Page 55 of Shadows Ascend (Remnant Archives #2)

" W ake up, little umbra. Our daughter is rousing and as much as I love this view, I think it will lead to some questions we are not prepared to answer."

My eyes fluttered open to find my head still resting on the smooth plains of my soulmate's chest. I must have cried myself to sleep once his heart stopped. "Emon?"

"In the shadow so to speak," he chuckled, his voice behind me, no longer rumbling from his body.

My own protested as I pushed my still naked self into sitting, stiff from sleeping on the ship’s metal floor and Emon's body. Slowly, I blinked at the black ghostly silhouette of my soulmate and then back down at his grayed body, then back up to him.

"You have become darkness," I sighed, pulling my knees to my chest and tucking my chin on top of them to assess him.

He looked like the same rugged, beautifully handsome, shifter fae I loved except that his form wavered in shades of black and grays and although his eyes were brighter than the rest of him, the pure golden light that always held my breath hostage was gone.

"For the time being." He tilted his head.

My lips pursed, not sure how to feel. "How long have I been asleep for?"

Emon's ghostly smile returned. "A few hours."

Shimmering between us, my dried clothes appeared and I mumbled a thanks to the enchanted ship's cabin and then quickly dressed. When the last bit of my clothing was straightened into place and my long hair pulled back, Emon sighed.

I couldn't hold back the small smile that twitched at my lips…his sigh heavy with reluctance of my clothed form.

"What have you been doing this entire time?"

He grinned. "Besides watching you sleep?" He shrugged. "I stalked the ship outside, checked to make sure that the sea king hadn't been murdered by the wind, and Riella's pookah hadn't fallen into the ocean—unfortunately that rodent bastard is still aboard."

My mouth opened to speak but was cut off by the tiny voice of our daughter, rubbing her eyes sleepily in the doorway of her room.

"Maedere? Why is father in two places?" She squinted, swiping back the ratted mess of her hair, sending her crown askew.

My mouth opened again but no words came out, how could I possibly begin to explain.

Her eyes widened at my pause and her bronze skin turned suddenly pale. "Is faedere dead?"

"No." The breath rushed out of me and I was quickly at her side, pressing her frightened body into me. "No Riella, he is not dead. This realm is not meant for the living without god blood and so they must fall asleep, remember?"

She attempted to push the crown back into place but it only served to slip further over her eyes. "Like Papa Asher and Penina," she sighed. "I miss them."

"I miss them too." I squeezed her and then guided her back in front of the fire, the shadow of Emon placing logs on it. So he could still interact with his environment…that was good to know. "Come let’s eat something and I will explain more."

Riella glanced up at Emon's nervous shadow. "I’m happy you're not dead, faedere," she said before seating herself in front of the fire where a full spread of meat, cheeses, and fruits shimmered before us, complete with crisp juice and wine.

Emon grinned, his nerves at ease as he sat next to her. "Your strength will never cease to amaze me, my cub." Chuckling, she began stuffing her mouth voraciously with food, crumbs falling into her lap.

Brushing some from her face, I plucked the crown from her head and she stilled. "Eat, I am going to fix your hair while we talk."

Riella nodded happily and went back to her eating.

"Your father," I said, smoothing out her long raven hair, marveling at the silky texture so much like my own, and my heart skipped, knowing how blessed I was to have her, "tethered his soul to the darkness of the shadow fae so that he stayed with us to reach the Well."

She munched slowly on a slice of cheese looking at him thoughtfully. "What do we do with your body?"

Comically, we all turned to look at Emon's corpse-like form, grayed and lifeless. Realizing I had no goddess damn idea what to do with his body, I bit at my lip with my brows rising, looking for answers from my soulmate.

He just shrugged, shaking his head allowing a lock of his hair to fall between his eyes. "The Faerie if I know."

Riella tore off a piece of bread humming and watching the fire. "Just ask the cabin to keep you safe." Shoving cured meats into her mouth she chewed noisily, leaving both of us staring after her atrocious eating habits and quick wit.

"That is—" I began.

"An exceptional idea, my cub," Emon purred, fatherly pride shining in his eyes. Bright shades of gray instead of gold. My chest tightened with the sense of loss and I tried to ignore it.

Sensing my dismay, Emon reached out and brushed my hair back. "It will all be alright, little umbra," he purred, infiltrating my mind.

A bright shimmer behind us drew our attention. The eavesdropping enchanted room anticipated our next needs, lifting Emon onto a golden platform, enclosing it in glass. Gold vines spread from its base, wrapping over it, sealing him in the glass coffin until the time came to return his soul.

I could feel laughter tickling along our soulmate bond.

"Don't even say it." Wry, wry words.

His shadowy brows wiggled, "What if one little kiss was all it took."

I narrowed my eyes on him but before I could respond Riella shoved a piece of bread into his smirking face. "Want some?"

Emon's face wrinkled at the bread just inches from his nose, wet from Riella's chewing with only the crust left behind. I could not hold back my snorting laughter.

"I don't really think I am in need of sustenance anymore, my cub," he said kindly.

Our daughter shrugged, and then stuffed the bread into her mouth. Grinning, I returned to her hair as she chewed thoughtfully, still watching her father. "So what can you do then?"

Emon's brows rose. "So far I have been just floating around waiting for the two most beautiful fae I know to wake up, but…" He cracked his neck to the side and then shifted into his panther…a shadow panther complete with black fangs.

Tying off her braid, Riella swallowed, her mouth falling open to stare at Emon's beast before he returned back to his fae form.

"I want to try!" she cried, jumping to stand, squeezing her eyes and fists tightly to force the shift. When it was clear nothing had changed she peeked one eye open, then the other, swirls of gold and green dimming with disappointment. "I can't do it."

I brushed her braid over her shoulder. "I'm sure you can do it, little one. Your shadow powers have just manifested, it will just take some time for them to become more consistent."

Her fists tightened and she stomped her foot. "We don't have any more time," she snarled. "Faedere is a shadow and Zaki just told me we are almost to The Well. You will need my help and you worry I am not strong enough, that you won't be able to protect me."

Emon and I shared a passing look, and I sighed, seeing the stubborn set of my daughter's jaw—she was too much like me and I knew what I would have done in her stead.

Rising to my knees, I held up the crown of stars, its light casting sparkles around the room, and placed it on her head.

It had kept her safe thus far, I was not taking any chances by tempting fate without it.

"You are very strong both here," I touched her brow and then the center of her chest. "and here. This has never been your weight to carry—but if you feel that it is, then allow your father and I to take the brunt of it."

Emon crouched low, shadows extended from his hands, sending them around her in a tickling fit.

Pulling them back with a large grin at her, he kissed her forehead.

"I agree with your mother. Your job is to laugh and smile daily, that is how you protect us.

For then we shall not worry if we are failing you as parents. "

Riella giggled again when Emon gave her one more tickle, then she sighed, her lip pouting. "I just really wish I could do it."

Sitting back on my heels, I sighed with her, a stabbing pain in my chest at her obvious disappointment.

"Manipulating shadow," I started slowly, thoughtfully, "cannot be done by force, Riella.

Shadows are darkness and like true darkness they have no beginning nor end.

" I called out to casted shadows made by the firelight and twirled them around her in a slow pirouette.

"They are an extension of your wants and needs.

That's how you were able to use them to fight the caoránach.

You had a need to protect your family and you used what was around you. "

I beckoned Emon to come closer. Raising his hand and then Riella’s, I wrapped the shadows around their wrists.

Sliding back away from them, I whispered. "Do not force the shadow to be…use it to extend yourself into what you need."

My soulmate hummed, staring into her eyes, nodding encouragingly. "Feel what it is to be a shadow, my cub. This is what it means to shift as well."

Riella's swirling green and gold eyes brightened with concentration and my breath held when suddenly they stopped, glowing equally in the dim light.

A sudden flash of light, forced me to blink, opening my eyes to see a mewling little panther cub with shadows flowing behind her like continuous flames of darkness.

Emon laughed proudly. "Well done, my cub.

" Grinning he shifted into his own shadow panther form, his massive body dropping low as he purred at the little cub of darkness.

Pouncing, Riella's shadowed form dove on top of Emon's head, batting at him with her little shadow paws and biting at him playfully with tiny black fangs.

I laughed along with them.

Riella had done it! And it was a memory I would never forget. This…this was what it meant to have equal powers of shadow and shifter blood. The first of her kind, the hope of the future…a future that was now imperative, more so than ever before, for me to secure.

It was no longer a choice, it was a goddess damn fact.