Shadow Prince - Chapters 15 and 16

Chapter 15

A giant growl ripples through the area and I wince reflexively, waiting for the Shadow to plow into me. And then… the Shadow lets out a sharp squeal of pain and the thundering footsteps stop, only to be replaced by the sound of another growl, low and rumbling, almost like… like purring.

My eyes snap open to see Arik and the other Shadow brawling violently, slamming into trees and trying to tear each other asunder. The other Shadow - the one that resembles a giant wolf - appears confused, and I recognized the expression. It’s the one Zoe wore the day she found me on the beach, the day I refused to go with her. It’s almost as if the Shadow is saying, "Why is my friend fighting me?" I feel a strong surge of emotion towards Arik’s loyalty, and I can only pray he won’t get hurt. He may be smarter, faster than the other Shadow, but he’s not nearly as big and strong.

Someone grabs me from behind and I yell, turning to hit my attacker, although I clearly have the disadvantage, since I’m on the ground and injured.
"Hey! Don’t hit me!" Amanda screams, letting go of me to hold her arms protectively in front of her face.
I let my breath out and try to calm myself down. Amanda holds out a hand and helps me to my feet. I do my best to ignore the throbbing ache that comes from my whole body once I stand, especially my wrist. "Are you hurt? Are you cut? Did it hurt you?" I say automatically, searching her face for any telltale signs of pain.

She holds both hands out in front of her. "Hey, settle down. I fell on a rock when you pushed me and bruised my knee, but other than that, I’m fine."
"I needed to get you out-of-the-way," I say blandly. A roar alerts me to the Shadows, both moving fast in our direction as they grapple. "We need to move!" I scream.

Together, we turn and sprint into the trees, just as one of the massive creatures hits right where we were just standing. I don’t have time to see whether or not it’s Arik. Our heavy, fast footsteps trample any brush underneath us as we try to put as much distance between us and the Shadows as possible. I hear a distant howl of pain and freeze, trying to determine if it’s Arik. Instant pain rips through my chest and side, knocking me to my knees in agony. I scream out and fall down onto my back, clawing at the invisible pain on my side, desperate for relief. Pain seizes me, claws at my throat, making it hard for me to breathe. I know it’s not real - I’m not hurt that bad - but I don’t know what’s causing it.

Amanda rushes over. "No! Show me where you’re hurt, Adrian! Show me now."
I gasp and shake my head, hyperventilating. My right hand flaps uselessly due to my most likely broken wrist, but my left hand claws desperately at my side, right where my ribcage stops and my stomach begins. Amanda pulls my hands away and lifts the edge of my shirt, staring at my stomach. Concern in her face shifts to confusion and back again. "There’s nothing there, Adrian. Nothing."

I shake my head again, squeezing my eyes shut with realization. "It’s not me," I say weakly. "Arik’s hurt."
She leans in closer to hear me. "Arik?"
I nod.
She drops her hand, and it lands on my stomach, giving me a chill from her cold fingers. "How… how is that possible?" She whispers slowly.
And then just as quickly as it came, the pain subsides into a gentle numbness, almost like a vacuum sucking it all up. Every last bit of it. Oh, no, I think. Arik’s dead. He’s got to be. A sob wracks my chest and I try to hold back tears. "We need to keep moving, Amanda," I say softly, managing to hold back on crying.
She helps me to my feet and stares at me for a long moment before nodding. "Then let's. But as soon as we stop, you need to tell me what the heck just happened."

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Chapter 16

"There," Amanda says, patting my hand and placing it on my lap. "All finished."
I gaze at my newly-bound wrist, unmovable in thick bindings. I flex my fingers delicately. They can hardly move.
Amanda leans closer and runs her fingers along my hairline, causing me to back up reflexively. Her fingers reach a sensitive spot and I wince, pushing her hand away. "I don’t know what to do about that cut, though. You might need stitches."
"I’ll be fine," I say. I have a feeling I’ve been through much worse than that in my past, even though I can’t remember anything in particular. I gaze at my hands, where they rest in my lap.

"Adrian?"
I look up. "Yeah?"
"What happened back there? I mean, I know what happened, but at the same time… I don’t."
I look back at my hands. "What do you mean?" I mumble.
"I mean everything. Please tell me everything."
I sigh, knowing fully well she expects to be answered. And it’s only fair. "Obviously, that Shadow was Kieran’s. And since Kieran wants to kill us, his Shadow does too. Actually, Kieran probably ordered it to kill us, since it is so much faster and stuff. So the Shadow tried to kill us. And when it started chasing us, I knew I couldn’t have let you get hurt, so-"

"Why?"
I glance up. "Why what?"
"Why wouldn’t you let me get hurt?"
I shrug. "You’re completely innocent. You shouldn’t be involved with any of this crap. And I couldn’t let you get hurt because of me. If only you had stayed home like I said…" I shake the thought off. "Anyway, I pushed you out-of-the-way so you wouldn’t get hurt or whatever; I knew the Shadow didn’t really care about you in the first place. It wanted me dead, not you. So I tried to lead it away, but it pinned me down and broke my wrist. Then something distracted it-"

"That was me," she interjects.
"What?"
"I threw a stick at its head. So you can thank me for saving your life, mister." She beams at me.
"Thanks," I mutter before continuing, "and then I got away. I tried to lead it even further away, but he pushed me into a tree and I kind of… gave up, I guess. And then…" I choke a bit on the next part. "Arik saved me and you came to get me. And when we were running, I heard Arik get hurt, and then I felt it too, and then…" I trail off, unable to say more.

"And then the pain stopped." Amanda finishes for me.
I nod weakly.
She reaches out for my hand and grips it in hers comfortingly. I try to pull away as usual, but she holds on firmly. "I’m sure he’s fine. I’m sure he’s fine. He’s okay. Repeat that. He’s okay."
I meet her eye. "I don’t know about that."
She smiles sympathetically. "He’s okay. And we’re okay. I mean, hey, at least we have a hotel room to sleep in, with absolutely no evil Shadows."
I smile weakly. "At least."

She lets go of my hand and clicks off the lamp, walking over to her own bed as I recline back into mine. I fall asleep slowly to the soothing sound of her voice repeating, "He’s okay. He’s okay. He’s okay. He’s okay. He’s okay. He’s okay. He’s…"

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Yay! More suspense! I love writing the suspenseful stuff, because it is WAY more exciting than other stuff. (Well, duh.) I DO like writing romantic parts too, so maybe that will give you some hints for what happens later... *wink wink* As usual, love you guys, and extra love for all the people who comment!

Comment Replies:

Anonymous Reader: Why thank you! I hope you had a happy Valentine's Day as well! And while Adrian may have gotten out of this one, there will be plenty more troubles for him and Amanda along the way.

Bailey A.: Yay! Glad I can write good suspense. I'm glad I was able to make your Valentine's Day better, and psst - I love you too! And I actually have been reading your stories, ever since you first commented on mine! At first I was kind of iffy on the subject matter, but then I got really into it!

Brea: Wow! It's good to know I've been getting even more fans, even this long after starting. I'm glad my story is that good to be read in one go.