“You’re not terribly strong in the Shadow,” Sophie pointed out.
“Well, no. I mean, compared to the Shadow Lord, the soldiers are nothing. But together, and with the Shadow Lord’s help, we can topple empires, destroy our enemies—”
“Why?”
“Why, what?” Jayda asked, wrinkling her brow.
“Why destroy?”
“Because that’s what Shadow does. It’s who we are.”
“Says who?”
“Shadow. What kind of Shadow Lord are you, anyway?” she asked, looking uncertainly at Sophie.
“How many soldiers are there?”
“A couple dozen. They’ll all be making their way to you to swear fealty. If you don’t accept us, we go to the witch in the woods, and you’ll regret it,” she said.
“You know, you aren’t some kind mindless servant who just has to go along with what Shadow tells you to do.”
“Yeah, right. And spend all of my time feeling like I’m losing my mind? No thanks.”
“You don’t have to use it for evil,” Sophie said.
Jayda laughed, and then she shook her head and laughed some more. “You’re stronger than she is, but she’s going to destroy you. Are you really this naive?”
“Are you really this willing to let some other entity decide what your life is going to be?” Sophie asked in response.
“I am what I am. I can fight it, or I can learn to be all that Shadow will allow me to be. You need to get your head straight before the others start arriving.” She turned to step off of the porch, and Sophie put up a quick wall, keeping her in place.
“Where are you staying?”
“In town. There’s a little hotel there—”
“No, you’re not.”
Jayda’s mouth dropped open. “Where the hell else am I supposed to stay?”
“Set up camp in the woods somewhere. Find an empty hunting cabin. I don’t care, but you are not allowed to stay in town.”
“This is ridiculous. I am not camping in the woods in January in goddamned northern Michigan. Are you out of your mind?”
“You will do as I say.”
“You don’t even want to lead us,” Jayda shouted back.
Shadow swirled through Sophie, and she was tempted, so tempted, to punish Jayda for her disrespect… but of course, that was Shadow. The more she sat with it, the more she was able to separate what was her from what was Shadow.
“And yet, here we are. Find a place to camp. I’ll find you when I want you.”
“I’m going to freeze to death,” Jayda grumbled.
Sophie forced herself not to roll her eyes. “You’re Shadow. Don’t try to pull that crap on me. I know better.” With that, she slammed the door in the young woman’s face and stalked into her kitchen. That small moment of using Shadow when she’d thrown the wall up to keep Jayda where she’d wanted her had worked wonders for the pain and stiffness she’d woken up with after the previous night. As she waited for the water to boil, she tried to figure out how to deal with this new craziness. Hopefully, Jayda was just a misguided young woman. And yet, she knew better. Hadn’t she herself gone to Marshall even though it went against everything she’d wanted? He’d summoned her, and without realizing what she was doing, she’d ended up right where he’d wanted her.
All she knew was that if Jayda was right about Esme being next in line, she had to do everything she could to keep any Shadow soldiers from defecting to her. Esme was cold, angry and full of hate for Sophie, especially after Sophie had accidentally siphoned some of Esme’s power away.
And even if Esme didn’t dislike Sophie for that little episode, she already hated her by association. Esme, like Marshall, had been involved in the mess that had started it all. Esme, Marshall, Luc, and Migisi. Their actions had set Sophie and Calder’s life on this path, and now, here they were again.
She knew it would come down to her versus Marshall and Esme. Calder, like Luc, was caught up in an age-old grudge that had absolutely nothing to do with him. No, this fight went back to the beginning. Light versus Shadow, life versus death… and a promise Marshall had made to the only person he’d ever truly cared about, a promise to eradicate the Light from his lover's family line if it was the last thing he did.
Sophie furrowed her brow as she thought that over. Just how much progress had he made? She knew he’d spent years tormenting her. He’d killed her mother, who, though so weak she was essentially powerless, was also of the Light. He hadn’t been able to kill her aunt, but according to everyone who knew anything about it, Sophie’s line, though it had started out strong in the Light, was hopelessly weak in it in the present day. Sophie was the last one…
So he’d basically eradicated the Light in Migisi’s line. The knowledge hit her so hard it nearly took her breath away. She’d been living with it, of course, but she’d never put it into any context.
Was that how it worked? Was that what he’d been doing over the hundreds and hundreds of years of his existence? Tormenting families, tearing them apart, until every shred of Light was gone?
She lowered herself onto the stool in the corner of her kitchen. Everything she knew about the Light told her that it thrived in nature, in freedom, in joy. There had always been fewer Light witches than Shadow. Sophie knew that from what her aunt had told her as a child. She also remembered Aunt Evie telling her with a grin that a Light witch was worth ten Shadow, so what they lacked in numbers, they more than made up for in power.
She looked out the kitchen window at the empty goat pens where Merlin and her other goats had lived for her first few years on her land. She’d realized, too late, that the goats were familiars, animals who assisted and protected witches of the Light, and that they were rare among modern witches. But they were gone now. Familiars were all about protecting against Shadow. The second she’d turned, they’d taken off and she hadn’t seen them since.
Were they somewhere out there, helping another Light witch or warlock, defending him or her against the constant encroaching Shadow? She hoped so. If there were any Light witches left out there, they would need all the protection they could get. Especially if she lost this to Esme. Esme would probably help Marshall if he came to her. And if Esme and Marshall teamed up, and had command of the Shadow soldiers that were supposedly coming to swear fealty to Sophie… nothing of the Light would be safe. Marshall would stop at nothing to fulfill his promise to the witch he’d loved, Micaela, in the time he had left. As weak as he was now, he had to know that his days were numbered. Sophie would not end him; it wasn’t in her to kill and it never would be. But someone would. Probably someone of the Shadow, because everything is a threat to Shadow.
The kettle gave a shrill whistle and she poured a cup of green tea, her movements automatic as she thought it all over. All she knew right that moment was that she needed a plan.
She drank her tea and thought. She pulled her own journal and Migisi’s old journals over to the kitchen table and started jotting things down. She needed to keep working on controlling Shadow in herself. She needed to figure out what to do with the Shadow soldiers. She needed to protect the town, because when Marshall finally made his move against her, she knew without a doubt that he’d use the townspeople, just as he had before. He’d punish those around her, knowing that would hurt her more than anything he did to her directly. She had to find out, somehow, how many Light witches were around, and make sure they were protected.
She looked over the list and rubbed her head. She was an introvert. All she’d wanted out of life was to live on this land and grow gardens and make soap and maybe, possibly, have a life with Calder. Organizing and leading were not things she’d ever even remotely been interested in.
How was she going to do this?
She spent the rest of the day researching the meager offering of websites that claimed to be for “real” witches, seeing if she could track anyone down. Of course, actual Light witches didn’t go around advertising what they were, no more than Shadow di
d, really. Theirs was a battle that raged right under the rest of the world’s collective nose, and very few knew they even existed.
Shifters knew, though. Shifters, with their preternatural senses, could pinpoint a witch or warlock in an instant.
As the thought hit her, Sophie picked up her phone and dialed Layla’s number. Her friend picked up on the second ring, clearly happy to be hearing from her.
“I need your help,” Sophie said after they’d exchanged pleasantries.
“Anytime. What do you need?”
“Have you ever come across any other witches around here?”
“You mean other than you and your aunt and mom?”
“Yeah. And Marshall. Light or Shadow.”
Layla was silent on the other end of the line, and Sophie knew she was thinking. “I can’t say I have. And you say there’s that Shadow witch in the woods, too, right?”
“Yeah.”
Layla seemed to think some more. “I haven’t. Bryce is here. Do you want me to ask him?”
“If you could, that would be great,” Sophie said, and she waited. She heard Layla’s voice, Bryce’s deeper one in the background.
“Soph,” Bryce said. “There’s a witch that used to come to my yoga classes. I haven’t seen her in a few months, though.”
“Was she Light or Shadow?”
“She felt more like that Marshall prick than like you,” he said, and Sophie’s shoulders slumped. Another minion of the Shadow to have to deal with.
“Do you remember her name? Or would you have an address on file or anything?”
“Dottie O’Malley. She lived on the other end of town, past Brockway. I probably have a billing address or something in my files at the studio. If you want I can send it to you later.”
“That would be great. And if you think of anyone else…”
"I’ll let you know,” he said. He paused, and then he asked, “What’s this about, Soph?”
“A hunch I’m working on.”
“Oh? How’s it panning out?”
“Not great,” she said.
“Calder’s been all over, between his restoration business and the work he did with his dad and Jon. He might know something.”
“I’ll ask him.”
“That would require talking to him,” Bryce said, and Sophie rolled her eyes. “We tried to talk to him, too.”
“Oh?” Sophie asked, rubbing her temple.
“He stopped in at the studio a few days ago, all pissed off that you were insisting on space.”
Sophie’s stomach twisted. “And what did you say about that?”
“We told him to trust you. That you had to handle this your own way.”
“Thanks for that.” Sophie closed her eyes. “You’re a good friend to him.”
“I’m trying to be a good friend to both of you. It’s tiring as hell.”
Sophie let out a short laugh, and then Layla had the phone again.
“Are you okay?” Layla asked.
“I’m getting there. I need to work on some stuff. If you think of anything else, let me know, okay?”
“Okay. Love you, girl.”
“Love you, too.” She hung up and jotted down the witch’s name. Even if she couldn’t track her down, it was probably helpful to have an idea of who was or had been in the area. She studied the phone in her hand, trying to work up her courage.
In the end, she chickened out. She messaged Calder instead of calling him. A quick, straightforward text, asking if he’d come across any other witches that he could remember.
A few minutes later, her phone dinged and she saw that he’d responded. “There’s a Shadow witch that used to come into Bryce’s place. She’s super weak, though. Could barely smell magic on her at all and I didn’t realize what it was at the time. The only ones I’ve run into other than her were three sisters that run a sheep farm just outside city limits.”
Sophie’s heart started pounding. “So they’re Light?” she typed.
“Pretty sure two of them were Shadow. The other one smelled different, though.”
Sophie stared at her phone. How did that even happen?
“Might want to ask Thea if she knows of them. They’re Ojibwa. Recluses, though, so she might not know them.”
“I will. Thank you.”
“What are you up to, Sophie?”
“Same as usual. Trying to figure stuff out.”
“Yeah? How’s it going?”
She bit her lip. “Slower than I’d like.”
“I believe in you. You can do this, and if you need me for anything, I’m here for you. You’re strong and smart and unstoppable. Marshall and Shadow don’t stand a chance.”
“So much confidence,” she messaged back.
“Damn right. I have enough faith in you for both of us, remember?”
“What are you up to today?”
“Car auction in Traverse City.”
Sophie looked at her phone in surprise. He wasn’t even in town? She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or concerned that he seemed to be taking her requests for space seriously.
“That’s good. Good luck.”
“Thanks. Gotta go — auction’s about to start. I love you.”
“Love you,” she messaged back, and then she set her phone on the counter.
She called Thea and left a message, then glanced out the window. She saw smoke rising from the meadow, and she quickly pulled on her boots and coat and ran out the back door toward it.
When she got there, she was more than a little shocked to see over a dozen people sitting around the fire, including Jayda. Jayda turned to her and told he what Sophie already knew.
“Your army, My Lady.”
Sophie looked them over. Not a single one looked to be older than Sophie herself was, but she knew that was deceptive. Shadow witches aged more slowly than other people. Even Esme, who was well over a hundred, looked younger than Sophie did. Marshall looked like an athlete in his prime. Every single person sitting in front of her, arrayed around the fire, was young, Shadow, and looking expectantly at her. They had each fallen to a knee when she’d approached, and she fought the urge to vomit. It was exactly the type of thing Marshall would have enjoyed, having all of these Shadow witches and warlocks kneeling at his feet.
“Don’t do that. Get up,” she said, and they did, looking unsure of themselves. “You’re to stay here. Do not hurt anything.”
“This is crazy,” Jayda muttered.
“Be that as it may, I expect you to obey my wishes in this. You’re mine, after all,” she finished, the words like chalk on her tongue. All she knew was that there was no way in hell Esme was getting her hands on the power concentrated in these people, plus the power she’d gain by setting them loose on the world, sowing chaos and misery.
“You’re to stay right here. You can take trips to the stores and restaurants just outside of town, in groups of two at the most. You will not use your powers against anyone on those outings.”
“Are you kidding me?” Jayda demanded, and Sophie glared at her, feeling Shadow surge through her.
“Do you know what happened to Marshall?” Sophie asked in a quiet, controlled voice. The group was still and silent around her.
“No,” one of the men finally said. “All I knew was that Marshall’s hold on me seemed to dissolve, and I felt your call. You’re more powerful than he was.”
“I stole Marshall’s power from him,” she said quietly. “I absorbed it, took it, and watched him wither in front of me.”
“That’s not even possible,” Jayda said with a dismissive wave of her hand. Sophie sighed inwardly. She’d had a feeling it would come to this, and she hated herself a little more for it. If this was what it would take to bring them in line, though…
She focused on Jayda, let Shadow flow from her, over Jayda, holding her captive.
“What the hell?” Jayda shouted, and her fear was like honey. Slowly, with all the control she could muster, Sophie started pulling Jayda’s
power from her.
“Stop it!” Jayda screamed. Her panic felt so good Sophie almost didn’t want to stop, but she did. She forced herself to meet Jayda’s panicked gaze.
“You were saying?” she asked coldly.
“My apologies, My Lady,” Jayda said, falling to her knees.
“You will stay here. You will not use your magic to cause harm. If even one tree on this property withers because of your presence here, you will pay. Am I understood?”
“Yes, My Lady,” the witches and warlocks said in unison. Without another word, Sophie focused on traveling to her house, and in her next step, she was walking through her kitchen.
She ran to the bathroom, barely making it there before she got sick, her stomach churning over the things she’d just done and felt. It had been vile. Evil. Wrong.
And she’d liked it.
Chapter Three
Sophie woke up the next morning with a pounding head, a clenching, turning stomach, and an ache in parts of her body that could only be relieved by Calder. She’d dreamed of him the night before, over and over again. Was this what Marshall’s obsession toward her had felt like?
Shaking her head, she got up and brushed her teeth, showered, and dressed. A quick glance out her window showed her field now filled with tents, a fire still smoking away. She would feel sorry for them except that she knew better; Shadow didn’t feel the cold. They didn’t know warmth anyway, so cold was nothing.
She glanced at her phone to see that she had a new voicemail. She recognized Thea’s voice immediately.
“Hello, Sophie. Yes, I know the sisters you’re talking about. They don’t usually take well to visitors, but if you need to see them, I’ll take you there. I know you wouldn’t be asking unless it was important,” she added, and Sophie could hear the tension in her friend’s voice. “Give me a call when you want. I’m free all day today.”
Within a few minutes, Sophie had gotten back to Thea and arranged to meet out at Thea’s place. She spent the morning in meditation, sitting with Shadow, and then got in the car Calder had lent her after hers had been totaled and took the twisty, winding road out toward the Ojibwa reservation where Thea lived.
Light's Shadow (Copper Falls Book 3) Page 3