Page 24 of Shadows Lost (Remnant Archives #1)

“ F ind her, keep her safe!” I commanded my shadows. Terror seizing me for a brief moment before I shook it off with a hiss. “Nothing happens to her, you hear me? Nothing! I’ll look for Emon.”

The shadows swirled once before popping out of existence and my eyes narrowed on my new destination.

Pushing off the seafloor, I raced through the water, this time forgoing the acrobatics and tightening down my scales to reduce any drag that may have slowed me down—my time here while I was a faeling finally coming to fruition, no doubt manipulated by my mother. She knew I would need it one day.

If I was lucky the shifter was unable to escape the seductive sirens of the sea and would still be tangled in the arms of impassioned females.

He was a tasty morsel compared to the lean water fae males here and many would have fought for his attention.

It was foolish for me to leave him there all alone with no defense against their seductive nature.

Something heavy pitted in my stomach and for a moment I slowed to analyze it.

Goddess, did I actually care what this shifter did and who he did it with?

Shaking my head, I sped back up, stretching in the water and flattening my scales more.

I had no time to think about such things… nor did I deserve them.

“Remi, darling!”

I reared at the sudden appearance of my friend, somersaulting backwards to stop myself from crashing into her.

“Kira!” I gasped and then gave her a wide fake smile. “I’ve been looking for my pet beast. Have you seen him?” I eased the fluttering of my gills and the pounding of my heart. Relax, stay relaxed.

Kira’s rose colored eyes flashed with irritation and jealousy. “Trust me Remi, your pet is being well taken care of.” Her voice was coated with her siren power and I felt the intense need to believe her.

I shrugged off her call with more effort than I usually needed. Something was amiss.

Engaging my sight, I wavered calmly in the water while alarm heightened all my senses at the burgundy shadows swirling viciously through her— feeding her.

I arched my brow. “If that is so, then you wouldn’t mind taking me to him. He is mine and we must take care of our pets. You of all fae would agree and want the same, I’m sure.”

Kira pouted, anger simmering beneath the surface, seen only by the intense flutter of her gills.

“I was hoping to have some time alone with you but of course I can take you to him.” She clapped her hands together.

“I have a perfect idea. On the way, I want to show you something I know you’ll be surprised by! ”

Playing, she was playing me. “Lead the way then, old friend.” I waved my hand, indicating I would follow her.

“You won’t regret seeing this. I know it.” She grinned and swam forward, back towards where I had just come.

I took one last glance at the festival before following her. Music still amplifying the water in the distance. The shifter, although incompetent at being a water fae, was very powerful. I prayed it would be enough to keep him alive this time.

Following Kira, I half listened to her prattling about her city and reminiscing about our faeling days while I cataloged my surroundings, searched for shadows, exits, creatures of the deep, knowing that we both were playing a foolish game the further we got from the city…the further we went alone .

“Remi darling! Aren’t you listening?” She cuddled into me, stroking my arm.

I resisted the urge to shake off her cold manipulative touch, I could feel the disease of that burgundy power clinging to her.

It was the opposite of Emon’s, who always felt warm and safe.

“I apologize. I am unused to and unpracticed at socializing.”

She nodded. “Almost a hundred years, Remi. Where have you been all this time? Why did you not come to me?” Her fingers tightened on my arm.

I squeezed them back but did not answer, recognizing the looming darkness in front of us. “Shen’s Wall!” I breathed and pulled away from her, gazing at the monstrous mountains that split the entire ocean in half.

“I was hoping you’d remember.” Her voice sounded almost hopeful.

“Of course! A wall that is not a wall. A true mirage created by the ancient water dragon Shen. It splits the entire ocean in two, dividing us from The West Isles. So powerful that many who cross it are never the same again. How could I forget such a thing?”

Kira laughed coldly. “You would remember it that way. Nothing but history and a wall. But I think of it much differently.”

My gaze darted towards her stoney expression, hurt flashing in her pink eyes before disappearing completely.

I frowned.

Kira snickered at my confusion. “You never cared about me, did you Remi? If you did, you would have remembered what this place truly was for us.”

My eyes widened, fully understanding now.

“This was where we shared our first kiss.” I looked around, remembering how we sat beneath the looming wall, two friends separated by land and sea but inseparable all the same.

I shook my head. “Kira, we were young, curious, and exploring the world together. Just because I never pursued you in that manner, did not mean I never cared for you.”

“You always do that!” She cried and pointed her finger at me. “Acting innocent, never taking responsibility for your actions, the fae you hurt around you! Like Morta, like me! But this is the last time I will allow that to happen! I gave you your chance to remember…to remember us. ”

My back straightened and I flexed my powers. Thankful for the wall casting hundreds of shadows around me. I narrowed my eyes on my former friend. “That sounded like a threat, Kira.”

Kira’s pink braids jostled while she laughed again. “Oh it is Remi. It is.” She waved her hands and water swept in front of me, uncovering a still form buried beneath the sands. Electric blue hair beckoned me from the lifeless being.

“Bay!” I crouched down, sweeping her hair back from her petite face, my hands stilling at her large deadened eyes staring blankly at nothing.

She was gone.

Rage, rather than sadness, trembled deep inside of me and my hands shook as I closed her beautiful electric blue eyes forever.

I breathed deep, schooling my face. “You killed her?”

She leaned in with a scowl. “I didn’t kill her, Remi. You did. Because of you, she was sacrificed. For this!” Snatching her hand up, a red crystal shot through the water and Kira caught it quickly. The burgundy power around her brightened.

Swimming up to meet her at eye level, I scrutinized her. “That’s a blood crystal.” Glancing down at Bay, the pieces fell into place. “You drained her life force with it to use it, didn’t you?

“I am merely the repercussions of your actions. You forced my hand. Bay’s death and the crystal.”

I shook my head. “You sound just like her. Are you working with Deirdre, is that what this is all about?”

Kira laughed and she flexed her power, the crystal pulsed in her hand. “You would think that wouldn’t you? You think so lowly of me and my abilities that you cannot fathom that this plan is all my own.”

I crossed my arms, gathering the shadows below me. “You told the queen the crystals were destroyed with Atlantis.”

Kira giggled. “Yes, some of them were but not all. And I did not say all, Remi darling. You are not the only clever fae around.”

“You should have left it where you found it. They were stolen from Sanguine lands, Kira. Only the blood fae knew how to use them properly without causing death. The last time a water fae attempted to unlock its power, Atlantis was lost and fae were killed, including your family!”

She smirked maliciously at me. “You would know how that feels now, wouldn’t you? ”

I reared back and pulled the shadows up from the ocean floor, they crawled upwards like ink spreading in the water. “Careful Kira....”

Kira snorted at my display and circled me.

“Tell me, was your vengeance for your family sweet? Was it exhilarating? Destroying our capital, killing our queen, murdering thousands of fae all to avenge your family.” She smiled at me dreamily.

“I myself have dreamed about such deeds, yet never to the capacity that you achieved. No, I only blamed one person for my family’s deaths, not thousands. ”

Clenching my teeth, I growled. “My mother had nothing to do with your family's deaths, Kira. They were greedy, they wanted to use the blood crystals for their own gain as well as the war…it destroyed them.”

Deep crimson anger burned into Kira’s eyes.

“It was on your mothers orders that they stole them in the first place! You know…I rejoiced at hearing of her demise at first, then quickly realized that she still won. Stealing my revenge by dying!” She screamed shrilly.

The burgundy power pulsed faster around her, excited by her anger.

“So I thought to myself, what would be the next best thing? Imagine my surprise when the golden one shifter practically delivered you at my doorstep! It was then that I knew. You! Your death would be the revenge I need, the revenge thousands of us need now!”

Thrusting her arms up and out, a barrage of water and burgundy power rose to strike. My shadows took the assault, shielding me from the worst of her attack despite the water sending me spiraling through its depths.

Gasping, I dropped low, thrusting shadows outward, cutting through the water and slamming harshly into the burgundy power she shielded with. The blast sizzled against the deep red power and started to grow in size around her.

“The best thing about all of this is that with your death, the fae will rejoice in my accomplishment in killing you. I will be their hero!” She screamed out, hurling an enormous amount of power at me. “And awarded the throne in return!”