by T. M. Hart
Shadow’s Touch
Shadow Series Book 2
T. M. Hart
Copyright © 2018 T.M. Hart. All rights reserved.
Prologue
My life was ruined at quite a young age. When I was eight years old I lost something important, something that altered the course of my life. I don't tell you this for pity or sympathy. I just want you to understand why I turned out the way I did.
Chapter 1
At eight years old, I never got tired of hearing the story about the princess and the girl, especially at bedtime.
"Tell us, mama," I insisted.
Fresh out of our baths, Zagan and I were wrapped in a thick blanket sharing the rocking chair in his bedroom. My mother was fluffing the pillows on Zagan's bed, as she did every night before we climbed in.
"But you already know it by heart," she pointed out.
"Mama," I whined. I was never one for patience.
Zagan, on the other hand, had mastered patience and courtesy as well as charisma. "Please, Aunt Addie. We like it ever so much when you tell us. When you tell us stories we have pleasant dreams at night." Zagan was directing the full strength of his angelic charm at her.
She sighed. "Well if it will get you two to go to bed, then it seems I have no choice." She folded down a corner of the bedding. "Come. Get in, my little twinkle lights."
Zagan and I jumped out of the rocking chair and into the big bed. The room was dimly lit by two thick candles, one on each of the night tables. As my mother began to speak, she closed her eyes, and her elegant voice filled the room.
"Long ago in a castle far away, a princess slept in her chamber while the full moon rose outside her window. When the clock struck midnight, an angel appeared. The princess awoke and beheld the angel. Her heart soared. The angel was pure light and the most beautiful being the princess had ever seen. The princess could feel love flowing from the angel directly into her chest, filling her until she thought she would burst into a million pieces of happiness.
"When the angel spoke, she had a voice of gentle wind chimes, 'You have been chosen, princess. You will bring unto this world The Female. She will be a savior to the race and her union with The Male will ensure the strength and safety of all Radiants against the Shadows. You are true of heart and you will lead The Female down a virtuous path. This decree is for you alone. You may neither speak of my appearance here tonight, nor of my proclamation. If it be your will, arise and receive your blessing, knowing that you are now and forever more a servant of the race.'
"Without hesitation, the princess knelt before the angel. The angel leaned over, grasping the princess's face between her luminous hands, and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. The princess felt a lilting euphoria as a small amount of the angel's essence rippled through her. When she rose, the angel was gone. The princess returned to bed with a full heart, knowing the true gift of the blessing she had received.
"On that very night across the vale in a barn, a poor girl slept on her bed of straw while the same full moon rose. At midnight, an angel appeared before her as well. He too was pure light. When the girl opened her eyes and saw the angel before her, she gasped. His energy filled her, and it was bittersweet. She felt tears fall down her cheeks as her heart both swelled and broke.
"His voice was a warm wind across a valley. 'You have been chosen, girl. You will bring unto the world The Male. His union with The Female will ensure the strength and safety of all Radiants against the Shadows. However, the power which he shall behold will exceed that of a single individual. Therefore, to give him life, you will sacrifice your own. You are generous of heart and so pity shall be granted unto you. You will know the child for one year. It will be a fleeting gift of happiness, yet it will be a gift beyond any that has been bestowed upon your race. Your short time together will be a gift each unto the other. This decree is for you alone. You may neither speak of my appearance here tonight, nor of my proclamation. If it be your will, arise and receive your blessing, knowing that you are now and forever more a servant of the race.'
"The girl hesitated. She felt such love in her heart unlike any she could have ever known but also, there was such sadness.
"'My heart breaks,' she whispered to the angel.
"He looked at her with sad eyes and simply nodded.
"The girl approached the angel and kneeled before him. He leaned forward and gently kissed her lips. His kiss was a soft rain that washed away the sadness. His essence soothed her as it rippled through her body and the girl was at peace.
"Many years later, on the summer equinox, the princess and the girl gave birth at dawn. It was the longest day of the year, a day very special to those of the Light. As the sun broke over the horizon, the babes born unto the chosen did not cry as they took their first breaths. They were happy and content to greet the world. They looked around with perceptive, wondering eyes. Both the princess and the girl rocked their babes in their arms, and both the princess and the girl felt the same love and happiness which they had during a full moon, years before. There was no sadness, only joy and pure love.
"The princess and her child spent their first year together and many more living a privileged, happy life.
"The girl and her child lived together on a poor farm. Although life was hard, the girl loved and held her child each and every day. She rocked him and sang to him. The girl knew that her child was special, and she could sense the immense love that he had for her.
"When dawn broke on the summer equinox of the following year, the angel of Light came for the poor farm girl. Although it broke the girl's heart to know that she could never hold her child again or watch him grow and discover the world, she was grateful that for a time, he had been hers. She knew that in some small way, she would always be with him, and he with her.
"'Do you regret accepting your chosen role?' the angel asked her.
"'I would give so much more than my life for him, if I had any more to give,' the girl replied.
"The angel smiled at her. 'You do not realize the true magnitude of the gift that you give unto your child, but you will in time.'
"A single tear slid down the girl's cheek. 'What will happen to him?'
"'He will be safe and cared for. And you will be able to check on him now and then from the other side.'
"The girl simply nodded, and as her child slumbered in his basket, the angel wrapped his arms around the girl filling her with peace and took her to the other side."
Although the story had ended, my mother sat there for a moment with her eyes closed, still in the semi-trance she always seemed to enter when telling this story. Zagan and I waited in silence until she opened her eyes and finally spoke again.
"And so you see," my mother concluded, "the beauty of pure love is worth all costs."
Although this story was a favorite of ours, it always made Zagan sad. Like the story, Zagan and I had the same birthday, and like the story, Zagan's mother died on his first birthday.
I could feel the sorrow swirling around him. I reached over and wrapped my hand in his, resting my head on his shoulder. Zagan stared down at his lap for a few moments. Finally, he broke the heavy silence in the dark room.
"I think I would like to sleep now," he said.
My mother gave Zagan a sad smile. "As you like, brightling." She stood and held her hand out to me. "Come, dear. Let us leave our beloved Zagan in peace.”
I loved Zagan. When his mother died, he had become a member of our family. I had never known a day without him, and it pained me to know that he was missing such an important part of his life. "Goodnight, Zagan," I said, kissing his cheek.
"We love you more than you could know," my mother said as she leaned over the bed to kiss his forehead.
He nodded once, then pulled the c
overs up to his chin as he lay down to disappear in the fluffy blankets. My mother blew out the two candles leaving the room bathed in the white moonlight which poured through the windows.
After taking my hand, my mother and I walked through the stone hall in silence. Once we reached my room, I climbed into my own bed.
"Mama?"
"Yes, my dear?"
"Why was Zagan so sad tonight?"
"You and Zagan are growing up. Zagan is realizing what it means to have lost his own mother so long ago. Growing up an orphan is not an easy loss to accept, even if one does have a loving adoptive family."
"That's us, right?"
"Yes, that is us. As much as we might love and cherish him, Zagan will mourn the loss of his own family. It is perfectly natural. All that we can do is show him love and understanding."
"I love him, mama."
"We all do. He is a very special little boy, and he will grow up to be a very special man."
"Yes, but I love him most. I'm going to marry him when I grow up," I said confidently, almost defiantly.
My mother laughed. "I have no doubt that you will do whatever you set your mind to. You are a very determined young lady. I think now, however, you should set your sights on going to sleep. You have a full day of classes tomorrow and you will need your rest."
"Yes, mama," I agreed. The sooner she was convinced that I was going to sleep, the sooner she would leave my room. Although I was quite attached to my mother and loved being in her presence, I did have somewhere I needed to be.
"I love you, my little twinkle light. You are my sun, my moon, and my stars." She squeezed me tight, kissed my forehead, and gracefully exited my room.
After waiting an appropriate amount of time, I climbed out of my bed and crossed through the hallway. I opened the door to Zagan's room as I did every night.
Although my mother went through the process of tucking us into our own beds in our own rooms, she had known that I slept with Zagan each night, as there is where she found me every morning. When I slept next to Zagan, I felt a sense of peace and satisfactory wholeness.
"I want to be alone," he said as I entered the room.
I padded up to his bed and climbed in, snuggling into the thick blankets and yawning. I reached out my hand and let it rest next to him. Sometime later, I drifted off to sleep; but just before I did, I felt a small warm hand grasp mine.
Chapter 2
Zagan was gone the next day. Sometime in the night while he lay next to me, I had lost him.
Did you hear anything? Did you see anything? Does anything look out of place in the room? Do you have any idea where he might be?
Over and over again, I was asked questions about that night. But I had no answers. No one did.
The window was latched from the inside. The bedroom door was closed. There were no signs of an intruder. Guards had been patrolling the grounds both inside and outside the mansion. Not one had seen anything amiss. There was simply no trail to follow. No clues to piece together.
It was as if he had vanished into thin air.
And it was my fault he was gone. My fault, and mine alone. I didn't even bother to wake up in the night and save him. I would live with the empty pit this knowledge created inside of me for the rest of my life.
Zagan's departure did more than burden me with self-loathing. It left me unwhole. We had a connection. He was my friend. And when I lost that connection, I lost an integral part of myself, of my soul.
But the strangest aspect of Zagan's disappearance was the ring. A large glittering diamond ring had been placed on the empty pillow next to me. Zagan's pillow.
When I first spied it, I believed it was a gift from Zagan. An apology for the previous night. The sunlight pouring in through the open windows caused the ring to sparkle unlike anything I had ever seen before. In complete awe, I reverently picked it up.
It was too large for any of my fingers. Even when I placed it on my thumb it left a gaping space between the band and my flesh. As a result, the diamond continually rotated inward and down so that it sat in the palm of my hand.
In the aftermath when it was discovered that Zagan was gone, I kept the ring a secret, my little fist closed around it. I believed it was a gift from Zagan and I did not want it taken from me. My intuition told me the only way I would keep my beautiful gift was if I told no one of it. As a small girl who had just lost her best friend, it was a memento to cling to.
Prior to Zagan's loss, I had been instructed in ballet, music, and the equestrian arts—as you might expect any typical princess to be. After he was taken from us, my lessons were replaced with weapons training and physical combat. I learned to wield swords and bows. I was taught various martial arts by the highest grandmasters of the Light, and even street fighting skills by the some of the most deplorable and villainous members from society's underground.
By the time I was sixteen, I began training with the elite special forces unit within the Radiant military. My training was kept secret and only those who taught and sparred with me knew of my lethal studies. Not even my parents were aware of my involvement.
And that's how I became immersed in the secret battles that took place at night. The one which no one ever spoke of. The true war that was taking place right under our noses.
◆◆◆
His hot breath panted in my ear. I could feel his lips against my lobe. He had one arm snaked around my waist and the other around my neck. I was pinned to his body and could feel his erection straining against my backside.
"I'm going to make you scream, little girl. You never should have come out to play with the big boys. I'm going to fuck you for hours."
It was difficult to speak since his forearm was crushing my windpipe, but I was able to gasp a few words out. "There's just one thing I need to do first."
"Oh yeah? What's that?"
"Shove your tiny dick up your ass!"
I realize that wasn't the most lady-like of things to say, especially from a princess who grew up with culture and etiquette standards, but, I mean, come on . . . the guy had it coming.
In that instant I yanked away from the Shadow as hard as I could. He jammed my body against his as I expected, and I changed my momentum to force myself back into him. He flew off balance and we tumbled backwards. I continued to roll until I was able to jack up onto my feet, and I slammed the stiletto heel of my boot into his neck while he was still sprawled on the ground. At the same time, I threw two knives unerringly into each of his palms, pinning his arms against the ground.
Killian and Watts came running up behind me and then slowed as they approached.
"Damn, Violet. You're cold."
"This is how my date, here," I kicked the Shadow in the ribs, "and I like it." I took a step back, removing my boot heel from the Shadow's neck. "Although I did jump the gun a little and skip the love making he promised me."
Killian let out a vicious snarl, bending down and picking up the Shadow by his bleeding neck. The knives impaling his palms were pulled free from the ground as he was hoisted into the air.
"You thought to touch her? I am going to gut you and then play with your insides while you watch!"
The Shadow's eyes rounded in fear and pain, but before Killian could make good on his promise, the Shadow's whole body spasmed. A flare of Light pulsed through him and then he went limp.
Killian let the body drop to the ground. "Fuck, Watts! Why did you do that?"
Watts had used a special kind of knife infused with Light to stab the Shadow in the back while Killian had had him hoisted in the air. It was one of the few ways to kill the enemy race we fought.
"Because you were about to play doctor with the piece of shit and we don't have time for that."
I shoved them both against their chests, first Watts then Killian. "I told you assholes I had him. I don't need you to rush in and save me. If anyone should be watched over it's you two. I'm a better fighter than both of you combined."
I yanked my throwing knives
out of the Shadow's hands, wiping the blades against my thighs and began to stalk off down the dark empty street. But as I turned a corner I could hear Watts grumbling, "Oh for fuck's sake! Yes, Kil. Go. I'll take care of all this shit."
A moment later Killian was jogging up behind me. "Violet, wait." He gently grabbed my arm. I didn't stop walking, but I also didn't bat his hand away.
"What is it, Killian?" I was weary. I didn't want to get into with him, but I also didn't want to dismiss him.
"Will you stop walking for just a minute. Please?"
He was my friend. My only friend. If it had been anyone else, I would have knifed him. But for Killian, I stopped.
He stood close to me—too close. I had to look up to meet his striking gaze.
"I'm sorry. I don't doubt you or your ability. I know how extremely competent you are. You're right. You don't need us. But I'm your personal guard. I take that seriously. All day long it's my job to protect you and it's not easy to ignore that commitment just because the sun has set."
He paused seeming to be searching for the right words. Grasping my upper arms, he pulled me closer to him until our bodies were almost brushing. "Goddamnit, you know how much I care about you."
His clear green eyes smoldered with intensity. God, he was attractive. More than attractive. He was any woman's dream. His golden-brown hair was a shade women coveted. At well over six feet tall he could make a woman feel feminine and petite. And his incredible body with well packed muscles would make that same woman feel protected and secure.
His face was boyishly handsome, but what was even more alluring was the open honesty apparent there. He was a good, decent male that you could trust.
I softened toward him. I hated hurting him. Hated that I couldn't meet his intensity and desire. I hated that all I could offer him was friendship.
"Killian." It was a plea.
"No." He moved a hand up to cup my cheek. "I can be good to you. I can make you happy. There's nothing I won't do for you. There's nothing I won't give to you. But you have to give us a chance." His gaze moved to my lips and he spoke as if to himself. "I just have to make you see."