Page 5 of Shade
I knew I needed to tell the headmaster, but what if doing that kept Diego out too? I couldn't use a phone, so I didn't even have a way to contact him. I supposed I could tell Liam and ask him to contact Diego for me, but I still wanted to keep him to myself.
Or maybe I could try using the wisps of my shadows on him to see if I could find him. But would the headmaster sense it if I left, the way he'd sensed Diego coming in?
I could just keep an ear on the door until Diego and I found an alternate method, and then I'd tell the headmaster. That should be okay, right? I'd make sure nothing bad happened, and Diego would have a way to visit me.
Then again, Touya had already said he'd get the headmaster to check the door, and I hadn't been able to find a good enough reason to dissuade him. If the headmaster had resolved the issue, I'd just have to bring Diego in through my shadows when he came.
Decision made, I went back to my couch and fell on it face-first. While the Darkness—the area of the Sanctuary Icalled my home—was more like a slice of the forest doused in darkness with trees everywhere and a river flowing through it, I had some comfort items like a bed, a couch, some comfy armchairs, and a few bookshelves spread all over it.
The sky here didn't have a moon, and the sun never rose in my home. There were a few stars, small enough that their light couldn't hurt me, but other than that, it was completely dark. It was the only way I could exist here without needing to hide in a shadow.
I inhaled deeply, and the faint scent of Diego filled my lungs. He smelled so right. He smelled like he was mine.
"Dinner time!" Liam called with a knock on my door, and I invited him in. He came in with Haruto in tow, with three plates piled high with food between them. Ever since Liam moved in with Haruto, he'd made a point to share a few meals with me. It was sweet, and I liked eating with them. Even though I couldn't go into most of the areas on my own, the other residents always made a point to involve me, and it made me happy, even if at the end of the day, I was always alone.
Three
Diego
It was Sunday, whichI was grateful for because I didn't think I could wait until the end of the work day to visit Shade again. This morning, I'd woken up believing everything that'd happened yesterday had been nothing more than a dream, and I needed to make sure that wasn't true.
After a quick shower, I sifted through my closet and found some clothes I'd been told I looked good in. The jeans clung to my legs, and the form-fitting Henley matched my eyes, according to Liam. He'd come shopping with me a few weeks ago, then helped me label all the new clothes so I'd know which was which. I'd never had a friend as kind as him before. Well, except for Shade, but Shade wasn't like anybody else. He was unique.
It was only after I'd given Pix her treats and a smacking forehead kiss and left the apartment that I realized I'd dressedup like I was going on a date, which was crazy. I was just going to meet an old friend, wasn't I? A friend I hadn't stopped thinking about since I last saw him more than a decade ago.
"Carajo," I mumbled to myself as I walked, forcing my mind to stop getting distracted so I could focus on my surroundings. After I lost my sight, I'd struggled hard for a while, especially because Shade was gone. My mom had done all she could to help me, but she'd been wracked with guilt about bringing Andrew into my life, and that had caused a strain on our relationship for a long time.
I'd felt so alone, but somehow, that had made me feel closer to Shade, as if I could finally empathize with him. It'd given me the strength to keep going, even though I'd known I would never see him again.
I wondered if his shadows were still with me. Had he taken them back yesterday?
As if in answer, I felt a tug to the left, and I side-stepped a moment before someone ran past me. They would've collided right into me if not for the shadows watching out for me.
"Thank you," I murmured, a smile on my face. I probably looked ridiculous to anyone who'd seen me, but I didn't care. One of the benefits of being blind was that you didn't have to worry about people's reactions because you didn't have to see them.
The shadows tugged at me as I reached the Sanctuary, though I'd remembered the spot too. I climbed up the stairs, eagerly grabbing at the door handle. But when I tugged, the door shuddered but remained closed. What the hell?
I tried again, and again, but the door didn't budge. Had someone locked it? Shade had said it shouldn't have allowed me in, even with his shadows clinging to me. Did that mean whatever magic kept humans out was working again?
No, this couldn't be happening. I couldn't leave. I had to see Shade, had to touch him and assure myself he was there, that I hadn't dreamed the whole thing up.
I tried the door a few more times, even knocked on the solid wood, but there was no answer. I knew Shade himself couldn't come out to let me in, but I wondered if the knocks could even be heard from inside. He'd said the Sanctuary was inside a pocket dimension, and that this door was just what anchored it to this world. Did that mean there was another door inside this one that led to the Sanctuary? And there was some invisible space between them that kept my knocks from being heard inside?
I rubbed my forehead as my thoughts tangled together in my attempt to make sense of things. I had a feeling magic and science didn't mesh, or at least not in a way I could understand without a PhD in Physics.
Sighing, I turned around and walked to the edge of the small porch before dropping to my ass. If I couldn't get in, I'd just have to wait until someone walked out and ask them to let me in. I had no idea if they would, but saying Shade's name should help, right? If they knew I was friends with someone inside, they'd let me in. They had to.
I wasn't sure how long I sat there before the door opened, and I jumped to my feet. Before I could reach it though, it slammed shut again, as if whoever it'd been had taken one look at me and bolted. Mierda!
I knocked again. "Please, let me in. I have a friend inside I'd like to see," I called out, but there was no reply.
After a minute, I returned to my spot on the porch to wait some more. I didn't have to linger long for the door to open again, but it closed before I could even stand up.
A swish of cloth told me someone had come outside, and footsteps approached me, making me tilt my head up even though I couldn't actually see them. Their footsteps were soft as they reached me, and then there was more swishing of clothes as they sat down beside me. Were they wearing a cloak or something?
"Hello," a warm, deep voice said, and I dipped my head in greeting.
"Hi."
