I’d been through a lot in the past twenty-four hours, and before I could handle one more situation, I needed a shower, a change of clothing, and food. In that order. Shadow left to finish his preparations for our journey into the realm, and I headed toward my room.
Midnight stayed close, and since I wasn’t exactly used to my new companion yet, I asked for a little space.
Space?
I nodded, my shirt half over my head as I stepped into the bathroom. “Yeah, human-type people like privacy when they shower and dress and even at other times. We often need a moment alone to gather our thoughts. Some space between us and the rest of the world.”
It seemed to understand then, swelling and sparking lights around its darkness.
Right. I will wait for you outside. I prefer to exist up high anyway. Just call if you need me.
It twirled away, under the bedroom door, and I took a deep, extended breath, trying to sort out my mental state. The exhaustion that had plagued me before my nap wasn’t completely gone; it lingered on the edges of my energy, confirming that I hadn’t had enough sleep or food to completely restore my well of power.
One thing at a time, though, and those two would have to wait.
The shower felt amazing, and I sank to the floor, letting the heavy stream beat down on me. Cranking the heat even higher, the chill that had been lingering in my bones eased with each drop of water. I might have even dozed off for a few minutes, allowing an extra boost of healing and restoration to kick in.
Eventually, I had to get out, and after drying off, I did my teeth-brushing and moisturizing routine, feeling a hundred times more myself after. I really needed to spend more time on self-care because I’d been a ragged mess when I’d dragged my ass in here an hour ago. Most of which had been washed away in the shower.
Figuring it probably wasn’t long until we made our way into the Shadow Realm, I dressed in the most comfortable outfit I could find. And since the library provided it, it was of course perfect.
Black jeans, with enough stretch that they could have passed as thick leggings. Black leather boots that slid perfectly over the jeans, stopping around my calves. A green tank that brought out the lighter tones in my hazel eyes, and over the top, I threw on a leather jacket for protection and warmth.
I had no idea what sort of weather or temperatures to expect in the Shadow Realm, but there was every chance that parts of it could be as extreme as Earth. At least from what I’d seen in Midnight’s memories.
Midnight. It was so weird how I could feel the mist in my energy, the tingling on my palm reminding me that I was now bonded to another powerful entity. One that was at war with Inky.
At least Midnight might be a source of information, and for once, I’d be ahead of the game. Ether mists… a blanket from above. It was the oddest concept, and I couldn’t quite picture it. In the images from Midnight, I hadn’t noticed a black cloud across their world, so maybe… maybe it was hidden from sight. I supposed I’d find out once we stepped foot into the realm.
My stomach churned at the mere thought, and I hoped that whatever happened there, Shadow finally found his revenge. If anyone deserved it, he did. Of course, I still owed some shifters a knife through their chests, but that could wait. Compared to how long Shadow had been waiting to enact his own vengeance, I was a few thousand years behind.
Midnight floated down to me as soon as I stepped out from my bedroom door, and I didn’t waste any time. “How many different beings live in the Shadow Realm?” I paused. “Wait, that was rude. Hello, how are you? I have a few questions if you don’t mind?”
Midnight swelled and jiggled, and I heard the disembodied laugh in my head. My knowledge is yours.
That one line might have been better than an orgasm.
“Tell me as much about the inhabitants of the Shadow Realm as you can.”
Midnight swelled into a wall of darkness. Shadow Beast is Darkor, the Supreme Being. He has power over the mists, mostly leicher, and can command the creatures and other royals.
He was betrayed on the night he was supposed to accept his position. He was young—taken completely by surprise—and only just managed to escape with his life.
His need for vengeance made more sense every day. I was going to help him the best I could, even if it meant I would risk myself in the meantime. His mission in life was much greater than mine.
“So Darkor is one of the beings of the realm, but he’s technically a royal, correct?”
Yes. There are also freilds, who are the regular beings, not born royal. They all exist within one of the five lands of the Concordes.
“Concordes?”
Geography wasn’t my strongest suit, and without a map, I was struggling to piece it together in my head.
The Concordes is the main mass of land. There are five kingdoms of royals sharing its territory. Trinity is Shadow’s, the strongest of the five. Then there is Holister, second in power, followed by Fraple, Glist’n, and Ashan.
Yeah, no way in fuck was I remembering even one of those kingdoms. But maybe I’d learn on the run while there.
“Are there any other beings there that I should be aware of?”
There are royals, freilds and their many sub-species, shadow creatures, and quite a few other beings who are not able to communicate with you, so there is no need to worry about them.
And yet, I would most definitely worry.
“What are the Shadow Hunters?”
The strongest of the freilds. Not born to be royals, but with a strength and affinity to trap creatures. They trade their ‘souls’ for the ability to elevate their power. The mists transform them, but the process is quite… dehumanizing.
That had to be why they looked the way they did. No faces. No physical bodies.
Just as I was opening my mouth to ask another of my million questions, Shadow strode into the lair, clearly searching for me.
I met him halfway, and Midnight fell silent in my head, choosing to tag along close by without too much interaction. “Is it time to leave?” I asked, examining Shadow’s face.
His neutral expression didn’t give anything away, so I just waited for his answer.
“Simone has arrived,” he said, and I almost jumped onto him in my excitement.
“Is she okay? What happened to the rest of the pack members?”
Shadow shrugged. “They’re alive for now, but I have Torma locked down so those assholes can’t cause any further damage until I have time to deal with them.”
“I will deal with them,” I spat out. “It has been a long time coming, and I’m not exactly the forgive-and-forget sort of chick.”
He brushed his hand over my cheek, the movement fast and over in a heartbeat, but the heat of his touch lingered. “You will have your vengeance,” he told me softly. “As soon as I’ve had mine.”
“Deal.”
There was a fissuring of power in the air, and I wondered if we’d literally sealed that deal as something more than mere words and sentiments.
“You want to see your friend before we leave?” Shadow asked, distracting me.
I nodded. “Yes. I need to make sure she’s safe. Can she stay in the lair?”
“No.”
One word, but it was clear that he would not change his mind. “Why not?”
“Strangers are not welcome here.”
“You let me be here,” I reminded him. More like forced me to live here, but the sentiment was the same.
He shook his head, those thick curls catching my attention before they settled again. “Don’t push me, Mera. She’ll have a room off the hall and will be perfectly safe.”
It didn’t make sense, but then again, so much of my relationship with Shadow didn’t. And maybe a tiny stupid girlie part of me liked that he’d let me into his private inner sanctum, when as far as I knew, no one other than his five friends—and two mists—had ever crossed that barrier.
I was slowly chipping away at him, and fuck, if that didn’t give me a sense of accomplishment I hadn’t felt before.
“Who are the two who know your weakness?” I asked him suddenly, and he jerked his head at the rapid change of subject. I didn’t take him by surprise a lot, but I had.
He laughed bitterly. “My sister and my mother. One who is my enemy, and the other I assume is dead.”
I grabbed his hand. “You will take your sister down. She stole from you, and it’s time for her to pay for it.”
Shadow’s face was darker than I’d ever seen, scarily dark, but he didn’t pull away. “She will pay. As will the shifters who hurt your Dannie.”
My voice was a shaky mess now. “Will she come back the same?” I asked, voicing a question that had been mentally freaking me out for some time.
Shadow released my hand, draping his arm around my shoulders, dragging me closer. “She’ll still be the Dannie you knew, even if she doesn’t look quite the same. You’ll feel her, though, and it will be comforting.”
He started to walk, mostly pulling me along for the ride.
“She’s my first priority after the Shadow Realm,” I told him. “Hopefully at that point, she’ll have had enough time to reform into Dannie again.”
He squeezed my shoulders but didn’t reply.
Needing to talk or my head would explode, I hurried to ask, “So Simone first and then we head into the Shadow Realm?”
“Food first,” he corrected. “You’re still too weak, and our journey into the realm isn’t going to be an easy one. We will have to go incognito, so minimal energy use. They cannot see us coming and have time to prepare.”
“Won’t they already be waiting, since the spell on the door has fallen?”
He shook his head. “We checked the door, and there’s no one waiting for us. Clearly, their arrogance is still firmly in place. A fact I told my sister would one day get her killed.”
He looked positively pleased by this preemptive thought coming to fruition.
This was Shadow’s scary face, and since it wasn’t directed at me, I could just enjoy the stark beauty of his features.
“Blood will be spilled,” he murmured, adding to the sexy serial killer vibe he was rocking.
Hard to believe that probably twenty-four hours ago I’d wanted to kill him, and now I found myself falling into an alliance like we were the best of friends. There was one truth I could never deny: I was stupidly obsessed with this dude. Since we were once again fighting on the same side, I wondered if I might truly fall for the one being I could never have.
Knowing my luck, the answer to that was a resounding yes.
