by Anna Hub
The trial area was almost empty, except for a small group at the back caught in an intense discussion. I checked the crowds returning to their shelters for the evening and just before I turned back, I caught a glimpse of a shadow near the closest hut. Alana stood with a man, clenching his arm, all sadness gone from her expression and replaced with fury.
He wiped his hair back and I realised it was Ben. The man who'd come after Brayden in the forest. The man who'd incited a rebel group to come after Brayden, by forcing him to attack.
My jaw tightened as Matt hurried me up the stairs. Alana wasn't mourning, she was malicious.
--*--
The cave was dark as we stopped in the first chamber. Torches hung on the wall and gradually my eyes adjusted to the change in light. I'd always considered the chamber a foyer to the elders' meeting room but now that Elizabeth pulled me closer to the wall, markings on the stone became visible.
Elizabeth motioned for me to come closer. “Everyone who comes here is recorded on our wall, it's sort of like the births and deaths register.”
Alex handed Elizabeth a bowl. The same one I'd seen her mixing on the day I'd arrived, and now I knew why.
I scanned the many rows of dark red letters. Names and dates were listed in four columns.
“There's a birth date, transfer date and death date.”
People in the Origin would only have two significant dates in their life, while the people of the Shadowlands had three. There were many who'd come before me, some with all three dates recorded and many whose third date was yet to pass. It filled me with a sense of union. We had a long way to go but I wasn’t just a girl in a forest anymore, I was beginning to find definition in my life. I smiled at the elder as I gave her my full name and birth date.
“Do you know your transfer date?”
“The date I died in the Origin?”
It wasn't so long ago. I’d counted the days since it had happened. I told her how long it had been and she used the information to determine the actual date. While she was writing on the wall, I thought about what that date meant. As time passed, the memory of me in the Origin would grow hazy for some, but that date would always be mine. I knew how much my father and Nathan would cherish it—for them, it was the last day I existed.
“And Brayden?” Tara asked.
I tucked the memory of my family aside; where they would always remain, in a distant world, but somehow still parallel. “Brayden Shaw.”
“Leave a space for Shadow Dancer at the bottom.” Tara grinned.
Elizabeth nodded as she marked his birth and transfer dates beside his name.
We moved to the meeting table as Tara negotiated the exchange of food and equipment for the future. The finer details of our trial were being decided but I barely heard them. I couldn't escape the image of Alana’s nails clenching Ben’s arm. To think if I hadn't turned back, I may have still pitied her. She had almost convinced me but it also disturbed me how easily I’d sympathised with her. That couldn't have been authentic. But if it had been fed by an Enhancement, whose would it have been?
“We should return to collect our companions and take them to their new home." Matt clapped his hands and brought me back to the present. "We have a lot to organise before they are sucked back to the Origin.”
“Tara ... amazing as always.” Matt kissed her as we reached the bottom of the stairs.
She beamed. “That's the only thing I miss about the Origin; directing my minions.”
I laughed. “It was truly brilliant, Tara. I thought we were going to lose when Alana told her story.”
“Alana’s story is sad but her speech was exactly what I expected. I knew I needed to come back with something stronger to turn it around.”
I nodded my appreciation.
“If I hadn’t Manipulated people to take the vote straight after the trial, things probably would have turned out differently.”
“I don’t know if we should tell Brayden he's the village Shadow Dancer though.” Matt cringed.
Tara narrowed her eyes. "It was a brilliant piece of advertising. Changing a name can completely alter perception.”
“What about Shadow Fighter?”
Tara rolled her eyes. “Are you joking? The last thing the villagers need to hear is ‘fighter’ or ‘warrior’. But ‘dancer’ is completely non-threatening.”
“It’s also kind of feminine.”
“Oh, he doesn’t need to know.” She hooked her arm around Matt’s neck.
We moved toward the front of the village, preparing to walk the mountain pass.
Ethel called out and ran after us. She held out a small pouch. “I’ve brought some herbal remedies for you to take with you. It will help with your ankle, Tara.”
She accepted them. “Will you come out and see us when we have a shelter set up?”
The healer looked at me briefly. “It’s probably best if I don’t for now.”
Tara noticed our exchange then nodded. “Let me know if there’s anything you need me to do. Otherwise, we'll get started on the shadow rescue project and protection training with Brayden.”
Ethel smiled. “That’s probably best.” She looked at me again. “Good luck.”
She hurried back to the village and I considered telling Matt and Tara the things she'd said to me in private. It would be helpful to know how they interpreted it. I opened my mouth but thought better of it at the last minute.
“Do you know what Ethel’s Enhancement is?” I asked instead.
Matt shrugged. “Not exactly. It’s often considered rude to ask someone that question. Why do you ask?”
“She's said a few things to me, and I don’t know whether I’m meant to believe her or not. She sounds confident, but how does she know anything for sure?”
“She told you things about Brayden?” Tara asked.
I looked up suddenly. “How did you know?”
“I was there when she warned you to keep him out of the village.” Tara paused. “She looked afraid. I’ve never seen her like that before.”
I swallowed. “She told me his Instinct was getting stronger.”
“Maybe his Instinct is threatened by her Enhancement,” Matt offered. “It’s possible she makes it stronger.”
“Maybe you’re right,” I muttered, my mind still caught in Ethel’s web. Maybe that’s all there was to it. But if Matt was right, and the Enhancement made Brayden react to her, that meant her warning was more credible. After all, she told me it would be my Enhancement that would make him dangerous to me.
I tried to push her warning out of my head. For now, I had more important things to focus on. The new shadows needed help with their transfer, and I had to find a way to go back and locate Nick.
Once the new shadows were secure, I intended to work on some kind of schedule. I wanted to make their transfer as predictable as possible. If I could get hold of the professor, hopefully he could give me the answers I was searching for and I’d finally uncover the truth about why this happened to me.
THE END
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In Night's Shadow
BOOK THREE OF THE SHADOW SERIES
“Everything felt different. It was like the world was without leaders and it was only a matter of time before chaos broke.”
The powerful whip cats have guarded the Valley for over a century—what would happen to the Shadowlands if they lost control?
In a world where nothing is stable and survival is based entirely on her ability to adapt, Selena struggles to come to terms with her new and powerful ability. She has the power to change the course of humanity—but can she learn to control it before the creatures of the Valley are unleashed?
Scheduled for re-release 2016
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Note from the Author
I had every intention of making book three available for pre-order as soon as book two was published. However, I'm in the process of building a house and moving out of my rental for a transition period and I didn't want to commit to a deadline I couldn't meet.
The good news is that book three is already written and only requires editing. I'll still be working on it as quickly as possible and sending out notifications as soon as it's available.
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About the Author
When I was a child, I wanted to be an author. It seemed like a perfectly attainable dream to me then, but of course, I grew up and realised writing was not the best way to make a future for myself. So I discarded the idea and decided to do something normal.
When I studied nursing, I thought I’d found a place for myself, but within six months of working in that field, I knew I needed more. So in July 2007, I bought myself a laptop and started writing in my spare time. It took me two years to complete my first book and by the time it was finished I felt as though I’d learnt enough to pursue the dream.
My love for writing has grown rapidly since then and now I know it’s something I can’t live without. It’s a place where there is no limit, no exact destination and my mind is free to exist in many worlds.
It's a beautiful sanctuary.
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