Shadow Hunters Read online

  “Be quick,” the guard answered.

  “Of course.” She stepped through the doorway and met my gaze.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “We don’t have much time.” She shuffled me to the back of the hut so the guard wouldn’t hear us. “I needed to speak with you. I don’t know if Brayden’s Instinct is stable.”

  “Why?”

  “When I first studied him in the cave, I could still see the centre of his mind amongst the grey. He was unconscious, so I couldn’t determine anything more about him, but now ...” She looked away. “Now he looks completely different. The grey is so strong, it’s projecting out to me and it’s completely buried his mind.”

  “The Instinct is stronger, but so is he.”

  “No. The grey is overcoming him. It’s getting stronger and it’s weaved so thick through his mind, that I can’t see anything else. It will be present in everything he does, and I’m afraid ... I’m afraid of what that means for you.”

  “If you'd seen him the Valley you would know—”

  She grabbed my hand. “You saw the way he reacted when I looked at him outside the mountains. It woke him up. I’m worried that once your Enhancement starts to grow he'll see it as a threat.”

  I groaned. “I don’t even know if I have an Enhancement. I’m the same as I’ve always been and I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  She checked over her shoulder. “It's there. It's so clear to me and it's changing in your mind already, you just haven’t learnt how to recognise it yet.”

  “I don’t feel any different.”

  “I wouldn’t expect you to, yet.”

  “Then why can't you tell me what you see?”

  “It doesn’t work that way. You need to learn as you go. Anything I told you right now would probably hinder your path.”

  I took a deep breath and exhaled. “Then how can I know what you want from me?”

  “Right now, I came to warn you. First of the villagers and the coming trial. I can’t say too much but be very careful while you’re here. There are people willing to go to extreme lengths to get what they want. Secondly, keep a close eye on your hunter. I know you’re in love with him, but don’t let that blind you. He’s capable of more than you realise.”

  In love with him. Was she right? I hadn't thought so much about the word love, but now that she'd said it, maybe that was truly where my heart lay.

  The guard stuck his head in. “Everything okay in here?”

  Ethel stared at me as she answered, “Just finishing up.” She backed away. “Keep your wits about you, Selena.”

  There were so many things I wanted to ask but she left before I could even form a thought.

  There were times when I’d struggled with Brayden’s Instinct but since he'd helped free everyone at the end of our mission, I had no doubt I could trust him. And I didn’t want Ethel’s words to make me second guess him. He deserved better than that.

  I shook my head. She barely knew him and I had no idea where she got her information from. What made her an authority on the subject? As for her warning about the villagers. I would definitely take that advice on board.

  It took me a couple of hours to settle. My eyes drooped as my thoughts carried me away and sleep crept closer. Just before I drifted away, a shiver crawled up my spine. I sat up straighter. Something wasn’t right.

  I leaned outside the door again and searched the camp, my eyes tracking until I saw two men. They were standing up and where everyone else looked relaxed, they seemed edgy. I squinted but couldn't make out their faces until someone passed them with a torch.

  Ben and Randall. The man who'd attacked Brayden, talking with the man who'd stalked my hut the night of my first trial. Seeing them together made my muscles tighten. Their friendship probably wasn’t that outrageous but something about their demeanour didn't sit right.

  I already knew how far Ben was willing to go and Randall had made various attempts to reach me when I was first placed in this hut. Ethel’s warning rang clear in my head.

  Although there was a guard outside, I positioned myself in the shadow of the curtain and watched them carefully. They talked for only a few more minutes before they went their separate ways. I wasn’t sure exactly what it was that alerted me to their presence but I’d felt some kind of disturbance. It couldn’t be a coincidence, and somehow, I knew that wouldn't be the end of it.

  Hours passed and I jumped at every crack and strong gust of wind. I checked outside the hut frequently but the night wore on and the village became quieter. If they were going to make a move, surely they would have done it by now.

  Gradually, I sunk down to the floor but I couldn’t relax completely. There were too many thoughts rushing through my head. I had no idea who to believe in this place. The sooner I could get out the better.

  Chapter Twenty Two

  I cleared sleep from my eyes, struggling to shake away my building fatigue as Tara quickly swallowed her breakfast.

  “When did you get back?” I hadn't heard her return in the night and I'd spent most of the time awake.

  “Half an hour ago.”

  “You haven’t slept at all?”

  “I work best under that kind of pressure.” Her eyes sparkled.

  “Did you manage to convince anyone to vote for us?”

  “There’s no time to talk about it. We have to go now.” She dumped her wooden bowl and hovered until she was steady on her strong ankle.

  I followed her outside and pulled my shadow into place. Matt was already waiting for us.

  Although I wasn’t going to speak, I still had to sit at the front with the accused, and walking through the crowd was every bit as uncomfortable as the first time. Since I'd transferred into this world there was never cause—other than a trial—to be surrounded by so many people. I found myself longing for the gentle flow of the river and Brayden's company.

  I caught Ethel’s pale eyes as I passed and she gave me a confident nod. The rest of the crowd spoke in muffled voices and I heard my name being whispered through the chatter. I kept my gaze straight ahead and eventually Matt grabbed my hand and pulled me to sit down beside him.

  “She doesn’t look dangerous,” a woman whispered nearby and I couldn't help smiling to myself.

  Everyone fell silent as Wesley stepped forward and announced the trial was about to begin.

  Tara rose and smiled radiantly. I'd never seen her before a group like this but had no doubt of her confidence speaking publically.

  “Thank you all for coming today.” She looked around at her audience, eyes shining. No one would ever guess the trauma she'd just been through. She made everything look so effortless. Her hair was freshly braided and her shadow was stretched around her torso with the hand fanned over her neck. No one would guess she'd barely slept all week.

  “The last time we met for a trial, it was to decide the fate of a man we'd never met. We had to rely on the input from a woman who was also a stranger, and words from a healer that were never meant to be heard. Most of you voted against him but somehow he was freed ...” She laughed with a cheeky smile and surprisingly, people laughed with her. I didn’t know much about her Enhancement, but surely it played a part in her performance right now.

  She turned serious. “Freeing him was the best decision I've ever made, because now I have met him, and he's quite remarkable. This man isn't like the rest of us, I can’t lie to you, but his ability can bring a positive change to our home.

  “I'll explain what I know of him and the journey Matt and I have just returned from with these two friends. But before we get to that, I want you to know we’re not asking for you to let him live in the village. We only propose that an alliance is formed and he's permitted to live outside the village without threat of attack from rebel groups. I’ll tell you everything I can and you can decide for yourselves.”

  No one made a sound as she continued and I found myself so caught up in her storytelling, I almost felt as though
I was hearing it all for the first time. There were gasps when she mentioned some of the more dangerous moments, and as she spoke of my bravery and initiative in rescuing the new shadows, my face turned hot. People stared but it was probably part of her strategy to build me into a person that was capable of leading a hunter.

  “As Selena pointed out before our mission, people are passing into the Valley of the Hunters everyday and without help, most of them will die. We saved four and they were only children, but without us, they wouldn’t have made it.

  “It's a terrifying experience to move through that forest, threatened by the whip cats and giant reptiles, one that you wouldn’t want to endure. But with this man, you won’t have to. He's not afraid and he will go back there and I would happily go with him. He saved my life numerous times and I have complete faith that he'll keep me safe if we choose to run another rescue mission.”

  Eventually she drew to a close and turned back to Wesley. “I'm sure the elders would also like to have a representative speak on behalf of the village.”

  Listening to Tara narrate the last week of my life, I felt we might actually have a chance of winning but when Alana stood beside her to make her opinion clear, my hope dropped. She looked different standing in front of the crowd. She had a vulnerable quality but that only made me more suspicious of the way she behaved when the entire village wasn’t watching.

  “It's great that lives have been saved but we've had this problem before. When people are not yet fully transferred we can't trust them. It's been proven.” She paused for a significant length of time. “Most of you won’t remember that day. But I do. I was fourteen years old, when the man who I'd come to know as a friend, turned into a hunter. There were no clues to suggest what he would become, and we had no way to protect ourselves.”

  She stopped again and took long breaths. “He killed both my parents right in front of me and when I screamed his name, it was his grey eyes that found me. He didn’t remember my face. He didn’t remember telling me bedtime stories of the Origin. Instead, he destroyed my life and felt absolutely no guilt.”

  My vision blurred as Alana’s tears fell to the ground. She was my enemy but I couldn't help the sorrow I felt at hearing her story.

  “It took seven well-trained men to kill that hunter, but his death couldn’t take back what he'd done. He killed two more of our own first. They have no family to stand before you and beg you not to make a foolish mistake. So I'm begging you on behalf of all those who are no longer with us. Don't make this mistake,” she finished.

  I worked hard to keep my emotions in check. It would not serve my plight if I burst into tears from the opposition's speech. Why did it affect me so badly? Was it merely the recent loss of my own family, or was there something stronger at play?

  Wesley requested a minutes silence to remember Alana’s parents and the other villagers lost.

  Tara waited a respectful amount of time before she spoke again, “Alana’s story is a tragic one and I don’t blame her for feeling so passionate about keeping this place safe. But I would like to remind you that we’re not asking for him to live in this village. We only want an exchange of supplies for services.” She bowed her head giving people a chance to compose themselves before she continued. “I’d like to put something to you. Brayden has been wrongfully labelled as a hunter. His eyes are grey. A mark of what Selena calls his Instinct. But he can live without it. I've seen it with my own eyes. His Enhancement comes and goes.

  "When it's present, he moves faster than the rest of us. He can hang from trees using his shadow as a harness and bungee rope. He can predict attacks and he can sense danger. And after this journey, I've learnt how powerful our shadows can be. Here, we use them mostly for clothing, but they can be so much more than that. A weapon, a shield, a rope, the list could go on. And Brayden has mastered full use of this remarkable tool. Something he can teach us.

  "I’d like to ask that you don't call him a hunter anymore. It’s a misrepresentation. This man can move his shadow like a person who's trained with it for years. He deserves a title of his own, so when you speak of the lives he’s saved, you know what to call him.

  “You’d have to see it to believe it. When I first witnessed him in action, I couldn’t help thinking he was the one who could unlock our hidden potential. Brayden’s not a hunter. He’s a shadow dancer. He rescued four shadows from the Valley of the Hunters. When they've completely transferred, they will live in this village with you and you'll be able to say they are the children of the Shadow Dancer.”

  A rush of whispers sounded behind me. I couldn’t tell if they were a positive response but Tara called for them to settle so she could continue.

  “I have such strong confidence in this man. So rather than stand here and give you a rehearsed speech, I call for you to ask questions and choose your own path for this trial.”

  Alana stared at the ground, her shoulders hunched. For once, it seemed she was reliving her own nightmares, rather than calculating the response from the crowd.

  “What exactly can he do with his shadow that the rest of us can’t?” someone filled the silence.

  Tara unwrapped her shadow before stretching it between her hands. “His shadow is no different from mine, which is why the skills can be taught. It's the way in which he moves it, that makes him so unique. It would take me months to master the art of flicking my shadow out to strike an attacker but he can do it without practice. He uses his shadow as armour against the enemy but he can also wrap it around branches and pull the trees down to catapult. The list can go on.”

  “What’s to stop him using these things against us?”

  “He has no desire to.”

  “Where will he live?”

  Tara looked at me first. “Selena and Brayden made a home for themselves on the south side of the village. At least two hours away from here. I’m sure that's where they'd like to return.”

  “Is his Instinct stable though? What’s to say it won’t change in the future?”

  I thought of Ethel's warning.

  “I suspect it will change. It already has. But each day I spent with him, brought him closer to the human side of himself. The longer he lives in this world, the better he'll get to know himself. I think he will develop more control rather than less.”

  “What if you’re wrong?”

  “We’ve always had sentries guarding that side of the village. We'll do the same now. The Shadow Dancer has no desire to come into our village but if he did come within range, the sentries would give you warning.”

  “How can we kill him?”

  My heart seemed to freeze. The question itself was horrible but it was the tone used by the man who asked it that made me feel sick. Someone from the rebel group, surely.

  Tara’s eyes locked on her target before she answered, “Part of the reason you need to accept this man, is because you can’t kill him.”

  She looked away, as though addressing the rest of the group with a different angle.

  “I say this not to scare you but because it's the truth. As far as I've seen, he's indestructible. But most of you will never meet him. However, you will meet the new shadows whose lives he saves. He will be a faceless hero.”

  “Who will regulate the new shadows? What if they do turn into hunters?”

  Tara looked at me as she answered, “I'm willing to devote my time to the transfer of new shadows, as will Selena. They won't be introduced to the village until we're certain of who they are. In time, hopefully we'll learn more about why they become that way.” Tara gestured. “Professor, I’m sure it’s a matter that will interest you.”

  I turned, desperate to find the one person who might be able to help me with unanswered questions. I wanted to see his face. There were so many people but my eyes were drawn to him immediately. A middle aged man with gentle grey curls and at the same time, he found me. He didn’t smile but then he didn’t need to. In the same way I’d felt something was wrong with Alana the moment I met her, I fe
lt something was right.

  Tara smiled, her gaze moving and stopping in regular breaks until she spoke again, “I can see that all your minds are made up.”

  She took a step back allowing Wesley to direct the vote. “There are two choices. We allow this man and his companions to live outside our village without being challenged, or we try and figure out a way to beat the unbeatable. Those in favour of the Shadow Dancer, raise your hands.”

  I was surprised they were taking the vote straight away when Tara told me they were usually taken the next morning.

  A long time passed and still there were no words. I lifted my head to Wesley and found his mouth moving as he counted votes. I squeezed Matt’s hand while we waited.

  A triumphant smile appeared on Tara’s lips and I knew we'd won. My breath fell through my lips but I had to contain my joy. I was smart enough to know our victory shouldn't be flaunted.

  “Then the decision is made and the trial has ended. Finer details of this new development will be discussed between the elders. Plans will be put in place to keep our home safe as we prepare for a time of change.”

  People shuffled from their seats. I didn't look back but I could feel the collective unease of the villagers. They had voted in our favour not because they liked us but because there were no other options. I wasn’t foolish enough to believe an easy alliance had been made. It was going to take a long time to show these people they didn’t need to be afraid but today, we'd taken the first step.

  Alana stared at me with sad eyes. “I hope you prove me wrong.”

  Any hype I'd felt from winning the trial was gone as I pictured the shadowless woman as a scared child, crying in horror during her parents’ murder. Fear could do unusual things to a person. Maybe she wasn’t trying to hide anything. Maybe she just lived in constant terror and my appearance brought it all to the surface.

  “I’m sorry about your parents,” I said before Matt led me toward the cave.

  I started climbing the steps to the cave. I knew Alana wasn't following us back and I didn’t blame her. I turned back one last time.