Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
BELLAMY
I shot to my feet and raced after the swans, who had already disappeared behind the thick foliage.
“Do we have to follow her?” Driscoll whined from somewhere behind me.
“That’s literally why we’re here!” Leoni said back to him.
I paid them no mind as I darted between the palm trees and into the darkness of the shadow court. Shadows swirled overhead, forming dark clouds. I looked behind me as Driscoll and Leoni entered the jungle. Driscoll tried to back up, but shadows darted down and blocked his path. Once you entered this jungle, you weren’t allowed to leave. That was another problem I’d work out once I saved my brothers. My brothers who were currently flying away in all different directions.
I wasn’t even sure who to chase after.
The thick canopies allowed very little sunlight in, and my eyes were having a hard time adjusting to the dimmer light.
I blinked a few times, the area around me becoming clearer. Thick palm trees jutted from the black soil. Vines hung from trees, big bushes sprouted from the ground, some green, some black, some blood red.
Sweat pricked my skin, and I swiped it from my forehead, already feeling sticky and smothered by the heat.
It didn’t matter which direction I went. I just needed to move, to start collecting my brothers so I could keep them safe and in one place. With my decision made, I set off.
“Oh, she’s running again,” Driscoll whined.
“If you’re going to whine like this the entire time, I’m making you stay here.”
“With the freaky shadows?” Driscoll huffed. “I don’t think so.”
Their feet pounded after me as I ran, my satchel thumping against my back. A long sword lay on the ground, and I jumped over it. I couldn’t tell if that was another magical item or just someone’s weapon that got left behind when their shadow was ripped from them—or when they died. There were many things in this jungle that could kill you. The shadows being the number one threat. But I imagined there were also dangerous animals, the elements, lack of food. Spirit Shadow. Not to mention the pixies that populated this island.
A flash of white appeared in the distance, and I pumped my arms and legs to catch up. The swans could be fast when they wanted to be. And right now they were probably scared and confused. Shadows swirled over my head, their red eyes staring. So many shadows. All of them taken by Spirit Shadow.
“Bellamy, wait!” Driscoll called out.
I ignored him, wishing they would stop following me. They weren’t going to get that lightning bolt, the one nestled safe in my satchel.
A golden chalice hung from a vine, and I ducked under it, feeling its power, its temptation. It wanted me to use it. I’d already used one magical item, and I wouldn’t use another.
Feathers rustled ahead of me, and even though I couldn’t see my swans, I knew they must be close.
Right then, magic zinged through the air like a lightning bolt. It shot straight into the tree right in front of me, burning a hole through it.
I stopped, whirling and looking around for the threat.
Driscoll and Leoni caught up to me, both breathing heavy, sweat soaking through their tunics.
“The pixies,” Leoni said. “They’ve found us.”
Damnit. The pixies worked for the Spirit Shadow. I couldn’t allow them to capture me.
“Come with us,” Driscoll said. “We know a safe place where we can go.”
I backed away, shaking my head vehemently. I didn’t trust them or their intentions.
“We’re not tricking you,” Driscoll said. “Believe me, I don’t want to get caught by this shadow king either.” He drew a line across his throat. “I want to keep my head. Let’s just get to safety and then we can come up with a plan.”
Another burst of magic shot through the trees and straight toward Driscoll. He yelped and ducked as the magic hit a vine, slicing it in half.
He whimpered.
“ There is no ‘we’,” I signed.
“Yes, yes, we know.” Leoni grabbed my arm. “You like to work alone. You don’t trust us. We don’t trust you. There. Now it’s all out in the open. Can we go before the pixies find us?”
I hesitated, looking around and seeing no hint of my brothers. They were just swans as far as the pixies knew. Surely they’d leave them alone, wouldn’t care about some wild animals on the island. It was only people Spirit Shadow wanted so he could rip their shadows away. I bit the inside of my cheek. They’d likely be safe here.
“Come on,” Driscoll said, eyes darting back and forth. “We have to go.”
I sighed and gave one stiff nod.
“Oh, thank the bloody spirits,” Driscoll said.
Leoni let go of my arm, and she and Driscoll whirled and both jumped over a fallen tree. I hesitated before following. Driscoll yanked me down and put a finger to his lips. We all lay pressed against the log as wings flapped overhead. Not heavy like the swans, but a lighter sound, like a flutter. My heart pounded in my chest.
“We know you’re here,” a female voice called out.
The pixies.
“You might as well come out and make this easy. We’ll find you, you know. You can’t run away. You’re stuck in this jungle.”
I pressed my lips together as my heart raced.
“It’s really not so bad. We’ll take you to our master. He’ll take your shadow. And then you’re free. Well, free enough. You can’t leave the island, but you can roam at your leisure. But if you make this hard, we might be forced to take... other measures. Ones that could do some permanent damage.”
My pulse spiked.
None of us moved. I held my breath, not even daring to let it out.
A heavy sigh floated through the air.
“Very well. We’ll have to do this the hard way. Move out!” the voice shouted. “They have to be here somewhere, and we will find them.”
With that, the sound of the wings fluttering moved farther and farther away until we could no longer hear them.
We didn’t move. We didn’t speak. We lay like that for a long time until Leoni finally gave the signal that we could sit up. We’d avoided the threat for now, but things were only going to get worse from here.