Dominic
This isn’t at all how I wanted to wake up. It was bad enough when I was rudely pulled from slumber by my shadows tugging away from me, a physical discomfort that turns painful if they try to stretch too far. Of course it was Inana’s voice that had drawn them. Even I was intrigued by her story as my mind cleared from the dregs of sleep. Then came the second interruption. A missive appeared before my eyes in a flash of astrotheurgical light, the parchment hovering in midair before dropping onto my face.
I had all of three seconds to read the damn thing before I saw them. Shades all around the clearing.
I’ve seen thousands by now, but the sight of so many gathered in one place sends a chill deep down to my bones. Dozens of them fill the spaces between trees, their slender, semitransparent bodies watching us with hollow eyes. One has managed to get so close that it’s crouched beneath the wagon, peering from behind one of the wheels. What’s even more unsettling is that they’re acting so bold during daylight hours. True, the sky has grown overcast as day turned to afternoon, but there remains a distinction between the brightness of the clearing and the darkness beneath the trees. And these Shades are clustered as close as they can get to the edge of protective shadow.
“This isn’t ideal,” Pride says. “One would think they’d have the sense to behave for at least an hour.”
I ignore him and speak to my Summoners, voice low and level. “First lesson of being a Summoner. Stay calm. Don’t react. Breathe.”
No one says a word, though I think that’s more out of shock than obedience. Still, to my new crew’s credit, they don’t panic. I turn in a slow circle to assess where any other Shades might be. Sure enough, there are a few behind the trees across the stream too. Thankfully, Shades can’t cross bodies of running water, so those pose no threat. My fingers flinch, eager for the sword I left by the boulder where I napped, but unsheathing my weapon would do more harm than good. Displaying any threatening behavior could send them into a frenzy. The best we can do is stay quiet and wait until they lose interest.
“Second lesson,” I say, “raise your fucking hoods.”
Calvin’s hood is already raised, of course, for he’s used to this. The other three belatedly follow, understanding dawning in their eyes. Though it’s rare, Shades who take too great an interest in a specific person, usually because of their art, might seek to Incarnate. It starts with a Shade mimicking its target by appearance, its formerly featureless face shifting to mirror the human’s. It escalates when the Shade consumes its victim, assimilating their flesh until their new form turns solid. It ends with a blade of fire severing the Incarnate’s neck. There is no other way to kill an Incarnate, and neither the original Shade nor the person it consumed can survive.
“What about you?” Inana asks, her eyes flicking briefly to mine from under her hood. “You’re not wearing a cloak.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m not an artist, and Shades aren’t interested in imitating my kind.”
My heart thuds rapidly in my chest, which is when I realize I’m standing too close to Inana. Once again, being near her has made my emotions spike—fear this time. I take three steps away until familiar apathy returns. What doesn’t change is our situation. My pinch of fear may have abated, but the Shades remain as intrigued as ever, showing no sign of losing interest. If anything, they’re growing agitated, reflecting Inana’s state as she was struggling to finish her story. Even myshadows buzz with disquiet, rippling against my skin as they huddle around me.
“Dom,” Calvin says, and as I meet his gaze, he tilts his head toward the Shade beneath the wagon. It has peered farther out from behind the wheel, its spindly fingers clinging like spider legs. Its face, however, is a reflection of mine.
Fuck.
It’s the Shade Calvin accidentally attracted while I was gone.
I wanted to wait until nightfall to capture it, but after the missive I received, I no longer have the luxury of time. If I’m going to capture the Shade, it must be now.
“Change of plans,” I say with a sigh. “We’re moving on to our first active training session. How to calm unsettled Shades.”
“What?” Inana bites out in an angry whisper. “We’re going to perform Summoner duties? Right now? Without knowing fucking how?”
“You’re about to learn. Just trust me.”
“Trust you?” Harlow lifts her head to glare at me from under her hood.
“You’ll do great, love,” Calvin says with a wink. She turns her scowl to him instead.
“Eyes down.” The demand in my tone has all four heads lowering. “Now, Inana, tell a story. But not the one you were telling just before.”
“That wasn’t astory,” she says, an edge of panic in her voice. “That was…I wasn’t lying.”
“I’m not accusing you,” I say, though I’m not sure how else to explain how she drew so many Shades if she was speaking truth. It’s like her very voice is art to them. “What I mean is, your words left them restless and unnerved. A Summoner’s duty involves knowing how your art influences the Shades and using that to get them to do what you want. In this case, we need to calm them so they’ll wander away after your performance. Tell something false yet mundane.”
“False yet mundane,” she mutters. After a few more beats of silence, she begins. “There once was…a squirrel.”
“Oh, this one is boring already,” Lust says.
Sloth, however, leans toward her. “I like squirrels.”
Inana darts a glance at me, a furrow between her brows. For amoment, I wonder if she can hear them. But…no, that can’t be possible.
I nod at her to keep going, along with a stern “Eyes down.”
She clenches her jaw before lowering her head once more. “There once was a squirrel who…lived in a tree burrow. He was small and…and cute. He collected…acorns.”
