In The Shadow Of Lightning Book 2 Novels & Stories

HIS DARKEST SHADE BOOK-THREE ~Prologue~ “Even if you end up hating me for it.” His tone was vicious. “I might scare you,” he continued, his gaze roaming over her trembling form, “but they are far worse—formidable, vicious… and willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want.” He gestured toward her. “Including you.” “Never.” She shook her head, her voice trembling but firm. “I’m not scared of your words. You’re just trying to scare me so I’ll listen to you!”

Smirk sharp as shattered crystal. “Didn’t I give you one just as grand last week? What’s there to envy?” His fingers tightened on her waist, backing her against the wrought-iron pergola draped in jasmine. “Play your part. Don’t slip around Lena. Everything she has? You’ll have it too.” Now I remember. Five nights ago, crimson meteors streaked across New York’s southern skyline, a blood-magic spectacle. He’d texted: “Clan emergency. Working late.”

One moment she was powerless, the bond being stripped away piece by piece. The next, her wolf rose up inside her like a tidal wave. Like a dam breaking. Stronger than ever before. Wild. Ancient. For three heartbeats, Lyra felt power she'd never experienced. Power she'd never even imagined. Power that made the air around her shimmer and ripple. Power that made shadows dance at her feet like living things. Power that made the pack members step back in fear. Helena's face went white. Snow white. Her green eyes widened in recognition and something else.

I could not tell if the water on my face was rain or tears. I had no idea where I was going. I just wandered through the endless night, wrapped in the downpour. Suddenly, a blinding headlight flashed in front of me. The car kept getting closer and closer until I could not keep my eyes open. As the speeding car came at me, a wild thought suddenly crossed my mind. If I just let it hit me, maybe the pain would finally end. I did not move, just closed my eyes and waited for the massive impact to shatter me into pieces. However, the expected impact never came.

Her mother had warned her “The shadows are patient, little flame. They wait for you to falter, then they strike.” She remembered hiding under the bed when men had come, shadows snaking from her mother to protect her, snuffing out light in the corners of the room. She remembered the feeling of power and fear, tangled together like vines, and the first time she had touched her own shadow and felt it respond, a pulse, a heartbeat that belonged only to her. And now Malick. The boy. Who she didn’t trust. And yet, his presence had awoken something in her. Something that hummed in her blood and whispered through her veins. The shadows had recognized him too.

"What did you do?" The mirror shard is gone, its absence a cold ache. "I refused." The dunes shift, revealing a new horizon-a forest of petrified lightning, static crackling between branches. A beacon. A taunt. Lila's laughter fades. The twin suns dip, staining the sky the color of a fresh bruise. We walk. The game, relentless, evolves. --- The lightning forest doesn't welcome-it *judges*.

This time, I didn’t flinch. The book flared in my hands. Light, bright and white, erupted from it, washing over the forest floor. The shadows were erratic as if it as in pain, if that was even possible. It was twisting and writhing, trying to retreat. The figure screamed too, its voice a mixture of rage and fear. “You cannot—she is not ready—” But the light didn’t stop. It surged through me, through the ground, through the forest itself. And then—silence.

Her hands glowed brighter than ever, golden light colliding with the darkness in a blinding surge. But she knew, deep down, she couldn’t hold it forever. The twins’ energy was growing beyond her control… and the shadow was not finished. Elena’s scream ripped through the battlefield as golden light and darkness collided. The twins’ energy exploded outward in a terrifying crescendo. The forest around them shook violently. Both Damien and Zephyr were thrown back, sliding across the ground. And through it all, the shadow stood tall, its eyes burning into her soul. Elena realized — this was only the beginning.

She thinks about my words and seems to understand, but doesn't ask any more questions. We stay on the ridge for what feels like a few hours, just playing games and resting. It feels safe up here, but I know it can't last. I first see the shadows circling in the sky like storm clouds rolling. Within seconds, they start clashing in the sky and send a bolt of lightning through the lake. Lewana screams and dives into my arms. I pick her up and start running. Jace grabs Serena in his mouth and does the same. We know we will only be safe in a cave, but we can't find any. So we just keep running.

I looked back at the pages of the book, wrapping myself more closely in the gray scarf Oliver had given me for Christmas. However, I was not allowed to return to the land depicted in the story from my book, because I sensed a strangely familiar aura that was getting closer and closer to our property. My first thought was mother, because the structure of the aura was very similar, but a few details did not match. I put the book on the table and lifted the blanket from my lap, setting it aside, before giving Oliver a meaningful look. He must have sensed the aura as well, as was already taking Alex in his arms and then walking towards the gazebo, where Oliver sat him down on the bench next to m