Shredded Moonlight

Chapter 10

(Nox's POV)

The eldest guards began to gather around out leader speaking in hushed tones while their younger successors paced excitedly, hands twitching to be in action. Chase and I shared a panicked glance.

"This is not good!" Ivy squeaked. "Nox! You have to get Shadow here before they plan to attack!"

I growled in frustration, banging my palm to my forehead. "And how do you suppose I do that? They must have seen it already! They'll have so many guards on her it's not even funny!" My feet begin to pace while Chase snickered. I glared daggers. "Now's not the time for perverted jokes."

His smile vanished. "Right. Sorry. Okay now um, we need to get her before them so there's no bloodshed right? Why don't you use the powers Taven talked about?"

My eyebrows rose. "What powers?"

"Well you could you know use that pull that he talked about. Make her go into the forest alone at night and wait and then we could grab her. Say we found her wandering over the border." His suggestion made me stop in my tracks. That might work...

"Yea but he doesn't know how to use them!" Ivy interrupted; my face fell instantly. Before she could reply again Kamara returned to her speaking boulder and yowled over the chatter.

Everyone quieted almost immediately, they were that eager to fight. It sickened me to the core. "We shall attack in one week, on the night of the half moon. Be prepared, for they will not give her up easily. Blood will be shed. Prepare yourself." With that she leaped off the rock and paced back into her den. Ivy pushed me toward the entrance.

"Go go go! Go get her!" She demanded; I nearly slapped her. Luckily Chase stepped in.

"He has to lure her away from the guards. With his powers. Which means he has to go to somewhere remote and quiet, that's definitely not here. Yes he's going but hes going to meditate. Help clear his thoughts so he can practice.”

Not giving me a chance to object, he shoved me out of camp. I shook my head giving a halfhearted growl. There was no way I could ever master this strange gift in 6 days. The image of Shadow's blue eyes set my on edge.

Well, I could damn well try.

Now determined I set off into the forest to my favorite lake-side spot and made myself comfortable.

Okay, first I guess I had to meditate awhile... Okay screw that. I closed my mind and searched for any essence of Shadow. Nothing. Trying a random strategy, I thought only of Shadow. The softness of her hair. The deep blue of her eyes. How it felt to have my lips pressed against her forehead tenderly. Something moved in my thoughts, brushing against my mind. I shivered without meaning to and kept up my longing thoughts. Like zooming in on a character in a movie my ears slowly shut off.

I panicked at first, but remained with my eyes closed. It again slowly returned but it wasn't the soft waves of the lake that I heard. Snores? Confusion threatened to take over but I still tried to remain focused. Behind my closed eyelids, I saw a dark hut snap into place. Sleeping nekos were all around but I didn't join them. Instead I looked out at the entrance longingly before my eyes drifted down to two male nekos positioned in front of my cot. This, I recognized, must be a guards den. But then that means...

I was seeing through Shadow's eyes. Her perfect blue eyes.... My heart throbbed and without a second passing a thought drifted into my head, clearly not my own.

This isn't fair. I want to go someplace by myself. I miss....

The thought flicked out of my mind before it could finish. "Dammit!" I snarled opening my eyes and clawing at the ground in frustration. I had been so close. Now the absence of Shadow made me cringe into the ground with pain. Maybe I should go see her.... NO! I needed to practice and and... ugh I couldn't think straight once the thought of visiting her entered my mind. Just for a little bit, I finally decided rising to my feet and quickly walking away into the forest.