A Shadow In The Wmber Novels & Stories

The evil we were creating, the one we wanted to abolish and everything in between, it would be me. The council of elders were eager to meet, they wanted an update, surety that everything would go on as planned. But I wasn't through yet, oh no, Naomi. I'm not yet done with you. Until you realize the truth for yourself and the vision comes to you, then I will bring the shadow of death just at the right time. Not a minute more nor a minute less. My second had been out for a few days, until they came back into radar. Then I would proceed with the next plan.

"I'm not running any more. I can't. If Morgane's death would not have ended it, then we must confront what comes next. We must end it now for good." Vera's grip on Emereah's arm tightened, eyes wide in horror. "Emereah, don't do this. If you confront it now I must confront it," Emereah interrupted, her tone husky and strained. "I can sense it, Vera. The shadow did not perish with Morgane. It's stronger, more entrenched in this earth than we knew. And if I don't halt it now." She paused, as if she couldn't finish the sentence. The burden of knowledge was a weight upon her shoulders.

I panted, out of breath from running. “A shadow wraith doesn't have an actual body, they move in the shadows. Their one weakness is that they cannot handle light. If you can find a place without shadows, we'll be safe until we come up with a plan.” I looked around, searching for a break in the trees, somewhere out of reach from shadows. There. Just ahead, there was an open space. It wasn't big, just a flat rock that trees couldn't grow around, but it was something. I sprinted at fill force, throwing myself at the rock just as I felt the air at my back shiver. If I were just a second late, I would have been dead.

“We need to warn them. The crow—” A shadow passes overhead. The crow circles, one eye violet, the other gold. *“It’s not over,”* the Shadow whispers in my mind. *“It’s never over,”* I reply. ---

Lucky there’s nothing deep needing stitches. In my grieving and broken state, I begin to feel faint. I let myself go and pass out. Opening my eyes I feel myself transported into another realm. Standing in front of me is my grandmother’s house which stands in front of a looming property which I dare not go near. The “LeFleur” mansion. A place said to belong to my ancestors from centuries ago. A place that continues to haunt my dreams since a child. Something about this place calls to my soul, it pulls me and begs me to return. The house stands in the Normandy countryside. She feels it in the wind and air, she feels it in the depths of the earth, it’s as if a spirit like a piece of me is locke

“Amelia… focus on me. You’re safe. I’m here.” Her lips moved, whispering something he could barely hear: “Go…” The Shadowborn shivered, smoke curling around its enormous frame. For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. Then, with a guttural, almost reverent sound, it collapsed into a pile of mist, dissipating into the night like fog lifted by the first rays of dawn.

“You said you can feel them blocking your power.” Amon was quiet for a moment, like he was deciding how much to tell me. Then: “Shadow manipulation works by sensing the spaces between light and dark. Finding the gaps where reality thins enough that I can slip through. The wards create interference like static in my head every time I reach for that sense. I can still feel the shadows. But I can’t use them. Not yet.” “What changes?”

“Shadow Wolves?” At last, his eyes lingered on me. “Our world thought them extinct. But these signs suggest movement. Stirring in the eastern wilderness. And if they are shadow-marks, it is no accident they appear now.” My hand slid to my stomach, instinctive. Subtle, but Aedan noticed. Beyond the chamber’s murmurs, a chill ran my spine. Memory? No—more. Presence. Something watching from beyond, not here, not now. But dangerously near.

“Shadows are dangerous because they are not overt. They fester quietly, creating instability without notice. Guide perception and behavior without exposing your hand.” I observed interactions closely, noting every nuance. Words were measured, actions deliberate, but small cues revealed hidden ambitions. By carefully framing conversations, emphasizing shared objectives, and subtly redirecting competitive energy, I was able to defuse tension while preserving trust. The shadow remained, but it was contained and monitored.

“Alpha command me, if you think I’m lying, Heath!” He threw me on the ground and paced. “I lost partners today because of one fucking shadow maw.” I rubbed my neck and looked up at Heath with tears stinging my eyes. “Heath, what is a shadow maw?” He looked at me, his body towering over me. “It’s a wolf that is much larger than ours. It doesn’t look like ours either. I went through our database looking for information until I found out what they were. Thalia is a shadow maw.”