CONQUERING SHADOWS (Shadows Book 3)

Chapter 1

Beneath a punishing sun, I knelt before a crudely chalked pentagram with a knife in my hand. I kept my voice loud and clear as glass.

"With Darkmore blood, the deal was done," I swiped the blade across my palm, deep enough a wound opened pulsing red blood. "With Darkmore blood, the deal shall be undone." I clenched my fist, squeezing scarlet drops along the white line of the pentagram. Steam sizzled as they hit the ground turning to coloured flames of blue, red then white. The flames flickered then died.

Nothing more happened. I screamed and threw the knife down. It landed with a thud on the forest floor.

"Something tells me Rafe is call-screening," said Arden. He came up behind me to put a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Stubborn bastard." I shrugged Arden off, rising to stand on my feet. I ran an arm across my forehead to wipe away the sweat collecting there. "What now?" I kept my head down, staring at the failed ritual markings.

"Well," sighed Arden. "If he won't come to us, maybe we need to go to him."

My heart gave a little lurch. "Is that possible? Is there another way in?"

Arden rocked his head from side to side, the sun illuminating his golden-brown skin. "It has to be. William Darkmore did it, Rafe did it and the demons have come and gone this year like the Underworld is fitted with a revolving door."

"Another entrance," said Fawn wistfully. "Maybe one Rafe isn't guarding."

"But that is just the first of many problems. Who do we put in his place? Chaos must have a ruler and as far as we know, Nova's curse still stands. It must be a person of Darkmore blood. Then there's battling our way through Chaos and the state Rafe will be in when we find him..."

My head snapped up as Arden's words trailed off. That familiar sensation crawled beneath my skin, a relentless gnawing that ate at my insides. I had borne the weight of gratitude and guilt since the very moment Rafe crossed the threshold of the pentagram, a clash of emotions that left me reeling.

"It's not your fault," Arden added quietly.

"Isn't it?"

Arden raised his brows at Fawn.

"Of course it's not!" She took the hint. "No-one knew what Rafe was planning. Least of all you. And it was all very calculated. He'd put everything in place...He loves you Riley."

The feeling didn't evaporate like the flames of my pentagram. "He loved me two-hundred years ago. Who knows what he's feeling now."

It had been barely two months of our time since Rafe had disappeared in the devouring flames and had cast himself into Chaos as its ruler. In that time, March had melted into April and then May, the spring months bringing with them an unprecedented heatwave. And the first thought of every morning I awoke without him was it should have been me. I'd prepared myself, I was ready. Even enduring the eternal solitude of Chaos would be better than feeling like this. But in Rafe's world, he hadn't been gone two-months. Time moved differently in Chaos, faster, and it is likely he left me centuries ago. That's a long time to remember someone, and long enough to forget them.

"It also doesn't have to be someone of Darkmore blood, does it?" Fawn reasoned, interrupting my thoughts. "A drop of Riley's blood was enough for Rafe to be accepted so it could be any willing person. They'll just need to consume some of Riley's - or Toby's - blood."

Arden and I screwed our faces up in unison.

"You let us do it," said Fawn.

"Only so you could see the Iron Moon castle. I wouldn't say it's a pastime."

"So what now?" asked Fawn.

"I'm going to try the coven again."

Arden sighed. "They've already said no to you twice."

I allowed my eyes to flicker up and meet his. "We're witches. Third time's a charm." My phone started buzzing in my pocket. I took it out and looked at the screen, frowning at the name that popped up.

"Give me two minutes," I said to Arden and Fawn before walking a few steps away. "Hi, Matthew," I answered and waited for the inevitable pang of guilt and disappointment as I told him the truth. "I'm so sorry, it hasn't worked again. I'll keep trying though. I'll try anything-"

"Riley," Matthew's voice came through in a whisper.

"Yes?"

"I think we're being held hostage."

I chuckled. "Are you with Jack?"

I looked back at Arden and Fawn who were talking amongst themselves, both faces etched with concern.

"The jolly man with all the immaculate tea sets? Yes, and we've been fed a banquet of his husband's baked goods, which are the most delectable things in the world. We've had eclairs, and raspberry Devonshire split buns and coffee cream triple chocolate doughnuts. I think I've put on four-stone since I've been here. Help."

I laughed out loud this time, my first genuine laugh since Rafe left. "We're heading back now. We need to come up with another plan."

"You'll get him back, Riley. I know you will."

I didn't deserve the faith he placed in me. "We'll be back soon."

"Okay." I clicked off the phone and turned my attention back to Arden and Fawn.

"Matthew checking to see if the ritual worked?" Arden asked.

"Matthew fit to burst from Jonah's baking and in need of rescue," I corrected.

Fawn sighed and brushed her long fringe out of her eyes. "You do know you need to let them go home at some point. They can't live in the Catacombs forever."

"I know. It's just that they're Rafe's only family and I wanted to make sure they were safe. The Iron Moon could have targeted them for retribution for what I did to Nova. They would have been an easier hit than our coven. I don't like the thought of them being unprotected."

"Is all still quiet on that front?"

"So far. I'm meeting with Ingrid later so she'll update me. But for now, with Rafe ruling the demons, Nova dead and my promise to the angels fulfilled, everything's quiet." An orange glow bloomed on the horizon. "Too quiet."