Page 43 of Shadows Lost
Riella gazed up at the shadows excitedly while they flitted around her, still playing dolphins in the water. “Would you please show me what unicorns look like?”
I smirked despite myself. Every little girl loved unicorns, even I did in my younger years. I once had been very determined to ride one through the Balsam Plains, only to learn that they were stubborn beasts—with a tendency to bite.
The shadows shifted into a small unicorn in front of her and nuzzled her cherub face. Riella's arms wrapped around them instantly. “I love you.” She hummed and then looked at them. “What is a chickadee? Can you show me?”
I inhaled sharply and a deep ache tightened in my chest.
The shadows morphed into the little bird that had always been my guide in life, and Riella stretched out her hand towards it. The shadowed chickadee flitted into her hand, settling into it lovingly. Black hearts chirped out from its tiny beak and popped against Riella’s black scales like little bubble kisses.
Tears pooled in my eyes. I had almost forgotten that such a sweet innocence could exist amongst the fae. But here it was, gently stroking a shadow bird as if it was a living creature that deserved to be loved.
“How old are you, Riella?” Awe echoing my gentle words.
She looked up. “I’m seven.” Her eyes shifted to the city nervously. “I have to go. I’m not really supposed to be here. Mother will be angry.”
I nodded and floated upright in the water, the shadows snapped back to my side. “I’ll take you home.”
Riella pouted and her hands twisted nervously in her lap. “But I don’t want to go back there.” Her eyes swirled and then she looked up at me with mischief. “Want to know a secret?”
I nodded eagerly, adoring the impish look on her innocent face. “I love secrets.”
She leaned in and raised her scaled brow. “I know a dragon.”
I played along, while knowing that the chance of her meeting a real water dragon was highly unlikely. Water dragons were extremely rare. “A dragon, really?”
She nodded enthusiastically. “Uh huh. He says I don’t belong here, that I am meant to be above, with the land fae. He told me allabout unicorns.” She peered up at me with wide eyes. “Maybe you could take me? I could see a real unicorn then…and a chickadee.”
Hiding both my surprise and alarm, I leaned down to her eye level. “I’d love to meet your dragon, Riella.”
She beamed at me. “Really?”
An ear splitting screech echoed violently through the water before I could answer her. Turning with alarm and shielding the child from the direction of the sound, I peered out into the murky depths of the ocean's deadlands.
Emon. I needed to find him!
“Riella, I—” My words died in my throat when I turned back to her. The little faeling was gone.
Chapter 21
“Findher,keephersafe!” I commanded my shadows. Terror seizing me for a brief moment before I shook it off with a hiss. “Nothing happens to her, you hear me? Nothing! I’ll look for Emon.”
The shadows swirled once before popping out of existence and my eyes narrowed on my new destination. Pushing off the seafloor, I raced through the water, this time forgoing the acrobatics and tightening down my scales to reduce any drag that may have slowed me down—my time here while I was a faeling finally coming to fruition, no doubt manipulated by my mother. She knew I would need it one day.
If I was lucky the shifter was unable to escape the seductive sirens of the sea and would still be tangled in the arms of impassioned females. He was a tasty morsel compared to the lean water fae males here and many would have fought for his attention. It wasfoolish for me to leave him there all alone with no defense against their seductive nature.
Something heavy pitted in my stomach and for a moment I slowed to analyze it. Goddess, did I actually care what this shifter did and who he did it with? Shaking my head, I sped back up, stretching in the water and flattening my scales more. I had no time to think about such things…nor did I deserve them.
“Remi, darling!”
I reared at the sudden appearance of my friend, somersaulting backwards to stop myself from crashing into her.
“Kira!” I gasped and then gave her a wide fake smile. “I’ve been looking for my pet beast. Have you seen him?” I eased the fluttering of my gills and the pounding of my heart.Relax, stay relaxed.
Kira’s rose colored eyes flashed with irritation and jealousy. “Trust me Remi, yourpetis being well taken care of.” Her voice was coated with her siren power and I felt the intense need to believe her.
I shrugged off her call with more effort than I usually needed. Something was amiss.
Engaging my sight, I wavered calmly in the water while alarm heightened all my senses at the burgundy shadows swirling viciously through her— feeding her.
