.” Lyssa kissed him on the cheek.

  “All roads lead to the future. Now, look at us. For the first time, we’re—”

  “Whole.” Lyssa pulled him to the couch and sat down next to him. “Where would I be without you in my life?”

  “A fashion disaster?”

  Lyssa giggled. “That’s the truth. But seriously, you give me strength and courage.”

  “You always had that deep inside you. I just saw it before you did.” Jackson cleared his throat. “So, what are the plans for today?”

  “Hunter is coming back today. We’re going out, and you’re invited too.”

  “That’s nice, but I think I’ll pass.”

  Lyssa tried not to feel hurt. Birthdays were never the same without Jackson. He always made them special. “Why?”

  He pointed at himself. “Third wheel. And besides, I have you to myself all day.”

  “You don’t have to feel like a third wheel, Jackson. Hunter knows how important you are to me.” Lyssa knew he did not want to be in the way. A small pang of regret filled her. She hadn’t been spending as much time with him lately, certainly not as much as before they had become Guardians. Both of them were balancing a normal life mixed in with their magical life, a task that wasn’t easy. At least they got to spend some training time together.

  “And I know how important he is to you. Go out and have fun. I think I’ll spend the night at the Watch Tower, in case you need some privacy.”

  Lyssa felt a blush rise up her face. “Don’t tease.”

  “But it’s so fun.”

  “So, breakfast?”

  “Yes. My treat too. Let’s go. Daylight is burning.”

  They spent the morning together before heading off to their classes. Lyssa had thought about skipping, but knew that she couldn’t afford to miss any more class time. She had often reflected that with their magical abilities, they could easily forge a college degree, but she’d gotten this far and wanted to prove to herself that she could do it. They may have magical money, but they still worked hard for every fake penny they earned. Many of the Guardians were out in the world with real professions as they kept an eye on the world around them. Now that Lyssa was part of the Watch Tower, she saw them clearly with their tattoos and the sparkling auras that swirled around them.