Chapter 34: 34: Follow the Shadows

Fiona & Rowen

Fiona

Tiana moved to Viona’s front door leading to the stairs. She recited a few words, and her body changed, taking on the radiant gleam I noticed when I first met her. Her hands shone golden, and splotches like swirling symbols covered her body.

Her eyes, the color of moonbeams, stared above our heads, and mysterious snake-like shadows climbed the walls and covered the door. She reached out a hand, immersing it in the thick blackness, and opened the door. The stairs were now gone and a bleak emptiness filled the space, welcoming us in silence. “Follow me.” Tiana seemed to be in a trance, judging by the faraway look in her silver eyes.

Lucas turned to us with a profound expression. “Remain calm. And remember, the passage can be a bit… rough.” He threw us a tight smile before taking a hesitant step, and the shadows engulfed him. Viona and Kat followed him.

I swallowed hard, glancing at Rowen, and he clasped my hand. “It seems we are next.” My voice sounded odd and far away.

“Yes, so it appears, Luna.” He raised my hand, kissing my knuckles, and together, we lumbered like stumbling fools into the abyss.

My sense of identity vanished, as if I had evaporated into a void, and ceased to exist. I couldn’t hear, feel, or see anything, and panic seized me as I reached out, trying to find Rowen’s hand, which was no longer there.

Not being able to sense anything was frustrating and maddening. I wanted to scream, but realized I wouldn’t hear myself in this strange emptiness. Without warning, I felt a tug—akin to a vacuum sucking me into a spiral and landed on soft grass in an open field.

I groaned in despair, finding the surrounding sounds, peaceful as they were, overwhelming. I noticed the color of the sky like a clear dawn morning, heard footsteps approaching, and then Rowen’s arms raised me to my feet as my legs quivered.

Only Tiana emerged from the darkness, looking composed. She studied us, an ashamed expression on her face, and then fixed her eyes on a spot off in the distance. I followed her gaze and found an old building surrounded by open fields with rolling hills and green grass.

“No,” I whispered with a knot in my chest, contemplating the place I had always considered my haven. The University of Oxford held a special place in my heart… Kat’s too. “My father is keeping people hostage at the university… This is our school, Kat!” I turned and saw Kat’s mouth hanging open in shock as well.

Rowen stared at the ancient edifice, hands on his hips. “How can we get inside?”

“The lab is underground in a shelter, like a bunker used during wars,” Viona answered, kneeling on the grass. She grimaced, shaking her head. “But the defenses are strong. Just looking at this fortress, I don’t see how we could get in. Especially since Cormac has it guarded with heavy manpower.”

“I’ll get us in.” Tiana glared at the building, her voice sounding severe and confident.

She raised her arms and whispered a chant as the surrounding shadows vibrated and came to life. They reached out and touched each other like hands, forming a series of channels. “Follow within the shadows and remain inside them at all times.”

Tiana tip-toed into the tree’s shadow, and poof… she was gone.

“Jaysus, not again,” Rowen grumbled, but he did as the Princess of Shadows instructed.

I copied her movements and jumped into the shadows, but it didn’t feel as overwhelming this time. Outside, the world thrived with vibrant colors and sounds, while here, silence prevailed.

I started walking, following the group, and noticed something strange. While I was in Tiana’s shadows, I could pass through walls and objects like they weren’t even there.

As we entered the enclosure, I spotted people moving through the corridors. Guards and professors were working, but despite us wandering among them, they remained oblivious to our existence. I stayed mute for fear of being overheard, remaining careful not to leave the shadows, as Tiana had directed us to do.

Together, we descended the structure. Tiana continued joining the diminished shadows in the corridors, keeping us proceeding as we traveled further down.

After a long journey through hallways and many stairs, we reached a vast room matching the one from Cormac’s memories. However, it appeared more advanced in technology.

The whole place seemed like a penitentiary, with cells and prisoners everywhere. Some captives gaped around in terror, sporting fresh wounds, and I realized they hadn’t been here long. But it was obvious that others had been here for an extended period. Their glum expressions and skeletal bodies revealed the cruelty that someone—my father—had subjected them to.

I grabbed Rowen’s hand and buried my face in his chest, experiencing a pang of grief from witnessing Cormac’s cruelty. “Can we rescue them all?” I reared my head back, peering up at him.

Viona answered, “Listen, I refuse to leave behind a single soul in this God-forsaken hellhole.” Icy bitterness seemed to drip from her words.

She reached into a pocket and pulled out a tiny corked bottle. Viona grinned and popped the top open. After ingesting it, her eyes held a peculiar glint. “Let the games begin…”

Viona jumped out of the shadows created by Tiana, and I watched a circle of dazzling light appear. She marched to the center and held her palms up, taking in deep breaths. Soon, her face writhed into a grimace and she released a deep moan. And then I heard something break.

Madness ensued as everything cracked: bulbs, cameras, and even the silent alarms. Viona then closed her fists, which flared with a remarkable energy sizzling from her fingers. With a frenzied cry, she opened her hands, creating a ripple that swept through the surrounding space. The cell doors buckled and shook, and the lab entrances twisted until the opening devices snapped.

“What the hell have you done?” Tiana jumped from the shadows and gathered the witch in her arms right as Viona’s legs gave way.

“Just buying us time.” Viona lifted her head and smirked before it dropped back on Tiana’s shoulder. “Can you create an escape from this fucking hellhole?”

Tiana nodded. “Yes.”

“Excellent.” Viona removed another vial from her cargo pants and gulped it down. It seemed to have an immediate effect. She stood on her own and grinned. “Cover this place in your protective shadows so we can free these hostages as soon as possible. Cormac Quinn is one evil, sick bastard.”

“I’m on it!” Tiana rushed back into the shadows while Rowen and I took off running.

“Open the cages,” Rowen yelled to Viona, Kat, and Lucas. “Then dispatch all the wolves to me.”

“Send all the witches my way.” Viona winked at Rowen.

We all split up and began smashing the locks on the cages, freeing the captives from the cells. They all appeared dazed, and some were too weak or afraid to fight.

“Take the sick or wounded to Tiana!” Rowen yelled.

I agreed and continued demolishing the locks on the cells by hitting and kicking them. As soon as I freed each one, I showed them where to run. “Go to the shadows!”

My heart pounded like drums in my ears and sweat beaded along my brow as I tried to calm my erratic breathing. After kicking down so many prison doors, my body ached and throbbed. However, the sheer number of captives made it impossible for me to spot any familiar faces among them.

Then I came to a cage where an elderly man was lying curled up in the back, huddling in a corner. His gray hair looked unkempt, and he appeared feeble.

“Are you awake? I’m here to rescue you. Can you stand up?” I rushed into the cell and grabbed the old man by the arms to help him stand.

“Oh, yeah. I can stand,” the man said, cackling, and turned around.

Out of nowhere, he attacked me, gripping my neck with gloved hands that had sharp talons. I felt warm blood running down my skin and a strangling sensation in my throat.

His laugh, crazed and high-pitched, intensified as he peered at me with wicked-looking eyes. “Mr. Quinn will be so thrilled!” said James, my father’s driver, as he straddled me and raised his hand, ready to deliver the final blow.

Rowen

Fiona’s pain was an obvious warning that something dreadful was happening to her. The instant I felt the tightness clouding my senses and choking me, I knew I must go to her.

“Fiona!” I screamed, knowing if I didn’t reach her soon, she could die.

I ran like crazy, not giving a damn about anything, while all hell broke loose around me. The freed Creatures of Primordial fled or struggled to release those still trapped by the wicked scientist, Cormac Quin, and his associates. Their screams were like sirens blaring. The noise filled my body with rage as they battled for their lives—including Fiona. The idea of her fighting for her life caused me to feel ill and sweat dripped into my eyes.

My body leaped across the distance and, as I ran, I perceived her screams. A whisper erupted from her mind, but I couldn’t decipher it. Something flashed, and a vision of Fiona trapped in a cage with a man on top of her blazed before my eyes.

After rounding the corner, I witnessed the scene and dashed down the corridor, ready to rip the bastard’s head from his shoulders. A howl escaped from my wolf and as I neared, an explosion of vivid, shimmering light surged from Fiona’s body and sent him sailing through the cell.

The impact was so strong; that I had to cover my face and turn away. It sent me soaring, and I crashed onto the concrete floor. After shaking my head to recover my senses, I glanced around and saw Fiona standing with an intense light emanating from her body. Her hair grew to the floor before my eyes and turned a midnight blue color as the sparkling light traveled to her fingertips.

“Well, well, well… Turns out those whispers of scandal and gossip were true,” James said as he rose, spitting out blood. He gaped at Fiona with revulsion. “All those years toiling for your father by driving Mr. Quinn everywhere and hunting your kind beside him…” He glanced between me and Rowen, his lip snarled. “I’m shocked Cormac would even consider fucking a fairy and having a leper as his offspring.”

Fiona glowered at him. “Believe it, James, and this leper is going to kick your arse!”

She strode toward James, grinning with a gleam in her now glowing amber-red eyes. The wounds on her neck inflicted by James had vanished. While the light was still shining throughout Fiona’s body, flames of fire surrounded her. It appeared like she stood inside a fiery bubble and I watched, mesmerized. Fiona had found her magical powers, and I looked on, holding my head high and proud.

As she towered above James, a kaleidoscope of light flared from her fingers, and a rush of electric energy shot toward the old man.

I rushed to Fiona’s aid, recognizing the strength of her magical power. It thrust her backward, making her stumble. My arms reached Fiona, breaking her fall just in time as, all around us, everything exploded.

While carrying her, I noticed how hot her skin felt, and her eyes appeared tainted. The crimson red had turned a blazing golden hue. “Lass, are you hurt?” My lips tugged into a worried frown.

She shook her head and squirmed, wanting down. With her feet on the floor, she grinned up at me. “No! I feel fabulous. Viona gave me some kind of witch brew, and it worked. It helped me use my powers.”

I leaned down, sniffing her body. Fiona didn’t smell human or fae, but like something, I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Something extraordinary and unexpected.

James used the opportunity to lunge at her, but I jumped in front of Fiona. In one step, I stood before James, who extended his gloved fists against me. But as strong as he looked, the hunter was no match for an alpha wolf. Especially an older, wounded hunter. There was no competition.

I gripped his shoulder, dodging the blow intended for my face with ease, and punched him in the gut. As his face fell, I knocked James out, and he dropped to the ground, unconscious.

“Let’s check on the others.” I grabbed Fiona’s hand, pulling her along.

“Look out!” someone yelled from behind.

Lucas shifted and raced down the hallway, landing on a hunter, pointing a rifle at us. His sharp canines snapped the man’s arm before my beta ripped his throat open.

As soon as the hunter landed on the floor, Lucas changed back into human form. He ran toward us, unconcerned with his naked body. “The hunters are now pretending to be captives. They are bombarding us when we open the cells.” Lucas sounded out of breath.

“I wonder how they knew we’d end up here?” Fiona asked.

“They probably realized we would come for Rian, Kyra, and the members of our pack…” I tapped my chin. “Tell the wolves to guard all the Creatures of Primordial. We gotta rescue as many as we can and take them to Tiana.”

“Yes, Alpha.” Lucas shifted back into wolf form before dashing off.

“We have to find Rian and Kyra,” Fiona said.

I nodded and stripped out of my clothes, shifting. Fiona knew my intentions and jumped on my back, clinging to my fur as I rushed down the corridor.

We crossed the compound and discovered the extent of the chaos. The hunters had arranged themselves in the middle of the enclosures, creating pandemonium. Perhaps They didn’t expect us to act as a team and work together. The witches and vampires joined forces and formed united fronts to battle their captors.

I noticed that only a handful of people were trying to escape, and they were kids, old people, and the sick and wounded. But the rest of us remained to fight.

As I turned a corner, I saw Viona meeting with a group of witches. The redhead led them along as they recited a spell that created a strange vibration in the air. A ball of purple energy formed between Viona’s hands, and she hurtled it toward a group of hunters, who wailed as some kind of booby trap swallowed them.

I ran without stopping, with Fiona on my back, checking every cell until she shouted, “I see him! It’s Rian.” She didn’t have to point it out. I smelled my brother’s unique scent. I zoomed ahead and Fiona clung on as I smashed through the gate with my muzzle.

We crashed into the cage and shards of glass covered everything. Fiona rushed to Rian and cupped her hands around his face.

My brother was pale and unconscious. “Thank goodness he’s alive.” Fiona glanced at me. “But his pulse is faint and his lips are blue. Rian’s not well and I must help him.”

She placed her hands on Rian’s chest, and her palms blazed with golden light. I stood stupefied, as tiny flickers danced between her fingers. “Rowen!” Fiona screamed, and my fur rose along my spine. I whipped around, anticipating danger, and collided with Cormac Quinn.