The Shadow Beasts: The Sunclaire Chronicles

by Eleanor M. Byrne

  The man nodded slowly when he saw Emily’s fierce eyes and her pose of defiance. He raised his hand as a signal for his pet to attack.

  Emily lurched backward as the monster leaped at her, claws extended and glistening in the sunlight. She fell hard on the forest ground. Pain shot up her arms as she slammed against a rock on the ground. Blood gushed from her arms and the backs of her hands as she was smashed into the rocks. She closed her eyes, ready to feel the claws rip into her, to feel her life drain away and for her to sink into darkness. But… nothing happened. She opened her eyes and inhaled sharply.

  James stood over her. He smiled wryly and turned to the man.

  “So you are looking for me?” James grinned goofily. “What did I do for such an honor?”

  The man gave James a harsh look. “You know what you are wanted for. After what your family has done!” His voice shook in anger. “Your family is a pack of murderers and traitors! I have been ordered from the Royal family to find you and to kill you!”

  Emily looked at the man in shock. The man must be mad to think that James's family was a bunch of murderers. James may have been a total jerk but he was no killer. She looked to James, but his eyes told all. Those eyes were filled with rage at the man’s words, his hands curled into fists. Emily took an involuntary step away from him.

  “I admit my parents murdered and were traitors. I admit they killed the noble King.” James spoke with grief. “But I am not a killer!”

  He taunted the man. “And need I remind you? You have failed in killing me so far. What a failure for your House.”

  “Your parents murdered a king?” Emily whispered. Shaking her head trying to bring herself to her senses, she said, “But that does not mean you are like your parents!”

  She spoke louder so the other man could hear. “He is nothing like his parents!”

  The man scoffed at her words. “Both his parents once seemed like loyal subjects to the royal family but then...they killed him. They killed our King! Can you explain that? Can you?”

  The questions hung in the air.

  Then the man smirked. “Prince Declan asked me to find and kill Kator only. You, missy, get to live for a few more weeks. Before he issues orders to have you killed as well.”

  James stepped protectively in front of Emily. “You really think you can get away with that!?” he snarled. “Like I would let you!”

  Emily began to feel gusts of warmth rising in waves from James. Looking at his form, she could see the air seeming to vibrate around him. It was as if she were looking down the road during a hot day and seeing the heat shimmer above the asphalt. She could actually a distortion swirling around him. The grass around his feet began to sizzle and sift into ash.

  James lunged towards the man, who merely grinned and held up his hand. Fluffy, the beast, rushed at James with wild gleaming eyes. James threw himself back, his fists clenched. One of his hands seemed to glow red.

  Emily's eyes widened when, suddenly, his first burst into flames. James gave a cry of joy as the force of his fist, in flames, sent Fluffy flying back toward the trees, which splintered into pieces. The air smelled of burned grass and wood. Screeching birds were fleeing through the trees as they reacted to the scorching light of fire and smoke. The wolf-beast snarled and shook the flames from its body, trying to extinguish them, but it did not look hurt from the flames.

  James and Emily knew they had to get away from this creature. Another fire punch wouldn’t injure do much to stop it, only slow it down.

  “Emily! Get out of here!” James shouted, his eyes fixed on the creature. “This brute won't give up and die easily.”

  The streams of sunlight no longer showed through the treetops. The animals of the forest were silent and the wind gave a low moaning noise as it moved among the branches and over the charred ground. Shadows danced around the bases of trees and a cold icy wind whistled around Emily’s legs, sending shivers up her spine. The two-young people stood frozen as the man standing beyond the creature began to speak.

  “I am from the House of Soul Stealers.” He bowed down mockingly. “The name is Jonathan Redbeard. I have been ordered to find and kill you.”

  James looked steadily at this Jonathan. “ I see the royal family sent one of its best servants.” Was James just being his sarcastic self?

  Emily then understood. Jonathan served someone else. She quickly thought to herself that if he was from the House of Soul Sealers, she had to figure out what type of power they had.

  She knew of them from the books by Tallheard, but she guessed it had something to do with the creature that accompanied the man.

  Jonathan grinned happily and pointed excitedly at James. “So, you do know me! Ah, it's great to be well-known, even if it's only by murderers and traitors.”

  It was clear to Emily that this guy knew how to throw insults, and he also had the physical powers to back them up. She glanced at James. Yup, this man’s words definitely had hit a nerve. Before she had to chance to stop James from doing anything rash, James leaped at Jonathan.

  “Just shut up!” James roared in a rage.

  Emily closed her eyes, waiting for the sound of a fist hitting a person’s face. Yet she only heard a loud yelp. She opened her eyes to see James’s punch sending Fluffy crashing into a large oak tree. The tree was large and had survived many storms but it could not withstand the weight of the wolf coming in so heavy and fast. Emily screamed as the oak tree started falling toward her. A jarring force slammed into her and knocked her body out of the way.

  Immediately, James was beside her, his hands holding her head. Emily’s feelings spun from the closeness. This was the first time he had been this close to her in years. When they were younger they had played games and usually ended up in a tumbled heap. But now this was nothing like that. James’ blond hair smelled of ...what? Lavender? His clothes smelled clean, like fresh laundry. His face was smeared with dirt and his hair was hanging in his eyes. He looked ...different. But Emily knew well those angry blue eyes.

  “You should have run away by now!” he snapped. “You are just getting in the way of things! Just go!”

  Emily shoved James off her and tried not to show any embarrassment. She looked away, her face flushed with red. The fallen tree lay burned on the ground, its heavy roots arcing from the scorched earth.

  “No.” She spoke softly to James who turned to look at her in shock. “I will not run this time!” She raised her head defiantly and stared past James at the man named Jonathan. Anger and fear rushed through her. She was tired of running. James was the one they were after, not her, and yet she had been dragged into this. Being grabbed and chased by a stranger and his pet wolf in the city and now being attacked in this forest.

  “James, this is your fault. After this, we need to have a talk.” Emily tried to speak in a calm voice. “Because of you, my so-called aunt and I were taken from our home. I have left behind my life and for what? I don’t belong here! In a world where there are giant dogs named Fluffy and people who want you dead. I am not in the mood for dying.” Her voice shook at the word ‘dying’.

  “And right now, it seems that may happen, all thanks to you.”

  A cold breeze swirled around and tangled her hair. Goosebumps crawled up Emily’s arms. The heat from the dying flames of the fallen tree did not feel as comforting and warm as it should have.

  Jonathan moved in front of Emily and James. He smiled at Emily brightly. “Now there's a girl who is not afraid of anything!” He cracked his knuckles. “Don’t worry, darling. I will go easy on you!”

  The huge black creature growled and crept forward, its body slung low to the ground. The smothering flames and smoke from the blackened trees and underbrush made him truly a beast of shadows with eyes glinting red. As it bolted towards Emily, she thought all of a sudden, ”I am going to be killed!”

  She flung out her arms to shield herself. Suddenly her outstretched hands seemed to glow and pulse with heat. Pure power rushed through her, energizi
ng her. It filled every space in her body as she got stronger by the second. She had never felt anything like this before. Her hands gave off blinding white rays of light. As the wolf-creature threw itself towards Emily, it was flung back through the air, crashing to the ground. The ground was torn up by the jolting force. Rocks and dirt flew up everywhere.

  Emily gasped and stared at her hands. The brightness from her hands had quickly subsided, adding only the slightest blush to her normal skin color.

  “No!” A voice cried out in anguish from inside the huge cloud of dust. Emily squinted into the thickened air to see Jonathan. All the debris began to settle down, then, as if tired of the air. She could make out a soiled figure kneeling down next to a crumpled form. Jonathan was kneeling beside his pet wolf. His Fluffy lay motionless on the muddy floor of the forest.

  Fluffy seemed to be getting smaller. In just a few seconds, Fluffy was a small wooden statue being held by an angry Jonathan.

  Jonathan stiffened sharply as he stood up from the ground. “You better watch yourself, little girl!” he hissed. “You have just made an enemy of the House of Soul Sealers.”

  Jonathan whirled around and disappeared into the shadows of the few remaining trees. As he moved away, the shadows seemed to fade as light again filtered through the forest coverage. The ground seemed to sway around Emily, and the trees were spinning from all sides. Emily's legs buckled as weariness and shock sapped her strength. All that energy she felt before was gone. James caught just in time before she collapsed on the ground.

  “Let's get out of here before anything else comes along,” James told Emily.

  Emily nodded slightly, too exhausted to talk. She did not even bother to ask where they were going. All she could do was just stagger along behind James.

  After a little while, James stopped. Emily lifted her head up and looked around wearily. Her strength had not come back yet. The forest had thinned to only a few low trees. The sunlight was fading as the night drew closer.

  James helped Emily sit down on some leaves. She tried to lean against one tree that was thicker than the rest.

  Emily opened one of her eyes and stared sleepily at James. “Hey, James?” she murmured softly. “I am really sorry for running off on Wind Blade and you.”

  James looked down to say something but one look at her face showed it all. Her long hair covered half of her face. She just wanted to sleep in some peace.

  She dreamed that she was back home in the apartment. Her aunt was helping her bake a cake. James was in the living room waiting to eat it. It was nothing like the world, or dimension, or whatever she was in now. In the distance, wild beasts lurked in the deeper parts of the forest, looking for unsuspecting animals.

  Chapter 6

  The prince paced around the room, his eyes flashing as he heard the news of Kator’s escape. His servant huddled, bent over on the floor before him. Prince Declan did not even bother looking at him. The prince was furious. He had made it his mission to bring Kator down. He would be the one to avenge his father’s death all those years ago.

  “So, you have failed?” It was more of a statement than a question.

  Jonathan swallowed nervously. “But my lord! There was a girl! A girl with an unknown power attacked us an-”

  “Really? So you were defeated by a girl with amazing powers.” Prince Declan smiled slightly. “You do not hear that every day.”

  He chuckled softly as he turned away from the doomed man. A young inexperienced person had defeated Jonathan. After all these years of not losing once to anyone, he was defeated by a newcomer. The prince burst out laughing at the thought of it.

  Prince Declan had no patience for anyone. He never did.

  Jonathan knew what was in store for him. He had failed the Prince and now he was going to pay the price.

  “But my Lord!” he pleaded. “The girl was from the other dimension!” Jonathan went on. “The power that she wielded was something I have never seen before! And she was living with a woman who was definitely from one of the tribes.”

  Prince Declan turned toward him, suddenly finding something of interest in what was said.

  “ The woman… she attacked my Fluffy. She wasn’t afraid! And she was the one who allowed the girl and Kator to escape!”

  Jonathan began to speak even louder, knowing that now he had the prince’s attention.

  “However, I didn’t know that there was any of us living in that other world. It shouldn’t be possible for an outsider to have that much power. She has to be from this world. She has to be one of us.”

  Prince Declan was mulling over his words. “A girl, you say, with surprising powers?” He frowned. “And you can’t remember any similar power like hers before?”

  The prince began to stalk slowly through the room, his bejeweled hand tracing the edges of the heavy furniture. He brushed aside the heavy curtain, letting in faint beams of light for a brief moment. The room darkened again as he moved away from the window to continue his walk around the room. Jonathan saw his chance of redemption. He knew that his position could be easily stripped from him. And that would make him a laughingstock throughout the kingdom. He could not allow it. He was from a prosperous family and had grown up educated. He deserved to be respected.

  “Thinking of all the battles I’ve fought in; her skills were among the best.” Jonathan began to allow himself to hope. He was valuable. Surely, he would be spared. All he had to do was explain that the girl was of unknown origin, and, she was more important than Kator’s capture at this moment. Little did the poor man know that a hidden figure waited in the shadows drinking in his words. Shadows on the walls kept the figure well-hidden. Only the prince knew that she was there. And that it was she who was the true mistress of all that happened within these walls.

  Prince Declan shouted out in order. “You will go find them. Both of them. But I do not trust you to go alone. I am sending someone with you.” He raised his hand for silence as his servant started to protest. “If you fail, you are no longer accepted back to this House. Do you understand me? Now leave this room!”

  Jonathan saw that his master's eyes were fierce and cold with ice. He didn’t bother to say a word and left the room quietly, softly shutting the door behind him.

  “What do you think about him facing them again?”

  Declan directed his question to the shadowy form which glided out from the safety of the dark. “Is he even telling the truth?”

  The edges of the shape became more clearly defined. It was a small, lithe woman. She had short brown hair that ended around her jawline and she wore a long brown dress with a gray cloak that fell to her feet. She looked to be in her mid-thirties, but Declan was certain that she was much older, though he had never asked her. Even for him, she was an intimidating person.

  She considered his questions and snorted mildly.

  “Yes, he is telling the truth. I could easily read his mind.” She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. “The power that fool was talking about seemed strange, though. ” She tapped her fingers to her chin. “Times past, there was much talk about such power. But I thought it did not exist. Or at least not anymore.”

  The Prince looked up at his trustworthy advisor. Ever since he had been young, she was there to assist him. It was her duty to tell him who was bad and what was part of the good in this pitiful world. For now, he would have to trust in her and her abilities. But he knew he could never be completely at ease with her.

  “Really? Where did you hear of such powers?”

  She smiled at the prince. “There is a certain old fool of my House, always jabbering on. He was considered crazy, really. But he was always talking about some House outside of your Kingdom. Said it possessed divine powers. Powers of light. Whatever that means.” She shook her head. “ He was just a silly old fool.”

  Striding over to one of the heavy drapes, the prince pushed them aside and gazed outside. Dark storm clouds drifted on the edges of the bright sky. The castle grounds bustled with soldiers
on foot and some soldiers rode on massive horses. People darted around making ready before that storm hit.

  Suddenly, Prince Declan was sure that he had a perfect idea.

  “I want you to send one of the Soul Sealers. The one named Thief. He’s the best tracker in this House. As well as any other House, for that matter. Tell him to find Kator and capture him.” The prince began to nod slowly to himself.

  “And as for the other person, this girl, tell someone to capture her and bring her to The Searchers of the Order. They will find out who she is and what powers she possesses.”

  He watched the dark, roiling clouds beyond the drapes. The storm clouds are heading this way, he thought. After all these years of hunting this murderer, he finally had his strongest chance. Maybe he would catch him, and finally, have his revenge on that treacherous family.