Page 133 of Stolen By Shadow Beasts

I expect it to be like when I took Adrik’s body… I was wrong.

There’s one second where it’s easy. Where I simply glide into him and find, unlike Adrik’s empty body, a bright, living soul inside of him. But the second I move to take control, everything changes. The Shadow King fights me. I don’t know how he does it, but as I try to bury myself deep inside of him, in the places that allow me to take control, he’s pushing me, shoving me. If I had a body, it’d be physically painful, but this is painful in a way I can’t describe.

We fight and fight. We’re both strong, but I think his uncertainty gives me an edge. I might never have done this before, but I know what’s going on. He makes a strange wailing sound, and then I shove his essence… his soul… whatever the hell it is, away, creating a glowing box the color of my own bright blue soul around him. He crashes against it, and I sense each blow, but he can’t escape the cage I’ve placed him in.

At least not right now.

He continues fighting my control for what feels like a long time before he finally stops. His grey color dulls, grows smaller in the box. He simply recedes into the darkness of his spirit, of the cage I’ve built for him, like he’s given up.

Somehow, I know he isn’t done, but I have to switch my focus from the king to the task I must do. Even though I’m hesitant to take my focus off of him, and if there was another way I would take it. But there isn’t, so I accept it. I need to complete my task, but also be ready for anything he might pull.

Control of his body is mine, but keeping it isn’t easy. Even when I open his eyes and stare out at the world. Even when I just take a step, I feel it. The king battles within himself and his body twitches, jerking unnaturally as he does what little he can. He’s stronger than I hoped, but I still have control.

So, I better get moving while I still have it.

Just when I’m about to move toward the edge of the Void, Phantom returns, holding the severed head of the witch. Her hair in his fist is slick and dripping with blood. The tendons in her neck dangle, dripping blood with every step he takes. Her eyes are open and her jaw is slack, but the life has drained from her face.

He stares at me for a second before I remember that I’m in the Shadow King’s body. When I remember I stand straighter, trying to act like the cocky king. Trying to make sure I can play this game until he gets close enough for me to pull the shard from his heart.

And as if the shard has a mind of its own, knows what I’m thinking, I see it glowing a light blue color beneath his shirt. Pulsing. Calling to me.

“The witch tried to kill me,” Phantom says, tilting his head and studying me. “Did you send her for me?”

I don’t know if Phantom is capable of being angry, of attacking the king, but I don’t want to know. It’s now or never. Maybe taking the shard out will kill him, maybe all of this will be for nothing, but this is the only plan we have to save him, so I have to act. I know it.

“My son…” I begin hoping to sound like the king as I move forward.

He drops the witch’s head, studying me as I get closer and closer.

“You see…” Then I leap at him, tearing open his shirt.

Phantom’s eyes widen in surprise, but I can’t focus on him. I look down and see it like it’s the edge of a sharp, thin piece of glass. A piece that glows and pulses even brighter than before. My heart’s in my throat as I reach for the edge and tear the shard from his chest, pulling the wickedly long, wickedly sharp piece all the way out until it comes free.

Blood trickles down his chest, but I don’t hesitate; I toss the shard onto the ground, stomping on it until it breaks into pieces. But any satisfaction I felt fades away when Phantom’s eyes roll back into his head. He falls to his knees then face first into the ground while I stare on in shock.

Fuck. Did it kill him?

I collapse in front of him and reach for his throat, trying to find a pulse. But… there’s none. My mind starts working. I can’t just focus on the man I care about, who’s dying in front of me, I have to find a way to still save the others. To save Ann.

And it hits me… the one way I might still be able to save all of us.

But do I have the strength to do it?

FIFTEEN

Onyx

We’re still near the opening to the cave when a passing shadow beast stops, lifts his head, and starts to sniff. I motion to Dusk, and we both move away from the opening, keeping the beast in sight. He circles a bit, and I have a moment of hope when I think he hasn’t found us, and then he lifts his head and our gazes meet. He races to the cave opening, but it isn’t large enough for him to fit through. Still, he starts to bark, growl, and dig at the dirt by the entrance.

All of which means we’re screwed.

Dusk and I move further and further back. None of the shadow beasts can shift into their other forms while under our father’s control, so they won’t be able to get in, to move the boulder. But the grave trolls could…

The instant the thought enters my mind, I feel the earth shaking beneath my feet and know a troll is coming toward us. Dusk lights the torch once more, and then we head deeper into the tunnel. I’m limping, still barely able to move my arm, but we gain some distance from the opening before I sense the ground moving under my feet once more, this time in a different way.

I look at Dusk, and he nods, confirming my suspicion. The boulder has been moved. Our enemies will come pouring in, and we’ll die like cowards, hiding beneath the ground, being ripped to pieces.

Unless we can get to the other exit in time.

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