The Shadow Children (The Demon-Born Trilogy Book 1)

by L. C. Hibbett

  “How is it different?” I swallowed hard. “How am I different, Eve?”

  She closed her eyes, pressing the heels of her hands against them. Every muscle in her body was as taut as a rubber band stretched across a slingshot. The clock ticked on the mantelpiece.

  There was a knock on the door, followed by the sound of somebody entering. Emmanuel’s smooth baritone voice slid over the heavy silence. “Am I interrupting something?”

  I shook my head, grabbing my sports bag. “Nope. Not interrupting a single thing.”

  The glass in the small window beside the door rattled as I slammed it shut.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  “This is incredible.” I turned in a circle taking in the white sand spreading from one side of the sheltered beach to the other. The cliff wall towered forty meters above our heads, curving outwards to form an overhang. A white dingy was lodged in the sand beside the small outcrop of rocks at the mouth of the cove. Deirdre threw her pack down at my feet. “I must have gone straight past this place twenty times last summer. How did I miss it?”

  Deirdre curtseyed. “What can I say? Your tutor is a talented woman.”

  I grinned at her blatant self-satisfaction and tilted my face upward, letting the sun soak into my skin. I felt like my argument with Eve might be written on my face like a tattoo. Lucas slithered over the rocks to our left, landing two feet away from us, with Lydia hanging onto the back of his t-shirt. She screamed at him. “You’re such a sneak, Lucas, you totally tripped me up!”

  Frank and Jasmine climbed down after them, followed by Sam and Elijah. I ducked to avoid a flying bucket as one of the younger students started a sand fight. Deirdre threw her hands into the air. The sand levitated and then formed a miniature tornado, spinning like a dust devil towards the offending teenagers. They ran into the water, laughing hysterically. Deirdre winked at me and marched across the sand to Jabol, barking orders at every kid she passed.

  Jasmine unpacked the bags, pulling out beach blankets and towels. Elijah and Frank headed straight for the ocean, leaving a trail of t-shirts and flip-flops behind them. Jasmine glowered at their backs as she picked up their clothes and threw them into a backpack. “Yeah, that’s great work, guys. Throw your crap on the ground and then make us all spent an hour trying to find it before we go home. Ugh.”

  She scrunched Elijah’s t-shirt into a tiny ball and shoved it into the bag. Sam grinned and tapped her on the shoulder. “Jas. This make you feel any better?”

  He nodded his head toward the shore where the two boys were flipping past each other playing a game that looked like tag on steroids. Sam narrowed his eyes at the water and took a deep breath. The waves around Elijah and Frank rose up, churning and bubbling like a living creature until the ocean had formed a twenty-foot wall.

  Elijah turned his head, suddenly aware of the looming danger. He spun to face the beach, pointing a finger at Sam. “Samuel Hayes, you jerk, do not—”

  Sam smirked and exhaled, sending a torrent of water spilling over their heads. Jasmine whooped and slapped him on the back as she ran down after Lydia and Lucas to join the fun. The breeze carried the giddy shrieks of laughter onto the shore and send them echoing off the cliff wall behind us.

  I could feel Sam’s eyes on my skin, watching me as I watched the others. He slipped out of his trainers and stepped closer, digging his bare feet into the warm sand.

  “Hey, Grace.” He nudged me with his arm.

  “Hey, Sam.” The echo of Eve’s voice whispered in my ear. A devil on my shoulder. I hugged my sports bag against my chest. “I should go get changed, didn’t get a chance to put on my bathing suit.”

  I couldn’t meet his eye as I scurried into the cave that the girls were using as a makeshift locker room. The sand under my feet was muddy and dank. Metallic tasting air filled my lungs and I squinted as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. “Damn, sorry, didn’t realize there was anyone in here.”

  I covered my face with my hand and backed away from Megan’s half naked form. She tugged at the straps of her swimsuit and pulled it up over her chest. The taste of jealousy was sharper than bile on my tongue as I imagined Sam’s face when Megan sauntered onto the beach. The desire to escape was overwhelming, to get away from Sam and Megan, and every cursed thing about my life. I fumbled in my bag for my phone.

  “Whatever, I’m done.” Megan’s voice was muffled as she bent down to pick up her stuff. My fingers curled around the smooth plastic, and I scrolled through the call log, searching for Cat’s number. Megan pulled an oversized t-shirt on over her swimsuit and squeezed past me. She stopped at the mouth of the cave, resting her hand against the damp stone wall.

  “Grace.” I looked up at Megan. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t there. To help with Dawn. She’s a cute kid.” I nodded, pressing my lips together in surprise. “And Sam. He’s a good guy. Don’t be a shit to him.”

  I struggled to find my voice to respond, but Megan had already gone, slipping across the sand like a golden goddess. I pressed my hands against my face and took a few deep breaths before I opened my sports bag and slipped my phone back inside.

  The smell of freshly laundered clothes hit me as soon as I unzipped the bag. I ran my hand over the soft towels that Eve had packed for me, reaching under them to retrieve a swimsuit. I prepared myself for a neck to thigh style one-piece, Eve wasn’t exactly known for her taste in bathing wear. Instead, I found a simple black bikini, exactly like one that Eve had refused to let Cat buy me the year before because she thought it was too adult for me. It was perfect. I pulled it on and slipped my phone out of my bag, sending Eve a thank you message.

  Sam was exactly where I had left him. Megan was standing beside him, her blonde hair blowing gently in the breeze. He lifted his hand to shade his eyes as I stepped onto the warm sand, twisting his body to face me, turning his back to Megan. A smile played at the corner of his lips. I felt my own mouth curl in response, a biological impulse I was powerless to control. Sam’s gaze flickered to my right, and the joy drained from his face replaced by a look of irritation.

  A clammy hand pressed against my shoulder, and Peter’s voice filled my ears. “My dear, it appears you have made a captivating recovery.” I smiled politely. Peter was leaning heavily on his cane. “I brought Dawn and Oscar down to join you, they are far too advanced for the younger class.”

  His stare was focused on the breaking waves where Dawn and Oscar were running through the foam with Jabol. Dawn’s hair was soaking wet already, and she squealed with delight when Jabol created a fountain between the two children. Jets of water flew in all directions. Oscar drew his hands into the air, and the water parted. He caught Dawn by the hand, and the two disappeared into the tunnel.

  My chest tightened, and I started to run but Peter grabbed my arm, holding me back. His voice was giddy. “Wait. Wait.”

  I strained against his grasp and counted the seconds, waiting for Dawn and Oscar to emerge. I yanked my arm free, unable to hold off any longer. My mouth gaped in horror as the tunnel collapsed and water rushed in every direction, smashing onto the rocks that lined the cove.

  I blinked, pressing my hands against my throat as relief flooded over me. Dawn and Oscar were on their feet, riding the highest wave as if they were surfing, before tumbling onto the beach in a fit of giggles. I sank down onto the sand.

  “Aren’t they splendid, Grace? It’s been a long time since I have seen anyone walk on water.” I craned my neck to get a better view of Peter’s face as he stared down at the children. He pulled his notebook from his pocket and began writing.

  “Were you a scientist? Before this?”

  Peter cocked his head at me. “Of sorts, I suppose. I have always been interested in evolution. Isn’t it intriguing? A species can change the course of an entire world with the right genetic nudge. And look how it works, you're drawn to each other, you extraordinary creatures. Like a magnetic force. Catherine and Cain, Samuel and yourself, Dawn and Oscar.”

  My eyes widened
. “Ozzie is Demon-Born?”

  Peter peered down at me like I was a specimen in a Petri dish. “You are still unable to discriminate between the energy forms. Intriguing. You appear to be curiously lacking in ability. Perhaps Sam’s skill is a natural compliment to your lack of talent. He hardly needs a match.”

  He flicked through his notebook, jotting something down. I looked around, desperately catching Jasmine’s eye. I mouthed an S.O.S. in her direction.

  “Of course then there is Eve. Poor Eve. Unlikely to find a match and yet unparalleled in ability. Perhaps there is a lesson in that.” I wasn’t sure if Peter was talking to himself or to me.

  Jasmine settled herself onto the sand beside me and tucked herself under my arm. “Uncle Peter, Jabol is teaching Dawn and Ozzie to create a Light storm.”

  Peter’s expression sharpened, and he disappeared through a slip without a word, reappearing at the water’s edge beside a vexed looking Jabol. Jasmine grimaced a silent apology in Jabol’s direction and he rolled his eyes in response, smiling. She patted my knee. “Sorry, Grace. I hope he wasn't too weird?”

  “Oh, no. He was fine.” My voice sounded forced. Jasmine pulled her glasses down on her nose and gave me a look. “Okay. He was weird. He’s a creepy guy. Sorry, Jasmine.”

  She laughed and settled her glasses back into place. “That he is.”

  “What’s the deal with him anyway, Jas? He’s your dad’s brother, right?”

  Jasmine nodded. “Yeah, his twin. We never met him when Dad was alive. Dad’s family are old school Shadow Children, not like Maman’s. They have been Shadow Children as far back as the Great Divide. Uncle Peter went missing before we were born. Occupational hazard. Nobody had heard from him until three years ago when the New York City cell did a raid on a Silent Home outside Calcutta. Lucas and Oscar’s mom found Uncle Peter there trying to protect a little Demon-Born child. Dad was dead, my grandparents were dead, Mom was already missing, so Peter came to us.”

  I shook my head. “Had he been there all that time?”

  “Yeah. Dad always talked about how powerful his brother had been. The Guardians used him for experiments. All sorts of crazy stuff. That’s how he can locate the flashes now. He never had that skill before. He’s an anomaly. Emmanuel says he is almost like a Seeker.”

  “A Seeker? That’s what Deirdre said when I told her how I got through Ozzie’s wall.”

  Jasmine scrunched her face up, sympathetically. “She must have been joking. Seeking is one of the lost powers, it’s pretty much just a myth at this stage. There’s an old story that when the Half-Blood race was formed new powers emerged. Powers that could rule the world if they were combined. Seeker, Seer, Reaper, Heart, Fire, Storm and the Spark. It’s just a fairytale, though.”

  My eyes sought Deirdre out, watching her demonstrating a barrier for Sam. “Oh, I must have been confused.” I frowned and looked back at Jasmine, storing the conversation away. “So it’s a miracle really, that Peter is home. And he can use his power to help so many people. And having family around is always good, I guess?”

  Jasmine shrugged her shoulders. “I suppose. Peter isn’t exactly a family kind of guy. He doesn’t remind me of my father. He barely even looks like the man in the photos from when they were young.” Her eyes ran over the beach, settling on Sam’s scarred back. “I guess that’s what spending half your life in one of those places does to you. Nobody escapes undamaged.”

  She lay back against me and nestled into my side. I rested my chin on Jasmine’s head and watched Dawn and Oscar blasting darts of light at the barrier Sam had created in the air. Each one collided with the shimmering veil and exploded like tiny fireworks.

  “No. I guess they don’t.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  My face burned as every person in the room made a conscious effort not to look in my direction. Deirdre’s ranting rose an octave higher, and something slammed against the closed door and ricocheted around the adjoining classroom.

  Emmanuel’s words were a dull murmur, but Deirdre’s response carried through the walls as if they were made of paper. “No. Absolutely not Emmanuel. I can’t bear another day of it. It’s been the longest week of my life. Hardship. Jabol will have to take over.”

  Jasmine tried to fill the silence with some light conversation, but Deirdre’s voice burst through the wall again. “I have tried that, Peter. Whatever the connection is for the other pairs it’s broken with her. I don’t know. You need to find another couples therapist.”

  I cringed, wishing the ground would swallow me up. Sam was sitting on the window seat at the opposite end of the magic room, Megan leaning against the wall beside him. Sam caught my eye for a second before I looked back down at my knees.

  Lucas linked my arm. “Ignore her, Gracie. She has a stick up her ass about having to include somebody else in her precious one-on-one time with her star pupil.”

  I gave him a half-hearted smile. “Maybe, but she does have a point. I am pretty awful at this stuff. I wish Emmanuel would just let me go back to the junior class and learn from the start.” I scrunched up my face. “I don’t think this explosion of mixed-blood genius that he is hoping for is going to be a runner. I’m a dud.”

  Lucas squeezed my cheeks. “But such a cute dud. Yes, you are, oh yes you are.”

  “Lucas. Are you quite all right?” Eve asked, stepping over the threshold, followed by Emmanuel and Peter. She arched her eyebrows and tilted her head in our direction. “This is how we spend our self-managed practice hours? Enlightening.”

  Everyone peeled themselves from their seated positions, gravitating towards their partner. Sam slunk across the room with his hands buried in his pockets and his shoulders hunched. I wrung my hands.

  “Guys, Deirdre is right. This isn’t working out. I’m just wasting everyone’s time here,” I said, looking from Eve to Peter before meeting the Master’s amber glare. Emmanuel crossed his arms. I pressed on despite his stern look. “I don’t mind practicing with the younger class, honestly, Emmanuel. And I might be able to pick something up if I was partnered with a kid who is just starting to discover their abilities?”

  “I don’t want to swap partners.” Sam’s jaw was set, and his eyes were like storm clouds. “She nearly there. I can feel it. She’s just holding back.”

  Irritation shot through my nerves like a thousand volts of electricity. “I’m trying! It just won’t come. Maybe if I didn’t feel under so much pressure.” I looked up at Emmanuel. “Maybe if I tried with Jasmine again? Or Lucas? Or Elijah? If I felt more comfortable?”

  Sam cut his eyes at me, his face pale. I wrapped my arms around my chest. Emmanuel looked at Eve, and she nodded. He turned to face the class and clapped his hands together. The room fell silent. The door opened a crack and Deirdre eased herself back into the room. I twisted in the opposite direction.

  “Okay. Change of plan. All senior students will be participating in an excursion today. Jose, Prya, Frank, Lydia, Mark, Li, Abel, Elle?” Emmanuel reeled off the names, and the students moved towards him. “You are going with Jabol, he is waiting for you outside my office. Deirdre will follow you down and open a slip.” Deirdre nodded, and they filed out through the door. Frank saluted at us as they followed the others out, and Lydia shot us a mournful look.

  “Peter, you will take the rest of the students through with you to New York,” Emmanuel ordered.

  Peter looked up from his notebook in surprise. “I don’t have any tickets for them. It’s a sold out show, Emmanuel.”

  Emmanuel emptied his lungs slowly. “Peter. There’s no need to bring them to Broadway with you. Just travel with them, arrange a time and place to meet them so you can return home together. These students can be trusted to entertain themselves in the city on a summer’s day. Correct?”

  Jasmine squeezed my arm and let out a little squeal of excitement.

  Eve gave me a hint of a smile as we followed Deirdre out of the room. I turned on the staircase, galloping back to her. “Eve, will
you tell Cat where I am gone? She is a bit antsy since the whole London thing. Tell her I have my phone.”

  I patted my back pocket. Eve nodded, and we stood for a moment in silence. She reached out and touched my shoulder. It was the longest we had been in the one place since our argument a week before. Eve hadn’t brought up leaving again, or answered my question. I hadn’t asked. “Have a nice day, Grace. I want you to be happy.”

  I covered her hand with mine. Lucas stamped on the bottom step and Eve shooed me away, but she watched me run down the stairs until we couldn’t see each other anymore.

  Elijah grabbed me when I reached the bottom, swinging me around. “Grace, you little legend. You have no idea how badly I needed to stock up on candy.”

  He set me back down on the ground, one arm still around my waist. Sam kicked the front door open, and it slammed against the wall. “Slip is open, Deirdre’s waiting.”

  His voice was edged with ice. Jasmine shot a warning look over her shoulder at Elijah as she followed Sam out the door. Lucas grinned and aimed a kick at Elijah’s ass, shoving him towards the front steps. “Just keeping pushing those buttons, Eli. Dude is going to implode. And just think of poor Megan? She’s already losing her crap about having to come to the city with our group. Don’t break her little, frozen heart.”

  Elijah gave him a one-fingered salute and I skipped down the stone steps ahead of them, scanning the front lawn. A fine mist of rain sprayed my face. Jasmine and Peter were already disappearing through the slip. Megan was standing beside the tear in space, arguing with Deirdre.

  Deirdre’s lips were puckered as if the words tasted sour on her tongue. “Megan, please stop. You’re going to New York. Emmanuel is the Master, it’s his decision. Trust me, you aren’t the only one that thinks it’s a waste of time. Not to mention dangerous. Not that he cares. Off gallivanting to research some whim of Eve’s, leaving me here all day like a half-witted gatekeeper.”