Page 148 of Enchanted Shadows
All day we searched the barrier, plans made in the morning for a more methodical search. We were going to move east to west, with a team waiting on the eastern side, for whatever we moved around. The problem was that it was a forested area, there were numerous hiding spots, add in that there were shadows cast everywhere, and the hiding spots for someone who wielded shadows were endless. Not to mention up in the trees, or in the caves and caverns around the terrain. We could have been walking past Calix and Bram, them right under our noses for all we knew.
And so here I walked back to the castle, for a third night of hell on earth. A third night of no news. I was beginning to fear we would never find any of them, never hear a thing. In which case I would be in for a life sentence of hollowness.
I headed for the shower, again just needing to break down a moment. It seemed to be the only time I was left alone. Like it was a coordinated effort by my loved ones, and it very well might have been.
“Miles,” I began as we finally reached my door. “If you even try to shower with me, I will snap you in half.”
“I—”
“You need to let me shower.Alone.”
“We could always shower back-to-back,” he offered with a playful grin. “Or I can get your back if you get mine.”
I glared.
“Fine. It’s just that I made a promise to your sister not to leave you alone. It was either that or stay with her team to make sure they listened to orders.”
“One of these days, you’re going to have to be done beingintimidated by them,” I told him. I had no energy for mincing words. Also lacked the energy to withhold them.
“Likely the day after I get over being jealous they have a water wielderanda shadow wielder,” he commented.
“Good,” I nodded. “Now that that’s settled, I’m going to shower.”
As the water started cascading over my tired muscles, every joint seeming to scream with exhaustion, I thought again that by tomorrow at this time, maybe I would know more. It was a trick I was playing with my own thoughts. I had the same thought last night, and I knew possibly even less this night than I had before. But I couldn’t give up. I wouldn’t even be up here sleeping if I hadn’t been ordered to by Krew, who was personally leading the night watch.
I didn’t know how to survive this; I’d merely just kept existing along as time passed. Kept enduring.
My magic flared as I got settled into another restless sleep. I was so exhausted I couldn’t avoid sleep, but I didn’t want to sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I thought of Kessara marching down to the training ring and putting me in my spot. Or telling me she loved me. Or beneath my hands.
Why couldn’t I find her? Why did I keep failing the one person in the realm I didn’t want to?
I wokewith a start a few hours later. My magic to blame. I immediately reached for my bond with Jorah, the one I had again frozen out earlier when I had needed to scream in the shower. I could tell and feel that she was in the castle. So unless the baby came very early, she was fine.
I sat there for a moment contemplating if I should speak downit to her anyway, just to make sure she was fine, when I heard a loud noise at my door.
Miles stirred but was mostly asleep.
My magic flared shortly after again. I’d been tired enough before bed that I considered that my power was urging me to sleep, to take care of myself. But as it flared a third time, I was now fully awake. If Jorah was sleeping, and no one was attacking me, then what the hell was going on?
I hadn’t bonded to Kessara, but did she need me? Did my magic recognize my terror, that with every breath I pleaded for my wife to be okay? Or was it trying to tell me that evil was lurking, shadows coming in the night?
It was then I realized if Calix and Bram knew the way down the secret passageway, they also knew the way back up.
Clunk.
Another noise, but this time I recognized it was coming from the balcony door. I was immediately up and moving, finding my boots.
“What is it?” Miles groaned.
I grabbed my sword off the bed where it had slept in Kessara’s spot the last few nights. I moved silently, peeking a look behind the curtains before making myself an easy target at the door. “My magic is flaring in and out again. I’m not sure. Cover the passageway, yeah?”
That had Miles fully awake with me.
It felt like we had only slept for a few hours, but actually we were about an hour away from dawn.
“I don’t see anyone,” Miles whispered.
“You won’t if they are hiding in shadows,” I whispered back.
