by HDA Roberts
I was perking up; this wasn't like the last time I'd ended up in that place (I was pretty sure that time was a dream). This time I was definitely awake, and things were more defined; I could even feel a sort of floor beneath me. I was in an exact copy of my room, right down to the paperclips on my desk, only everything was made of Shadows. I was lying on the floor next to my bed.
"Where am I?" I asked, sitting up.
Home.
Home? His home would be the Shadow Realm. Which was... amazing, and yet a little worrying, as I'd been warned not to play around with other dimensions until I knew what I was doing.
There had been shockingly little literature on the nature and specifics of the Shadow Realm, for the simple reason that most Shadowborn who got there tended to be monsters bent on slaughter and dominion, and the rest simply didn't want to share.
The Shadow Codex I'd pinched from Lord Faust (yet another idiot who'd ended up at the Farm) had chapters on it, but I hadn't fully translated them yet. To put it simply (because I didn't understand the complicated version), the Shadow Realm existed as a 'mirror' to our own, an exact copy made of Shadow, the only exception being living things, which had no presence there. And, as you might expect, the shadows from the real world had their own mirrors, too, only they looked like banks of fog to me (though I wasn't really 'seeing', per se, that was just the best way to describe the sense).
"How did I get here?" I asked.
There were spells in the Shadow Codex that could open a gateway, but I wasn't even half done translating them.
It was time. I brought you.
"Why? Not that I'm complaining, you understand."
There was a deep rumble that resonated through the very fabric of the place, I think he was laughing.
Danger comes. Darkness we can't explain, evil we don't recognise. You must know of Home. It can keep you safe. You must survive.
Well, now my enjoyment was tinged with a bit of terror. I tried asking him about what he was afraid of, but he just repeated himself.
Darkness we can't explain, evil we don't recognise.
So I pushed past it. Knowing my luck, whatever it was would eventually end up trying to eat me, so there was no point in going looking for the thing...
Instead, I looked at this new and wonderful Realm I'd been exposed to. And it was astonishing! I'd never felt such connection to a place, my senses could feel every shadow like I'd conjured it; I had to pull my perceptions back so that I didn't get overwhelmed.
It really was a perfect copy of the real world! Even my pillow had the impression of my head in it, and the covers moved minutely as the Pixies breathed and snored... which I could hear! I leaned in and found that the sound was coming through the 'fog', which I remembered from my reading acted as the connection between the Newtonian World and the dimensional plane where the Shadow Realm existed.
Now that I was listening, it was like every shadow was the thread in a web, and I was the spider at the centre. I heard a gentle susurrus of sound from every direction; Burglar snoring in the kitchen overlapped with the flap of wings in the sky outside and the rush of the river about a hundred metres from our front door... a hundred other tiny sounds that I couldn't recognise.
The implications of such a place were enormous. Even aside from the fact that I could listen in on any conversation within hearing distance of a shadow, this place connected with every shadow... everywhere. In theory, I could step through any shadow large enough to admit me and come and go as I pleased; and because it was the Shadow Realm, distance was only an idea...
You feel it, the Leviathan rumbled.
I nodded.
Open the gateway.
"I don't know how," I said.
Of course you do. You simply don't know that you know. See the door, turn the handle, pull it open. Try.
The communication came with layers of intent and thought, explaining how to do what he suggested. It was difficult to grasp, and nothing like what I'd begun translating from the Codex. The Leviathan's method was relatively simple in theory, just focus on one of the shadows (the fog as I could perceive it at that moment) and push deeper into the very fabric of it until you could feel your destination at the other end (the shadows were contiguous with their real-world counterpart), at which point you sort of... pulled that place to you.
Simple to conceptualise, very hard to do for the first time; certainly impossible for anyone without a very, very strong Shadow Affinity.
It took me a long time. Hours, in fact, to get into a mental place where I could open a gate. But once I'd done it, I felt so idiotic for not being able to do it before! It was so simple once I'd got my head around it. It was like I'd forgotten how to use a limb, but had suddenly remembered.
I stepped through my first gateway and back into my bedroom, where the Pixies were still fast asleep. The gate snapped shut behind me. I grinned like an idiot.
Excellent progress.
Thanks, I sent back through the Shadows.
Come back. There is more you must learn.
I repeated the opening in reverse and stepped back into the Realm (much quicker this time).
Think of somewhere close, somewhere you would wish to go. Focus on where it is in relation to here.
I thought of the Grotto, the little island at its centre.
Find it, bring it to you.
"How do I do that?" I asked.
This place is of you. It is only as solid as you wish it to be. Distance is only what you will it to be.
That was a complicated thought. Theoretically, it should be just as simple to use the stuff of the Shadow Realm as it would to use any conjured Shadow, but should I really be messing with an entire plane of existence? If anyone could sneeze and accidentally wreck a universe, it was probably me...
Well, if the Leviathan didn't mind, and they were basically the bosses of the Shadow Realm, then it shouldn't be too much of a problem. And besides which, I couldn't really resist.
I sat carefully on the shade of my bed, wrapped up in the fog. The snoring of the Pixies soothed me and helped me centre myself and concentrate. I looked in the direction of the Grotto. I could see every shadow, and yet also through all of them, which again boggled my brain a little. I focussed, feeling my link to the Shadows expand in the right direction...
I reached out and pulled that place to me... and I tumbled into the Shadow Realm version of a river bed, about five miles away from where I meant to go. The water was flowing mist, not solid darkness, which I found odd until I thought about it. Things that allowed light through them also allowed Shadows to exist in them, hence water would look like fog in there.
I looked towards the forest, though of course there were no trees, just fog. Though now that I was looking carefully, I could see empty patches, where neither the stuff of the Shadow Realm, nor the fog could be found. Tree-sized empty patches. Well, that was certainly interesting, I couldn't see creatures, but I could see their absence (that thought made my head hurt as I tried to wrap an over-used brain around it).
That rumble again.
Focus, the chuckling Elemental reminded me.
I tried again. I ended up three miles to the east of where I wanted to go and tumbled down a hill, thankfully everything in the Shadow Realm was almost a part of me, so I always got a soft landing. My third attempt dropped me two miles north of the Grotto, at the edge of a ditch, which I then fell into.
After that, I took it slower, taking my time. I knew this land. It was my home. I knew where everything was. And besides, it was my Place of Power...
Damn, why didn't I think of that earlier?
I knew why, because everything in there felt like my power. It was hard to distinguish the beacon that the Grotto had at its heart from all the rest. But I knew the vague direction it was in, so I looked carefully. It took me a while, but I found it, a gentle hum against the background energy, poking through the Shadows.
I latched onto it... and I was suddenly standing on the island.
/> I jumped up and down like a little kid, laughing madly.
This is the first lesson. And the last I can teach you for a time. I must return to the deep, my friend. My brothers and sisters are calling me, and we must make ready for what's coming.
"What's coming?" I asked.
We don't know. But we shall be ready. Call if you need us. We will come if we can. The little ones will answer your call for now.
"Thank you for this," I said, looking down at his form deep in the Shade below me, "It would have taken me years on my own. I never even suspected that this was what it was like."
Life for the One. Goodbye, Friend.
"Goodbye," I said.
He dove deep into the Shade, his form receding until I couldn't feel him anymore. I opened a gate and emerged into the warm night, safe at the centre of the Grotto. I smiled as I padded down to the water's edge, before sitting in-between the larger roots of a willow tree, whose lowest branches touched the water. I settled my feet into the warm pond and closed my eyes.
I was eager to try more, but I wanted to be rested first. That was not an experience to rush; it needed to be done carefully. I got lost at the drop of a hat, after all. With my luck, I'd come out in China and have all sorts of explaining to do...
I fell asleep in the safest place I knew, warm and comfortable.
I woke up in the grips of three women. Their skin was a sky blue, their hair the colour of the deep sea. Nymphs. They wore white dresses that clung to attractive figures. Their eyes were blue as well, gentle and friendly. They had their feet in the water, curled around mine. I felt warm and safe as I came back to consciousness.
I felt no particular reason to move, but they must have felt me stir, because they woke up as well, smiling at me. They weren't big talkers, Nymphs, but they were still very expressive people. They each planted little kisses on my lips before giggling and darting into the water. I sat up and stretched, feeling rested. I was about to stand when four hands grabbed my feet and I was unceremoniously dragged into the water.
I came up spluttering as the Nymphs stuck their heads above the surface, giggling and smiling mischievously at me.
I glared and darted after them. They squealed and swam away. It was a game we played, and it was more or less the only exercise I got that didn't involve Cathy. I caught each in turn and tickled them for all I was worth, making them laugh and squeak until they transformed into a stream of water to slither away, only to reform and start the chase again. I loved swimming with those three; they were just so gentle and fun.
After an hour of this, I was exhausted, and I hugged the Nymphs goodbye before they used their magic to dry me off. I thanked Lunson again for everything he'd done the day before and had a few words with some of the others before flying home.
I spoke to the housekeeper, walked Burglar and endured a wrenching goodbye from the Pixies before finding a deep patch of Shadow and opening a gate.
It took... longer than I'm comfortable admitting to get back to Stonebridge. I overshot repeatedly. I was so badly disoriented once, that I had to open a gate and check my phone's map before resuming my journey. Somehow I'd ended up in North London, about three hundred miles away from where I'd meant to be...
Even so, using the Realm still took me less time than flying would have, and much less than driving. Eventually I found Stonebridge and from there it was easy to find Blackhold, as I could feel its power pulsing in my mind when I got within a few miles. I stood in the reflection of my home away from home and heard the sounds of a bustling house through the Shadows as my people went to and fro.
"...you have to be joking!" Cassandra's voice, coming from the ground floor where Tethys had taken over the study (she'd moved from her reception room). I focussed and snapped there (that part, at least, was getting easier!). The room didn't have much shadow-mist in it, as it was daytime, and there were wide windows, but there were always patches; under the desk, under sofas, behind books and shelves. There were always shadows.
"Nope, the idiot didn't even think, just swatted her head off and stood between me and what was left like it was nothing. He knew who she was, too; I'd told him. He still didn't hesitate," Tethys said.
Oh... I was hoping she wouldn't tell Cassandra that story. She'd lecture me for a solid hour.
"He has that Neanderthal streak, 'protect the women' and all that," Cassandra said, "He's old fashioned that way. It's actually quite endearing, and don't ever tell him I said that!"
Tethys chuckled in that throaty way I liked so much.
"He told me once that you were the strongest person he knew, if that helps at all," Tethys replied, "Not woman; person."
"It doesn't. He's too protective, it's going to get him killed one of these days!"
"Doubt it," Tethys replied, "Matty may be God's own fool when it comes to women, but he's a survivor, and he's smart with it."
Alright, enough is enough, now I was just eavesdropping.
"Tethys!" I shouted into the nearest mist, focussing on it carefully, "Can you hear me?!"
I heard surprised shouts and the sound of things falling. Maybe I was a little loud...
"Matty?!" Tethys said, "Where the hell are you? You scared the crap out of me!"
"That's a little hard to describe, would you shut the curtains?" I asked.
"Mathew Graves, are you in the Shadow Realm? Because if you are, you'd be better off staying there; otherwise I'm going to do you a mischief!" Cassandra said.
"Okay, maybe don't shut the curtains."
I heard Tethys snigger, and then the curtains shut and the empty room filled with deeper mist. I picked a patch and it shimmered with energy as I opened the gate and stepped out, letting it snap closed behind me.
Cassandra looked miffed, Tethys looked gleeful.
"How much did you hear?" Cassandra asked with a glare.
"I heard Tethys say someone was 'smart with something', does that mean anything?" I said, lying glibly, "I only just got here."
Cassandra glared, but I think she decided to believe me (thank God. Nobody wanted Cassandra in a snit).
"Doesn't mean anything," she said, "Now, what the hell were you doing in there?"
Tethys took that opportunity to hug me hello before retaking her seat. The room had been thoroughly done over. There was now a wide desk with a trio of monitors on it, the shelves had been replaced with secure file cabinets, and there was a heavy duty wall safe. The furniture was new and tasteful, but also looked comfortable. Tethys had always had a gift for combining comfort, fashion and function.
"The Leviathan had to go away for a while. Showing me how the place worked was sort of a going away present," I replied before telling them all about it.
"How long did it take you to get home?" Tethys asked with a smirk, knowing how easily I got lost.
"Not long," I said, looking away.
"Half an hour?" Cassandra asked.
"Something like that."
"Matty, tell the truth or I'll sic Kandi on you," Tethys said.
"Seventy minutes," I admitted, they both sniggered.
"By the way," Tethys said, looking smug, "My sources have been saying all sorts of interesting things about that little conference of yours. Something about a second Sidhe princess? Care to fill in the blanks?"
"Not even a little," I said, walking towards the door.
Tethys was on me in a flash and lifted me up by the waist.
"No, bad Tethys, put me down!" I complained while Cassandra roared with laughter and I blushed.
She carried me back and deposited me in a comfortable chair in front of her desk, where she then sat on my lap.
"Tell your Tethys," she said softly into my ear.
"Isn't this the sort of thing you should be protecting me from?" I asked my bodyguard, who was still making like a hyena.
"You moved her in, she's your problem now," Cassandra said.
"Am I going to have to persuade you, Mathew?" Tethys purred into my ear, pressing herself closer to me,
"I have ways of making you talk."
She bit my ear just a little.
"Alright, alright!" I said before she could increase my blood pressure enough to blow the top off my skull.
I spilled the beans. My two closest advisors and two of my best friends... the cows couldn't stop laughing.
"I hate you both," I said as Tethys finally detached herself from me with a peck on the cheek.
"Sure, we're the bad guys," Cassandra said, "You're the one who's leading two innocent princesses on."
"Oh, don't say that, I already feel like such a bastard," I replied, heading in the direction of the kitchens in search of lunch.
They followed me, naturally.
"It's the Seelie one, isn't it?" Tethys asked, "She got to you with all the tears and the cute, didn't she?"
"No," I insisted.
They sniggered.
"Oh, just shut up."
They laughed harder. I get no respect. Not that I deserved it, I did feel thoroughly like a prick.
Chapter 6
"Alright, I've got something," Tethys said, startling me out of my nap.
It was the following Wednesday, after what had been a quiet few days, thank goodness. I was dozing in my library, and Tethys really had done a fantastic job in there. It was a large, L-shaped room on the first floor, filled with books. She'd converted one big section into an entertainment centre, and filled the floor space with comfortable furniture. I loved it in there.
I'd spent the last few days practicing my new skills, which my Codex called Shadow-Walking. I was now competent enough to make the journey between home and Blackhold in about ten to twenty minutes, depending on how well I was concentrating.
"Regarding?" I asked, sitting up so she could drop down next to me on the sofa. She had a folder with her and spread the contents on the coffee table in front of us.
"Our sources tell me that there are three suppliers of Source in the country, North, Middle and South. Through bribery and sheer stubborn trickery I've managed to track their manufacturing back to somewhere on the Isle of Wight. Nobody knows exactly where, or who makes it, but the shipments come through Gosport. So I'd have to guess somewhere in Gardenia."