by E Kathryn
He could barely hear the Shadows behind him screaming at the sight. There was only one voice he heard—Emilie screaming in terror as she fell to her death. Mark didn’t have a clue how to use her Shadow, but it made him fly fast, pushing him faster than gravity tugged, faster than Emilie was falling to grab her.
Feet away from sharp rocks, Mark touched her and slowed her fall so they landed with a soft tumble. Mark’s back ached but he could barely acknowledge it. Emilie sat up slowly only five feet away from him. She met eyes with him, shocked and speechless, then she looked down at her legs. Very slowly, she tried to get up, she tried to move, but her thin legs couldn’t lift her body.
Mark’s eyes widened in terror when he realized what he was seeing. Emilie’s legs were too emaciated to carry her body. Without her Shadow, she wasn’t just grounded, she was completely unable to walk. Frantically, he took out Shadow Feather again and held it to her. “I-I’m so sorry!”
The Shadow left his hand faster than either of the two Shadows had moved before and it bonded with Emilie’s heart like a rush of wind. She floated up as soon as she could, rising off the ground. Her green eyes sparked as fury filled her being.
Mark sank to the ground and she glared over him menacingly. She didn’t have to be physically strong. She could still pulverize him. He had done this. He had almost killed her. The ravine they’d landed in was incredibly dark, but the fog wasn’t as heavy, and racing river rapids were faintly visible in the distance. Mark’s skin felt stretched and pinned and his fingers trembled as he tried to raise himself up.
She fumed, floating up over him when he moved, but she didn’t wait for him to stand. She didn’t raise a finger against him, she just left. Shooting up like a rocket, she zipped up and out of the canyon leaving him behind. Mark collapsed into the rusty red stone. He deserved it. He had done this to her. She had every right to get her revenge.
He bit down the tears welling in his eyes. Like with Sil, apologizing would only make everything worse. A shimmering green mist flashed before him but he didn’t move when Rita appeared.
“Mark… are you okay?” she asked.
He didn’t answer, too terrified to own up for what he’d done. She stared at him, completely unaware of what he’d done to her this morning. He had tampered with their Shadows, in spite of how violated it made him feel to know Trust had done it to him, he was dumb enough to do it to someone else. He was wrong, but owning up would only make them angry at him.
Rita gave a sigh and touched his shoulder, teleporting him back up to the camp in a quiet instant. Mark wished that instant had been an eternity for when they reached the top, at the edge of the crag, he had to face the Shadows.
They were all awake now, all staring at him, and rightfully judging him. Emilie floated by Sil, her ankle at Sil’s shoulder. Her lightning green eyes sparked with mad hatred that was already barely contained. Elise rushed to Mark’s side at the cliff, and Rita stepped back from him.
“What… happened?” she asked confused.
Mark’s head drooped, his hands dug into the dust ashamed, and he refused to meet eyes with anyone. “I took Emilie’s Shadow.” He could barely summon his voice, but he wouldn’t allow himself to sugarcoat it as much as he wanted to lie.
“How?” Elise gawked. “What were you thinking?”
Mark clenched up a handful of dirt. “Like this,” he paused and with an open hand he touched his breastbone to remove his own Shadow again. It was easy, but this time he didn’t feel like a huge rock had been lifted from his chest.
Gasps rippled through the onlooking Shadows. “You could have killed her!” Elise yelled. The anger came through, the anger he deserved.
Mark pressed his lips together and placed his Shadow in his heart. “I found out Shadows are connected to their wielders, they come back if you remove them. I was going to give it back, but… you woke up before I…” There was no use making excuses.
Rita flustered. “How do you know that? You’ve only known about the Shadows for four days now, and you’ve already discovered something even we don’t know about?”
Emilie swooped in and shoved Rita aside, almost throwing her to the ground. She charged and toppled into him so that they both clattered to the dusty ground. Unwilling to hesitate, she grabbed Mark by the collar and slammed him into the ground. “I’ll kill you for this!” she roared.
Mark disregarded his aching back, everything hurt, his head hit the hard ground and she shoved him down again. The hollow silence afterward rattled Mark’s psyche. Emilie froze, her lightning green eyes cold for a spell, until she looked back down at his eyes and all the rage in her being flooded over him. “You monster,” she seethed.
She lifted him up, causing him to float into the air and she forced him to his feet. “Do you even know what my Shadow means to me?” She howled, “You saw my legs. I need my Shadow! I can’t walk without it! How in the world are you dumb enough to take my Shadow from me!? Who gave you the right to touch it!?”
“Mark,” a Shadow behind him addressed him and his spine stiffened. His feet on the ground quivered but Emilie turned him around to face Silverstonarellena and meet him in the eyes. Before Mark acknowledged it was him, he was struck to the ground receiving a fist to the jaw.
Mark cried out in pain as he impacted the ground. He couldn’t get up, all his limbs trembling as Sil stood over him glaring his golden eyes down upon him. He deserved this. The bruise on his face didn’t even hurt, nor did the ground under his scraped elbows.
“Let’s see how you like it when I throw you off the cliff, but this time there won’t be anyone coming down to save you.” Emilie yelled, dropping her foot onto his back and kicking him. She didn’t really have the strength to hurt him, but with her powers over gravity, he felt like a ton of bricks had slammed into his already weak back.
“Emilie…” Sil whispered coldly, forcing her to pause and glare at him astonished. “Shut your mouth.” he snapped making her feel smaller than a hummingbird.
Breathing frantically, Mark tried to get up but Sil grabbed him by the collar and raised him up to his feet. “Do you have any idea why the humans fear us?” He threatened, receiving only a terrified silence from Mark. “It’s because they think we do things like that! Don’t mess with other people’s Shadows. It’s a part of them, an incredibly personal part of each one of us! You can’t just take that away and use it as you want!”
Mark pushed himself out of Sil’s grip in a bold move. “What if I did it for another reason? What if I took someone’s Shadow to help them?” he burst, standing up to Sil. What am I doing? He didn’t think anything through as he gained a stance and stood firm.
Sil crossed his arms and eyed him, glancing only once to the Shadows gathering around them and staring. An intrigued smile touched his face. “All right, Mark, how could you help someone by taking their Shadow?”
Mark tensed, seeing the offensive nature of his argument. Thinking on his feet, he let words fall out of his mouth “I could…” he hesitated and found Rita’s gaze as she stepped back partly scared of Sil. “I could take Fliiy’s Shadow when it goes crazy. That would stop it!”
Fliiy flustered among the Shadows, watching the argument and covered her mouth. “How do you know about that?”
“I’m right!”
Sil reeled closer to Mark. “You put Emilie in serious danger! How on Earth does that compare? What if you hadn’t gotten to her on time?”
“Then I’d take a different Shadow and use that!” He shouted, not really thinking it through when out of nowhere, Mark was struck again by Sil’s frozen fist causing him to fall back to the ground. Annoyed, Mark sprang back to his feet and lit his hands on fire. “Stop that!”
Sil’s eyes flared cyan, intrigued by the sight of Mark’s fire. “Ah… so you’re prepared to make the same mistake again? You really have no shame.”
Mark bore his fire readily, feeling much more confident using it than last time. “I would never hurt someone intentionally.” He s
wore, “And I won’t let you keep bullying me into thinking I can’t use my Shadow right.”
Growling, Sil formed a fist in his left hand while his right froze over imparting ice to the ground and making it slippery. “You’re not doing a great job convincing me,” he sneered spitefully. A gust of wind thrust at them blowing about Sil’s braided and wild hair in his face as he jolted forward at Mark.
Waiting for his vision to clear, Sil hesitated when Mark appeared through the snow. Mark’s arms were held up before him, blocking the blow. “I’m not falling for that again!” Mark insisted, pushing Sil off him, “I want you to see Trust!” he shouted into Sil’s face firmly.
The fire in his hands wavered, he questioned everything he was doing. Trust had manipulated him to some extent, toyed with his Shadow, and forced him into this position. “I’m not asking you to trust me,” Mark panted, staring at his own fire as Sil stood on, shocked. “I’ve already messed up too many times for you to actually trust me. But we’re still out here, we made it this far, and I know I didn’t do it alone, I had you, Rita, Emilie, and Trust. The ability to pass through the shield is not mine, I’m not the one in charge. Trust is pulling the strings here, just like Shadow Hope!”
Sil’s eyes flared and widened, almost weakened by the words. Mark didn’t know the first thing about Shadow Hope, but he was certain that was what startled Sil. The ice Shadow glowered, the air around him growing colder. The Shadows watched in amazement as Mark was actually standing up to him. At this, Sil flustered and sprang at Mark, beating him down with an icy fist.
Mark hit the ground again, his cheek bone bruised and his fire had dissipated, but he didn’t lose eye contact with Sil. Glaring at him, Mark raised himself to his feet with some effort. “Our lives are not in our own control. I still want to make things right with you, but what’s important right now is putting our trust in the one who brought us out.”
Sil smirked, attempting to maintain his attention on Mark while his mind spiraled with whatever visions possessed him. “You still just want me to forget what you did to Emilie!” Sil spat angrily, freezing his fists and going at Mark violently.
“Because Trust did the same thing to me! I’m not going to apologize over and over because I know you won’t listen!” With his fire igniting again, Mark’s hands met with Sil’s suddenly. Sil cried out in fear as Mark’s fire melted the layer of ice coating his hands, and he retracted his fist to make sure he wasn’t burned, and to his surprise he was uninjured. Mark’s crimson eyes came into his view, startling him, and he jumped back only to feel Mark reaching out and getting close to touching his heart.
Sil stumbled back, his lips trembling when he realized what Mark was trying to do. “If you touch my Shadow, I’ll end you!” he warned, his voice cracking with dry rage.
Skittish on his feet and wavering with his fire, Mark gritted his teeth. “That’s what you’re trying to do, and you’re failing!” he taunted.
Sil’s anger sparked and he reeled forward at Mark with a frozen fist only to feel Mark grab his wrist. Sil met eyes with Mark, fully terrified but again his vision blurred and his eyes glazed over. Mark forced Sil’s fist downward while his opposite hand plunged smoothly to touch Sil’s heart.
Sil’s heart imploded, mystified, as he lost all ability to control ice and he fell to his knees overwhelmed. Looking up to Mark, Sil’s eyes became desperate, a look which he had never seen in him. Mark clutched his Shadow with two hands over his heart. Sil’s head fell in despair, exasperated and panting. He breathed one word, only Mark heard.
“Zachary…”
Mark tensed hearing Sil say it and he knelt down in front of the ice Shadow. “What did you say?”
Sil’s golden eyes died down to a poor yellow. “I’m sorry… I never got to tell you the truth.” he nearly cried.
Mark laid his hand on Sil’s shoulder. “What does that mean?” he asked but received no answer. Mark’s heart pounded, Zachary, he thought, what if… what if that was the name of the person Mark was always being compared to? Was Zachary the Shadow who died in the ASH?
Sighing heavily, Mark grimaced, looking into Sil’s Shadow. In it, Mark could see heartache, dear loss, and the true feelings of Sil’s heart. Whoever the Recluse Shadow was, Sil had been close friends with him. Calmly, Mark held the Shadow before him. “I do want you to trust me, Sil. I want you to be able to place your Shadow in my hands and trust that everything is going to turn out all right.”
Sil looked drearily into Mark’s eyes and tried to reach out and take his Shadow, but his fingers passed through it. He despaired. “I can’t,” he gasped, “I’ve never been able to believe in anyone. Why should I have to? I have perfect control over my Shadow. Why should I trust you to use it?”
Mark gently took Sil’s hand, using the Realm to impart feelings and instructions on how Sil could take his Shadow back. “I won’t have to learn to use it,” he whispered as Sil’s hand gripped and held the Shadow in the same way Mark had. “I’ll just trust you to use it when I need you,” he assured kindly pushing Sil’s hand to touch his heart and return his Shadow there.
XVII
DISCOVERING TRUTH
Sick to his stomach, Kip hugged his sides near the campfire. He barely clutched a blanket around his shoulders while his whole chest was in pain.
Mark plopped down on the dusty ground, disgruntled, and he poked at the fire still shaking from the fight. “How are you feeling?” he asked to distract himself.
Kip drew the blanket closer and gritted his teeth. Mark could see it when Kip refused to answer, it was all he could do to not think about the pain. “I can’t believe I didn’t get to see what you did to Sil! That was incredible!”
Mark smiled slightly. “You needed the extra sleep… but I’m impressed you slept through all that screaming.”
From the extra sleep, and tossing and turning on the mattress pad, Kip’s curly red hair stood on end while his eyes mimicked the color of the sun to a light yellow with blue tint. “Are you hurt at all?” he wondered, gesturing towards Mark’s trembling hands.
Laughing it off, Mark nudged Kip with a gentle fist on his shoulder. “Hey, you’re sick. I’m the one who’s supposed to be worried for you!” Mark guessed his own hair was a little crazy from sleep last night, but there was little he could do out here.
Kip nodded but pressed his lips together with a bitter taste in his mouth. Kip was weathering quite a lot of pain, and Mark could tell just breathing was agony when Kip hugged his ribs like he was about to burst. The morning light combined with the firelight allowed Mark to see Kip was deathly pale.
Kip gripped his stomach and suddenly coughed until he gagged and lost the contents of his stomach. Bursting to his feet, Mark rushed to help Kip, to hold him upright, and to keep his hair out of his face as he threw up. Kip should’ve been lying down right now, not pretending he was okay or putting himself out in this cold. When Kip finished, Mark took his arms and dragged him gently back into the van to make him rest on the mattress pad.
“It’s dangerous if he keeps that up…” Elise’s voice appeared behind him, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed.
“What can we do though? We can’t take him to a hospital, and certainly not back to the ASH.” Tying her fingers together, Elise uneasily led Mark back to the fire with heavy thoughts. “We need to get him some help. There has to be people out there who sympathize with Shadows, who would hide us, especially on this side of the country. Kip has always been weaker than the rest of us, and I don’t know how long it could take for him to adjust if it is strong allergies or something like that.”
Mark grimaced, comprehending the danger. This wasn’t some kind of environmental allergic reaction, something was wrong with Kip’s lungs. Mark didn’t have to be a doctor to see that. “What do you know about him and Kimberly?” he asked, out on a limb.
“What do you mean? Their relationship? Well…” Elise recalled, a little startled by Mark’s forwardness. “I’m not that much older
than him, but I remember when he was young, he spent most of his time with Kimberly instead of other Shadows. And Kimberly spent most of her time in the infirmary, caring for you-know-who.”
Mark guessed it was the Recluse she was referring to.
“So that’s where Kip spent most of his time too. Kip’s always been slow to get used to people, and often makes bad decisions because of it, like picking a fight with Sil, for example.” Elise’s eyes grew tender gazing down at Kip’s pale face. “He’s been slow in about everything, come to think of it, from walking and reading, to his Shadow and all his relationships. I think you’re the closest friend he’s had.”
Mark considered the part about Kip being slow to read after having learned he was so quick to pick up daunting subjects such as chemistry and physics. Elise interrupted his train of thought. “By the way, where did Rita get off to? She disappeared after your little outburst.”
Mark shrugged, a touch of guilt in his eyes. “I don’t know. Might have gotten scared off by Sil.”
Elise disagreed, knitting her brows together. “No, it’s not like her to run away, at least, I don’t think so.”
Mark raised his chin in a half nod. “I’ll look for her. You’ll stay with Kip?”
Elise gave him a calm smile and left the van to check on the other Shadows who were making no use of their time. Mark breathed in deeply, contented by his surroundings as he opened his mind in the Realm to look for Rita. He already had an idea of where she might be, based on the images he’d seen when he took her Shadow, but he wanted to confirm before he ran off looking.
The Realm declared to him where Rita was, as he had used it to find Kip before, and as he suspected, she was down in the canyon. Mark looked over the edge of the cliffs cautiously, but he could see no immediate sign of her.
He skirted the edge for about thirty feet and found a steep path to get down into the ravine. The trail couldn’t have been more than two feet wide, and its edge led to certain death. Watching his every step as if it could be his last, Mark only had the Realm to assure him he wasn’t walking himself into a dead-end or going the wrong way.