Page 55 of A Dagger of Twisted Starlight

“Stay alert,” Xavier said, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

The front door was slightly ajar, an eerie invitation. Xavier pushed it open, and we stepped inside. The interior was dimly lit, the air thick with dust and an unsettling silence. The house was sparsely furnished, with old, worn furniture and a musty smell that suggested it hadn’t been lived in for a long time. There was woodworking material strewn about, with carvings and statues that reminded me of the Rachels we had seen in Kalen’s home.

“This feels wrong,” Warrick muttered, his eyes darting around. Dawn nodded in agreement. Electricity buzzed around her hands. She was ready to fight.

“I don’t think anyone’s in here,” I said.

“Let’s split up,” Xavier suggested. “But be careful. Call out if you see anything suspicious.”

We moved cautiously through the house, the floorboards creaking under our weight. I stuck by Xavier’s side. We walked through the quiet living room. There were no photos on the walls, nothing on the scratched-up coffee table. The curtains were all drawn. There was dust on the television and cobwebs crowning the corners of the room.

A sound made all four of us freeze. It had come from the back of the house. Like nails scratching against the wall. I looked to Xavier, who raised a finger up to his lips.

Dawn moved forward. She stepped over a threshold, placed her foot down.

A trap triggered. Powder fell from the ceiling. Dawn coughed, shouted to get back. Dragonsbane.

I blinked.

I froze. A sound had come from the back of the house, like nails scratching against the wall.

Xavier shot up a hand. “Dawn, stop!”

Dawn froze as she was about to enter the hall.

“There’s a trap there. Move back.”

Dawn did as she was told. She looked down at the floor. “I can see the discoloration in the wood. Good catch.”

The scratching got louder. It sounded like something was running toward us. My eyes went wide. Fear clamped aroundmy throat, making it difficult to swallow. Whatever it was that was coming for us did not sound friendly in the slightest.

“Get behind me,” Xavier said.

Warrick and Dawn retreated to Xavier’s sides.

“Careful,” Xavier said. “I just used my powers. I won’t be able to rewind time again for a while.”

“That’s fine,” Warrick replied.

A crashing sound made me jump. A shadowed figure lurched into the wall, bouncing off it. The trap triggered, Dragonsbane falling from the ceiling but not having any effect on— ”A Shade!” I gasped.

Shades were some of the most feared beings walking this Earth. They were extensions of the Chaos King. Creatures drenched in a cloak of shadow, with long and lethal spider legs protruding from their backs, their faces reflecting nothing but death. They had circular mouths with rows and rows of teeth that they used to suck out the bones from their prey’s bodies. They would feast, crunching on ribs and chewing on tendons, leaving their victims as a gelatinous mess on the floor.

I’d never seen one in person. Never thought I would.

And now I wished I never had.

The dragons immediately burst into action. Warrick and Dawn attacked from the sides. Dawn sent bolts of crackling electricity at the Shade as it entered the living room, which it deflected with its armored spider legs. Warrick grabbed a vase and launched it at the Shade. He lifted his hand and caused thick roots to burst through the floor, sending pieces of hardwood flying as they wrapped around one of the Shade’s legs.

It ripped off its own leg. Black blood sprayed across the floor.

I took a few steps back and focused on my wolf form, bringing the canine up to the surface of my being. Moments later and I was on all fours, teeth bared. Xavier pushed forward as the Shade rammed into Dawn, sending her slamming into a wall. Warrick tried to grab at it, but it stabbed out with a spider leg, hitting Warrick in the shoulder.

Xavier shot a brick of sand at its head. The Shade ducked. A hole appeared in the wall where the sand had hit. He sent another and another. One slammed into its chest and made the Shade stumble back.

I saw an opening. Fear coursed through me, but I ignored it as I leapt through the air, sinking my claws into the monster’s shoulders. We fell to the floor. I tore at its face, biting and snapping. Its inky blood filled my mouth. My stomach twisted, the acidic taste clinging to my throat.

It stabbed at me with its legs. One hit me in my thigh, making me yelp. Another smacked me across the face. I clawed at the monster’s chest, as if I were digging for the last source of water in the desert.

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