Page 48 of Shadows Lost (Remnant Archives #1)

D rey, the baker of Griffins Gateau, turned out to be the most gigantic shifter I had ever seen with the skittish nature of a bunny.

The terror in his eyes when he saw me was a reminder that no matter how accepting Emon was of me, I was still the feared monster to most. I had quickly given the shifter king my order and excused myself from his shop to wait outside.

I couldn’t hold it against him though. Drey was a goddess damn good baker—my lips smacked when I sucked the delicious cherry and cream cheese hand pie from my fingertips, swiveling in the chair that occupied the king's breakfast room.

“Oh to be that pastry right now.” Emon’s voice was gruff sitting beside me.

Still living in my own personal dream world, I sucked one of my fingers teasingly, humming around the digit purposefully.

The shifter king made an indistinguishable noise. Somewhere between a choking sound and a whimper in the back of his throat. “Cruel, little umbra. Very cruel.”

I snickered, wiping my hands, and patting my bare happy stomach. “Why are we here? Better yet. Why am I here?”

Emon tilted his head and drummed his strong fingers on the polished wood table. I forced myself to look at his painfully handsome face instead of his sinfully bare chest.

“I’d like the pleasure of introducing you to my inner circle personally, despite you having met most of them already.” He seemed deflated by that fact but it did not last. Jumping out of his chair, he peered at the doorway. “Here they come now!”

“Emon!” Squealed the young shifter I met yesterday. Penina laughed and ran to slide across the table in an array of pink chiffon and gold jewelry right into the shifter king’s waiting arms.

Seizing her, Emon spun her around with a tight hug, before setting her down and smiling grandly.

“Good to see you Nina. Remnant, I’d like to officially introduce you to Penina Sythe. Penina serves as my specialty advisor for all things within the city.”

I stood, hiding my surprise at Emon’s affection for the young shifter. A genuine affection like this could be exploited and used against him by any other fae. Without uttering the words, it was a reflection of his trust in me.

Penina’s eyes trailed down my body and her hand settled on her hip. “Why is it every time we meet you are naked?”

I laughed and waved my hand towards the scraps of black fabric I still wore. “Only half naked this time.”

Emon’s eyes narrowed and he growled out, “what do you mean every time?”

Penina snickered.

I extended my hand out to her in greeting. “Pleased to formally meet you, Penina Sythe.”

Taking a calculated risk, I tugged her towards me, drawing a shadow blade from the darkened corner, and stabbed low towards her exposed side.

She responded exactly how I expected her to. Twirling away, Penina slammed her palm down hard on my wrist, forcing me to drop the shadow blade, and I blinked when her dagger fell across my throat .

I smiled, baring my teeth and winking at the shocked shifters. “Advisor you say? I think not…I know an assassin when I see one, your majesty. False truths don’t work on me.”

The king of shifters grumbled under his breath and shook his head. “Withdraw your knife Penina.”

Penina’s pearly white smile lit up her face and she flipped her blade away, skillfully hiding it in her pink chiffon clothing. “I hardly know what you mean, General Dark. I advise my king in many ways.”

“Remnant will do.” I sat down with a swivel. “And you mean you advise him in all things death.”

Penina took the chair, next to me, where Emon had been sitting, and propped her bare feet casually on the table. Every single dainty toe was ordained with gold jewelry.

“Perhaps.” She grinned.

I grinned back at the seemingly youthful shifter. There was more to her than what she allowed everyone to see. Something mysterious and unknown.

I liked it.

Flashbacks of another time forced itself to the front of my mind and I buried it again. Those fae were gone, nothing could bring them back from what I had done.

Emon groaned and scrubbed a hand over his face. “That was my chair.”

The young shifter wiggled her petite frame deeper into the leather. “And you warmed it up for me. Such a thoughtful king.” She reached over and grabbed an apple from an elaborate bowl of fruit decorating the table.

Emon chuckled and shook his head, plopping himself down in the other unoccupied chair next to me.

Penina bit into her apple with a loud crunch and then leaned towards me, her gold pierced brows wiggling comically.

“Did you know, when I was a cub I used to pretend that I was the great General Remnant Dark. I would climb the tallest peak of the Red Caps and race along its ridgeline pretending they were the Nocturnes.”

The Nocturnes were the snowy mountains of my homeland and wrapped around the giant crescent craters that bordered the City of Night. “That sounds like something I would have done. Perhaps one day we can run the Red Caps together. ”

She grinned, her bright smile beautiful in contrast to her mocha skin.

“It’s a good thing you are not her Nina, or else you’d be a traitor to all of fae kind.” I knew that voice. “Your majesty.” Eshe flipped her long blonde hair over her bare shoulders showing off a thin crop top covering her midnight skin, paired with a long flowing red skirt.

It was an outfit meant to entice and I knew exactly who it was for.

I glanced over at Emon who was frowning at his steward in confusion.

“I don’t believe that.” Penina snarled next to me.

Eshe sat with a flourish right across the shifter king. She gave Penina a condescending smile. “The general has a habit of killing whoever gets close to her…I for one would never want to be like that.”

My hand snapped up in front of Penina, who I sensed was just short of launching herself across the table.

I stared into Eshe’s yellow-green eyes. “I do not deny that I have killed thousands of fae in my lifetime as well as that many in a single day. An atrocity I live with but I am what I am.” I placed both my hands on the table and watched the shadows spread across it like spilled ink.

Eshe’s smug grin fell as she watched the shadow creep towards her.

“And who I am is much better than being the ignorant and short minded fae that you have proven yourself to be.” I leaned back and the shadows snapped towards me and swirled up my arms. “We all have our faults I suppose.”

Penina snickered and crunched into her apple. Chewing very slowly and watching her companion compose herself.

Emon raked a hand through his hair. “Despite what her demeanor has been of late.” Emon shot her a warning glare. “Eshe has been and is very loyal to this kingdom as well as the fae within it.”

“Thank you, your majesty.” She purred.

Emon gave her a pointed look. “You know better. Get over whatever the fuck is hanging you up about having the general here and start acting like the fae I am proud of.”

The room stilled and Eshe’s face turned a shade of gray.

Penina bit into her apple with another obnoxious crunch.

Then Eshe bowed her head to the shifter king. “Apologies, your majesty. ”

Another crunch of apple within the awkward silence.

“Who’s the new beauty?”

All of us looked up to see a massive shifter sauntering in, his wide shoulders swinging arrogantly.

Like the king, he wore no shirt and his body rippled with muscle.

Muscle that was a canvas to the inked artwork that covered every single piece of his body that was bare.

Even his head, that was completely shaved, was covered in exquisite artwork.

Obvious silver bar piercings decorated his tapered ears but neither the piercings nor the tattoos were the most striking feature about him.

No, it was his stunning deep purple eyes that glowed bright in the streaming sun.

“Cat got your tongue beauty.” He grinned and folded his arms over his chest.

“My name is Remnant Dark, not beauty.”

“ General Remnant Dark.” Emon corrected me.

My hands fisted in my lap. “Former.” I snapped, not bothering to spare Emon the murderous glare I directed towards his friend. “There is no crown for me to serve anymore.”

A deep rumble emitted from the king. “You forget our alliance so easily, General Dark.”

Violet eyes of a predator, looked between Emon and I with an amused smirk.

“So it’s like that, huh?” He commented dryly, allowing his eyes to trail lazily over my body.

I recognized the look. He was assessing my weaknesses.

I had already done the same. He favored his weight to the left, there was a slight decrease in his muscle girth of the right upper chest, but he made up for it in the light way he stood on the balls of his feet. Ready to pounce at moments notice.

He lowered his massive body into a chair at the far end of the table, his eyes never leaving mine, and leaned back stretching his body on full display.

“It is exactly like that.” Emon snarled, leaning over me. “Knock it off before I’m forced to kick your ass in front of everyone here.”

Bright purple eyes shifted to his king. “You've been gone too long without training, I don’t think it would be my ass that would be getting the kicking, your majesty.”

Penina grinned, her mouthful of masticated apple on full display .

“I’ll be happy to prove it to you later, asshole.” Emon’s claws snapped open and dug into the table.

Bared fangs responded back. “Dickhead.”

“Twinkle Toes.”

The newcomer leaned in slowly with a grin. “Pussy.”

“Good Morning Mistress Dark.” The master healer, Jarquinn Riss, swept inside the room.

Emon straightened quickly back into his chair as did his friend.

“I have just seen our patient and she is doing very well. Still asleep, clearly, but well.” The healer's eyes narrowed on both the shifter king and his friend with reprove, even glancing at Penina who suddenly started to close her mouth while chewing.

“Thank you Master Riss.” I inclined my head to his son that had come along with him, “good morning Quinn.”

Quinn smiled. “Good Morning, Mistress Dark, you look well rested this morning.” He sat next to the sulking Eshe while the healer took a seat next to the purple eyed shifter.

The room was full. Too full . I fisted my hands in my lap, feeling trapped.

Conversations broke out all at once, each one attempting to talk over one another as if they hadn’t been in one room together in a long time. While Emon was the center of gravity drawing them together despite their differences.

I fisted my hands in my lap. The buzzing noise of their chatter being replaced by that familiar roaring once again. Fog clouded my vision and a cold sweat broke out across my temple. My chest seized when I attempted to inhale, finding no air to relieve the gripping tightness.

I needed to leave. I didn’t belong here. I was better off alone.

Always alone.

My legs went numb, trembling beneath the table.

“Breathe.” The shifter king leaned towards me whispering low enough that only I could hear him. To anyone else it looked as if he were exchanging secrets about his friends.

“I can’t. I can’t control it.” The soft vulnerable confession barely whispered across my lips.