Page 99 of Shadows Lost
I smiled down at him. “I will not be shifting tonight my friend, I’ll keep command for you. Enjoy your hunt.”
My beast snarled. “My hunting is by far more superior. That tiger has nothing on me. Let me out.”
“Not this time, cat. I need to stay in my fae form for Remnant.”
He scoffed. “You’re afraid, fairy boy.” He sauntered to the back of my head. “It’s not my fault that she will find me more interesting than you.”
The distinct sound of three snarling leopards made me spin to the east and a sinister smile crossed my face. Eshe, Quinn, and Penina had come. Together we could not fail.
Prowling the lines, I stared down my forces. “Not a single fucking wraith shall leave these lands alive!” My power was imbued in every word I spoke, loosening slightly the tight leash I held on its raging inferno ever since I was a child. It seeped into my court, amplifying their power, and bolstering their energies.
Roaring, I charged forward and my court followed. Fae of all races ran alongside me and the rush of our unity spurred me forward, outwardly I challenged the fastest beasts on land and air for win of the first kill.
I scented no fear in my people, just a ferocious need to protect the world we built here, and yet despite our impressive front the wraith's slow advance did not falter. Their own shrill cries called back to us while the night began to descend on the valley, the sun dropping low below the Red Cap Mountains in the distance, casting a great shadow over the lands.
Beneath my feet the earth shook and all around us great fissures of earth revealed large boulders rising upwards from their sedentary rest. Gusts of forceful winds shot several of the massive boulders forward straight into the front flanks of the ascending wraiths. The sound of their shrill cries rose higher when the boulders effectively crushed several wraiths at the same time.
“First kill is on me!” I heard behind me.
I grinned. The elemental twins had arrived.
“I don’t think so! That was my earth, my kill!” Xi Chin, the earth elemental, shouted back.
“Throw more pebbles my way Xi and let us see who really is delivering the death blow!” Riley Dragoon hollered back over the wailing wraiths.
My grin widened when the shadows raced beneath my feet, zigzagging through my path, and taunting me to run faster.
“Care to drop in, your majesty!” My soulmate called out to me.
My stride faltered when I looked up to see the raw beauty of Remnant surfing her shadows like it was the high tide waters of the West Isle shores.
Her long black hair had become unbound and it whipped across her face, her sparkling emerald eyes glowing with rejuvenated life. My breath caught and I knew I would never forget the sight of her in this moment. Her solid crouched stance, sword raised high over her head, her other hand grasping a shadow dagger at her hip, and the subtle tilt of her head. An invitation for me to join.
I didn’t hesitate again, leaping onto the shadow platform right behind her. The shadows snapped me into place and I was careful of my sharp claws as I gripped onto her hips to steady myself more thoroughly and buried my face in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply her scent.
“I take it the spy crows are no more.” I purred against the pale column of her throat, knowing she could hear me over the stormy winds and the chunks of earth soaring over us like deadly arrows.
“Not a feather left behind.” She snickered.
I chuckled darkly and marveled at the power of her shadows. “Hmmm, I could get used to this.” I purred against the shell of her ear.
“Get down!” She cried and pulled me to her just as hot blue fire blazed over the top of our heads only to stop short by a tornado of rock and wind. The elemental twins’ power ripped through the wraith’s bodies with ease and showered us with rags, blood, and bone. Together they were a deadly combination that was a true marvel to behold in battle.
“Fuck!” Remnant cursed, wiping blood from her face and then glared over her shoulder. “I blame you for that one, Xi! I can’t help that your hair is white damnit!”
Crazed laughter responded with more air and earth rushing by us.
Reaching with a singular claw I wiped the blood dripping over her brow. “I think you look good in blood, little umbra.”
“Told you!” Riley roared, sliding by us on a landslide of rock, pulling wraiths to him with gale forces and impaling them on his curved blade.
Remnant snickered and then winked back at me. “Better prepare yourself, your majesty! This is our stop!”
I snarled savagely at the oncoming group of wraiths. “I’m ready!”
The shadows reared, slamming us straight into a cluster of screeching wraiths. Flying forward my claws sank into the first one that had the unfortunate fate of being directly in my path. Wrenching my claws from its falling body, I leapt to the side, ripping the head off another that was about to shoot fire at my soulmate who was slashing down wraiths at an accelerated rate.
Shifters, shadows, fire, winds, water, and earth raged across the valley. Wraiths fell only to be replaced by a dozen more. Their blood showered through the air like a hot night rain and I relished in the feeling of satisfaction it brought.
