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36. Hidden in the Shadows
"My little shadow, just be yourself and all will be fine."
Just as Matthias finished speaking Viktor fell into their room with a raging fireball chasing him down the hall.
With barely enough time to react, Matthias managed to release a charm of protection around both of them.
Emma tried to scream but he covered her mouth and told her to fade. Hidden in their Schatten forms, they remained within the illusion while Katana used her magic to put out the fire.
Watching William scoop up a severely burned vampire, Matthias turned to Emma and whispered "He'll survive but will act like a baby as he recovers. We need to go into hiding before we have a definitive answer on who was behind the fire, although I think that I kno
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Matthias and Emma turned to Katana and nodded before throwing open the door to Carsten's chambers. Without a word they entered along with the security team. Glaring at his brother, Matthias started to brutally search Carsten's memories for any signs of past betrayal and future plans. At first, there was nothing to find, but when Katana and Daan joined forces, the cracks in Carsten's shield fell away. Carsten was fighting them off but eventually he lost the fight and betrayal plot after betrayal plot was revealed. Numb to the deceit, Matthias gritted his teeth and continued watching memories of Carsten talking with James about how beautiful Alice's death was orchestrated. Learning that James had paid Anders to follow Alice and torture her once she was alone in the woods. The original plan was just to harm her but killing her, well... James was proud of himself, knowing that without a mate, Matthias would not
The Shadow Effect 38. The Appearance of Sleep
Pacing the room, Matthias was highly agitated. It had been hours since Emma passed out into a trancelike sleep. Her breathing was steady and her heart rate normal, but he couldn't understand why she wouldn't wake. Finally he sat down on the couch next to her and held her hand in his, rubbing it and trying to get a reaction from her, but nothing. Absolutely nothing! By the time Katana walked into her room, he was seething mad. She tried to sooth him but nothing short of releasing Emma from her trance would suffice. Katana's words, no matter how kind or reasurring would help. She still tried, "Matthias, she will be fine. Morgan has her now and is imparting important lessons that she will need to survive these coming trials. Please take comfort in this." Turning towards her he growled, "Then tell him to release her! I want my mate back." "Hush now! When he's good and ready he will release her. There
The Shadow Effect 39. Broken Vows
Standing in her room, she looked out over the castle grounds and she could still smell the stench of the smoke that clung to everything in the castle from the curtains to the bedding. The mirrors were covered in a black film and the raging fire was burned into her memory. The screams and chaos that ensued as Matthias disappeared left everyone scrambling to find him and his precious mate, but not everyone was playing the same game.As her eyes wandered across the beautifully landscaped gardens and the picture perfect world created for the elite Schatten, rage built up within her and she wasn't sure if the darkness or the light would win over her heart.She clung to the pillow with Daan's scent and took a deep breath, knowing the way her mate touched her and electrified every part of her when they made love, she was confused. Completely and utterly confused. She wanted to hate him and not love him. She wanted to kill these miserable Schatten out of vengeance that stemmed
The Shadow Effect 40. The Iron Chains
The iron chains that bound his wrists fell to the floor of the vault and he sighed in relief as he rubbed his sore wrists to start his blood circulating again. Trying to stand up, he was wobbly from lack of food and sleep, but the shadow standing before him, helped him to steady himself and regain his balance. He reached out to this beauty standing there and leaned in to kiss her sweet lips, whispering "How have you broken their defenses, my love?" "You have taught me well and I used the illusion charms that we have so often practiced. As I found my way down here, I took out a few soldiers but they were not on our team anyways," she replied in a cavalier tone. His eyes roamed around the vault to ensure that they were the only ones contained within the walls of the vault, but then he turned to her and questioned, "Did you send them to the netherworld or place them in a deep sleep?" She smiled wickedly at her mate and the evil in her eyes became fully a
The Shadow Effect 41. A Soldier's Dilemma
He could feel her will to live sleep away as he held his hand over her mouth, but somehow he just couldn't go through with it.Not yet.He released her mouth and heard her gasp for air. It was all she could do to recover, for she was still trapped within her deep sleep.Their eyes came into contact and he snarled at her silver eyes, "Traitor. You will be the ruination of Daan and he should have banished you upon learning that you are his mate. But I will do what he is incapable of doing."Janna's eyes looked to and fro, but she couldn't scream for help or signal Daan that she was in trouble for their connection was broken as she laid there unable to move or communicate.She was frozen from her mate and this soldier knew that she was helpless.He leaned in again and softly whispered, "No one is coming to help you. No one wants you around. You are a traitor to the Toten and to the Schatten and for that you shall die this very evening."
The Shadow Effect 42. An Evil Twist
Matthias banged his hand upon the table and said, "I already know the potential consequences of my behavior but James was found to be guilty of treason against both of my mates. I had every right to yield that punishment and I will face the ire of their wrath upon their visit!"Viktor was just about to speak out and suggest another path when Daan burst through the door and without preamble exclaimed, "Matthias, some of the soldiers are planning on finding Carsten and bringing him back to take over the castle and stop your reign as an Elder. You have not ended the conspiracy and betrayals surrounding you."Matthias felt like all of the air was emptied from his lungs. Their soldiers too. How far did this conspiracy go? Who else was involved? He ordered all of the soldiers to be brought to the training grounds and they would be investigated immediately.He quickly quelled any protestations as to his methods and his investigation yielded results. Another ten soldier
The Shadow Effect 43. The Secret of the Knife
The horror of the words Matthias spoke cut like a knife into his fractured soul. He would break without Janna by his side but he could not push back against the punishment for he too would be banished or... He didn't want to think about the alternative. Not now. Holding Janna tightly in his arms, he looked at her and whispered, "I will be waiting for your return my love." Before she spoke, he heard her gasp and watched helplessly as the blood started to form in her mouth. Collapsing to her knees, Daan kept her from hitting the ground hard. His heart started to pump so hard that he thought that he was going to die, at the sight of the knife sticking out of her back. He screamed, "Janna! Janna! WTF is going on? Stay with me! Don't leave me!" Daan was in shock and lost his composure when he watched her start to fade in front of his very eyes. He felt Viktor pull him away from her and watched Matthias place Janna gently on the ground, with the knife still in her
The Shadow Effect 44. The Gloaming
Several weeks later...mere moments that seemed to fly by without a private moment with her mate or time to relax alone for there was just too much for her to do. She felt inadequate and not up to the task but she muddled through daily with Matthias by her side.Suddenly Emma was thrown into a leadership position in a new world that she was so unprepared for. She was helping to run the castle and preparing for the arrival of the remaining Elders, including Matthias' parents. She was certain that their visit would not be a pleasant one, as Matthias would be investigated for all that occurred over the last month.There was no joy in all that surrounded her and she so wished for the simple days when she was just mad at him for turning her and their alone time. She so longed to be in his arms and problem free, but she wondered if this castle would ever know peace after all of the tragedy that occurred.Betrayal after betrayal.Emma was still thinking a
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