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31. Mysterious Tales
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Emma settled into his embrace, trying hard to concentrate but she was so exhausted. Within the hour she was fast asleep and safe with Matthias protecting her.
She felt a warm blanket wrap around her and his warm kiss upon her forehead.
His whispers penetrated her consciousness, "Sleep tight, my little shadow."
Then nothing but darkness as sleep enveloped her until she walked into a dark room without any windows.
She wrinkled her nose at the stale smell of blood and oh... it was horrible. The cloaked figure raised her head and stared at Emma with purple eyes.
Eyes that penetrated into Emma's soul as she heard, "Child, remember my words. The day will soon
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The Shadow Effect 32. Even the Walls Have Ears
The afternoon was absolutely beautiful as Matthias and Emma walked through the rose garden at the B&B. The bold colors and fragrance of the garden did nothing to soothe their restless souls.They were eagerly awaiting news from Viktor as to the ongoing chaos at the castle. Matthias sensed the anxiety brewing within Emma as he asked, "Emma, how are you? Are you starting to accept me? Our new world?" He watched patiently as she pierced her lips and fidgeted with her hands. Emma pulled away and walked over to the pond before she let out a soft cry. Her knees buckled and she fell to the ground.Matthias rushed to her and whispered, "Is it truly that bad? Am I such a monster that you hate me?"With trembling lips, she looked into his eyes. She fell into his arms, sobbing. Before she could respond, Viktor materialized before them, completely oblivious to Emma's tormented state.
The Shadow Effect 33. The Light Bender’s Spell
Alone in their chambers, Matthias took Emma's hand and growled "Follow me. Hurry!"Emma was scared as they meandered through the castle to the depths below, where the sun never shined and the air was cool and dank."Matthias, where are we going? You are frightening me!" Emma stuttered from fear and anxiety.He barked at her, "You should be scared and let's just hope Katana has already arrived."Watching Matthias frantically pacing this dungeon room, she gasped as she realized where she was and asked, "Matthias, now? Do I use the spell now?""Is this the room that you were in with Katana?"Emma was so confused as she looked at her normally calm mate. His anxious behavior rattled her. "Matthias, what's going on?"Matthias turned to her and used his hands to indicate that she needed to hurry, "Now! Emma, the spell, say it now!""Oh, goodness, how can I remember it now. I am so flustered."Her voice was crackin
The Shadow Effect 34. The Fire Within
Matthias leaned in and kissed Emma, who desperately tried to push him away.Breaking the kiss, Matthias heard Emma's protestations, "Matthias! What have you done? They could attack while we are at our weakest!"He smiled at her and cast 'My little shadow, it's best to do this quickly and we have the best protection. Viktor is my best friend and Katana is the strongest light bender in the world.'Tears were streaming down Emma's face as she whispered, "Then take my blood.""Yes. Let me see your arm," he said as he watched her steely determination. He knew that she was in tremendous pain and this would weaken her further.Quickly he cut her wrist and took her blood and then sealed the wound. The im
The Shadow Effect 35. The Fireball
Viktor was screaming for help.His clothes were on fire and his skin was starting to burn. He fell to the ground, rolling around, trying to stop the spread of the fire before he needed a legion of souls to heal.His eyes caught Matthias' before he landed but suddenly a loud rushing fireball raged overhead.Viktor watched as Emma and Matthias tried to dodge the fire, but they were too late. He was helpless as the fire surrounded them, fearing for the worst as the couch and curtains set on fire and crawled up the walls and fanned across the ceiling.Smoke started to billow throughout the room but there was no movement from Emma and Matthias. Not a sound.Yet he
The Shadow Effect 36. Hidden in the Shadows
"My little shadow, just be yourself and all will be fine." Just as Matthias finished speaking Viktor fell into their room with a raging fireball chasing him down the hall. With barely enough time to react, Matthias managed to release a charm of protection around both of them. Emma tried to scream but he covered her mouth and told her to fade. Hidden in their Schatten forms, they remained within the illusion while Katana used her magic to put out the fire. Watching William scoop up a severely burned vampire, Matthias turned to Emma and whispered "He'll survive but will act like a baby as he recovers. We need to go into hiding before we have a definitive answer on who was behind the fire, although I think that I kno
The Shadow Effect 37. Banishment
Matthias and Emma turned to Katana and nodded before throwing open the door to Carsten's chambers. Without a word they entered along with the security team. Glaring at his brother, Matthias started to brutally search Carsten's memories for any signs of past betrayal and future plans. At first, there was nothing to find, but when Katana and Daan joined forces, the cracks in Carsten's shield fell away. Carsten was fighting them off but eventually he lost the fight and betrayal plot after betrayal plot was revealed. Numb to the deceit, Matthias gritted his teeth and continued watching memories of Carsten talking with James about how beautiful Alice's death was orchestrated. Learning that James had paid Anders to follow Alice and torture her once she was alone in the woods. The original plan was just to harm her but killing her, well... James was proud of himself, knowing that without a mate, Matthias would not
The Shadow Effect 38. The Appearance of Sleep
Pacing the room, Matthias was highly agitated. It had been hours since Emma passed out into a trancelike sleep. Her breathing was steady and her heart rate normal, but he couldn't understand why she wouldn't wake. Finally he sat down on the couch next to her and held her hand in his, rubbing it and trying to get a reaction from her, but nothing. Absolutely nothing! By the time Katana walked into her room, he was seething mad. She tried to sooth him but nothing short of releasing Emma from her trance would suffice. Katana's words, no matter how kind or reasurring would help. She still tried, "Matthias, she will be fine. Morgan has her now and is imparting important lessons that she will need to survive these coming trials. Please take comfort in this." Turning towards her he growled, "Then tell him to release her! I want my mate back." "Hush now! When he's good and ready he will release her. There
The Shadow Effect 39. Broken Vows
Standing in her room, she looked out over the castle grounds and she could still smell the stench of the smoke that clung to everything in the castle from the curtains to the bedding. The mirrors were covered in a black film and the raging fire was burned into her memory. The screams and chaos that ensued as Matthias disappeared left everyone scrambling to find him and his precious mate, but not everyone was playing the same game.As her eyes wandered across the beautifully landscaped gardens and the picture perfect world created for the elite Schatten, rage built up within her and she wasn't sure if the darkness or the light would win over her heart.She clung to the pillow with Daan's scent and took a deep breath, knowing the way her mate touched her and electrified every part of her when they made love, she was confused. Completely and utterly confused. She wanted to hate him and not love him. She wanted to kill these miserable Schatten out of vengeance that stemmed
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The Shadow Effect 52. Shadow Forces
The cobwebs of sleep kept Emma tethered between the dream world and reality, under the covers in their bed. She could hear the fire roaring in the fireplace, and the aroma of the coffee finally tempted her to open her eyes and reach for the hot elixir waiting for her on her nightstand. She breathed in the hazelnut scents and sighed in utter contentment, just as she wondered where Matthias had disappeared to. Before she could take her first sip of coffee, she heard a noise outside on the balcony and wondered if he was relaxing. With that thought in mind, she placed the coffee and hopped out of bed. She slipped into a pair of cozy PJs and grabbed her coffee, taking her first sip of the day. Suddenly, Emma felt like she was on fire from the inside out as the poison worked through her system. Desperately she clawed at her throat and tried to tell Matthias that she needed his help. Before he could reach her, the shadow found her instead, smothering her face with a pillow and holding it th
The Shadow Effect 51. Captured
Searing pain raged through his body as the tip of the knife pushed into his chest. The wound wasn't yet fatal, but if she continued on her path of destruction he would most certainly fade to the netherworld within the next few minutes. Screaming in agony, he begged "Please! Stop! I have done nothing to deserve this!"Her laughter filled the room as she just held the knife in place, twisting it ever so slightly. Suddenly she pulled the knife out and traced the edge of the blade down his leg. Carsten tried to move away, but the chains left him little room for movement. His eyes opened wide, when he realized where she was holding the blade and he watched as the tip of the blade was once again ready to inflict more damage to his already broken body.He continued to plead and beg for her to stop torturing him to no avail. After she inserted the blade in several locations throughout his body, she took out other instruments of torture. Before she used any of the instruments on him, she
The Shadow Effect 50. Rekindling Brokenness
Fading from the library they traveled to their room, as their passion continued uninterrupted. Soon their clothes were falling around the room as they made their way towards their bed. They desperately desired each other and stayed under the covers until the morning light signified that they needed to face their responsibilities. Matthias whispered, "Emma, I love you for who you are and just the way you are. You don't need to change to earn my love. I want you to understand that. If you refuse your place as an Elder and we pass that responsibility onto another family, it will not change my feelings towards you. Likewise, if you decide to face my parents and their training and take your place by my side next month, then I will be proud to rule with you. I just don't want you to be pressured into having to take on this role in order for me to love you."Emma just looked at him and remained silent for some time before finally replying, "Matthias, I now understand the bond of mat
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The warm water of shower cascaded down around her as she thought about the last few months. An unfortunate realization took hold. She was immature and she was an emotional wreck and if she was going to lead her people with Matthias by her side, she was going to need to start to behave in a manner befitting her station in life. A smile took hold as she also realized how much he loved her; truly loved her and she was going to be safe by his side, in this new world that was now her world too. She needed to learn to accept this world, their world.In that moment, watching the suds swirl around the drain before they disappeared, she decided that she was going to stop being angry at Matthias and give her heart to him freely and without boundaries and borders, rules and demands. She was going to love him the way her heart had longed to love him over the last few months, now realizing the power of the mating. It was irresistible!She had been harsh and demanding with her words
The Shadow Effect 48. A Twist of Fate
The campers started to pack up their campsite the next morning and Carsten controlled the idiot's actions so that he would leave him food. He was too weak to fade and fly long distances and or to remain in his shadow form for a long journey. So, he decided to stay in the park for a few more days, surviving off of food and blood from the unsuspecting campers.It was a great plan until the torrential rains came and he was left outside in the elements as he watched the campers packing their wet gear and taking off and within the hour the campground was deserted. He decided to fade into a large van and hide in the back until the group arrived twenty minutes later at the security gate. He left the van and made his way into the tourist trap, souvenir and general store. He appeared in the bathroom and then walked out, pretending to look around at the clothes. He picked up a new outfit and walked over to the cashier, who cut off the tags and wrapped the Rocky Mountain sweatshirt and
The Shadow Effect 47. Lost in the Woods
Watching his hands start to fade, he felt the pull and the disorientation that followed. It was as if his body was flying through a vortex, as images of his past life were stolen from him. Memory after memory disappeared from him regardless of how hard he tried to retain his past. The harder he tried to cling to those he knew, the harder it was on him as he screamed obscenities at Matthias until all memories of him were erased. He traveled through the darkness silently once his past was erased completely then his broken body slammed into the hard unforgiving earth. The air was sucked out of his lungs, as he heard his ribs snap and he remained motionless for what seemed like hours. Alone, somewhere in the world, he was lost and couldn't remember anything about the long and privileged life that he had lived. He could not recall a face or a conversation from his life, nor could he remember ever being loved or the fact that he loved. It was simply all gone. As he looked
The Shadow Effect 46. The Elders
Matthias stood in the doorway of their temporary chambers and was stunned into silence at what he was witnessing. How in the hell did this happen? He would never in a million years anticipated what his eyes were registering. His mother, his stern and ancient mother, was standing in the middle of his living room, with Emma in her arms, consoling her as her little frame shook from the tears that continued to stream down her face. Emma was inconsolable regardless of what his mother said to her, as she was trying, really trying to show compassion."Emma, darling. This world is cruel and sometimes these things must happen. Matthias is correct, my dear. Viktor has been with him through all of the twists and turns in his life, but his own brothers betrayed him. He could not have let Viktor fade. They love each other too much for that and their friendship is ancient and strong.""But he sucked his soul..." she managed to say through her tears but added "It's not right to take
The Shadow Effect 45. Resistance at the Border
The echo of voices rang through the valley as swords clashed and voices shouted orders. The battle was in full force as Matthais and Emma appeared at the edge of the skirmish. Before entering the fray, Matthias held Emma back to assess the situation. Viktor was a bloody mess, but he wasn't sure if it was his blood or the blood of those he had already defeated. Daan was in a fierce battle and Katana was silently using magic to stem the wrath of the Toten and tilt the balance of power to the Schatten. Turning to Emma he asked, "Are you ready to unleash the fire bound inside of you?" Emma looked a bit green but replied "All of the training these last weeks, truly doesn't prepare you for this. Does it?" Matthias felt his heart sink as he looked at his mate, afraid yet somehow exhibiting her newfound strength. "Emma, it is never easy to face your enemies in battle, no matter how much you prepare. We will go in with our fire, to push them back and into a circle of
The Shadow Effect 44. The Gloaming
Several weeks later...mere moments that seemed to fly by without a private moment with her mate or time to relax alone for there was just too much for her to do. She felt inadequate and not up to the task but she muddled through daily with Matthias by her side.Suddenly Emma was thrown into a leadership position in a new world that she was so unprepared for. She was helping to run the castle and preparing for the arrival of the remaining Elders, including Matthias' parents. She was certain that their visit would not be a pleasant one, as Matthias would be investigated for all that occurred over the last month.There was no joy in all that surrounded her and she so wished for the simple days when she was just mad at him for turning her and their alone time. She so longed to be in his arms and problem free, but she wondered if this castle would ever know peace after all of the tragedy that occurred.Betrayal after betrayal.Emma was still thinking a
