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For now, I get to toy with them, spot their weaknesses and strengths, and learn for myself instead of what has been told to me.
The creatures are silent; no sound comes from their sharp, smoky jaws as they form, which works in my favor. They will not give away my presence to the Caligo guards. And although I’m grateful for their absence of sound, their silence is dangerous. They have used it to kill under the cover of night, leaving no trace behind of what or who the culprit is.
Another thing the Caligo guards use against us.
They don’t believe the Sidus, only seeing us as distrustful and liars. I doubt they would believe us even if one of these creatures stood before them.
The dark creatures’ assessing eyes could easily blend in with the rest of their bodies, if not for the red tinge that bleeds around them. I feel their darkness as it reaches out to mine, searching for an answer they will not find.
Movement from the wall forces me to change my tactic of discovering more about them and their weaknesses.
A sigh escapes my lips. I am disappointed I will have to make this quick. Delaying their inevitable fates will not help my own if I am caught.
With their heads now fully formed, I pull my darkness around me, becoming part of the shadows themselves. Appearing beside a creature, I shove a dagger into the side of its head before quickly yanking it out. Moving through the shadows, I emerge on the other side of the creature just as a claw slashes across my stomach, making me gasp from the sharp sting.
Gritting my teeth, I let go, letting years of training take over. My mother trained me for this; I just need to let my muscle memory repeat what it has been taught.
I slam my daggers into the creature’s head before twisting and pulling it out. It drops to the ground, dead, before slowly disappearing in wisps of black smoke.
Two down, one to go.
I turn to the third just as it’s about to grab me. I let my arm and dagger become shadows and watch its claw pass right through it before becoming whole again.
Ducking out of the path of its second claw, I grab both daggers and thrust them up through the creature’s jaw, and the tips come out through the top of its head.
Yanking them out, I watch the creature drop to the ground. Its heavy thump and the sound of my breathing are the only things breaking the silence around me.
Glancing over at the guards, I turn back and watch as the creatures take too long to disappear. Placing my daggers back at my sides, I reach out and pull the creatures into the void with me and emerge closer to the shadows at the edge of the wall anddark forest. Using the shadows to conceal us, I wait until they have completely disappeared before moving.
Glancing around once more, I make sure there is no evidence left of the fight. The quick movement sends a sharp burn across my stomach. A hiss escapes my lips as I put pressure on the wound before glancing over at the guards as they laugh at something.
There was no need for me to worry about being seen, as not once did they glance over at the tainted wall. No, to them, the only danger is the Sidus. It doesn’t matter that the Caligo are more powerful, their dark shadows snuffing out even the strongest light from a Sidus.
When the new royals entered their ruling over a decade ago, people born with powers of light were cast aside and seen as the enemy. While the Caligo, people born with power from the shadows, were thrust into positions of high authority, giving them control over the Sidus.
Overnight, a kingdom once full of peace and promise became broken and divided, full of fear and distrust. While the Caligo sit in their houses of grandeur atop the mountains near the palace, with jobs that pay well beyond their needs, the Sidus scrape by below, surviving day to day in structures that could barely be called a home.
I never knew the old king before he passed, but I have heard a great many things about him. He ruled with compassion and kindness. His verdict was always fair. No sides were chosen, and all those in the kingdom were treated as equals.
Once he passed, his three sons decided to rule as one. But they are his complete opposite. They seem to rule with fear and resentment for the Sidus. And although they are neither Caligo nor Sidus but something more, as all royals are, they trust only the cruel Caligo guards to be by their sides.
The Sidus have no say and no power when it comes to the Caligo guards and the royals. The guards have twisted the position they have been given and have used it to their advantage, taking what they want at their choosing. And anyone who dares stand up to them is promised a swift death.
I glance around once more before pulling myself into the void and focus on returning home, emerging from the shadows into a familiar small jagged alley.
Keeping my head down and covered but my eyes watchful, I make my way past the neglected paths and shabby shacks that house the Sidus people. My stomach sinks at how dilapidated some of them are. Most Sidus can no longer afford the luxury a solid roof provides and have been using dirt and cloth to cover them.
Many will move on once the harder seasons arrive, to the other side of the town, where the shadows are not so harsh. Some before, if the guards are feeling bored and want something to amuse them.
I push down the quiet rage building inside me. I know it will do no good to lose my temper. The guards have no compassion, and their judgment is swift.
If I had been caught for what I just did, I would join the prisoners in the palace before an execution the next day. It would not matter that I might have saved lives. The Caligo guards would have never believed me. They only crave power, and anyone who dares defy them and who cannot be controlled should be eliminated.
They can never know what I did or what I am, as my life is worth nothing but death.
CHAPTER 2
Isilently sneak in the window I left ajar for my return. My mother is somehow always able to sense my shadowing, so I need to be careful when using it around her.
