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The flames at my core now had ice along the edges and crackled with a searing darkness.
It took everything in me to control the flames, to not set fire to the world in my rage.
It was because of this rage that my parents allowed me to return to Blackthorn Academy for my third year. They knew, as I did, that I needed what the Academy could teach me, now more than ever.
Control.
Power.
Knowledge.
My parents were certain the professors at Blackthorn could help me gain control of my beast.
Iwas certain thestudents could.
Specifically, one of my suite mates, Kasima Smith.
Kasi was the last surviving shadow-beast in the world. Even better, she had a shadow-cat familiar, so I knew if anyone could teach me about the shadows writhing at my core, that twined around my leopard, it would be Kasi.
Even better, Kasi, more than any other person I knew, would understand the sheer rage that boiled inside me.
Kasi’s entire species had been blamed for the actions of Zowen, who it turned out, wasn’t even a shadow-beast at all, though he’d been mated to one and in the aftermath of her death, had gone insane.
He’d become a serial killer, wreaking havoc through the known realms, buthad also, behind the scenes, manipulated the ones in power and orchestrated the genocide of shadow-beasts everywhere.
Somehow, though, two hundred years later, Kasi was born, and a couple decades after that, Lydrel Zowen returned.
Suddenly, where before there had been none left to walk the shadows, now there were five of us.
Kasi and her familiar, Shadow.
Kasi’s mate, Jahrdran, who’d gained access to the shadows through their mating.
Zowen, who by all rights, should be long-dead.
And me.
I had nightmares about being dragged back into theshadows, about Zowen coming for me. I dreamed I could hear his voice, whispering in the darkness, promising his shadows were on their way.
Sometimes I dreamed that I, too, was nothing but shadows, without form or substance, just wandering the world as a wraith.
And sometimes, even when awake, I imagined my body was dissolving into shadows, my hands turning wispy gray, my feet disappearing as the shadows climbed my form.
Those visions terrified me.
I feared the shadows had corrupted my leopard and me, that we would one day become something worse than even Lydrel Zowen.
This was why I’d insisted on coming back to Blackthorn Academy and whymy parents had agreed.
Because if there were answers, if there was a way to stop the madness, I’d find it here.
So I’d spent the last few weeks of summer catching up on my school work and studying for exams. I returned to Blackthorn a full week early, so that I could sit for those exams.
It made for a stressful start of the year, but since I’d just received word that I’d passed to the third year, I suppose it was worth it.
“Mikaela!” Jasmine squealed as she barreled from the bathroom that separated her room from mine. “You’re here, you’re here!” She threw her arms around me and hugged me tight. “I was so worried about you.”
I hugged her back, tearsburning in my eyes.
