Show time. I stepped inside the circle and stared the shadow down as a bully might stare down her victim for intimidation. Except this time, the bully was the one about to get beaten.
The jet-black silhouette fluttered nervously until realization washed over its entire form. There was no place to go and nowhere to hide. The dark form hovered down to a crouch and glared at me with intense hatred. It was done being intimidated. And was fixing to charge me.
Indignant rage rippled through me. If this parasite thought it could take me, it had another thing coming. Like my scorching inferno of light.
I hunched over and cranked up my aura, letting the pleasant fire meld to my whole body, My core grew strong and my limbs forged into weapons. My arms were swords at my side, blazing hot as though they could slice through steel.
The parasite faltered backward at the sight of my aura gone wild but hastily regained its composure and prepared to attack. It started by gritting its teeth. Which turned into a growl. Then finally, a blood-curdling scream.
I echoed with even more passion and force, and in moments we were charging each other. Little did my enemy know the fight would be over in seconds.
The moment we crashed into each other, I had my deadly arms wrapped around the black figure, gripping it on either side with crossed arms. The shadow cried out in instant pain from the searing heat. But I wasn’t going to let it suffer for long.
I grabbed onto the wriggling inky fog as hard as I could and pulled on either end. Using every ounce of energy I had left, I pulled and I pulled, harder and harder. My nails dug into my palms, and I screamed through my teeth. Until finally my arms were uncrossed and outstretched, and my mouth gaped open to let loose the loudest shriek ever escape my lips.
I gasped in and out as I unclenched my fists and black vapor dissipated from my palms. The murky form in front of me disintegrated to the floor as if I’d ripped out its heart.
The next thing I remembered was a sea of people rushing towards me. I heard random whoops and hollers, but the noise faded once they reached me. They must have realized I was about to pass out. My body felt heavier than a slab of granite.
Patrick led me to his car to sit on the bumper. The thin yet sturdy platform underneath let me relax my legs, but I clung to it to keep from falling over. Patrick plopped down beside me, and I lost my balance and bumped into him. He shook his head. “Wow. Just. Wow.”
I managed a smile, but what I really wanted was to find a pillow for my head.
Even Gregory was awe-struck. “Seriously, Iris. I’ve never seen a light warrior do that before. It was...I don’t even know what that was.” He laughed but then quickly shifted back into his teacher/mentor role as he addressed everyone else. He cleared his throat. “But she’s obviously worn herself out, so we might want to back off and give her some downtime. I mean, in one night she’s killed…what…four, five shadows with her hands?”
I grinned with my eyes closed. “Two.”
“Okay, hang on...”
Lexi’s voice woke me up. I’d temporarily forgotten she’d been watching. Watching for real this time.
“I just have to say,” she continued, “that looks way cooler when I can actually see what you’re doing.”
Her glowing cocoon had mostly worn off, but her bright eyes and face revealed she would never be the same. She was stunned like the rest of them but not freaking out as I would’ve thought. Gregory must’ve added a little something to soften the blow. She’d just had her whole life flipped upside down by an unbelievable truth that we weren’t alone here on earth. Anyone else would have run to a padded room to be voluntarily locked up.
“All right,” Patrick said as he helped me up to my feet. “Let’s get this one to bed.”
“Wait a minute. What is that?” Lexi’s tone held just enough apprehension to make my hair stand on end.
I twisted my head to where Lexi was focused, and my back instantly stiffened. Lexi’s glow must not have completely worn off. Hovering by the edge of the building on the opposite street corner were two figures blacker than night itself. They flickered and shifted as if having a conversation.
With my newfound confidence in shadow hunting, there were only two demons that still filled me with uncontrollable fear. Lucas and Donovan.
“Iris,” Kyra whispered without shifting her gaze from the shadows. “Can you hear what they’re saying?”
“Maybe.” That definitely would be helpful. But how? Normally I empathized with the victim. Who was I supposed to empathize with this time? After a second’s thought, I decided on Patrick. Other than me, he was only person I knew to have been a victim of one of these two domineering parasites.
Once I’d come to that decision, the connection was instantaneous. Their slithering voices easily found me. The hard part was forcing myself to listen to them. They had the most sinister and domineering voices I’d ever heard. Not to mention, Lucas’s sounded eerily familiar, even though I hadn’t heard him speak audibly before. Each syllable resonated with dizzying forcefulness. I squinted my eyes and gritted my teeth.
“Yes, I get her performance was impressive, but do you still think it’s worth staying here?”
“Donovan, you’ve seen for yourself. She’s powerful. We could use her.”
“Well, what do you propose? Obviously my tactics haven’t been working so far.”
“Oh don’t you worry.” Lucas let out an ominous cackle. “I’ve got one more trick up my sleeve. And if not—”
The voices abruptly stopped. I blinked twice and opened my eyes. Lucas and Donovan were glaring straight at me.
They must have figured out I was listening to them, but they didn’t scamper off as I’d hoped. Donovan continued to glare as Lucas slapped on a nightmarish grin and spoke directly into my mind. His tone was sickeningly sweet. “So, sweetheart. How about it? Why don’t you join a team where you can really show off your skills? You know I’ve missed you oh so very much.”
His words were like whispered flattery from a rapist to his soon-to-be victim. I cringed, afraid I might actually vomit right then and there. But as I bent over and hugged my stomach, an empowering realization snapped me out of it. I was never meant to be in that submissive position. I was a light warrior. More than that. I had abilities most light warriors didn’t have. And most importantly, I had a light inside me more powerful than both Lucas and Donovan combined.
I lifted my shoulders and head until I stood tall and erect. I had never attempted to speak to a shadow through my mind. The thought that a sound tunnel could be used in reverse had never even occurred to me. But I had a message for them, and I needed them to hear it loud and clear.
I narrowed my eyes at my adversaries and focused on the power I felt flowing through me. Despite the weight my words carried, they floated from my mind through the tunnel as effortlessly as blowing a feather. “I will never be your slave.”
Something like disappointment washed over Lucas’s face, visible even from a distance. But the emotion didn’t stay for long. Hardened resolve quickly took its place like the rapist getting slapped in the face and becoming even more determined to get what he was after. No matter the cost.
“Very well then. But you’ll regret it.” At that, they took off. I stared at the blank space they left behind.
“What did you hear?” Patrick’s hand touched my back protectively.
Lucas’s reply had been disconcerting to say the least, but I shrugged it off. They were gone, and for the moment, I felt safe.
“They were talking about me,” I replied and then turned around to look him in the eyes. “They want me on their side.”
Patrick chuckled. “Well, who wouldn’t after that display?”
I shrugged modestly. “I guess.”
“Surely they know you’d never go with them, though. I mean, seriously,” Kyra scoffed. “Who do they think they are?”
“Actually…they do know.” I smiled sheepishly. “They may not care, but I, uh…sort of told them I’d
never be their slave.”
“Told them?” Patrick asked.
“Are you telling us you just discovered you’re telepathic?” Gregory’s eyes were about to bug out of his head.
I laughed. “Well, when you put it that way, I sound like a mutant. But, I guess so. With shadows that is. Not people, obviously,” I hastily added after seeing everyone else’s eyes bug out as well.
Patrick grabbed my face and kissed my forehead.
Gregory shook his head as he looked at me in awe. “Iris, you keep getting more and more intriguing by the second. Keep it up and you just might put me out of a job.”
“Ha!” I laughed. “That’ll never happen.”
Gregory winked at me. “Never say never.”
“Okay, hold up.” Lexi was still new to all of this and had no idea who Lucas or Donovan was. She walked over to us, hands outstretched. “First of all,” she pointed a finger at me, “you’re seriously starting to freak me out. Second of all, what or who were those things and why do they want you?”
I studied Lexi. How much information did I really want to delve into right then? Eventually, I decided as little as possible. “We know those two shadows you saw. We have history with them. Well, tonight we have confirmation that they’re working together, and apparently they want me to join them.”
“Well, that’s stupid. You’re more powerful than they are. What makes them think they could ever get you?”
I smiled at her confidence in me, but only for a moment. “Don’t ever underestimate the shadows, Lexi. Especially those two.”
Chapter 26
When I woke up Monday morning, my body felt like a lead brick, and I swore my head was filled with that fuzzy fluff people shoved into stuffed animal carcasses. Monday mornings were always horrible. But my body’s reaction to being forced to get out of bed made me feel like it was three a.m. instead of six thirty. I’d spent a good part of Sunday at home sleeping, and I never did that. Nor did I generally run into walls on my way to the bathroom. Of course, I’d never demolished two shadows in one night either. Or ever really.
My mother and both my sisters had made it a point to bug me all Sunday, every hour, to make sure I was still alive and well. Thankfully, Robert was there on my behalf to convince my mother I wasn’t sick. If it hadn’t been for him, I probably would’ve been in a hospital.
He and my mom had become quite close over the last several days, which I was truly grateful for. He made my mom happy. Plus, as an added bonus, he used his influence over her when I needed it the most.
I honestly could’ve ditched school with how I felt, but I was too afraid I’d end up in a doctor’s office. So I went. Kyra and I needed to share some insider information with Lexi anyway.
Despite the funk my body was dealing with, the day started with several positives. When I strolled in to first hour, Lexi was smiling without any trace of a shadow. Gregory basically gave us all a free day. And when Kyra and I told Lexi that Lila was a dark servant, she replied, “That’s the most believable thing you’ve told me yet.” I could have kissed her right then and there.
By lunchtime I was refreshed and feeling good again. That is until Lila stepped out into the hallway just as I was about to enter the lunchroom. She planted her feet directly in my path. Her purpose was clear. We were going to talk whether I wanted to or not. I was beginning to regret telling Patrick to save me a spot in line so I could stop by my locker.
Lila crossed her arms. Her eyes bore into mine with disdain. “I thought you should know that after you left Mike’s party, Josh was all over me again. He simply can’t stay away from my...” She inspected the nails of her right hand before returning her poisonous gaze to me. “...charm.”
Despite the fact that my blood was boiling at her mention of Josh, I almost choked on my laughter. “Oh, is that what they’re calling it these days?”
She rolled her eyes to the ceiling and groaned. “What is it going to take with you? You still have feelings for Josh. I know you do. Aren’t you the least bit upset to know that you lost with him and I won?”
I closed my eyes for a moment and forced my boiling anger down to a simmer so I could at least appear calm. “We’re not together anymore. What he does is his business.”
“Ugh! And I thought I was a liar.” She pushed me out of the way and stormed off past the cafeteria. Before turning the corner, she threw a quick nod to the cafeteria doors and yelled over her shoulder, “Good luck in there, Iris. You’re going to need it.”
She wanted me to be jealous and angry. With that last comment, she even wanted me to be anxious. I had no idea what could be waiting for me in the lunchroom, but I was determined not to give her what she wanted. I took a deep breath and walked in the lunchroom with my head held high.
Kyra, Lexi, and Patrick already surrounded our table, eating. Well, the girls were eating. Patrick’s food lay untouched, and in front of the empty chair beside him sat a plate with a chicken sandwich and french fries. When he saw me, Patrick tapped the plate with his pointer finger and smiled. He was so thoughtful. And, for some reason, he was all mine. Any thought of jealousy over Josh disappeared as I waltzed to my seat.
I decided not to bring up my conversation with Lila. To do so would mean mentioning Josh, and that would be awkward. So I pushed the thought to the back of my mind. I had even forgot about Lila’s weird, “Good luck,” comment until Kyra dropped her fork mid-sentence and stared directly behind me. The hairs on my arm stood on end.
As much as I didn’t want to, I turned to see for myself what Kyra was staring at. Several yards away a girl sat alone, her only company a massive emotional shadow pressing hard on her shoulders. I slowly raised my hand to cover my mouth as my heart simultaneously fell into my stomach. My head swam with sickening déjà vu. Though I squinted my eyes shut to block out the sinister vision, I couldn’t block out the shadow’s voice. My empathy for the girl was already stronger than it had been for most everyone else.
A gigantic, stormy mass like that was more familiar to me than any other shadow, for it reminded me of one I’d had the misfortune of knowing personally. Lucas.
I twisted back to our table and eyed Kyra indecisively. I needed to help that girl, but what would I say? Could I even force myself to go near her shadow that reminded me so much of my past?
Kyra reached out to pat my hand as she stood up. Without asking me for help, she trekked over towards the girl. Patrick began to explain to Lexi what was going on, but I didn’t hear any of it. All I could hear was the voice, beating the girl down over and over like a slaver whipping his property. The lies of guilt, shame, and loneliness felt so familiar I had to remind myself I wasn’t the one the shadow was talking to.
I had to stop it, had to do something. I’d been through the same emotions. I knew the feeling of being burdened by such an overbearing monster and to hear those lies day in and day out to the point that they became reality.
The thought of confronting the source of that voice went against every fiber of my being. But I was determined to help this girl. I stood up, flicked on my aura, and spun around on my heel to face my own personal nightmare.
Kyra’s aura and kind words must have been doing something because the girl’s shadow had decreased in size. But in response, the leech had formed a death grip around her stomach and chest up to her throat. The image was sickening and heart wrenching to witness.
I couldn’t cut off the sound completely, but I managed to lower the volume as I sat down across from Kyra and the girl. As sincerely as I could under the circumstances, I smiled and introduced myself. “Hey, I’m Iris.”
“Hi,” the girl answered simply, as though her name wasn’t important enough to be mentioned.
I wanted to grab her hand and tell her how much she was worth. But I settled for a question. “What’s your name?”
She seemed confused and distant. “My name? Oh, sorry. I’m Angela.”
“Angela. That’s a really pretty name.”
“That�
�s what I said,” Kyra added, flashing her typical ‘We’ve never met, but we might as well be friends’ smile. “It reminds me of angels.” She winked at me, and I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes.
Angela brightened at the mention of angels as if she wanted to join in our conversation. But the domineering storm on top of her held her back with lies. “You’re a worthless freak, and you have nothing important to say. Don’t even try.” Angela closed her mouth and sunk back in her chair.
I eyed the source of the cruel voice. How dare that oppressive fog do this to her. Make her feel like she’s nothing. Make her feel worthless. Without hope.
Kyra must have sensed the fire growing in my eyes. “Angela, do you want to go out in the hallway to talk for a minute? It’s too loud in here.”
Angela backed away cautiously as the harsh voice deceived her again. “There’s no way they want to be friends with a freak like you. They’re just making fun of you.”
I reined in my blaze enough to touch her hand without scaring her and did what I did best - lighten the mood. “Come on. We promise we won’t bite. And Kyra’s not as weird as she seems.”
The girl laughed. “Okay. I guess.”
We walked past our table on the way to the side hallway with the least amount of traffic, and Patrick and Lexi questioned us with their eyes. Kyra held out a finger and motioned with her head towards the exit. Patrick would know what that meant—wait a minute, then follow.
Once outside, Kyra lost no time. Genuine interest and concern saturated her face and tone as her aura stretched out to Angela. The light burned away the fringes of Angela’s murky shroud and enveloped her small frame. “Do you want to talk about something in particular, Angela? Something going on? You seem kind of down.”
Angela searched Kyra’s eyes as the light cleared the gray fog that had been veiling her face. Whatever she saw there made her own eyes dampen until she couldn’t hold her emotions in any longer. The floodgates opened, and there was no stopping the rush of tears that poured out.
Lexi shoved open the door just as Kyra drew Angela into her arms, cooing encouragement and comfort to her. Lexi quietly stepped into the hallway and Patrick followed, scanning the area. Once he was satisfied, he locked eyes with me and nodded. The green light.
Luminous Spirits (Shadow Eyes Series Book 2) Page 26