Can I Really Love A Shadow?

re-write

"Let's see what the shadow expert has to say before we turn back," Sting joked. He glanced at me with a snarky smile and in return, I shot an icy glary back in his direction. I moved to rest against the cave wall with my arms crossed before giving then my answer.

Prior to entering the cave, I used the shadows residing inside the cave to determine if there was any signs of life or residual magic. The most noteworthy forms of life were bats and lizards. There was nothing out of the ordinary but unironically I still felt something lurking in the shadows. Something was watching us and I just couldn't pinpoint where.

"Nothing too out of place just some lizards, bats, and other cave animals," I informed the two.

"Alright, how about you go and take a look around, while Lucy and I stay here," Sting suggested.

I mumbled a soft 'sure'. Flaring magic outwards caused a stream of violet flames to release from my body and swirl around the soles of my feet. They rose the length of my figure slowly swallowing me into the shadows. I sunk into the shadowy plane leaving behind the two blondes and the exceeds. This form gave me more access to all the shadows in the cave. I could see, hear, and access all that went on and around the cave. I took a few steps forward but halted and spared the blonde-haired girl a passing glance.

Her back was to the wall with a impassive expression. Her body language however was rigid, it was obvious that something was making her uneasy, I'm guessing it has something to do with the incident in Aurora. The corners of my lips curled downward, but my eyes lingered on her for another moment. I shrugged off my feelings and travelled down the path. I scrutinized every shadowy crevice and figure, while sliding down the winding path.

Unfortunately, I was coming up short with evidence, which didn't sit well with me. Something or someone was able to evade me and all the shadows lurking in these rocky walls. The "siren" we were pursuing was posing to be a challenge if it was able to hide from the shadows. It was impossible to hide from them.

Since our conversation with Hiro, I did a mental rundown on my knowledge of sirens to the report he gave us. A good portion of the sightings of sirens were females, but a handful of them were males, formally called incubuses. Charm and desire magic were their primary magic defense. Haunting melodies and the secretion of pheromones were the most notable tactics of theirs to capture their prey. It's just odd since Sting and I haven't smelled any pheromones or sensed a magic signature. They are arguably the easiest creatures to find since they leave their scent everywhere. We would had smelled them before we entered Aurora. Its just unsettling since he was able to fly under the radar and approach Lucy without Sting and I's knowledge. I had been mulling over the events thay had transpired just a few hours ago.

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"They would have already engaged with us. It could be a vengeful nymph or a hateful dryad," I listed off. This year's magical creature index appeared in my mind, as I started to recall every possible creature that lived around woodland areas and forests. Creatures like chimeras, wyverns, and other giant hulking ones were eliminated based on the status of the town. Nothing was damaged so, it had to be something small and inconspicuous.

"I think it could be a duende, just because the one's you listed Rogue rarely attack people," Lector chimed in from Sting's right shoulder. "They're notorious for getting people lost in forest for fun. Maybe that's what is happening." The maroon cat did have a point, it could potentially be a duende, their small. But that was also their downfall.

"I can see that but they're like the size of a wasp, anyone could easily swat it away." I countered.

"I guess we're back at square one," Lector huffs. His shoulders sagged a bit before propping his head up in his paws. "What are we going to do now, Sting?"