The Shadow Chaser (The Sheynan Trilogy Book 1)

by Dylan Birtolo

  When they finished their meal, Darien stepped outside. The sun deceived him into thinking it was warmer than it was. His skin prickled in response to the chill, but Darien didn’t retreat to the warmth of the cabin. Broken branches littered the clearing, and the garden looked like a mud pool. The air was fresh with the scent of grass and pine trees. Darien jogged in place to warm up and get his blood flowing.

  Once he was moving, the chill no longer bothered him and his skin went back to normal. He jogged over to the large rain barrels and dipped his hands in. The water sent shivers up his arms and jerked him to full wakefulness. He scooped a large handful and splashed it over his face, using it to slick back his hair as well. He gasped and shivered when the water struck his skin, but he felt alive.

  He gripped the rim of the barrel in both hands as he took several deep breaths to recover from the temperature shock. He needed to contact Susan and let her know he was okay. He should contact his other friends too. Pulling out his phone he checked it, but he had no signal. Considering he was in the middle of nowhere, he should have expected as much. He might have more luck down at the parking lot.

  At least here, he felt safe and could get a good night’s rest, even if Richard left much to be desired in the way of conversation. He felt better than he had in days and felt like he at least had a plan. It may only be for a couple of days, but any sense of direction made it all seem more bearable.

  Darien walked back into the cabin, aware of the temperature change as soon as he crossed the threshold. Even with the fur cover pulled back, the cabin retained a significant amount of heat.

  “I need to call my friends and let them know I’m okay. There’s no signal here, so I’m going to hike down to the parking lot and see if that works. I want to check in with them before my battery dies.”

  “Don’t tell them where you are. It’ll make it too easy for them to find us. You already shine like a bloody beacon.” Richard grunted and shook his head. “But I’ll guide you down there. You’ll get lost in the woods without me. We call your friends and hoof it back. No delaying.”

  “Understood.”

  Richard tossed some water on the dwindling fire to extinguish it in a wash of steam. Once he was sure that it was out, he joined Darien at the entrance. Richard took the lead and led them to the parking lot.

  “Richard, do you keep in touch with anyone you knew before you got your powers?”

  Richard continued to walk forward without looking back. “No, I don’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “All my family thought I was going to commit suicide after Alyssa ‘died’. When I came into my abilities, the Arm of Gaia arranged my death without consulting me. That’s how they introduced themselves. Made it look like I killed myself and brought me to them.”

  “Why didn’t you contact your family or friends afterwards?”

  “I did.” Richard stopped for a moment. “I tried to contact my parents.”

  “What happened?”

  “The Shadows killed them when they were trying to convert me.”

  Darien didn’t know what else to say. He muttered “I’m sorry.”

  Richard increased his pace, taking large steps to cover distance. He stomped into the ground a bit with every footfall. Darien thought of how to restart the conversation multiple times, but discarded each idea before he gave it voice. When Richard stopped short with his hand held up, Darien almost ran into him. They were near the bear cave, but now it was empty. Richard crept forward and got down on one knee, inspecting the ground in front of the cave with his fingers. He picked up some dirt and rubbed it between his fingers and thumb.

  “What is it?” Darien whispered.

  Richard turned back and held a finger to his lips. Darien froze, holding his breath. Richard tilted his head to the side, straining to listen. Darien did the same. Far off in the distance, he heard a crash. A bellowing roar followed the sound, also far away. The sounds were too faint for Darien to have an idea where they could be coming from.

  “Shadows.” Richard stood up and sprinted back in the direction of the cabin.

  Darien stumbled as he hurried to follow. “What are you talking about? How do you know?”

  “Trust me. The bear’s my friend. He wouldn’t be out hunting that far.”

  “You mean he’s a guard?”

  “Yes.”

  “How did they find us?” Darien shouted as he put his hands up in front of his face to protect himself from the scratching branches.

  “Does it matter?”

  They broke into the clearing and sprinted across the field. Richard tore through the front opening with Darien close behind. He pulled out the case and took out his rifle and some ammunition. He took out the magazine and checked to make sure it was properly loaded. As he was checking the gun, he kicked the case so that it slid back under the cot.

  “What now?” Darien asked, glancing out the front door. He half expected to see the horde from his dreams emerge from between the trees.

  “Running is pointless without the truck. They’ve probably come in numbers, so an all-out fight would be suicide.” Richard chambered a round in his rifle and walked out the door. He pointed off to the side, not in the direction of the parking lot. “Hide there until you hear gunshots. Then work around to the east about a mile and head back towards the south. You go far enough and you’ll run into either one of the park trails or the main road. Get back to the truck. I’ll find you there. Just in case, take this.”

  Darien opened his mouth to protest as Richard slapped a key into his hand, but Richard turned and ran to the tree line away from where he told Darien to go. Richard slung the rifle over his back as he ran and jumped into the nearest tree. He scrambled up it, looking more nimble than a man of his size ought to be. He got to a thick branch and perched on it, pulling his rifle around so that he could rest the barrel against a higher branch. He looked comfortable there, and Darien was sure that he used this perch before. Once Richard was in position, he took aim and sat, waiting.

  Darien needed to get to his own hiding spot. He shoved the key into his pocket and sprinted to the other side of the clearing. He found some thick bushes and slid to the ground so that he could crawl underneath them. Once he thought he was concealed, he twisted around so that he could see the cabin. From this distance and with the vegetation in the way, he couldn’t see Richard even though he knew where the man was. While he waited, Darien reached up and scratched at his chest. His fingers grazed the mark and spears of cold shot out from his core through his body and made his extremities tingle.

  A black wolf burst through the tree line and loped to the wooden shack. It was about halfway across the open ground when a shot rang out through the air. The wolf’s head dropped to the ground and it’s back crumpled as it slid to a stop. It was impossible to see if the animal was still alive, but it wasn’t moving.

  He knew he should run, but Darien couldn’t. He needed to watch. After a moment, another wolf came out from under the trees. Immediately behind it, a puma sprinted into the clearing. The distinct screech of a hawk echoed through the air as a black silhouette circled over the clearing. Two more shots rang out, and the puma was knocked onto its side. It slid through the grass, but got up and continued limping to the shack. The wolf ran straight through the fur covering the doorway.

  Another shot rang out and the puma slumped to the ground. Darien glanced in Richard’s direction and saw a panther stalking around the tree. The predator had its head craned back as it searched for something in the upper branches. For a few seconds, everything was quiet. No more animals came out of the woods and the wolf stayed in the cabin. Darien grit his teeth. Richard was stuck in that tree and the rifle would be difficult to use against the panther.

  The panther hunched down, tensing its back legs and getting ready to spring. Something snapped inside Darien’s mind. He couldn’t just leave Richard to these beasts, not after the help he provided. Darien scrambled forward and stood up as soon as he was out
from the underbrush. He ran into the clearing and heard the hawk screech in response. The noise made the panther freeze and turn to Darien.

  “It’s me you want, isn’t it? Come and get me, you bitch!”

  The panther continued to stare at him with bright yellow eyes that seemed to glow in the shadows from the leaf cover. She stayed next to the tree trunk, not giving Richard a clear shot. But at least he knew about the threat now. If only the animal would take a few steps to him, Richard might get the angle he needed.

  A small human form walked up behind the panther, standing just off to one side of her. Her body shimmered and was hazy, giving Darien a headache as he looked at them. The cold in his chest blossomed and he gasped, bringing a hand up to clutch at his shirt just over the mark.

  “Come on! Let’s finish this here and now! I’m sick of running.” He shouted from the center of the clearing. The sensation from the mark continued to gain intensity and his whole rib cage felt like it was incased in ice.

  “Darien!” Richard shouted from his perch. The rifle fired and Darien jumped at the loud bang. He whipped around just in time to see the wolf jump from the building and reach for him, jaws open wide and exposing his sharp teeth. If Richard’s shot hit, it didn’t slow the beast.

  Darien roared out in anger and swung his hand as hard as he could against the side of the wolf’s head. The blow connected and the wolf tumbled through the air. It rolled across the ground and got up panting, streaks of blood flowing from claw marks running the length of its face. Darien dropped down on all fours and charged the wolf. It was still shaking its head trying to recover when Darien reached it. He lowered his head and slammed into the creature, running on until they hit a tree. There was a sickening crunch of bone that accompanied the impact.

  The wolf tried to snap at Darien, but he pulled back. He reached forward and swiped with his arms across the beast’s belly. His claws ripped through the flesh and into vital organs. The light fled from the wolf’s eyes, and it lay on the ground.

  Darien whipped his head around and sniffed on the wind. The human and panther team were gone, but the hawk was still visible overhead. It was just a speck over the line of treetops. Darien ran after it, desperate for another kill to satiate his rage, but skidded to a stop when he reached the woods on the other side of the clearing. He stood on his hind legs and let his arms hang limp. He roared out in frustration with a bellowing call that echoed off the trees.

  “Stop, Darien!”

  Darien turned and saw Richard walking to him and holding a hand up in front of him. His rifle was tucked over his shoulder. Darien snorted in response, blowing out a cloud of mist.

  “You have to get control!”

  “What are you talking about?” Darien snapped.

  Richard responded by pointing towards a puddle of water. Darien peered into it and saw the reflection of a black bear looking back at him. As he watched, wide-eyed, it shook and became indistinct only to be replaced by his face.

  Chapter 15

  Darien stumbled back from the water and landed on his ass. He scrabbled away, dragging himself through the grass and dirt. He only stopped when his back struck a tree trunk. His skin felt cold and his eyes twitched, unable to focus on anything. The world spun around him. He couldn’t breathe. This wasn’t possible. Richard walked over slowly, taking one step at a time and making no sudden movements. When he got close, Darien looked up and focused on his face.

  When Darien spoke, the words came out as a continuous stream. “No. No. No. Can’t be happening. That’s not me. It’s a dream. Has to be a dream.”

  His words trailed off to an unintelligible mutter. He watched Richard turn away and check the bodies lying in the clearing. He poked them with the barrel of his gun. All three beasts were undeniably dead. Their wounds were ragged and the blood had stopped flowing. Richard dragged the bodies one at a time into the woods just beyond the trees.

  Darien started to hyperventilate. Darkness crawled in at the edges of his view and he felt light headed. He scrunched his eyes shut and forced himself to focus on his breathing. Get it under control. One deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth. Then another.

  He could feel his heartbeat in his temples and he matched his breathing to it, trying to will it to slow down by evening out his breath. He stopped shivering. His skin still felt cold, but not as clammy. His hands clenched in the dirt at his sides, but he forced himself to open them.

  When he opened his eyes, Richard was standing over him. “How you doing, kid?”

  Darien didn’t know how to answer that question. He couldn’t believe what he saw. He was the bear. He didn’t just see the bear in the water, it was him. He closed his eyes and felt the urge to scream it wasn’t possible, but some part of him refused to believe that. It was him, and it was real. He whimpered, and dropped his head into his hands. He heard Richard’s heavy step as he walked away.

  “We need to go, Darien. They’ll come back.”

  The voice came to him from far away. He ignored it. He opened his eyes, but looked at nothing. He couldn’t believe what was happening. A large hand clasped around one of his wrists and Darien jerked back, kicking out with his feet. He saw Richard stumbling away from him with one hand raised, the other holding on to the gun case.

  “What the hell are we?”

  Richard shrugged. “Short answer? Shape shifters. The long answer will take longer than we have right now. They’ll come back with reinforcements. We can talk more in the truck.”

  Darien nodded and followed Richard like a zombie. He said move, so Darien moved. His eyes were focused on the ground and he kept the edge of Richard’s heels within sight. Branches scratched at him and snagged his clothing, but he didn’t pay attention to them.

  Could what Richard said be true? Shape shifters? They weren’t real. Or were they? He couldn’t shake the image he saw in the puddle, the bear that looked back at him and changed before his very eyes. How would Richard know what he saw if it wasn’t real?

  They got into the parking lot and it was empty except for Richard’s truck. The cold air and fierce bite of the wind cut through Darien’s haze, chilling him to the bone. Richard tossed his gun into the back of the truck and then got inside. After Darien climbed in, Richard started the truck and drove out of the parking lot. The wheels churned in the loose rock and kicked up a cloud of dust behind them as they pulled onto the main road.

  “What are we? The long answer.”

  “How much do you want to know?”

  “All of it.”

  Richard let out a heavy sigh. “All right kid, I’ll tell you what I can.” He turned the truck onto the highway and drove west.

  “We’re shape shifters—you, me, Alyssa, the Shadows, all of us. We can assume the form of animals. Those beasts that were attacking us in the woods? Those were people, not wild beasts. The number of times we can shift is limited. It takes a lot of energy and effort. Most of us can only change a couple of times each day. Some of us can do it more often, but it’s rare. It drains us. After you shift you get exhausted and hungry. It depletes your reserves.

  “It’s limited though. We can only shape shift into one animal. I can wear a bear’s skin for a while. Alyssa can change into a hawk. Part of the gift is that you keep your mind when you change. We also share a language, if you will. I don’t know how to explain it, but if it’s a shifter, I can understand the barks or screeches as normal words.”

  “This can’t be real. Can it? Maybe I’m crazy.”

  “You know what you saw. Whether or not you want to admit it, you know that it’s the truth.”

  Darien needed to get away. He just felt the urge to run from the insanity. He reached for the door and opened it while the truck was speeding down the highway. Richard’s arm snapped out and grabbed Darien, pinning him to the seat. Darien struggled for a brief moment but then sank back into the chair and closed his eyes. The door slammed shut from the wind as his arm relaxed.

  “Don’t be an idi
ot! If you want to get out and run, that’s fine. But not on the highway at seventy!”

  Darien nodded and stared out the window. He was quiet for several miles.

  “You’re telling the truth, aren’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  A few more miles rolled away in silence before Darien spoke again. Maybe it was true. It would explain a lot. Why he was blacking out and waking up somewhere else. And he was famished every time he had an episode. Richard’s words, no matter how unbelievable, had the ring of truth and fit the puzzle pieces well.

  “How do I change?”

  “You focus on it. It’s like a muscle. The more you use it, the easier it becomes. At first, you won’t be able to at will. It’ll be controlled by your emotions. It takes time. Why don’t you get some rest, kid? We’ve got a ways to go and you could probably use the break.”

  Rest sounded like a wonderful idea. Darien closed his eyes and tried to still his mind, but it kept racing around alternating between denying what Richard told him and knowing on some level that it was true. Even though it had only been a few hours since he woke, he felt drained. The rhythm of the tires against road and his exhaustion lulled him into an uneasy sleep.

  He was standing in the same clearing from his previous dreams and the sky was dark. It was clouded over and looked like a storm was coming or just passed. The trees rustled in a continuous wind, the tops swaying back and forth with a rhythm of their own. He was alone in the middle of the clearing.

  Darien lifted his head to the sky and closed his eyes. He took deep breaths in through his nose and out through his mouth. The wind felt refreshing and calm as it moved through his short hair and across his skin. A faint scent wafted on the breeze from flowers located deep in the forest. Darien opened his eyes and turned, looking at the woods on the edge of the clearing. It looked as if the shadows danced and moved of their own will. A shiver ran down Darien’s back that had nothing to do with the temperature. Tightening his shoulders, he walked to the edge of the clearing.