RISING SHADOWS (Shadows Book 2)

Chapter 37

I stayed knelt by Nova's body, long after life had left it with the sea lapping at my knees and my new power tingling in my veins.

Sometime later, the world split open and out stepped the most beautiful man I'd ever seen, despite the blood dripping down his eyes, a bruise blooming on one cheek and a swollen lip.

"Rafe!" I cried, rushing to him.

He brought me close, wrapping his arms tight around me. "I promised I'd find you."

"We can't lose any more time," I said. "They need me."

"What do you need?"

And then I explained to him. I asked him first to take me to the cottage to collect the things I'd need to conduct the ritual at the site of the original sacrifice. What I didn't tell him was that I also gave Angel a quick kiss and snuggle goodbye, and briskly walked the rooms of my tiny cottage, which had been mostly untouched since Gran died. It would be Arden's now.

Then I would make my last visit to Pagnall.

We found Arden fending off a tempest demon. It whipped its scaled tail in a semi-circle, nearly cleaving Arden's head clean off. One after the other I hurled fireballs at it. They gathered momentum speeding towards the demon's shell. My magic pounded with a deafening thud each time before dissipating leaving behind blackened scorch marks and damaged skin. The demon hissed and cried in retreat.

Arden's brown skin glistened with sweat, he panted, struggling to catch his breath. "Thank the Goddess," he muttered in between breaths. "I don't know how much longer we can keep this up, Riley."

I threw my arms around his damp neck and I felt his coil slowly around my back. "You won't have to," I whispered.

Arden's body jolted, his fingers grasping the material of my shirt. He pulled away from me. "No, no. Please tell me you're not going to do it."

I swallowed back my own tears and reached up to cup his trembling face in my hands. "What choice do I have?" I forced a smile at him. "The cottage is yours and I need you to promise to take care of Angel for me, he's going to need you. Tell Fawn goodbye and that she is totally amazing."

Arden's tears flowed fast and free. He looked beyond my shoulder to the angel standing behind me. "And you're just going to let her do this."

"I make my own decisions," I said firmly. "It's not Rafe's choice or yours. By the Goddess Arden, it's not even mine but there's no other way for this to end. The demons will destroy everything and I can't let that happen, I am High Witch of The Obsidian Star, after all."

"Then Nova wins."

I shook my head violently. "She'll never win, band together, support Toby as High Witch." I let go of him.

"I love you," he said, his voice trembling.

"I love you."

"I'll take you to where you need to go," Rafe whispered.

I avoided his eyes, couldn't bear to look at the sadness weeping from them and just nodded to acknowledge that I'd heard him.

Arden rushed to me once more, wrapping his long arms around my body as his own trembled. He bent low, pressing his face into my shoulder.

"If you get snot on my shirt I am going to be incredibly pissed off," I laughed to break my tears. "It has to last me for all eternity."

"We're out of time, Riley."

Rafe slashed the air with his dagger and gave a curt nod to Arden over the top of my head. I mouthed goodbye as I was pulled through the cut in the world and Valestone vanished.