Page 129 of Stolen By Shadow Beasts

“So that basically means we can’t keep going like this. We need to focus on staying alive to help the others. But how? What’s the best way? I mean, Ann should be safe because of the prophecy, but I’m worried about Rayne. Should we go in after him?” He shakes his head but continues speaking. “But if we leave now, no matter what comes through the Void, no one will be there to stop it. Yet, Rayne had no real idea what he’d face in the shadow realm… What if he doesn’t make it back?”

Not surprising. Dusk has a soft heart. He likes to pretend he’s as tough as Phantom, but in many ways he’s gentler. I imagine he’s wrestling with letting Rayne take this risk as much as I am. We are not people accustomed to other people fighting our battles for us, but as much as it pains me to admit it, we’re needed here right now more than we’re needed with Rayne. His is a task best left for one person who can slip in and out, and we’re better at pushing back our enemies.

Afterwe heal. Because we both knew even fighting tonight was a mistake, and we were right. In good shape, we could have handled what the Shadow King threw at us.

All of which I intend to tell Dusk. When I can take even breaths once more.

When Dusk is finished washing his hands, bandaging my wound, and washing his hands yet again, I flex the muscles just to be sure they still work. My arm and shoulder hurts like hell, but it’s bearable, and I’m relieved. I’m going to need my arm to work if we’re going to keep going.

“Thanks,” I sign to Dusk, gritting my teeth when I realize moving my arm, even so slightly, hurts, but then I push on. “We have to have faith in the light fae. Keep our post and hope for the best.” It doesn’t sound like much of a plan. Faith is hard to come by these days and keeping post is easier said than done when there are trolls and slimy critters trying to murder us.

Dusk nods but then freezes. He’s either heard something or lost his train of thought. I doubt it’s the second thing, so I wait for him to tell me.

“Something’s going on.” He grabs the torch and heads out into the tunnel outside our cave.

I internally curse, slam my hand into the ground, and force myself to stand and follow him. My sore leg throbs and my arm screams, but I follow his torchlight to the entrance to the main cave. He’s sliding the rock back a crack, and then he stands looking out.

Moving right behind him, I look out around him and freeze.

Holy fuck.A smoke dragon soars above the trees, smoke rising from its nostrils. On the ground, a troop of shadow beasts is spreading out, racing about like wild animals. And, hell, there are too many of them. Maybe the whole damn army of them.

For a moment I think things can’t get worse. Then, rot monkeys with shining moon shards are suddenly running around the shadow beasts, planting moon shards at random. Creating the foundation to spread the shadow king’s realm. Looking at the bag around Dusk’s waist containing Ann’s moon shards, I wonder if the king has enough without them.

My stomach sinks. Probably.Fuck… this is worse.

Dusk and I are alone without the benefit of our army of rogue shadow beasts—the few that were left. Phantom, Ann, and Rayne are gone, and we’re injured. So, of course, this is the moment the Shadow King decides to unleash his army on us.

There isn’t anything we can do to stop this. Not at this moment. All we’ll do is get ourselves killed if we go out there, and it’s painful to know that.

Dusk looks back at me, worry in his face, and then we crouch low to wait for morning. Hoping this world, and us, even make it to morning. He extinguishes the torch, so that we’re waiting in total darkness. Only a sliver of light from the outside is there to show us the chaos the king is unleashing onto this world.

If we survive tonight, it’s going to be a miracle.

THIRTEEN

Ann

I’m glaring out the open window, even though it’s cold, and it’s stupid to be standing here. Because not only am I still angry about Phantom tossing me over his shoulder, throwing me on the bed, and locking me back in this room, but I’m trying to figure out what the hell I’m going to do now.

Time is strange here without a sun or moon, but at some point I managed to sleep, take a cold bath, and change into the third simplest dress, a blue one with a low neckline and gems on the sleeves. Then I’d gone to the window and watched as creatures gathered outside of the gates. At last, Phantom and his father had emerged from the castle and led the shadow beasts out of the gates, giving them orders I couldn’t hear.

I don’t know what I expected then, but my stomach had sunk. The shadow beasts had rushed ahead of them, and the king and Phantom had ridden behind on what appeared to be skeleton horses, as if assessing their army at leisure. Behind them, rot monkeys ran too, avoiding the big, shadowy wolves. And in the distance, I was pretty sure there was another army of grave trolls.

None of which is a good sign.

But without light, the army fades away into the darkness, and I’m left staring at nothing. Cold. Alone. Trapped in a pretty room.

Frustrated, I decide to tear the room apart to see if there’s anything I can use to get out. Yes, I’d done it before, but there’s nothing else I can do, so at least it keeps me busy. I check the bed, the mattress and under it… There’s nothing. I check in the nightstands, the empty closet, every crack of the bathroom. Nothing. Finally, I go to the wardrobe and stare.Come on, please. I need this.

I move the dresses out of the way to see if maybe there’s something inside this thing, a loose nail, a screw I could twist free, anything that can help me get out of here. Behind a ball gown, almost tangled in the skirt, is a small wooden box.

Yes!Maybe all it has is a finger, or some other creepy thing that will fit this dark castle, but there’s a small chance it’ll be something helpful. So, I pull it into my lap and take a deep breath.

Come on. Come on.

When I open the box, I find a torn piece of paper with words scribbled across it in black ink.Know your strength, find their weakness.It’s sound advice. Not particularly helpful, but I hope it gave whoever was stuck in here before me help.

I fold it and put it back. I’ll know where to find it if I need the reminder. I move it to the side and find an old coin. It’s American money from way back in the day, but, again, not helpful. The last item is a brooch. An ugly dragonfly with a yellow body and blue wings dotted with black. It’s gaudy. But I don’t care how it looks. I zero in on the pin on the back. Itlookslike it will fit into a door lock.

---