27.

Cynthia's shadow stretches across the ground, swallowing the light streaming from behind her. Back in the hollower village, she only ever wore long dresses that gathered dirt as they swished along the ground. Now, her once long gray hair is cut to her collarbone and she wears long black pants that hug her body. She looks frail and bony, nothing like the woman I remember.

The stabbing feeling in my gut overtakes everything else as I lie flat against the ground. I squeeze my eyes shut, as if to blink away this nightmare. But when I open my eyes, she's still there. In the shifter village.

"How is she here?" Cassia whispers, voice filled with horror.

"Get back," Eric barks, grabbing my arm. I stumble backwards till Cynthia is blocked by the trees, but Elias, still perched low, doesn't move. His eyes are glued on her, unmoving, stuck somewhere far away where nobody can reach him.

"Elias." Eric shoves him. They meet gazes, words passed through their wordless stare. Cassia grabs my elbow, pulling me gently back into the forest. I don't protest, glancing over my shoulder once more. I can't see Cynthia, but I can see her shadow cast across the earth.

We stop once we're deeper in the forest, away from the view of the castle. Malik stares behind us, bewildered, and Cassia nibbles her lips nervously. Eric and Elias arrive seconds later, Eric cursing beneath his breath and Elias deathly pale.

A heavy silence lingers in the air, compressing down like a weight. "We have to do something," I say when nobody else speaks. "She must've done something to the villagers. To Aliyah, to Bastian—"

"My guards," Malik murmurs, eyes on the ground. "They're the best of our village, trained right from childhood." He looks over his shoulder, back in the direction of the village, voice filled with horror. "That hollower couldn't have done this alone."

My heart thumps as he meets my gaze. How many of them are here? Are they all immortal?

Behind me, Elias starts to move. He throws his backpack on the ground and starts to rifle through, pulling out the coat stuffed at the top.

"What're you doing?" Cassia asks. He doesn't answer, throwing out a couple of the water bottles to get to the bottom. "Elias—"

"I'm going to kill her."

Cassia and I exchange looks, and her expression confirms the concern brimming inside of me. He finds what he was looking for, pulling out the shadow. He unravels the cloth around it, releasing the teal stone engraved in the hilt. He handles it delicately, turning it over in his hands, eyes trained on the tip.

Eric takes a few steps forward. "We need to find out what's going on."

"I know what's going on," Elias says. "That hollower has taken my village captive. She's infiltrated our people. She's the one with the serum, she's the one who took me, she's where this ends. And I'm going to kill her."

I step back, bark from the tree behind me rubbing against my skin. His words drip with venom, disgust, hatred. I've never seen this version of Elias before. Before anybody can say anything, he twists on his heel and starts walking back, shadow in hand.

We're all shocked, expect for Malik. Malik steps forward, puts a hand on Elias' shoulder. Elias shoves past him. He stands in front of Elias, blocking him. Without a second thought, Elias launches him across the clearing. Malik whacks against a tree with a thud, groaning.

Eric zooms in front of Elias. "Eric, get out of my way," Elias says.

"Stop. Just think for a moment."

"Get out of my way."

They stare at each other, neither one of them willing to move. And while we watch, the tension grows, Elias' eyes burn, his hands glowing red.

Elias shoves past Eric, bumping his shoulder without a second thought. Eric looks to me, slightly helpless. Ever since I've known him he's been so loyal to Elias, even when he didn't agree, but this... this is different.

"Stop!" I try, stepping in front of him. He pauses to regard me, eyes blazing. Deep in my chest, a flicker of fear ignites. He won't hurt me, I know that. But that doesn't mean he'll listen. "Just wait."

He takes a step closer, eyes baring into mine. Warmth radiates from his body like a furnace and his skin starts to glow. "Move."

I shake my head. "Eric's right, you're not thinking straight."

"Milena," Eric warns from behind, voice low, "get back."

Elias can't seem to hear him. His body vibrates, an electric energy waiting to break loose. "That woman has my people captive. Innocent people. Children." The golden flecks in his eyes burn brighter.

"Marching in there without a plan isn't going to save anybody."

"I won't stand around while my people suffer. Those are my people. The ones I vowed to protect. I can kill her."

"Elias!" Cassia shouts. He turns his head to glare at her. She raises her hands, eyes wide with fear. "Your hands."

He looks down at his hands. They burn red. Standing so close to him is like standing next to a blazing fire, a pent-up energy looking for somewhere to release its fury. Elias clenches his fist, but they only seem to grow brighter.

"Put the shadow down," I say slowly, "we can talk, figure something out. Just... put it down.

His gaze is unblinking. Pure hatred fuels his rage. I have to remind myself that it isn't directed at me, because it's terrifying.

"Those are our people," Malik says, stepping forward, hands raised. "You're the only one who can use the shadow, Elias, we can't lose you."

Elias doesn't look at him, his eyes blaze into mine. But the fires inside of them doesn't die, it grows, along with the dread in my stomach. I don't know if we're going to be able to stop him. I open my mouth, one last attempt, but before I can say anything Elias' arm swings into my stomach, throwing me to the side. I hit a tree, the force winding me. Cassia races to my side. I blink up at Elias, trying to catch my breath. A small dagger is lodged in his chest, just below the collarbone, right where I'd been standing.

Opposite him is a young boy, around my ages, staring wide-eyed. He opens his mouth but Elias is in front of him before a word can slip out. He slams him against the tree, as if the dagger in his chest, is merely an inconvenience. "Scream and I'll rip your vocal cords out."

The boy gulps, eyes darting to me on the ground. I scramble to my feet, rubbing my arm. If Elias hadn't noticed him, that dagger would be in the back of my head.

"How many of you are here?" Elias says lowly. The hollower says nothing. Elias slams him against the tree, eliciting a cry. "Answer me."

"Wait," Malik says, stepping forward. He slips a dagger from his boot and cuts along the hollowers arm. Elias' hand muffles the hollowers' screams. But the wound bleeds. Malik looks up at him. "You haven't had the serum. Now might be a good time to give us some answers."

His eyes swim with fear. "P-please. I didn't hurt anyone, I swear. They said if I helped they'd give me the serum."

Elias slams his head against the tree. "How many of you are here?"

"T-thirty."

"Where are all the villagers? Inside the castle?" He nods, terrified. "Where?"

"Some are held in the prisons, but there are too many. They're gathered in the bottom floors," he gasps.

"Get me inside."

The hollower shakes his head. Malik raises his knife again in warning. "Please, wait! Y-you can't get in."

"Why?" Elias presses. "Why?"

"S-silver. They put bars across the entrances—windows, doors. They're not bolted but you can't touch them. No shifter could get in or out."

Elias slams his body again then drops him, standing over him on the forest floor. The boy scrambles backwards, terrified. "P-please, I've told you everything I know. I'm just... just a guard."

Elias tilts his head sideways. "You don't remember me, do you?"

The boy blinks, and as Elias' hands start to glow, his eyes settle with realisation. "Wisper."

"Not so brave anymore, now that I'm not chained to a table." He leans in closer, says something to the boy that drains him of colour, and then before I can blink, shoves his hand into the boy's chest and returns with his heart. Bile rises in my throat and I slap my hand over my mouth to muffle my cry, stumbling backwards. Elias spins, eyes glowing and chin held high. He doesn't look at me.

Cassia looks horrified, staring at Elias as though he's somebody she doesn't even know. Malik looks almost impressed, and Eric, as always, is stoic.

Blood drips from his hand. He reaches up and pulls the dagger from his chest, grunting before casting it aside and shrugging his shoulders back, staring at Eric. "We have to think of another plan," Elias says.

"What other plan?" Cassia says. "Getting inside is our only option."

"They've barred the entrances," Eric says, ignoring the corpse on the ground. "We'll have to think of another plan."

Nobody says anything for a few moments. I can't stop staring at the body on the ground. He helped us, but Elias killed him anyway. They knew each other, I don't want to think about how.

"Wait." Everybody looks at me when I talk. "You can't get in. I can."

Malik furrows his brows and Cassia shakes her head. "No," Malik says.

"It's our only chance, we have to get inside."

"Malik's right, it's too dangerous," Elias says.

I spin to face the others. "You know I'm right. This is the only option we have." Nobody answers. I look to Eric, begging. "I can do this, Eric. I can."

He meets my eye, red eyes burning. Then, he nods. "She's right. It's our only option."

"Eric—"

"We have to get inside, Cassia," Eric says. "Milena can get in."

I turn to Elias. He stares at the ground, his expression guarded. Finally, he looks up. "You really think you can do this?"

I swallow. "I know I can."

"Okay." He releases a long breath of air, studying the body on the ground before looking back up. "I'm coming."

"No," Malik says. "It's too risky. You need to stay here with the shadow, Elias."

"I'm not sending Milena in there alone."

"Then I'll go," Malik offers. "But we can't risk anything happening to you."

"The silver doesn't affect me the same way it affects you, I'm only half shifter," Elias says. "It will render you helpless."

"Malik's right, we can't risk you getting captured," Cassia says. "You're the only one who can use the shadow."

"I'm going," Elias says.

This time, nobody argues with him. His tone is final, his eyes warning anybody who tries to change his mind. I stare at him, my heart picking up. Despite the sleeve of blood covering his arm and the body at his feet, I want to step closer. I shouldn't be glad he's coming, Malik and the others are right, he needs to stay safe, but I am. Because even if it isn't true, having Elias by my side makes it seem like nobody can touch me.

"That's it then?" Eric says. "Sneak in and then what?"

"Try and find Aliyah," Cassia says.

"Or my guards," Malik nods. "They'll be able to tell you what happened. We'll cause a distraction on the other side of the village."

"In and out, undetected, but take the shadow, just in case," Eric says, looking between me and Elias. "Once we know what happened and what their plan is, we can form ours." I nod, turning on my heel, towards the village. Eric stops me, grabbing my wrist. His red eyes burn. "Whatever you do, don't get caught."

~

DISCUSSION:

1. How do you think Elias knew that hollower?

2. Do you think it's a good idea for Milena and Elias to go in?

3. What do you think might happen next?