Shadow Prince - Chapters 7 and 8

Chapter 7

I whip my head around. A bird sits on the tree in front of me, still as a rock. It cocks its head at me, beady eyes gleaming. Sun shines off its luminescent black feathers, almost as if it's glowing. I can’t help but compare the effect to Arik’s fur.
I know what it is immediately.
A raven.
I feel a shiver run down my spine. It calls again, and two more spiral down from the sky, landing on either side of the first bird.

Zoe’s birds.
I stumble back blindly, tripping on a tree root and landing on my butt. My ankle screams in pain and I wince. The birds call again, almost seeming curious.
"Go away!" I scream. "Where’s Amanda?!"

Their eyes regard me without warmth, completely heartless. The first bird flaps its wings and lands on the side of my chest. It snaps at my face and I reach out to swat it, but it hops out of my reach. It caws angrily, and the others leave their perch to stand around me. One claws at my left side, and - while I reach out to hit it - another pecks at the cut on my cheek. As the blood starts to seep out, I feel the anger bubbling up inside me. The birds call again, sort of mockingly, like laughter.
"GO AWAY!" I yell, and stare angrily at the bird that pecked my cheek. It stares back defiantly, then starts to shriek in pain. It flaps its wings, but gets no more than two feet before it bursts into white hot flames. The heat sears my face, but it’s more of a comforting warmth than a painful one. Brilliant colors blind me momentarily, and the beauty of the fire astounds me. The bird is quickly devoured by the fire, and I feel a tiny surge of energy.

The other two birds watch as their comrade is devoured by the flame, then shriek and hurriedly head for the sky.
"What the…?" I wonder aloud to myself as I watch a single feather land in the palm of my hand - all that’s left of the third bird. I twirl it delicately between my index finger and thumb, before placing it in my pocket next to Emily’s drawing.
I try to get to my feet, but pain springs up in my ankles and I yell out in pain, before falling back down to the hard ground.
"Adrian, oh my God!" A voice calls.
I turn in time to see a blur of blonde wrap me in a bear-hug.
Amanda steps back, holding me in front of her as she looks me up and down. "You’re hurt, and your cut is-"

I cut her off. "Amanda, where the hell were you?!"
She blinks, blushing. "I was just-"
"Didn’t you hear me calling?!"
She stares right into my eyes. I’m surprised to find her blue eyes are startlingly clear and bright. "I’m sorry, Adrian. I was mad, and I ignored you. I’m sorry." She searches my face. "Hey. Did something happen?"
I blink. I’m not telling her - not yet, at least.
How that bird burst into flames - that’s too hard to explain. I don’t even know what happened.

"Uh, n-no." I stutter. "Nothing at all. I just tripped."
She stares at me a moment longer, then breaks into a grin. "Hey, for a second there, you sounded almost worried about me."
I frown. "Ha-ha. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like some help getting back to Arik."
She nods, still smiling. "Why, of course, Adrian. I know you’re just dying to lean on me." She jokes.
I frown again. "Don’t flatter yourself."
She helps me to my feet and puts an arm around my back. I drape an arm over her shoulders and together, we limp back to Arik.
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Chapter 8

He’s just now waking; he purrs when he sees us walking towards him, slowly but steadily. Amanda helps me onto his back, then climbs on herself. I tense as she wraps her arms around my waist. I don’t know whether or not I’m still mad at her, and I need some time to think.
"I’m sorry, Adrian." She whispers.
"You already said that." I point out.
"I thought I should say it again." She responds, not unkindly.

I don’t respond to that, simply nudging Arik forward. He moves without hesitation, and - even though I have no idea where we’re going - apparently he knows where he wants to go. His steps are steady and strong, like bearing the weight of two teenagers is nothing.
My silence is taken in by Amanda because she doesn’t talk anymore for a while. I’m sort of grateful for the silence, even though I’m not exactly used to it.
"What exactly were you doing when I called for you?" I ask, feeling the strange urge to break the perfect quiet.

I feel Amanda shift behind me. "Well," she begins awkwardly, "I was by the stream, just relaxing, and I heard some ravens or crows or whatever calling. So I followed them. When I found them, there were only two. We stood there for a moment, staring at each other, before they just stood up and flew away. I looked to see where I was, but I was lost. It took me a long while to find my way back. I only found you ‘cause you screamed - because of your ankle, that is."
It takes a minute for this to sink in. I remember… at first, there was only one bird… then the other two joined it. Wow, they tried to get Amanda lost. They tried to get me afraid - to get me off guard.

The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Shadows aren’t stupid things. Those birds are just like Arik - just as smart, just as responsive and loyal to their owner. Which means… that Zoë sent them. To spy on me. I feel a surge of pride remembering that I killed one of them.
But… was that really me? It doesn’t seem possible. Yet again, Arik’s not entirely "Possible." Or me…
"Adrian?"
I jump, "Yeah?"
"Um… do you think we could not sleep in the woods tonight? I’m kinda creeped out. Not to mention filthy."

I nod, patting Arik. "Can you find us a hotel, buddy?"
A growl is the only response, but I take it as a yes.
"Super." I turn to Amanda. "But we aren’t staying. I need to go… somewhere. The sooner I get there, the sooner you go home. So one night only."
She swallows. "Of course."
I nod thoughtfully. "Well, get some rest, then. It’ll be a while before we get there."