Page 48 of Monster's Reward

This was because Verity took one look at that hat, and decided it should be hers. This resulted in many cat shenanigans as Verity chased Shadow around the gardens, lunging for her head.

Eventually, they would wear themselves out and every once in a while, we’d glance over to discover they’d curled up in the grass together and were fast asleep.

As my second year at the Academy drew to a close, the tension in the castle rose, not only because final exams were approaching, but also because we were all waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Zowen—I refused to call him the Shadow Killer now that we knew his true name—had not attacked again and no one was certain why.

We speculated, of course.

Maybe he’d been hurt and was regaining his strength, though I couldn’t imagine it would take this long. After all, the shadows healed shadow-beastsandtheir mates.

Maybe he was simply torturing us, waiting for us to let our guard down, so that his next attack would take us by surprise.

Or perhaps he was waiting on Mikaela, whose parents had taken her home the moment the doctors deemed her stable enough for transport.

It was the last possibility that caused me the greatest concern.

I feared Mikaela would never wake up, or if she did, that she would not be allowed to return to Blackthorn Academy.

Worse, I feared if she did return, Zowen would attack her again.

The Headmistress, the dean of students and all the professors had warded the entire castle again and had even attempted to ward the shadows themselves against intruders.

I could have told them it was an impossible task.

Shadows moved minute by minute.

They were there one day and not the next.

Attempting to ward them, then, seemed a futile effort.

As I listened to the professors argue over how best to protect the castle, I finally understood the desperation everyone must have felt two hundred years before when they realized the futility of attempting to stop a shadow-beast from trespassing wherever they wanted.

I still couldn’t quite condone it, but I did understand.

They’d been desperate for a solution as millions had died and they’d taken the one they felt had the highest chance of success.

It didn’t make it right, but I did understand.

The night I came to that epiphany was a turning point for Jahrdran and me.

Though we were together again and he stayed every night with me under my bed, we’d only been sleeping there.

He could barely look at me some days, the shame was so intense around him, and though I wanted to help, I was struggling with my own issues.

I was bitter and angry and worried about Mikaela, so it was hard for me to look at Jahrdran and not blame him, too.

For a while, we didn’t speak much, just went to classes during the day, ate our evening meals with Jasmine and our classmates, then held each other tight through the nights.

Then, one evening when I was feeling pretty raw about Mikaela still not waking, I came upon the scene in the main foyer where the Headmistress was leading the rest of the staff in a complicated weave that was intended to ward the shadows of the Academy.

I simply stood there, in one of those shadows they were trying to ward, and watched as they did their best to protect the students in their care.

In the end, they were satisfied with their efforts and left, feeling pleased with themselves, that they’d managed to at least add another layer of protection over the castle.

I let them have their moment of triumph, for there was no sense in bursting their bubble and causing a panic.

In the end, either Zowen would come for me or he would not.

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