have to hurry.”
Gem didn’t know what a shadow creature was, but she ran anyway. So did Kat. Even so, by the time they reached the place where they’d stopped, cat sized shadows were leaping from the trees, landing on Goolrick’s men with solid impacts that said they were a lot less insubstantial than they appeared. No two of them were the same, some taking the form of woodland creatures, others of creepier things; spiders and centipedes and things with far too many tentacles.
Goolrick drew a sword from beneath his robes, striding forward, while Gem reached for her bow. Kat stayed by her, knocking away a leaping spider with her shield as Gem searched for a target.
“I really hate spiders,” Kat said. “I mean, I really hate…oh my god, I think there’s one on me!”
It turned out to be a shadowy bat. Gem swept it off as best she could and it squeaked at her harshly. A flash lit the road, driving the creatures back for a moment, and Gem realized that Sparks must have used the evanescence word. It was good thinking. Although it didn’t hurt the shadows, they recoiled from such a bright light. It came again, then again, forcing some of them back.
“We need to get closer to Sparks,” Gem said, and Kat nodded. Together, they ran for the boy as he kept producing bursts of light. Beside him, Jack and Rio were looking around, their weapons drawn. The problem was with Goolrick and his men, who didn’t seem to have understood the idea of staying close.
“Maybe if we all use the word?” Gem suggested, yelling to be heard above the sound of the battle. Five shouts of “evanescence” rang out, accompanied by flares of light. Each was bright, but each was just as short-lived, and none of them did much to protect the men of the Perfidious tribe.
Worse, the shadow creatures seemed to be weaving together shadows the way spiders might spin webs. One by one, Goolrick’s men were becoming entangled in their own shadows, falling over helplessly. The wizard himself was a splash of gold under half a dozen shadowy monkeys, chipmunks and weasels, and more were dropping from the trees every second. Even with the five of them working together, there were simply too many of the creatures to fight off.
It was then that Gem saw the larger shadow. It was twice the size of the others and trailed shadows behind it like a cloak. More than that, no matter how Gem stared at it, she couldn’t seem to pin down quite what it was. One moment it had feet, the next insectoid legs, then sucker tipped tentacles. Suggestions of other animals flashed through it, like someone inexpertly making shadow puppets. At its arrival, the other spiders stopped their attack, waiting as it made its walking, sliding, and occasionally hopping way towards Gem and the others.
“Should we kill it?” Sparks asked. Gem thought she saw the other shadows twitch, just a little.
“I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
The shifting thing got closer, until it was finally close enough to extend one strand of shadow like a hand, brushing it over each of them in turn. It reminded Gem of the way a blind person might run their hands over someone’s face to learn their features. Sparks held his ground. Rio and Jack shuddered. Kat bit back a small shriek and raised her sword.
“It’s all right, Kat,” Gem reassured her. The other girl held still, though she obviously didn’t like it.
Then it was Gem’s turn. The tendril brushed over her. Gem felt the ring on her right hand come to life, and in that moment she knew everything the Shadow King wanted.
“This is a test,” she said to the others. “They wanted to see if we were as strong as their legends say. I… I think we’ve passed.”
“That’s nice,” Kat shot back. “Can all the… things go away now please?”
The shadow creatures didn’t move. There was more to what the Shadow King wanted than that. Gem could see the image clearly; the king asleep in a hammock-like web woven from shadows
Gem didn’t know what a shadow creature was, but she ran anyway. So did Kat. Even so, by the time they reached the place where they’d stopped, cat sized shadows were leaping from the trees, landing on Goolrick’s men with solid impacts that said they were a lot less insubstantial than they appeared. No two of them were the same, some taking the form of woodland creatures, others of creepier things; spiders and centipedes and things with far too many tentacles.
Goolrick drew a sword from beneath his robes, striding forward, while Gem reached for her bow. Kat stayed by her, knocking away a leaping spider with her shield as Gem searched for a target.
“I really hate spiders,” Kat said. “I mean, I really hate…oh my god, I think there’s one on me!”
It turned out to be a shadowy bat. Gem swept it off as best she could and it squeaked at her harshly. A flash lit the road, driving the creatures back for a moment, and Gem realized that Sparks must have used the evanescence word. It was good thinking. Although it didn’t hurt the shadows, they recoiled from such a bright light. It came again, then again, forcing some of them back.
“We need to get closer to Sparks,” Gem said, and Kat nodded. Together, they ran for the boy as he kept producing bursts of light. Beside him, Jack and Rio were looking around, their weapons drawn. The problem was with Goolrick and his men, who didn’t seem to have understood the idea of staying close.
“Maybe if we all use the word?” Gem suggested, yelling to be heard above the sound of the battle. Five shouts of “evanescence” rang out, accompanied by flares of light. Each was bright, but each was just as short-lived, and none of them did much to protect the men of the Perfidious tribe.
Worse, the shadow creatures seemed to be weaving together shadows the way spiders might spin webs. One by one, Goolrick’s men were becoming entangled in their own shadows, falling over helplessly. The wizard himself was a splash of gold under half a dozen shadowy monkeys, chipmunks and weasels, and more were dropping from the trees every second. Even with the five of them working together, there were simply too many of the creatures to fight off.
It was then that Gem saw the larger shadow. It was twice the size of the others and trailed shadows behind it like a cloak. More than that, no matter how Gem stared at it, she couldn’t seem to pin down quite what it was. One moment it had feet, the next insectoid legs, then sucker tipped tentacles. Suggestions of other animals flashed through it, like someone inexpertly making shadow puppets. At its arrival, the other spiders stopped their attack, waiting as it made its walking, sliding, and occasionally hopping way towards Gem and the others.
“Should we kill it?” Sparks asked. Gem thought she saw the other shadows twitch, just a little.
“I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
The shifting thing got closer, until it was finally close enough to extend one strand of shadow like a hand, brushing it over each of them in turn. It reminded Gem of the way a blind person might run their hands over someone’s face to learn their features. Sparks held his ground. Rio and Jack shuddered. Kat bit back a small shriek and raised her sword.
“It’s all right, Kat,” Gem reassured her. The other girl held still, though she obviously didn’t like it.
Then it was Gem’s turn. The tendril brushed over her. Gem felt the ring on her right hand come to life, and in that moment she knew everything the Shadow King wanted.
“This is a test,” she said to the others. “They wanted to see if we were as strong as their legends say. I… I think we’ve passed.”
“That’s nice,” Kat shot back. “Can all the… things go away now please?”
The shadow creatures didn’t move. There was more to what the Shadow King wanted than that. Gem could see the image clearly; the king asleep in a hammock-like web woven from shadows
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