Shadow Hunter

oys should have been back by now. Not just hours ago, a day and a half ago. I closed my eyes, squeezi

asion twitching of her fingers. We'd been identical once, right down to the freckle behind our right knee an

everything she could think of to make me change it all back, but I'd liked tinting every hair

me in my life, I

something that made us unique, special. But we weren't special. We were the butt of nature's

yed freaks, caught between the waking world and the one that existed behind our closed eyelids.

balanced her silver ring, a gift from our Mother, on my knee and pulled my g

dry in droves, bringing with them their violet sky and starless nights. They didn't eat, they didn't sleep, they d

to her pulse, hammering visibly through the delicate skin of her throat. It

illith! Wa

I caught one of her trembling fingers, shoving her ring back on. Her eyes snapped open,

ression and trailed off, taking a moment to co

des, it wasn't her fault I'd gone against my better judgement and given in. At least now I wouldn't be stupid en

ng the side of her neck as she sat

n't be th

her finger, slipping it off to pu

h her words. "No

gh she looked fa

ppointment. "Lie down and get some r

till trembling fingers beneath her

't have

who hasn't slept

m f

ut

wards her ring, "and we can't afford you getting run dow

back to me. I put what distance I could between us in the matchbox of a

as steadily growing from a dull thud behind my left temple into a full blown headache. I til

creeping boarder. Two double beds, a cracked cabinet sporting a small radio

o windows had been boarded up with splintered planks of rough wood, whilst the roof, completely intact and free of water stains had

turned violet, heralding the coming terrors, night proofing had become essential to everyone's survival. Light produced an im

s down the side of our motel room. I glanced at my thin fingers, studying the

ay

p at the sound of

iss

to

nk we'll ev

ow we

we're t

find a way t

r long white hair coiling arou

l fin

a ball, hugging her kn

Would you have found h

ing her wet che

ssed by a shade, was our biggest fear. When they took hold of your body they forced you from it, sending your wandering soul to the other world

on him Lills. N

... Begging for help...

Nick. You love him too much

down on her lumpy pill

?" I asked, reco

on

lli

uart," she whispered

my throat. "What about the o

I

lock giving me just enough time to land crouched at Lillith's feet, my body he

ron said, his voice muf

enough to let him and his cousin slip through before he closed it again, bolting it behind him. The second man in was smart enou

n ar

. The thought sent a tingle of unwelcome warmth through me, from its molten start in the pit of my stomach to the tips of my gun gripp

ed his thumb towards Dave. "And do you really t

's Stu

face harde

ow

illing dented tins of food and a spare light bulb onto the ta

r and strode off, slamming t

Fayle, it was a ro

day late and how Stuart ended up dead, shut th

sweet

did, though his brown eyes weren't as hard, nor h

o slow my pounding heart. It wasn't Dave's fault I was ticked at Aaron. Aaron was

e Shade

simple as keeping your lights turned on and avoiding dark corners. But a Shadow Man, someone who'd been taken by a shade? Sure, you could kill

appear into the shadows, lurking there until the next poor soul ventured within reach. It

sigh. "No. He u

h shade and host upon entering the their shared body. Something in perfectly balanced formula temporarily imprisoned the shade and as long as the wounds you inflicted on the human were mortal, the shade shared the sa

hand on Dave's tanned ar

huddled twin and back a

terrors was the most believable. Aaron made it known from the start that he thought there was m

an eye on

to deal with over losing Stuart, but I couldn't let Aaron walk away from me like that. Besides, Dave lived for his mo

ou gonna get

I need to sort thi

demand, but I wasn't about to let him call the shots for

, he never did, but he'd still managed to whisper

snapped back, my hand al

door behind me. I stepped over Aarons discarded clothes and opened

l me what happen

tting the

," I said, watching a river of

ight connections, was worth the conflicting personalities. The other two men had been easy to get along with, but Aaron? He irritated me. Every word, every look, right down to the way he shovelled his food in when he ate. Hi

othing to s

ce, pushing the rising heat with

his fist against the tiles, "I

let me

face me front on. "And what are you going to do? Bring him back

let his tirade get the better of

going on with you and y

g every ounce of restraint I had to

t. That name was for me,

did it w

d, twisting in o

Her," he said, his

n't k

you

I do

know about her in the first place? Only three people on the face

wet hand, "I just killed Stuart for her, and I'll be damned if I l

m angry before, too many times to count but there was more to it this time. Guilt. Fea

s," I spat, feelin

ell sh

" I said again, "but

enough to let me yank fr

of his fingers from my skin. I

ik

Shades have taken. She knew Stu

re ly

the other half to the one that keeps her sane, because every time she takes

ow

n't k

sked, his face twisti

t he

eed to know

nd through his wet hair. "Wha

t, furious with myself for telling him even thi

hade was trying to get information from him, not

ing besides harmless conversations, places we'd stayed, people we'd met. Nothing that coul

d you

the towel hanging beside

eep. Tomorr

you and

a moment, towellin

turning from the

anything fro

not that he was acting any different for it. I breathed out a sigh and scanned the room for Lillith. She was fast as

I didn't want. Share the only other bed in the room with Aaron or sleep on the