Page 57 of Secrets and Shadows

My thoughts spin as I flip through more pages. What if our fatesaretied together? What if I’m headed down the same path?

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a flicker of movement—a shadow, graceful and fluid, slipping between the rows of bookshelves. My breath catches, and I blink hard, but it’s already gone, dissolving into the dim light. Maybe I just imagined it.

“Hello?” I call out softly, even though I know I won’t get an answer. I sit for a moment, letting the quiet settle, but it only amplifies the thoughts swirling in my mind.

I know what I need to do. It’s the only choice that makes sense, even if it’s risky. Return to where it all started. The logicalpart of me screams that it’s a bad idea, that there’s no way this ends well—but logic can’t help me now. Not with this.

I have to face it. I have to speak to it.

The Darkness.

Twenty-Two

LILITH

I standin front of the forest, alone, my heart thudding in my chest. Every instinct I have is screaming at me to turn around, march back to the academy, and beg Simon to come with me.

The memories of my near-death experiences here are still fresh, but something deeper—a pull I can’t explain—draws me forward.

I think a part of me knows this is the only place where I might finally get the answers I’ve been chasing.

It’s unsettling when both your reason and intuition are at odds. The logical side of me is practically yelling that I should’ve waited until I mastered summoning my Shadows. And honestly, that voice is right. I should’ve waited. But what if I don’t have time? What if, by then, it’s too late?

There’s something dark and sinister lurking in this forest. It terrifies me because I have no clue what it is—or what it wants. So far, it’s only targeted me, but what if it starts going after the other students? What if someone else gets hurt because I didn’t act sooner?

No. I need to do this alone. I can’t risk involving Simon after my surprise visit in his shower. All I had wanted was for someway to let out some steam, relieve all that pent-up lust that was sizzling between us, and maybe see what happens when Simon loses control. And I wasn’t disappointed. I’ve thought about that day every single time I’ve found myself alone in the shower since, but I know things are now different between us. And I’m not quite ready to face that yet.

I glance back at the path leading to the academy, illuminated by torches lodged in the ground. It’s peaceful, calm, and completely deserted. No one in their right mind would come here at this hour.

Before I can change my mind, I take a hesitant step forward. My entire body protests, but I keep moving. As soon as I cross the boundary into the forest, a cool breeze sends a shiver down my spine. I pause, taking in my surroundings.

Oddly enough, the forest seems… almost ordinary. Moonlight filters through the canopy, and the trees don’t look as twisted and ominous as they usually do. That’s somehow even more unnerving. It feels like an illusion meant to lull me into letting my guard down. I can’t afford that—not when my Shadows are still untrained and unpredictable. At least I know they’ll appear if things go south.

My mind screams at me to turn back, but my feet move on their own. My heart’s pounding, and I hold my breath, waiting for any sign of danger. Gods. Maybe I really have lost it.

You’re a damn idiot,I tell myself,coming here with no plan.

Leaves rustle behind me, snapping me out of my thoughts. I whirl around, expecting to see something, anything, but there’s nothing. Just the trees swaying in the breeze.

“Hello?” I call out, the word barely audible. It physically hurts to give away my position like that, especially when something could be hiding in the shadows. But if this dark entity can speak, maybe I can reason with it.

“I know our last encounters weren’t... great,” I continue, swallowing the lump in my throat. Talking to empty air feels ridiculous, but I press on. “You know who I am. I don’t know who you are. I want to change that.”

A surge of energy flares within me, and I freeze. Are my Shadows about to make an appearance? Am I in danger? It doesn’t feel like it—at least not yet. It’s more like the calm before a storm, a warning rather than an immediate threat. The tingling in my chest tells me my Shadows are ready to protect me if necessary.

“Please,” I say, my voice wavering. “I just want to talk. I don’t want to fight.”

The words feel awkward, like trying to have a conversation with an ex who completely ghosted you. I cringe inwardly and half-wish I could walk away and forget I ever attempted something this fucking stupid. But then the rustling grows louder, and I spot something—a flicker of darkness moving between the trees.

Shit. Don’t panic.

“You’re here,” I murmur, my magic tugging at me, urging me to let it protect me. I resist the urge. This is my chance, and I don’t want to blow it by reacting out of fear. “I’m alone. I only want to speak with you.”

Suddenly, a voice—smooth and unsettling—slips through the air like a whisper.Welcome back,it coos, and the sound almost buckles my knees. There’s something hauntingly familiar in the way it says it, but I force myself to stand tall.

“I’ve returned,” I say aloud, unsure if it’s necessary to speak or if I could communicate silently. Either way, I choose to vocalize it.

How brave of you to return home,it says, its words curling around me like smoke.

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