A Curse of Shadows

Maybe this is one of those moments that Asher mentioned before when he said I should still hold my wolf spirit. Could this be one of those signs? I don’t deny its possibility, knowing this urge isn’t something I’ve ever possessed before.

Without taking too much time to reconsider, I exit my room, alone and quiet thanks to the late hour. It doesn’t matter that another wolf nearly attacked me earlier. As I bound down the stairs, using the back exit Asher showed me before, I’m no longer afraid. Only frustrated that I can’t remember more.

Hearing Estee talk about her lives, having our father confirm the memories available to her, the things they could reminisce over together…

I don’t want to be bitter. I just want to remember.

Getting outside, I kick off my shoes and tilt my head toward the starry night. The twin moons greet me, lighting the sky up with their glow. My chest expands as I take a deep breath, inhaling the crisp air. Bending down, I dig my fingers into the ground, feeling the vibrations within the earth that I’d never known existed before.

Hell, not even an hour ago did I think this was possible, but with Elodee—damn it—Estee here, I’m trying to stop resisting what I don’t understand and just accept what is.

I showed up in Lunara, believing I was dreaming and refusing to consider any of this world could be real. Maybe it’s a combination of my stubbornness and my unusual arrival that has messed with my memories.

I don’t know, but the bliss that radiated off Estee earlier is something I want. No, I need. I’ve experienced little snippets of that since arriving, but now, I’m craving more. More answers, more connections, more belonging.

Getting back to my feet, I take another inhale as I stretch, then take off at a sprint across the expansive back yard. Considering it’s night, I do at least avoid the forest. Not because I’m fearful of the wolves that might be there, but because I don’t want to get lost.

My speed picks up and just as I imagined before, energy feels as if it’s being charged within me, pushing me harder, lengthening my stride and driving me forward. I run with no destination in mind, just knowing I want to keep the castle within my sights.

Air rushes past me, blowing my hair around as my muscles stretch, the aches seeming more like relief than anything else.

The sounds of water grow louder and I start to slow, having no clue where it’s coming from. I know Asher said these were islands, but I haven’t ventured far enough before this to be curious about the ocean surrounding me.

There’s only darkness in front of me and behind, the flicker of lights from the castle smaller than I expected. Oops. I ran farther than I realized in such a short time.

Here, under the gaze of the moons and the caress of the wind, I feel closer to the pulse of Lunara. The ground beneath me hums with ancient power, seeping into my bones, promising restoration and revelations. The world fades away, leaving only the rhythmic crash of waves to soothe the tumult within. Here, I could remain forever, lost in the embrace of the land that is slowly claiming me as its own.

“Isla?” Asher’s voice, soft and tinged with concern, pulls me back from the edge of the vast, starlit solitude I had wandered into. “Are you okay?”

Sitting up, I try to mask the cascade of emotions with a smile. “Yeah, why?”

“I saw you running from my window,” he says, settling beside me on the grass, his presence grounding. “I thought something might have happened.”

“Estee fell asleep after dinner with Grayson, and I just needed to breathe, you know?” My voice trails off, apologetic. “Sorry, I should have left a note or something.”

He twists a strand of my hair around his finger, his smile gentle. “You’re okay—that’s all that matters. How were things with Estee and your dad?”

“Fine,” I reply, too hastily, the word barely covering the torrent beneath. In fact, with how electric my body feels, I have another thing on my mind.

“Can I see you shift?” I ask, causing his eyebrows to furrow slightly.

“Sure, but may I ask why?” His question is reasonable, but I don’t really have an answer for him. At least not one that doesn’t sound a little crazy in my mind.

“I’m just…curious.” My casual answer doesn’t seem to pacify him.

He inches closer, his eyes earnest. “You can tell me anything, Isla. I’m here to listen, not to judge. Especially if you’re seeking answers.”

I hug myself, feeling the unusual buzz under my skin. “Something feels different tonight. It’s like there’s this energy I can’t quite manage,” I confess, the night amplifying my restless spirit.

“Different like you sense your wolf?” he asks animatedly.

My eyes cast down because I know how happy that would make him. “No, but my skin itches and my body feels like it’s swarming with energy I don’t know what to do with, hence the running that I don’t normally partake in.”

“Maybe this is just your mind trying to prepare for another memory,” he says quizzically, not showing any signs of disappointment. “As long as it won’t frighten you, I’m happy to introduce you to my wolf. In fact, I know he’d appreciate some time with you.”

Well, that intrigues me. “Can you speak with him?”

Asher shakes his head as he stands up, offering me a hand. “No, but after so long sharing the same mind, it’s easy to read emotions from him.”