Page 35 of Of Shadow and Moon

What is he doing?

Suddenly, Eztli spins, his eyes scanning the path behind him, and my heart slams into my chest. He's staring right at me. I stand stock still; I stop breathing, but the air crackles with tension. My heart booms in my ears while a wave of panic wells up through me.

How did he know I was here?

His gaze locks on mine. Dark, intense, piercing, and for one second I am sure I’ve been caught. My brain scrambles to formulate some sort of plan. Should I run? Fight? I have time for neither.

But then…nothing happens.

He blinked once, his eyes narrowing slightly, and then he turned away, continuing down the path as if he hadn't seen me at all. My breath catches in my throat, and I stand there, frozen, trying to process what just happened.

Did he really not see me?

I turn around, the darkness thick around me, but there's no one else here. No witnesses. My skin prickles with unease. Slowly, I raise my hand in front of my face, to try to make sense of why Etzli didn't react to me. My heart stops when I see it.

Shadows.

Dark tendrils of shadows wrap around my arm, twisting, curving, curling around my fingers. They dig into my skin, wrapping within, hiding in their clasp.

What is happening? Is this another nightmare? I pinch my cheek, but nothing happens. This doesn’t feel like adream. I bend down to touch the gravel; it feels real beneath my touch. I slowly stand back up.

I stare at my hand, my breath coming in shallow gasps. This isn’t possible. Only demonios can manipulate shadows like this. Only demonios have this kind of power. I’m human. I’ve always been human.

But the shadows don’t lie. They pulse around me, a dark, inky blackness that feels strangely familiar, as if they’ve always been there, waiting to be summoned.

This can’t be happening. I step back, my heart racing. The shadows follow my movements, shifting with me, blending me into the night. That’s why Eztli couldn’t see me. I wasn’t just hiding. I was invisible, wrapped in shadow.

I should feel relieved, maybe even empowered, but all I feel is panic. How is this possible? I’ve never had any abilities like this. I’m an assassin, trained in stealth, in combat, not magic. Not shadow manipulation.

Fuck. It’s then that the memory of my murder comes back to the forefront of my mind. A memory I shoved way the fuck away this past month. Clearly not healthy, but eh? I never said I was sane.

I pull my hand closer to my face, staring at the swirling darkness. It feels…wrong. Like it doesn’t belong. Like it’s not mine.

“Breathe,” I whisper to myself, my voice trembling. “Just breathe.”

I need to think. I need to focus. If Eztli didn’t see me, that means I’m still safe. For now. But this changes everything.

I take a shaky breath and lower my hand, the shadows still clinging to me. I don't understand what's happening, but I also can't afford to fall apart, not with Etzli still aheadof me, not with Alexander's orders hanging over my head like a guillotine.

I'm not really aware of when I lose my breath, but it's happening again. That tightness in my chest, the rush of blood pounding in my ears, it all floods back like a tidal wave. My heart races and races, faster and faster, like it's trying to claw its way out of my chest.

I stumble through the academy’s dimly lit hallways, each shadow growing longer and more suffocating with every step. My thoughts spiral out of control; everything—it’s too much. My vision starts to blur, my legs tremble as I force myself to keep moving.

I just need to breathe. I just need to get to my dorm.

My pulse booms in my head, and I press a hand to my chest, trying to force air into my lungs. Why does everything feel so wrong? Why does it feel like I'm drowning? My chest is doing that thing again, but I can't stop it. I can't slow down.

I see my door through the haze and quickly step in, shutting the door and sliding down it, willing my lungs to even out.

Not even five seconds in my dorm, and a loud banging erupts from the door. Oh shit, I am caught. How is that possible? Standing up, I smooth my skirt, open the door and barely have time to register what transpires before Nazriel is barging into my room. I spin around, glaring at him as he stands in my dorm room, looking every inch a thunderstorm in human form.

“What the hell, Nazriel?” I snap. “Ever heard of knocking?”

My heart starts racing for another reason.

Maybe I will die; for real this time.

He slams the door behind him and stalks toward me.His jaw is tight and his eyes are dark and furious. “What have you done to me?”

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