Lunar Shadows (The Guardians Series Book 2)

by T. F. Walsh

  “I’m sorry.” Povian’s voice was whisper quiet, but it might as well be a drum in her ears because it deafened her and promised no solution.

  Zana removed a twig caught on Shadow’s shirt, remembering the way he’d stared at her. His caring touch, the determination to find who’d murdered Klurt, his kind words at the ceremony. And his resolve to fight Carver to keep her safe. He never gave up. She wouldn’t either, so she climbed to her feet and faced Povian.

  “There has to be a solution. I won’t let Shadow die.”

  When Povian turned away, she stepped closer, reaching for his arm. No thoughts came to her except to save Shadow at any means possible. “For goddess’s sake, please! Shadow is dying. You help the sick. There has to be a cure. Anything.” Her grip tightened, and she couldn’t take another breath as she waited for Povian to respond.

  “He doesn’t have long. His breathing is slow, and he’s twitching less.” He lifted the syringe. “I’ve seen a similar toxin before. Someone imported it from the human world and tried to sell it at the Wart Market as a poisoning for animal hunting, until I found out and banned the substance. It’s curare and will kill goblins.”

  “And?” The word flew from her mouth.

  “There’s one cure I’m aware of. Ingesting calabar beans. It works as an inhibitor, but they’re only available in the human world. We don’t have them in Tapestry, and I don’t know where to begin finding them if I crossed the veil into the human realm.”

  Zana’s head spun with too many thoughts, but they all pivoted on her home and her glowworms. “Did you say calabar beans? Are you sure?” Her body shuddered with anticipation. “I feed them to my glowworms back at my place.” They chewed on those things like nobody’s business. “So you’re saying they will work on him?”

  Povian nodded, followed by a shrug. “It should.”

  “Okay, I’ll take should. It’s a chance. Keep him alive somehow. Please do anything to keep him alive until I return.”

  Without waiting for an answer, she sprinted deep into the woods, targeting the town. She was Shadow’s salvation and wouldn’t let him down. The evergreens tugged at the hems of her pants, and the low-hanging branches smacked her in the face. The forest seemed to blur past as she darted forward. Please stay alive, Shadow until I return. Please.

  She burst free from the forest and rounded the empty meadow where the arena was, but she kept going. Her house lay beyond the field, deeper in the woods, and she had no time to waste. She pounded the ground, her breaths racing. Images of Shadow’s lifeless face consumed her thoughts; the threat of losing him forever only drove her faster. She careened around the open land and sped down a track between towering ferns, past torches flanking the path.

  A cluster of goblins gathered around the Lunar Festival, blocking her way. Zana swung to the right, no time to battle the masses, who were oblivious to Shadow being on death’s door, but would they care?

  Someone snatched Zana’s wrist and wrenched her sideways. The momentum sent her into a spin, feet tripping out from under her. She hit the ground, her knees taking the fall, and a grunt fell from her mouth from the impact. For those few seconds, her head spun, but she leaped up waiting for her vision to settle. And it did on Den. Fucking Den… Carver’s accomplice.

  She tugged her arm from his grasp and recoiled. “Stay the hell out of my way.” The moment she turned away, he crashed against her back, an arm snapped around her chest, hauling her toward him. His breath washed across her ear. “Bitch. You’ll pay for sticking our nose in.”

  “Fuck you.” She slammed her heel into his foot.

  He gasped, and she ripped free from his slackened hold, whirling to face him, and the crowd of goblins watching both of them.

  Den swung a fist. But Zana pulled back too slowly, and his fist connected with her cheek. The stinging throb reverberated through her skull, the ache spread across her face like scalding water.

  She retreated, holding back the whimper, refusing to show he’d affected her, even if it felt as if half her face might fall off. “Asshole.” Zana spat out the blood in her mouth and pulled away. She didn’t have time for this, not now. Shadow’s life depended on her.

  “Leave her alone,” a woman’s voice called from the masses, but Zana couldn’t make out whom it belonged to.

  Den jerked his head at the throng of patrons, most watched them as if she and he were a show, and he growled. “Any of you gutless fucks gets in my way and your family is next.”

  “Big man,” Zana called out, unable to stop herself. But she’d had enough of Carver and his men bullying the locals into submission with fear. She would never cower to them, and if her actions helped give one young girl inspiration to stand up for herself, well then, maybe there was hope. “Terrorizing the innocent. Must make you feel real strong.”

  “Bitch.” Den charged at Zana so fast, she stumbled. He clutched a handful of hair and yanked her to his side. “You’ll beg me to stop.”

  She winced, staggering closer. “I’d rather die.”

  His lips widened, his yellow teeth on show. “That can be arranged.” He pushed Zana into a half-stumble, half-walk toward the woods, and panic strangled her chest.

  She elbowed him in the gut. But instead of releasing her, the bastard shoved her aside, kicking the feet out from under her. The moment she hit the ground, his foot connected with her gut. Then two more times.

  Zana screamed, and tears blurred her vision. The fear collecting in her mind was that she’d never get a chance to save Shadow. Trembling, she clutched her stomach, the pain so deep, she couldn’t stop the cries.

  A shadow loomed over Zana. She cringed, covering her head with an arm. Her head yelled to get up, to fight. Too much hung in the balance. Happiness. A future filled with love. Safety. She pushed past the stabbing pain, the sensation that she might spew.

  “We won’t let you touch her,” a young female said, and Zana blinked to clear her eyes. Three young girls stood side by side between Den and Zana. “Or anyone else. We are no longer afraid of you.”

  The brunette who had untied Zana back in the arena glanced back at her for a split second, offering a tiny smile. Something fluttered in Zana’s chest. A sensation of community, belonging, and of goblins coming together. Yeah, they were young girls, but they were the future and they did what adults were incapable of.

  “Get the hell out of my way, or I’ll make each of you my slave.” He laughed in a menacing way that only speared Zana’s anger.

  She rose to her feet, shoving past the hurt claiming her gut. She didn’t have time for this, not with Shadow waiting, but goblins defending others was unprecedented. So, she stood next to the girls and faced Den. “Deadbeats like you are no longer welcome in our town. You won’t threaten anyone. Your corruption ends now. Carver is dead so who is going to help you?”

  She turned to the goblins, fury racing through her that they did nothing. “This is your town. Take it back from criminals. Bond as a team and you can overpower them. Stop hiding and letting them threaten you.”

  “Yes,” the three girls said in unison.

  Den’s face reddened, and he stormed toward them. He shoved a hand into a girl’s face, pushing her aside. But when the other two jumped onto him, punching and pulling hair, the crowd exploded and charged toward Den. Zana recoiled as the mob of goblins swallowed him in their fury. She had to believe they would do the right thing, and as much as she wanted to dive in, she had to go. Shadow.

  She whipped around and ran so fast she didn’t pay heed to goblins who rushed toward the huge commotion. No time… Dickhead Den already stole precious time. What if she was too late? She refused to think that way. A curling ache spread across her cheek, and the metallic taste in her mouth deepened. She wasn’t sure how she moved when her stomach felt as it had flipped inside out. She forced one leg in front of the other, running on pure adrenaline. Without Shadow, she wasn’t sure she could go on.

  After what seemed an eternity, Zana skidded to a stop benea
th the enormous oak in front of her house. Hungry for air, she panted, unable to fill her lungs. She wiped her tears and dashed inside, into her kitchen, and seized the bag from near her stove. Only a few beans left. Was it enough? How many did she need… What if it was based on body weight? Her gut clenched so hard she gasped.

  “This has to work.” Please let it work.

  Cradling the bag to her chest, she ran out of the house and into the woods, sticking to the woods to skirt around the goblins who had now dissipated. Den was tied to a wooden pole. His bloody face and slumped shoulders should have made Zana pity him, but hell no, he got what he deserved as he had played a hand in killing Klurt. And she prayed Shadow wouldn’t become another victim. She’d make sure he survived, or die of exhaustion from trying!

  When she entered into the small area in the woods where Povian and his men waited, she rushed the bag at the older goblin, drowning in her own sweat. Her chest heaved, lungs contracting. Leaning against a tree, she inhaled through parted lips, drawing in tiny gasps.

  “We need Shadow to ingest the beans.” Povian was squishing the life out of them in the bag and mashed them into a paste with his fingers. He added a handful of water to the plastic bag from the creek.

  Zana shoved against one of the goblins moving toward Shadow. “I’ll do it,” she said. Kneeling near his body, she tilted his head back and gently edged his chin downward to open his lips. Povian was there, dripping the watery concoction into Shadow’s mouth.

  “Please let this work.” She ran a few fingers over his throat to coax him to swallow. When he did, she repeated the process until they’d gone through all the beans.

  “What now?” She shuddered and prayed for good news.

  Povian shrugged. “We wait and see.”

  Zana was on her feet, her insides ready to snap. She marched in a tight circle. “This has to work. It has to.”

  She returned to Shadow and crouched next to him, taking his hand in hers. Goddess, please don’t take Shadow from me. I promise to stop hiding in my house. I will join the community. Even if Shadow returns to the queen’s kindgom, you have my word, I will make a difference in Pryvale just like Klurt did.

  She lowered her gaze, unsure what she would do if Shadow died. Blinking away the tears, she noticed a flower the size of her thumb near his arm, its petals iridescent with a purple sheen. A rainbow of colors seemed to change before her eyes beneath the torch’s flame.

  “You’re kidding me,” she mumbled. Tonight’s festival was about couples working together to find this rare plant that only grew one night a year. And once found, it declared the pair were soulmates for life.

  The lunar flower!

  13

  A repetitive drum banged, loud and persistent. There were no other sounds. Just the clanging inside Shadow’s skull. Reverberating. Annoying. Shut the fuck up.

  Shadow rolled over, but his body weighed a ton. He slid open his eyes to a faint glow of light. White netting stretched overhead, and silhouettes twisted across the ceiling.

  Zana’s bedroom.

  “What am I doing here?”

  Memories steamrolled through him. Klurt’s and Sivath’s deaths. The mating dance. Zana. Chasing Carver into the woods. Him implanting himself into a branch.

  And, with that, came the heartbeat again, tapping like a ceremonial drum. Like his pulse knew something he didn’t.

  He pushed himself up, but his elbows quivered and gave out. “Come on, damn it.”

  Footsteps thumped from deeper in the house.

  “Zana?” He craned his neck up.

  She darted into the room, dressed in a flowing yellow dress that reminded him of the sun with the thinnest straps across her bronzed shoulders. Her amber hair draped over her shoulders, drawing attention to her huge smile. Was he dreaming?

  “Shadow!” She tossed the netting aside and threw herself across his body, knocking the wind out of his lungs.

  Her arms encircled his neck. “You’re alive.”

  She nuzzled him just below his ear with soft kisses. Her warm lips grazed his mouth and tasted of peppermint. No time to react before she pressed her tongue forward. Her kiss was a promise of more to come, and damn if he wasn’t game.

  He embraced her, his hands roaming across her back. His breathing quickened, and he moaned from the heat of her body crushing against his. Her intensity. Her passion.

  When she pulled back, her eyes glistened. “I missed you these past three days. I didn’t think you’d wake up again.”

  “Three days?” How could he have slept for so long?

  Instead of answering, she kissed him again, fiery and demanding. Zana had done something to him in the best possible way. In those moments of inhaling her scent, adoring how perfect she fit against him, he knew where he belonged.

  He cupped her face with one hand, wiping a tear with a thumb.

  Tenderness filled her gaze before sparking into something else. She whacked his arm. “Never die on me again. I can’t go through losing you.”

  “Think I would have remembered dying.”

  “Carver poisoned you, and we fed you beans as an anti-toxin.”

  “Beans?” Was she teasing him? Maybe they just needed to keep kissing. That made everything better.

  She broke into laughter, the sound calming and reassuring. “I’ll explain later. Just know that you’ll be all right. And I’m here to make sure you heal.”

  Yeah. Every inch of him ached, but what did that have to do with beans, and what about the mating dance? Last he remembered, Carver was hurt, and then his mind went blank. He stiffened.

  “Did you see Carver?” he asked.

  Zana propped herself up on the edge of the mattress, a hand softly sliding along his shoulder. She nodded. “Povian found you both in the forest.” There was hardness in her tone as if she’d practiced those words. The past week had been hell, and he didn’t need more shit coming his way.

  The sun beat through the window, but still a chill engulfed him.

  “Carver was a sadistic son of a bitch,” Zana said. “Our world is better without him.”

  “He’s dead?” His throat thickened as the reality of her words crashed into him. He wracked his brain—he’d thrown punch after punch into Carver’s face. Revenge had driven him like a raging bull to make him pay for Klurt and Sivath. “Carver ran into a broken branch and impaled himself, thinking I was chasing him.”

  Zana just stared at Shadow. “That dickhead butchered Klurt in cold blood. No remorse. He would have killed you and me if given the chance. You protected this community and me, just like the Guardians shield the kingdom. I bet they wouldn’t hesitate before taking down the enemy. They’d celebrate.”

  “Carver murdered Sivath, too. I—”

  “I know,” she blurted. “Povian and his guards visited Sivath’s house and found his body. Den and another goblin were digging a grave for him in the nearby woods, and both got busted. Dumbheads. Anyway, we’ve been holding off the funeral ceremony until you woke. It was too late for that, anyway, as he’d been dead for so long already.”

  His head drowned in information overload. “All the fun stuff happens while I’m out of it.”

  His attempt at humor came out flat. Instead, sorrow slammed into him. His friend and uncle were dead. Everyone had waited for Shadow to recover out of respect of his relationship with Sivath. But Shadow wasn’t ready to say farewell to another buddy.

  Zana pulled him into her arms, showering him with kisses. “I’m so happy you’re back.”

  When she broke her hold, he ran a thumb across her small chin, tracing her jaw line.

  She stared at him, her mouth partly open. He pictured himself leaning in, tasting her, drowning in her passion. The vein in her neck pulsed beneath his fingers. It reminded him that life was short. Spending it alone was punishment in and of itself.

  The realm had been a fairytale lifestyle. Sure, he’d been spoiled to high heaven, but the draes always kept their distance. He had friends, but they we
re army personnel, and no drae female stayed longer than a few weeks. Perhaps that was why he craved his own community. His own future with someone like Zana.

  She lay next to him, face-to-face. Her smile was contagious.

  “I can’t undo history,” he said. “But, together, we can change what’s coming to this town.”

  She cocked an eyebrow. “You’re staying in Pryvale? What about becoming a Guardian?”

  Shadow pulled her tighter so their bodies were plastered against each other. “I’m not going anywhere, and if you’ll have me, I’ll give you everything and much more. Besides, who said I can’t be a Guardian here for goblins? And someone else can play the ambassador. I have more important things to take care of at home.” Their foreheads touched. Her fruity smell flooded his senses.

  She pulled back, her eyes wide. “Got to show you something.”

  In a flurry, she rushed out of the room and returned in no time, holding something in her hand, a smile playing on her lips. Sitting on the bed, she unfurled her fingers.

  Warmth flowed through Shadow, unable to stop himself from grinning. “The lunar flower? Where’d you get that?” The same flower said to give couples the goddess’s blessing.

  She nodded, smiling so wide he couldn’t stop his lips curling upward. “Found it next to you when we found you poisoned in the woods. And you know what this means?” She cocked an eyebrow.

  “You bet. Means, I’m never letting you out of my sight.”

  She pressed in softly and kissed him. Warmth folded around him. He adored how she moaned against his mouth, and his world fell away. This was where home was.

  Epilogue

  Zana rolled back from the desk in her wheeled chair. She pushed herself to her feet, patting her huge belly. Seriously, if she got any bigger, she’d explode. She throbbed with exhaustion, and it was only morning. Povian had instructed her to rest because the baby could arrive any day.

  “Yeah right. A week later, and I’m still waiting.”