Heir of Shadows (The Shadowborne Legacy Book 1)

by Emma Harley

  “Keep your head general,” she ordered firmly, wrenching his glare from the oracle, “we need answers, and she has them. If you don’t want us to know your secrets then don’t ask questions.”

  The general’s silver eyes were tinged with red as he stared between her and Ryver, the latter gripping his shoulders hard enough to leave bruises. He inhaled sharply and counted his breaths. Raina spun angrily to the oracle.

  “I’m the one looking for answers, let me give the payment in their stead,” she breathed angrily. Taranis gripped her arm and shook his head.

  “You don’t have to, I’ll give her what she wants if we get answers,” he growled. Raina gripped his hand tightly for support and he gave her a grateful nod.

  “My mate rejected me. She was a human witch, and didn’t want to be with me. One night she lured me to a bar, got me drunk and had some of her friends tie me up and made me watch as she screwed them in front of me, then when she was done she shattered the mating bond. Death would have been a kindness to the pain I felt that night, and I was so angry at what they had done, I slaughtered them all in that room.”

  “You killed your mate?” Raina whispered. His steely eyes were fixed on the ground as he nodded. She squeezed his hand and took a breath.

  “You deserved better than what she did to you. If you hadn’t ended her I would find her and kill her myself,” she snarled. The oracle clicked her tongue and smiled at Raina.

  “Thank you for adding details Malakhai, now I don’t have to be so vague.” She waved a hand over the pond and an image of a dark-skinned woman appeared, dressed in fighting leathers and swinging a sword through a blurred crowd.

  “You have heard the legend that the Erinyes promised to create a weapon to destroy Erebus. This is Tisiphone, the Furiae responsible for the punishment of murderers. The three goddesses of vengeance worked closely with Hemera, who was eager to aid in the destruction of their father.”

  “Their father?” Logan countered. The oracle nodded.

  “Erebus is the father of the Erinyes. As punishment for their sire’s sins, the three sisters were cursed to bring justice and retribution across the worlds. They are beings of darkness, and sought out the goddess Hemera to bring an end to their father’s reign. After a battle, they expended much of their power and were still losing, so they sealed him away in a void beyond the gate. The form he uses to show himself in is almost invincible. He is darkness itself, the father of all that hides in shadow and despises the light. As you know, a balance must be maintained between them both. Hemera decided that the best way to do so, was to bless a certain demon with the gift of light. Thus, the first Shadow-Walker was born.” Raina’s jaw dropped at the bombshell as the oracle winced and clutched her throat.

  “That’s all I can divulge, another payment is required.”

  “Excellent, even in this world all the good stuff is locked behind micro-transactions,” JJ grumbled. Raina paused thoughtfully.

  “You didn’t answer the question though, what is the weapon?” The oracle frowned and pointed to the figure in the pool.

  “I am trying to explain that to you, unfortunately it is quite a large request. So Raina, why don’t you admit how you truly feel about your parents?”

  “Why don’t you answer the question we asked first!” she growled, swatting the general’s hand away as he gripped her shoulder. The oracle sighed and remained silent, waiting for her answer.

  “Wait, can I give something up instead?” Ryver asked, noticing the internal battle raging within his sister. The oracle shook her head.

  “Raina asked the question, Raina must pay for the answer. I don’t make the rules, I’m sorry.”

  “Fine.”

  Raina steadied her breathing, her own emotions terrifying her more than the prospect of facing a dark god.

  “I want my mother to hug me when I’m struggling and do all the things that we should have been able to do together. I want my father to teach me how to use a sword and ask me to help him plan battle strategies. I don’t want to be afraid of hugging them goodbye or being afraid of spending time with them. I want to get to know them and I want to be their daughter. I want to be able to tell them I love them without being so afraid that I shove everything into a box and go numb. But I’m too afraid of losing someone I care about.” Her tears fell onto her dress, stubbornly refusing to stay hidden like she begged them to.

  The silence in the room was broken only by the oracle clearing her throat. Raina looked up sheepishly, embarrassed by her outburst. Ceressa had let her tears flow down her cheeks as she cupped a hand over her mouth. Izak and JJ were looking a bit weepy too as they awkwardly coughed to cover themselves. Kalen had look of pure sympathy as he looked at her, but the oracle continued.

  “Your birth-mother tipped the balance of dark and light blood when she was born. The direct line of chieftaincy was perfectly balanced until she came along. The Terragae clan is pure light blood. Thankfully, the Erinyes gifted a small mountain tribe with a dark blessing for their bravery against Erebus’ armies. The line eventually lead to your paternal grandmother. You are now the perfect balance of light and dark blood Raina. You are the weapon the Erinyes prophesised.”

  A chorus of “WHAT?” echoed along the cave walls as Raina leapt to her feet.

  “Are you telling me that I’m an unpredictable bomb of power by design?” she snarled, “Those bastard gods decided that this was the best they could do? Conveniently design a weapon that can’t be used because the shadow walkers are cursed?”

  The oracle waved her hand lazily.

  “Destroying the dark god will not remove the curse of the shadow walkers because he did not place it. The Furiae sisters placed that curse themselves until their weapon was created, the legend you have heard is quite misleading. You will need to summon them before you face Erebus and should they deem you worthy enough, they will remove the curse and enable you to kill him.”

  Logan gritted his teeth and ran a hand through his tousled hair.

  “So the Erinyes cursed the shadow walkers - the clan they created to kill Erebus – so they wouldn’t be strong enough to kill him? That doesn’t make any sense,” his face was contorted in confusion as he tried to piece the puzzle together.

  “They placed the curse so that the bloodline would not end. The shadow walkers were sweeping through the world and slaughtering innocents. They were beginning to tip further over to the darkness and the balance was being disrupted. The only way to prevent their plans from being destroyed was to force them to bind their powers and settle quietly until Raina was born,” the oracle clarified. Raina slumped back into her chair, blinking the red tinge from her eyesight. She could feel the wriggling tendril of magic weaving down her arm, hesitating at the cuff around her wrist.

  “How long do I have until Erebus breaks out?” she asked defeatedly, waiting for the next invasive question.

  “No payment is required for this answer, because I have none. Even my sight is limited. I cannot see the future actions of a god,” she grimaced apologetically.

  Raina’s eyes didn’t leave the spot on the ground she was staring at. She had been expecting to leave with some kind of physical object. Instead she had nothing. Her mother had warned her against summoning the Furies, but now it seemed like the only option they had. A curse that torn her away from her family and her home, caused her to lose control and threatened everyone she held dear, and all she had to do for it to be lifted was ask the Goddess of Vengeance nicely. The oracle clicked her tongue again, staring thoughtfully at Raina.

  “Most of my visitors come here seeking riches and wealth. Looking to find ways to avoid their death or find a weakness in their enemy for selfish reasons. I must say, it is refreshing to know that your intentions are entirely pure. I can help you further if you answer one more question,” she offered gently. Raina let a single tear run down her cheek as she stared numbly at the oracle. Logan growled and got to his feet.

  “She’s had enough, leave her alone
you hag,” he sneered. The oracle didn’t even look his way as she waited for Raina’s response. A silent nod was all she gave.

  “What is your real reason for wanting to lift the curse? Ignoring the demon army that is threatening the land, why do you want it lifted?” Raina sniffed loudly and wiped her eyes roughly, her own self-loathing biting at her.

  “Because I want to give my family a good life here. They followed me through the portal, and I became a danger to them. I couldn’t care less if I lost my powers tomorrow. I want them to be safe and I don’t want to be a danger to them anymore.”

  Izak clasped a hand to his chest in mockery and Davin chuckled.

  “I always knew you had a marshmallow heart Phoenix,” he teased lightly. The oracle waved her hand and produced a small vial from the air.

  “I assume you still have an item belonging to your mother Eliza?” she asked curiously. Raina nodded stiffly and the oracle crouched against a crystal cluster, filling the vial with water from her pool. Raina's confusion marred her face as she swept across the cavern to hand her the vial.

  “Under the light of a whole moon, pour this vial onto the object and set it within a ring of white salt. Light seven white candles and whisper Eliza’s name into each flame. For seven minutes, you will be able to speak with her soul once more. I am only offering you this because I feel it is unfair that you have these tasks ahead of you, and you came here with purely selfless intentions.” Raina gazed at the bottle as though it contained her hopes and dreams within its shell.

  “Is this a trick?” she whispered, her voice cracking slightly.

  “Not a trick. A peace offering. I am confined within these walls for eternity, it is difficult to control my excitement when things get interesting.” The oracle closed Raina’s fingers around the bottle and returned to her seat, leaving her staring at her closed fist. As the other’s stood to leave, Raina looked at the oracle.

  “Do you know how I’m supposed to kill Erebus?”

  “As I said, I cannot see the future actions of a god. That includes their death. But one can only assume your powers are the key to finding that out,” she sighed, a sad smile on her face as the door unlocked to reveal a very grumpy sprite.

  “Alright you dumb mortals, I can’t sit around all day waiting for you. Hurry!” it screeched.

  As they bundled out, Raina cast one last glance at the oracle’s sympathetic face as the door slammed closed. They walked silently through the halls, interrupted only by the sprite shrieking at them to take turns on the platform. Raina didn’t bother waiting and leaped off the hallway, landing crouched on the marbled floor and striding out the doors ahead of them all.

  “My shiny floors!” it screamed, “your fat Fae feet will make them streaky!”

  Raina longed for the fresh air, taking deep heaving breaths as she doubled over, clutching her knees. The hand rubbing her back was slapped away sharply and Davin glared at her.

  “I’m just trying to help,” he insisted.

  “Well don’t bother,” she snapped. He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

  “You don’t have to keep pretending you’re such a hardass you know. We heard what you said in there. Stop acting like you can do everything yourself,” he groaned, heading down the steps after the others. Kade discreetly nodded to Ceressa to continue on without him as he leaned against a marble pillar.

  “Are you okay?” Raina hesitated.

  “No. I don’t do emotions. I prefer bottling it all up and pretending that makes it better.” He chuckled slightly and swept a hand through his hair.

  “You have to let it out at some point. It must have been eating you alive keeping it to yourself,” he suggested. Raina forced a laugh and tapped her cuffs.

  “One other thing I neglected to mention. I’m a berserker. I quite literally bottle up my emotions,” she breathed, straightening up to look at him. His eyes went wide and he extended a hand to lead her down the steps.

  “You’re just a little ball of surprises aren’t you,” he laughed, “berserkers are usually exiled from civilised society. They’re deemed to be too dangerous to be around regular folk.” Raina rolled her eyes.

  “Yeah this world seems to have a habit of banishing anything they don’t like. The shadow walkers are forbidden to set foot in Avellia, the berserkers are exiled. I’m both of those things.” Kade ruffled her hair and smiled.

  “Well I won’t tell anyone that you’re a berserker, if anything that would make you quite a useful tool in a battle.” Raina felt a bit lighter as they reached the bottom of the steps, where the drivers waited patiently for them.

  “Change of plans here,” Kade instructed them, “Princess Raina needs to return home as soon as possible. She has some good news to share with her parents and I need to speak with my father.”

  The driver beamed and bowed to him, scurrying around to start the car. Kade wrapped his arm around Raina and slipped a silver ring onto her finger.

  “Thank you for this,” he whispered, before kissing her hand softly. Raina giggled, and even Ceressa played along, wrapping her in a tight hug.

  “You and I will be the best of friends, thank you for allowing me to be with my mate,” she breathed quietly. Raina clasped her hand and giggled.

  “I’ll have to make you my official handmaiden in Mordoire, so don’t let my fiancé out of your sight!”

  A sudden screech above them drew their attention away from the seemingly happy moment. A beastly figure circled above their heads, flapping its leathery wings as it blocked out the sunlight with a deafening cry. The males drew their swords and readied for attack as JJ tossed a gun to Raina.

  "What the fuck is that thing?" she shrieked, her voice drowned out by the creature's ear-piercing screeches. As though summoned by the noise, another beast flew overheard with a shrill scream. Logan tugged roughly at her wrist as they crouched between the cars but she shook him away.

  "That is a demon Raina," he roared over the bedlam, "don't even think about trying to fight it!" She stared him down as she cocked her gun in defiance, dipping her head as one of the winged demons swooped close to them, lashing out with jagged claws. Izak positioned himself at her back and the pair took aim, firing true into the stomachs of the beasts.

  “Bring them down Phoenix!” he roared. Raina took aim once more and fired as one of the creatures swept over their heads with a gut-wrenching shriek. The spray of disgusting blue blood splattered her face and she almost gagged at the smell. Kade dived to cover Ceressa, drawing his own sword in the process. The demons circled, dripping indigo blood over the heads before positioning themselves to lunge again. Raina spun to Taranis.

  “Get these cuffs off me, now!” she ordered. Before he could offer an excuse, the winged demons dived again, barely missing her as she barrel-rolled to safety and slid the anti-Fae gun from the holster under her dress.

  Two piercing shots rang out, and one creature dropped to the ground, crawling and spitting its way towards them. Her bullets had pierced the bones along the wings, as the creature wailed in agony trying to take to the skies. JJ downed the other with his own anti-Fae gun, and despite pumping another round into the creature's skull, it still writhed and clawed its way along the ground towards them.

  Raina unsheathed Izak’s meticium sword from his waist and stormed towards the pathetic wretch, wiping the inky blood from her eyes. Two strong hands wrapped around her waist to pull her back as Kalen and Taranis flew past her, slicing their swords through the beast until its head rolled along the ground. A sickening crunch from behind her made her spin, only to see Logan and Kade walking away from the other beast, the latter aiming a sharp kick at the mangled head that rolled along the dust. JJ spun her around to him and shrugged his jacket off to wrap around her shoulders. Logan nudged him aside and scanned over her body.

  “Are you hurt?” he asked sternly. She shook her head, unable to tear her eyes off the corpse before her.

  “Good, now what the hell were you thinking trying to take tha
t thing on alone?” he snapped, “we’re here to guard you, and you’re an amateur with a sword. That thing is from the pits of the Undersphere and you thought you could take it on yourself?”

  “I can fight as well as you lot,” she hissed through gritted teeth, “the damsel in distress is just an act and you’re falling for it!”

  Kade stepped over to examine the corpse carefully.

  “That’s some impressive marksmanship Raina. I suppose that’s why you were a general,” he laughed awkwardly, but the shock was still evident on his face. The smell of the blood coating her was nauseating, and she shoved Logan aside as her stomach heaved. Ceressa rushed to hold her hair back as she unloaded the contents of her stomach onto the grass. The driver rushed over to Kade.

  “Your Highness, I have alerted the King, he will be sending men immediately. He has also requested that we escort Princess Raina to the airport and see her home immediately until we can secure our borders,” he panted. Raina could only give a weak thumbs up as she wiped her hand across her lips.

  “We’ll squeeze into one car. We have to get the princess within her own borders immediately,” Taranis insisted.

  Kade paled and looked between them all.

  “I can assure you this was not planned to harm the princess, this is not the work of Mordoire,” he scrambled. Raina stared in confusion before it dawned on her.

  “This will not cause any tensions or frictions between our kingdoms. We were alerted to the demons escaping before we arrived here, I don’t believe for a moment that this was an attempt on my life,” she assured him. Logan tugged her towards the car but she shrugged him off. “I’ll keep in touch with you both. Please be safe,” she rushed out before hurrying to the car with her team.

  Chapter 18

  Prince Kade arranged for a private jet to take them home immediately, and Raina found herself back in the castle at dawn. She had stripped off the bloody clothes on the plane and washed off in the tiny bathroom, but the stench of the blood still remained faintly on her skin despite dousing herself with perfume. She hadn’t slept a wink on the plane, instead spending most of her journey home staring into empty space contemplating what the oracle had told her.