Shadowborn Sorceress: A New Adult Urban Fantasy Novel (Shadows of the Loess Hills Book 1) by Mandi Oyster

Author:Mandi Oyster [Oyster, Mandi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mandi Oyster
Published: 2024-10-25T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 28

“Just because I stop arguing with you doesn’t make you right. It just means I remembered that you can’t fix stupid.” ~Unknown

Iwoke up, feeling absolutely exhausted. Evil unicorns and the screams of a child being slaughtered had filled my dreams. I’d imagined someone cutting her bone out while she struggled on an altar, an athame piercing her skin.

I staggered to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face. Standing above the sink, I clutched the countertop. “Why did that knife affect me like this?”

Schmendrick jumped up, and I turned the water on. He stuck his paw beneath the flow, then licked it. “Do you realize how lucky you are to be able to drink more than a drop at a time?” He sat back on his haunches. “It must be divine.”

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. His perspective on the world was so different from mine. “Yeah, I have to admit it’s nice not licking one drop off my finger at a time.”

“In all actuality, it’s quite simple.” He jumped down and stood by the door, waiting for me to follow. "And at the same time, profoundly complex.”

I shook my head at him. “I need a better answer than that if you want treats this morning.” I followed him down the stairs and into the kitchen. “I didn’t sleep well, and I don’t think I can deal with riddles this morning.”

“Dark magic leaves echoes. Think of it like the rumbling of distant thunder. Ancient storms, whispering tales of shadows and sorrows.” He watched me drop a handful of treats onto his silver platter.

Like most cats, Schmendrick believed himself worthy of worship, but at moments like this, he seemed more like a little kid than a god.

“Your unique nature makes you a sensitive conduit to such energies. Your essence vibrates with the echoes of darkness these artifacts emit.”

My heart dropped to my stomach so quickly that his dish fell from my hand. Treats scattered across the floor, and the platter tipped from one side to the other, warbling as it slowly fluttered to a halt.

Schmendrick moved from treat to treat, scarfing them up like he hadn’t eaten in weeks. When he’d found the last one, he turned his back, looking anywhere but at me.

I’d witnessed his embarrassment before, and usually, it made me giggle, but not this time. This time, I was stuck inside my own head. I pulled out one of the chairs and sat at the table, holding my head in my hands. “So, because I’m evil, the darkness haunts me more?”

“No.” Schmendrick jumped onto a chair and stared at me. “No. There’s a delicate balance of light and dark within you. More so than most. The knife triggered the nightmares, hoping to tip you toward the shadows, to remind you of the storms raging in your subconscious mind.”

I sat back in my chair, folding my arms over my chest. “I don’t know what you’re trying to tell me, Schmen. Is the demon taking over? Will I become evil?” I tightened the grip on my sides, trying to keep my hands from shaking.

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