A Curse of Shadows

She tugs at my hair and chuckles. “I like what you’ve done with the new color. Would have been nice to know before I filed a missing person’s report and blasted your picture all over social media, going as far as harassing the FBI until they sent someone to speak with me, but I guess they never would have found you, anyway.”

I nearly choke and my eyes widen. “You called the FBI? Why?”

“My best friend was missing,” she says, as if that explains everything. “What did you think I was going to do? Moving to Seattle was the stupidest thing I’d ever done. I was already trying to transfer back before you stopped answering your phone and when I didn’t hear from you for a full day, I quit the next day and went back to the apartment to raise hell until I found you.”

I throw my arms around her and hug her tightly. “I missed you so much, El. I mean Estee.” Pulling back, I frown. “That’s going to take some getting used to.”

She taps my nose and grins. “As long as we’re together, it doesn’t matter. I was losing my mind before some man showed up. I thought he was a detective and then he jabbed a needle into my arm.” She rubs near her right shoulder. “I don’t remember anything from that point until waking up in the other room, but the longer I’m standing here, the more I’m remembering other things.”

Fascinated, I pull her back to the table, deciding maybe I can handle this on my own for a little longer. We take our seats again as I ask, “Like what?”

Her growing smirk has me already shaking my head as she replies, “Well, I was a badass, for one. Like a warrior who couldn’t be touched and I had this wolf. She was incredible.” A shadow falls over her face and she rubs her chest. “But she’s not with me now.”

“Neither is mine, but I don’t remember her,” I say, wondering if that’s better or worse for me. Though this isn’t about me and I want to give her some hope. “Asher thinks that we still have our wolves, even if we can’t sense them yet. Well, he said I might, and I assume that’s the same for you. Then again, I’ve only had two flashes of memories, so I don’t know. Maybe it’s not the same.” Why is this so awkward and why am I rambling uncomfortably, unable to stop? “Oh, and he did confirm one thing. We are actually soul sisters. I’m not sure if that’s just because?—”

The squeal that leaves her makes my ears ring and finally shuts me up. She launches herself out of the chair and hugs me until my ribs ache, nearly bringing us both to the ground. “I might not remember the life here with you, but I’ve known since the moment I met you that you were important to me. Gods, Isla. If I’d lost you…”

Tears burn in my eyes as I hug her again. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t call you. I should have fought sooner to get to you, but me coming here was completely different than your experience so far. I thought you’d never believe me.”

She pulls back and takes a seat again, eyes bright with interest. “Tell me everything.”

I start with the hike up Multnomah Falls, followed by getting lost and going over the bridge that was actually an ancient portal, and then coming here and meeting the asshole version of Asher.

“He didn’t actually send you to your room,” she says with an air of shock.

I nod but quickly defend him. “While that wasn’t even the worst part of my first day here, I understand why he did it now and you shouldn’t be mad at him.”

Suddenly, telling Estee about Asher using our father’s life to keep me here doesn’t seem like the best idea.

“And why not?” She sneers. “He tried to keep you from me.”

“He’s… We’re…” I have no clue how I’m supposed to describe what Asher is to me. Mostly because I barely understand it.

She covers her mouth and sucks in a heavy breath. “Holy shit. You’re mates, aren’t you? While that makes a little more sense, he still better watch his back. Nobody messes with my sister and gets away with it.”

There really is no one else in the world like my best friend. I’ve always known I was lucky to have her in my life, but even more so now.

Elodee, I mean, Estee regards me with a mix of wonder and apprehension, her voice a whisper of trepidation. “You mentioned Dad earlier. He’s really here? And what about Mom?” Her eyes search mine for truths she might not be ready to hear.

The weight of the conversation presses down, heavier than I anticipated. “Yes, Dad’s here,” I reassure her with a gentle smile, my voice softening to cushion the blow. “He can’t wait to see you.” I pause, the name ‘Mom’ catching in my throat, heavy with a grief that constricts my heart. “Mom, however…” My words trail off, heavy with sorrow. “It was too much for her after we vanished. She?—”

Estee cuts me off. “She died and chose to stay at rest.” Her words are resolute, accepting a fate she seems to understand more than I do.

A rueful chuckle escapes me. “It’s a little overwhelming how easy this is for you. Asher’s mom said I arrived through some ancient portal that hasn’t been used in years. Maybe that’s why this is easier for you and I’m still struggling.”

I know it’s not her fault I had to learn these things by being told, but that doesn’t mean I don’t suddenly feel like the one on the outside.

She reaches for my hands again and holds them tightly. “It’s me and you against the world, just like it’s been for the last two decades. I may remember more than you do, but there’s still a lot of holes. Most importantly, I don’t remember you being my sister in any lifetime before this one, which is an issue if we both died then.”

“Asher thinks with time, I might remember my last day here and it could help us figure out what happened,” I say, trying to push away any self-pity. “Though that was before we realized the same thing might have happened to you. You disappeared years after I did, leaving a note that said you couldn’t handle the grief any longer. Everyone thought you chose to die until Grayson, I mean Dad”—another thing that will take time to remember—“started to piece things together. Asher was already going to try to bring you here, but when Dad guessed who you might really be, I think that expedited things.”

“Maybe we’ll remember together,” she says and I hope like hell that she’s right, especially since we might still be in danger. If we don’t know who made us disappear or why, then what’s to say they won’t try again?

It took over five hundred years to bring us back here and I won’t lose that much time again. Even if I don’t remember my life before, my heart yearns for what it’s lost and I’ll fight with everything I have to keep what I’ve found.

Several hours later, Estee has finally passed out from exhaustion in my room and I need some air. I consider sitting out on the balcony so that I’m still in the room when she wakes up, but it’s not enough.

I suddenly crave movement, the desire to feel the air on my skin as I run, the light of the moons strengthening my soul, and the earth’s energy recharging my body.