A Shadow In The Ember Series Novels & Stories

I growled, my fists clenching at my sides. I hated the way the full moon made me feel: weak, helpless, out of control. But just as I was about to turn away from the window, something caught my eye. A figure, moving quietly—almost too quietly—near the pack gates. I squinted, my heart skipping a beat when I realized who it was. Ember. “Speak of the devil,” I mumbled under my breath. She was walking with her head down, trying to stay hidden, but there was no mistaking her. Her small body, the way her hair caught the early morning light.

The shadow stepped closer, its form rippling like smoke in wind. “Of the one your soul holds above all others.” The air left Ember’s lungs. Kaila recoiled inside her. No. No. NO. Ember staggered backward, shaking her head. “That can’t be right. You’re lying.” The shadow didn’t move. “It is the law that created your world. Only love strong enough to break you can restore the balance.” “No!” Ember shouted, her voice echoing wildly around the chamber. “There must be another way!” The chamber flickered. For a moment, Ember thought everything might crumble. But the shadow remained steady.

The winds shifted, carrying her words into the night, all the way to Ember Hollow, where Isabella stirred in her sleep, her dreams thick with whispers and fire. ----- A crimson sun loomed over Ember Hollow, casting a blood-red hue across the charred lands below. The air was thick with tension, a silence so loud it buzzed in the ears of those who dared walk the crumbling paths of the realm. In the distance, the spires of the ancient Council Fortress pierced the sky like obsidian daggers, a silent reminder of the power still held by those who sat in the shadows.

she whispered, “don’t let him twist what you’re meant to be.” The room flickered. And for a brief, terrifying second, her shadow moved... before she did. She staggered back. Then the door flew open—Xavier burst in, face stricken. “Ceres—” She raised her head, voice shaking. “It moved without me.” He stopped. “What?” “My shadow. It moved before I did. That’s not the child… that’s something else.” Xavier crossed the room in two strides and knelt beside her. “We’re going to fix this. We’ll find the Emberstone. We’ll sever every thread of his fire. But you don’t face this alone.”

Sebastian found the first one three weeks later. I was working with Maya in the infirmary when he burst in, his violet eyes wild with urgency and something that might have been excitement. "I found one," he said without preamble. "A Shadowborn descendant. Young. Untrained. Completely unaware of what she is." My heart stuttered. "Where?" Northern territories.

Facing the camera, I spoke calmly, “No one loves me anymore, and I don’t have the courage to go on living. Fine. You can all just think of me as weak, but don’t worry. I’ll make sure to record everything. Even if I die, I won’t let them get away with it.” In the video, I crouched by the shore of Exile Island, holding a sharpened piece of bamboo. Again and again, I struck it against a rock. My hands soon became a bloody mess, but I felt nothing. It was as if I had gone completely numb. Someone in the audience cried out, “What is Jacob doing, sharpening bamboo like that? He’s not thinking of ending it, is he?” “After everything he’s been through, it wouldn’t be surprising…”

Every step hurt deep into her bones. Her body was still recovering from the bond severing. Her heart was still bleeding from the betrayal. Marcus had replaced her. He has planned it all along. Isla had betrayed her. Her best friend had stolen her life. Her mother had chosen someone else's children over her own daughter. Sera had framed her. Elder Theron had sentenced her. And Lyra had no idea why. She hadn't poisoned those children. She'd never even seen them before that day. Someone had planted that vial in her bag.