A quiet calm settled inside the carriage as it rolled gently over the uneven road. The soft clatter of the wheels blended with the faint rustling of trees outside, like whispers carried by the wind. Inside, the air felt strangely thick, almost like the quiet was holding its breath.
Evie sat beside Lucas, lost in her thoughts. Her gaze drifted toward the far corner of the carriage, where the shadows seemed a little darker than usual. Maybe it was just her imagination… or maybe something else was watching.
Lucas's eyes, sharp and thoughtful, kept flicking toward the same shadows. His expression was unreadable, but his stillness hinted at deeper thoughts.
Breaking the silence, he asked, "Evie… have you ever heard of Shadow Keepers?"
His voice was casual, but there was something about the way he asked that made Evie pause. She turned toward him, brow furrowed. "Shadow what?"
"Shadow Keepers," he repeated. "They were like silent guards—spirits, kind of. But not just any spirits. They were bound to a bloodline. A family. Their only job was to protect that bloodline from the day it began till the day it ended."
Evie tilted her head. "That sounds made up. Like something out of a bedtime story."
Lucas gave a small, quiet laugh, but there was no humor in it. "Maybe it sounds like that. But they were real. Or… they used to be."
"What happened to them?" she asked, curious now.
"Their queen died," Lucas said simply. "And once she was gone… they faded. Just like that. The whole race disappeared. Wiped out. Not killed exactly, just… gone."
Evie sat back, frowning. "That's strange. Why would an entire group vanish just because one person died? That feels suspicious."
Lucas nodded slowly. "Exactly."
She studied him, trying to figure out what he wasn't saying. "Why are you asking me about this?"
For a moment, Lucas didn't answer. His eyes drifted back to the corners of the carriage, where the shadows still clung to the walls, almost alive.
"When you came to the council," he said, finally, "I noticed something. Your shadow… it moved."
Evie blinked. "What?"
"It moved," he said again. "Not with you. Not like a normal shadow. It… shifted. It hesitated. It had a shape that wasn't quite yours. And when that morpheme attacked you in the forest… something else was there."
His voice lowered to almost a whisper, eyes distant, like he was remembering it all clearly.
"There was a spell in the forest. An illusion. It made everything confusing. But through that spell… I saw shadows. Not from trees. Not from animals. They were following you. Watching. Guiding me to you."
Evie felt a chill crawl up her spine.
"And then, in the council prison," Lucas continued, "when you were sitting there… your shadow wasn't just a shadow. It stood like a guard. Like it was ready to fight for you. But something had weakened it. Like it wasn't allowed to act. Or had forgotten how."
The air in the carriage grew heavier. Evie turned her head slowly and looked down at her own shadow. It stretched beside her on the wooden floor, just like always. But now, with Lucas's words in her ears, it didn't look the same.
It looked thicker. Darker. As if it were made of more than light and shape.
"Why is it following me?" she asked quietly. "What does it want?"
Lucas leaned forward slightly. "I don't think it's following you. I think it's… part of you. Like a missing limb that's trying to return."
Evie stared down, her throat dry. "Are you saying I'm… connected to those shadow beings? To the Shadow Keepers?"
"I think it's possible," Lucas said softly. "Maybe even likely."
She didn't know how to respond. Her heart thudded in her chest, loud in the silence.
Lucas reached out and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. If it meant you harm, it would've already shown its teeth. But it hasn't. It's stayed quiet. Protective."
Evie nodded slowly, though she still felt unsettled. Her mind wandered to her parents, to the blurred images she held of them. Her father's gentle hands. Her mother's soft voice, though she never remembered seeing her clearly.
"My grandmother told me they were human," Evie said, almost to herself. "She always said my father was just a good man… and my mother, well… she didn't survive the birth. She was too fragile."
Lucas's gaze sharpened. "That's odd, though."
Evie glanced up at him.
"If your mother was that fragile," Lucas said, "why would she take the risk of giving birth? Creatures stronger than humans can fake being human. They can pretend. They blend in. Your father and grandmother might be human, sure. But your mother… that sounds less certain."
Evie's mind was spinning. She looked down at her hands. Everything she thought she knew about her life, her family—it suddenly felt like sand slipping through her fingers.
Just then, the carriage gave a soft jolt as it came to a stop.
They had arrived.
Evie reached for her bag slowly, still deep in thought. But before she stepped out, her eyes flicked to Lucas. His shirt was still stained where the dagger had nicked him. The cut on his cheek hadn't closed properly yet—odd for a pure-blood vampire. The poison was still affecting him.
"Lucas," she said, her voice steady despite the storm inside her, "come inside. Let me help with your wound. It's the least I can do after… everything."
He raised an eyebrow. "You sure? You don't seem like the type to invite vampires in for a house call."
She gave a faint smile. "I'm making an exception. Don't make me regret it."
Lucas hesitated for a moment, then gave a dramatic bow of his head. "If you insist. I'd hate to be rude."
Evie opened the door, holding it wide as Lucas followed. He had to duck slightly to avoid hitting the frame. The home was small, plain, but warm. Wooden floors. A couple of old chairs. Not many decorations, but it smelled faintly of herbs and something sweet baking.
Lucas stepped inside, glancing around with quiet interest. Evie motioned toward the nearest chair. "Sit down. I'll get the kit."
She called out as she moved down the hallway. "Anny, I'm back!"
There was no reply at first. She grabbed the first aid box from her room, then walked back into the sitting room—where her grandmother now stood, having just stepped in from the kitchen.
Anny's eyes went straight to Lucas. Her face tightened with suspicion.
"Evie," she said slowly, "you didn't mention we'd have a… special guest."
Evie gave an innocent shrug. "This is Lucas. He's my friend."
"Your friend?" Anny's voice carried a sharp edge. "Your friend who smells like blood and walks in like he owns the night?"
Evie sighed. "Anny…"
The old woman folded her arms. "You didn't even ask if I'd be comfortable having a creature of the night in our home."
Lucas chuckled softly from the chair. "I'm right here, you know."
Anny shot him a glare.
Evie pulled up a stool and began opening the first aid box. "You're making him uncomfortable, Anny."
"I'm making him uncomfortable?" Anny grumbled. "My poor living room has turned into a free clinic for vampires. What's next, a werewolf tea party?"