Shadow Dancer Boxed Set

by Courtney Rene

  "I mean, I thought it was just a dress and an official," Sunny continued. "You'd be wrong, though. It's food, and chairs, and flowers, and invitations, and gifts, and seating arrangements, and on and on it goes, Leif. I seriously think that if I have to pick one more color of tulle, I will vomit. Then, Lucas! He doesn't have to do anything, but get a tux. It's not fair."

  I tried to pay attention to what she was talking about, but for some reason I kept needing to look back at Cinder. It was partly that I wanted to make sure she was still there, and it was partly just to see her, and then there was this strange part that just liked to look at her face. At that moment it was staring back at me quite annoyed. Her tiny dark brows were drawn over her eyes. Her mouth was pursed in a cute little bow shape. Her hair bounced around behind her head with each harsh, clipped step she took. Cinder was very lovely.

  With the opposite coloring and size from Sunny, you'd think she would not appeal to me. I had a thing for blondes, after all. There in the falling light, the sun behind her, giving her dark hair a red tint halo, she was very appealing. I didn't want to take my eyes off of her.

  That could be why the next moment found me flat on my face, having tripped over a large boulder. "What the hell is that doing right in the road?" I snapped as I picked myself up off the ground from the gangly heap I was in. I brushed the dirt off my clothes as best I could and ignored the hastily covered smiles and laughs from the rest of our little group.

  Sunny, however, didn't hide it for long. She burst out with a sweet laugh that was like music on the air. "Oh, Leif, I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you, I swear. I'm laughing at how you fell. You were all legs and arms and…"

  I sighed and closed my eyes at the picture she painted in my head of my graceful tumble. She started laughing in earnest then and couldn't go on. Great. "Glad I could entertain," I said as tonelessly as I could.

  "Maybe if you watched where you were going," Austin snarled.

  The only one not outright laughing at my expense was Cinder. She was smiling, but not laughing. "Are you all right?"

  I half smiled back, and replied, "Yeah, I'm good."

  Cinder nodded. "Okay, then."

  "Come on, let's get back to the castle," Sunny said and once again took hold of my arm. "See if I can't find you decent quarters for the night."

  "Yeah, I bet Lucas is going to love that," Austin said.

  "Shh," Sunny said. "Be nice, Austin. I mean it."

  That was as uncharitable as I had seen her in a while. Sometimes, Sunny was just too nice. I remembered in that moment that her being too nice was one of the things which bugged me the most. She should know the world was not nice, that people weren't always fair. Even with all that had happened, even with all that she'd been through, Sunny was too naive and it grated on me.

  "That means to shut your hole, Austin," Cinder chimed in.

  I took a long look at Cinder. She, on the other hand, was not naive. In fact, from my previous experience with her, she could be pretty harsh at times, if she wanted.

  Austin gave her a big toothy, almost wolfish smile, but didn't say anything else.

  ~ * ~

  It wasn't a far walk from where I had phased in. It was quite an enlightening one, though. Before the war of Acadia, that area was more dust and dirt than anything. There were shacks of old broken down homes. The people and animals that were left at that time were more hollow eyes and skin and bones than actual creatures.

  The sight that was before me as we walked to the castle was altered extensively. The ground was covered in a lush green grass. It was thick and deep, and made a swishing sound as we crushed it beneath our feet on our way through. The homes that were once shacks were gone. The area before the castle was now a field of green, edged with flowers of every color imaginable.

  "Where is the city?" I couldn't help but ask.

  Sunny's bright face fell at the reminder of what once was. "That wasn't a city. That was an area of despair and neglect. I tore it down. We rebuilt a new city, a real city full of hope behind the castle, where people can feel and actually be safe."

  "Behind? In the battlefield?" I asked. A rush of shame zigged its way through my body. That field was the place of beginning for all my failures. In that field, during my first real testing with Sunny, I made a mistake, a hard one. A bad one. That field was where I lost Sunny.

  "It's not a battlefield anymore," Cinder said. "Come and see."

  I hesitated before answering. "No. Not right now. Maybe later."

  Austin came up next to me. He gripped my shoulder and leaned in to whisper, "Past haunting you, Leif?"

  Austin knew exactly what I was thinking about and he was right. It was haunting me, continued to haunt me, all the time. I jerked my shoulder out of his hold and said, "No."

  Cinder quickly stepped between Austin and me. I assumed she could sense the rising tension between us and wanted to put a halt to it before it got out of control…again. "Come on, guys." That was all she said.

  Sunny took up my arm on the other side and we continued on. The castle could be seen for miles, but up close, it was amazing. The stone was a shining yellow. It glistened in the waning light. The inside lights could be seen glowing from within, holding back the darkness. A hedge of thick jasmine surrounded the stone at the ground. I knew it was jasmine by the light smell on the air. It dawned on me that that was the scent that clung to Sunny's skin. Night blooming jasmine was a favorite of hers. I remembered that, at least.

  "Come inside, I'm sure Lucas will want to say hello," Sunny said.

  Austin choked. I didn't think Lucas would be all that thrilled to see me either, especially since I had almost killed his lovely fiancé, but it had to be done. I had to do this and I needed to be close if I was going to have any chance of protecting Sunny from the threat that, at the moment, only I knew about.

  I began to rethink my plan. How was I supposed to protect her all by myself? I couldn't be with her twenty-four-seven. The wedding was still a day away. What about after the wedding? I wouldn't have an excuse for being there.

  I looked at Austin. Could I trust him with what I knew? Would he even believe me? Because of the grin on his face, most likely glee at the upcoming confrontation with Lucas, I wasn't so certain.

  I looked to Cinder. Would she believe me? Would she help? She was only a girl. Would she even be able to help if she wanted? I needed to think about it. Not right then, though; we were just about to enter the castle. Our arrival was not unannounced either.

  The door swung open before we had reached the bottom of the steps, and out came a group, more a horde, of Acadian men. Lucas was at the front and center, his arms crossed firmly across his chest; his massive chest. He was as big, if not bigger, than I remembered. He'd filled out since the war. Great. In fact, what I'd lost in weight and muscle, he appeared to have gained, if not more. His eyes were focused right on me, too. There was no smile of welcome.

  The men behind him matched his stance, along with his size and disposition. So, it was not going to be a welcome home party after all. I braced for what was to come. Not sure what it would be, but something would be coming for me.

  "Lucas, honey, look who finally decided to come home!" Sunny exclaimed. Even to my ears, her voice sounded strained, and her smile seemed forced. She wasn't as confident in my reception as I'd thought.

  "What are you doing here?" Lucas growled. He came down the steps, and took up his position before me. Sunny left my side and went to him. She wrapped her tiny arm around his massive one. Lucas covered her hand with his. It was a quiet touch, meant for just them, but I saw it all the same. I hated it. Her hand looked so small compared to his. She looked so small. What did she see in him?

  I replied the same as my previous statement. "I was invited." I knew even as the words left my lips that he wasn't buying it.

  "Really?" he said and glanced at Cinder.

  She stepped just a bit closer to my side, which surprised the hell out of me. Then she said, "Yes, he was. I wa
s sent to track him down with an invitation. I finally was able to. Today."

  Why was she standing up for me?

  "Sunny? You invited him?" Lucas asked. It was not with disbelief, it was more for confirmation. I smiled. I couldn't help it. Lucas knew Sunny. Knew who she was, inside and out, and he recognized that inviting me was definitely something she would have done. He didn't like it, but he knew who he was marrying. My estimation of the beast went up, if only a small bit. I'd give him credit for being smarter than I was with regard to Sunny.

  "Yes," she said.

  I saw the man sigh in resignation. Yep, he knew what he was getting into with Sunny. "I'm not going to ask you why, I think I already know…"

  "He's part of the kingdom, Lucas. Everyone in the kingdom was invited. Everyone," Sunny interrupted.

  Lucas held up his hand and halted her flow of words. "I know. I understand that, honey, but why wouldn't you have told me?"

  She had the grace to look a bit sheepish. A pretty pink blush flowed over her pale cheeks. "I didn't know if he would come. I was hoping, but I've been trying to get him to come home for over a year now."

  "So you sent out Cinder to find him," Lucas said. Then he turned to Cinder and asked, "How did you find him?"

  Cinder shuffled her feet before answering. Then she said, "It was by accident, actually. I had gone to see my family and there was all this talk about a strange man out in the sun. They thought he was dead. He wasn't."

  Oh, nice. That sounded so complimentary. It was the truth, but hearing her say it out loud and with sparse details, was a bit lowering to say the least. I frowned at her. She didn't seem to care as she frowned right back at me and shrugged a shoulder.

  "What were you doing out there?" Sunny asked. Her concern was real. I could tell as she placed her hand on my arm, much to the dislike of Lucas. I shot him a smile, just because I felt like it.

  I tried to think of an answer to Sunny's question, but the fact was, I didn't have one. Not a good one anyway. I couldn't tell them I was trying to see how long it would take to die out there in the sun. Instead, I gave a non-answer. "I was just checking the place out. Nothing exciting really."

  One eyebrow on Lucas's face shot upward at my response. Smart guy, he didn't believe me. Sunny though, I couldn't tell if she did or not. She didn't give away her thoughts easily anymore. Instead she withdrew her hand, the one spot of warmth on my arm, and said, "Oh."

  Sunny turned away from me and I felt the loss deeply. I could almost read her thoughts. Liar, cheat, worthless, yes, I was all of those things. She was right to think them. My shoulders slumped. Doubts crept back into my thoughts. I really was worthless and a liar and even a cheat, why did I think I could be anything else?

  I used to be more. I used to be someone. Now, I was just the guy that almost killed the queen, the savior of the realm.

  "Let's see what we can find for you, in the way of accommodations," Lucas said. He took hold of Sunny's hand and together they led the way into the castle.

  I couldn't just follow them up. I was confused. "Wait," I said. They stopped and turned to look at me over their shoulders. "You're going to give me a room inside the castle? With you?"

  They shared a look. They were communicating with only a look. A green burst of jealously settled in my stomach. I'd never had that with anyone before.

  Sunny answered, "Where else should you stay? You are our guest."

  My years, my life of training to be on guard and be alert gave me the response I needed. "You don't know me anymore. You don't know what I'm capable of, especially if you let me inside your home. You don't know half the people in the realm, yet you give them your trust without them earning it. You can't do that. You are too important to this realm to trust everyone like that. You have to be careful. Your guards, and your people should know that."

  "Leif, I'm not exactly vulnerable. I have my own gifts that keep me pretty safe," Sunny said.

  She wasn't taking my concerns seriously. The hint of a smile on her lush mouth proved it. "Not while you're asleep," I snapped. "Not if they knock you out. Not if you're unprepared. You're not invincible. You and I both know that first hand."

  "Fine," Lucas said. "Where would you like to stay then?" He was happy with this change in events and accommodations. He didn't want me inside their home.

  However, that put a pretty big dent in my plans of protection. What had I been thinking? If they put me up somewhere else, how was I supposed to protect her? Why had I opened up my big mouth? "I didn't say I didn't want to stay inside. All I did was express surprise at you letting me. I don't really care where I sleep. I've slept in lots of places a lot less welcoming than this."

  Again, they turned to look at each other. While they communicated, Cinder nudged me. "What are you doing? Are you trying to make them crazy?"

  I shrugged and said sullenly, "No. Why?"

  "You complain about staying in the castle, then in the next breath you want to stay in the castle. What's wrong with you?"

  She was right of course, but the answer to her question was not easy. A lot was wrong with me lately. "I'm just tired; long day, long trip. I'm not used to being around people anymore."

  "Well, get over it already," she snarled at me. "I'm tired and I want to get to bed sometime before the sun comes up tomorrow. Can you keep it together that long at least?"

  I looked at her full in the face. Her cheeks were pinker than normal and her eyes were squinted and angry. They actually appeared to be shooting off sparks in my direction. What the hell? "What crawled up your butt?"

  She huffed out a growl, a real growl, slit her eyes even further and said, "You!" Then she stepped around me with a stomp, around the stunned faced couple two steps up, and said, "Good night!"

  Sunny turned a wide-eyed stare in my direction and asked, "What the heck did you do to her?"

  I stared at the retreating form of Cinder and answered, "I have no idea."

  Chapter Twelve

  Ten Years Ago

  "Hey, kid. You made it," Jodi said. The smile on her face was wide and full of teeth. She appeared happy to see me. A feeling of happiness settled into my tummy. Someone was happy I was there. That was a first for me. As an added bonus, she was hot.

  "Yeah, I figured why not," I said trying to sound tough. As if it was no big deal. It was, though.

  "Good to see you," Isaac said from directly behind me. "What made you decide to come?"

  I'd lain in bed the night before and realized something. I was a shadow walker, just like Isaac and Jodi. I was different than all the people there on Earth. That was why I'd never quite fit in. That was the reason no one but my mom had ever loved me. That was why no one wanted me. All my life I thought it was because there was something wrong with me. It wasn't like that at all. It was just that I was something better than everyone else. What did I have to stay for? Being alone? Living in a palace made of trash? Living in fear? "I figured I didn't have any reason to stay."

  Jodi smiled at me again. That same flutter echoed under my skin.

  "Good. Let's blow this popsicle stand," Isaac said.

  Jodi laughed.

  I didn't get it.

  "So, let me give you the gist of the jump," Isaac said. He squatted down in front of me and drew two overlapping circles on the ground. He pointed at one and drew a "W" in the center and said, "This is the Water Realm, Earth."

  He drew an "A" in the center of the other and said, "This is the Sun Realm, Acadia."

  I nodded and said, "Okay." I was following along; so far so good.

  "So what we do is phase into the shadows, just like normal. Like you always do. From there, we will phase again from within the shadows." He pointed to the area that overlapped on the two circles he'd drawn. "This is like a doorway, inside the shadows to the other realms. We are going to go through this door, to the other side, which is Acadia. Understand?"

  I nodded and said, "Yeah." I was lying. I had no idea what the dude was talking about, but I was still willin
g to give it a whirl. Maybe it was one of those, until you do it, you can't really understand things.

  "Great!" Isaac said. "The first time, I'm going to take you over, so that we all land in the same general area. Wouldn't want you to get lost, would we?"

  Was he kidding?

  Isaac turned to Jodi and said, "You ready, babe?"

  Babe?

  "Yep," she said. "I'll see you on the other side." She stepped up on tiptoe and planted a big wet kiss on Isaacs's mouth. My once tickly stomach now felt heavy and full of rocks as it plummeted to my feet. I looked down at the ground. I didn't want to see Jodi, what I liked to think of as my Jodi, being slobbered over by Isaac. I liked Isaac, so it wasn't that at all. I just hadn't realized they were together.

  What did I really expect, though? I was just a kid and she was definitely a woman. I sighed. She wasn't mine, and even my small fantasy of her ever being mine was dashed and stomped into the ground with one wet kiss.

  I watched Jodi step back from Isaac, give a silly salute to me, and then she disappeared from sight and was gone. Even though I could do the same thing myself, it was still awesome to see. There was a small, high whine of sound that went with her disappearance, but that was the only indication that anything out of the ordinary happened.

  "What is that noise?" I asked.

  "You hear it?" Isaac asked.

  "Yeah," I replied.

  "You must be a tracker. Even better, little man."

  "What's a tracker?" I asked.

  "Well, everyone can hear their own sound when they phase into the shadows. It's the sound the shadows make when we connect with them," Isaac explained. "But only trackers can hear the sound when others connect. You will come to realize you can hear it from long distances and it will help in tracking other walkers. It's a cool gift. Not everyone has it."

  I felt my spine stiffen with pride. I had a gift. "Cool," I said.

  Isaac smiled at me and said, "Yeah, it is."