Beyond The Shadows (Shadows Saga bk3) ON HOLD

Chapter 4- The Order of Katar

Night passed into early morning and Mara hadn’t even been able to shut her eyes. How could she think about sleep after everything that had happened? She slowly edged her way out of bed, careful not to wake Marx. She wrapped the rumpled towel around her body, and went to the door of the bathroom, exchanging it for a robe hanging on the knob.

She slipped the robe on and tied the strings tightly around her waist before looking at the time. It was nearly five in the morning. Mara stepped into her slippers before sneaking out, padding down the hall.

The door creaked lightly as Mara opened it, stepping into Natalie’s room. She held bit her lip, trying to keep the tears at bay. She couldn’t stand the thought of leaving Natalie in the room like that, she deserved better than to have her body stashed away until the Council decided what to do with it, with her.

They didn’t need her for anything; they already knew what had caused her death. Keeping her around would do nothing to help them.

Mara reached her hand out, nearly withdrawing it at the touch of Natalie’s skin. She fought the urge and took hold, transporting them to the bottom of the steps in front of the castle.

Eyes shut tight, Mara built up a pyre in her mind, projecting it out. She opened her eyes back up, watching as the pyre built up under her aunt.

I will never leave you.

The words hadn’t stopped playing through Mara’s mind. The image of her aunt, pale with the black liquid coloring her lips clear in her mind.

The full weight of it pressed down on Mara and everything from her past started to bubble up. The way her parents had been taken from her by death, her childhood living from family to family. Zander. Mara’s anger started simmering. She wanted to know who had been responsible for her aunt’s death, and why they had killed her. Why they had tried to kill Marx as well?

She knew she was the common denominator, it had to be something with her, but she didn’t know what. Not knowing was what frustrated her. Mara pulled in her anger; she welcomed it for a change. She knew that was what would help her now. She gathered it up and pushed it out, lighting the pyre on fire.

Mara watched as the fire caught and slowly started burning. It brightened what was left of the darkness around her and the kingdom, but she knew it would do little to wash away what had happened.

Two strong arms wrapped around Mara’s waste and she leaned into the familiar feeling. She felt secure in the embrace as the eclectic sensation flowed through her.

“You didn’t have to do this alone,” he whispered in her ear.

“Yes I did, just her and me. That’s how it needed to be.”

Marx was silent for a moment, just holding Mara in his arms, his arms tightly around her, hoping to keep her grounded.

“Everything has been pushed back,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

“The elections, your trip, the witches moving in, all of it.”

“They’ve pushed everything back, just like that?”

“Yes, just like that. There was an attack here and we don’t know what caused it, Mara. We’re all leaving.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Mara said turning to face Marx.

“Yes you are. Whoever it was managed to get into the castle undetected. It’s not safe to stay here. We can stay with my parents.”

“If it’s not safe to stay in my own castle, my home, then it’s not safe anywhere. If they could get in here then they can get into your home, there’s nothing to stop them.”