Shadow Seeker (A Crow Haven Series Book 1) Read online

  There was another article that told the stories of the families who had lived in Aunt Morgan’s house who had claimed to experience strange noises, unexplainable bruising and marks on their bodies, and someone whispering for them to leave in the night. One woman was even sent to an insane asylum by her family after she swore that she saw Bethany’s Ghost in the house

  My eyes were wide as I read over the article several times. The necklace must have been brought to town around the 1900’s. That would explain why the Ghosts stopped their attacks. The Crows and the necklace saved the town. I saved the articles on my bookmarks and closed my laptop. So, Nicholasville was a sort of hub for paranormal activity. It appeared that the town had the sightings and attacks under control until Aunt Morgan passed. I felt the surge of adrenaline in my heart as I knew I had to do something.

  Leaning back against the headboard on my bed, I took a moment to glance down at my phone.

  I had a missed text from Ace. I guess with my music, I didn’t hear the alert.

  Ace: I need to talk to you.

  The text felt urgent, so I quickly typed out a reply.

  Me: Sure.

  Before I could put my phone back down on my bed, I heard a tapping at my bedroom window. Startled, I jumped up and rushed to the window. Perched on the ledge was a black Crow.

  Opening my window, I took a step back as the bird flew into my room.

  Running to my door, I locked the door as Ace shifted into human form in front of me.

  Whispering, I turned on him. “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  “I told you I needed to talk to you,” Ace said, walking over and sitting in the chair by my desk.

  “Be quiet, I don’t want my parents to hear you,” I shushed him.

  I had never had a boy in my room before, and I knew my parents wouldn’t like it.

  “Sorry,” Ace stated, holding his hands up in defense.

  “It’s ok. What’s wrong?” I dived right into why he was here.

  “I wanted to talk to you about Thomas and Nora. There’s a lot you don’t know about the Crows,” Ace began.

  “I know, you all seem to like to hide information,” I suggested.

  “It’s for our protection. But, I want you to ask me some more questions. If we are going to train-- physically train, I need you to trust me. Maylee said the best way to know someone is to talk to them,” Ace stated.

  Of course, Maylee was behind this.

  “That’s sort of how people create relationships,” I said, my face blushing now. I hadn’t meant for it to sound like I was trying to build a relationship between us.

  “Ok, so ask away,” Ace prompted.

  I bit my lip as I began thinking of what I really wanted to ask him. Ace watched me carefully, his eyes burning through me. Suddenly, a searing question came to mind.

  “Are you immortal?” I asked.

  Ace crossed his legs before he opened his mouth to respond. “Not immortal. I can die, but just not as soon as you can,” he answered, in what felt like another riddle.

  “Stop the games. Just give me a clear answer for once,” I pleaded. He had come here to talk and yet, he was starting his old ways again.

  Sighing, Ace began. “I can die, but my fate won’t happen for many, many years. Shifters age differently from humans. I’ve been a teenager for over two decades,” he said, a sadness taking over him. “If I elect to lose my Shifter powers, I will begin the normal aging process.”

  His words struck a chord in me. He had the choice to change his own destiny.

  “Will my aging change?” I asked, biting my lip again.

  “No, you will age like a normal human,” he answered.

  We sat in silence for a few more minutes. I knew that I only had a short amount of time to talk to Ace and I needed to ask only important questions. Somehow, my next inquiry felt important.

  “Why don’t you like Thomas and Nora?” It had bothered me since I had met them earlier.

  Ace stood and walked over to the window. For a moment, I feared he may leave without answering me. Thankfully, he ran a hand through his hair and sighed, letting me know he was going to share. “It’s not that I don’t like them… I just don’t trust them.”

  His words struck me like a hammer to the head. How could he not trust them? They were Protectors-- family.

  Shaking my head, I rushed Ace. Standing only mere inches from him, I forced him to look at me. “I’m supposed to put my faith in Crow Haven-- in all of you, but you can’t even trust your own kind!” I wailed, forgetting to be quiet.

  Ace’s eyes grew wide with freight from my sudden outburst. I saw the trepidation as he pondered over my words.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you,” I apologized, lowering my head in defeat.

  Everything was crashing down on me like a tidal wave and I could feel myself drowning in the uncertainty of it all.

  Reaching out, Ace wrapped his strong arms around mine and held me out in front of him. His dark eyes lasered into mine and I could feel the power behind his gaze. “Lizzie, you don’t have to apologize to me. I understand this is all going to take time. Just know that you are still learning,” he advised. “And, I don’t trust anyone.”

  Speaking of learning, I knew I needed to tell him about everything I found.

  Sighing, I began. “So, I did some research earlier and I found a lot about old supernatural attacks that plagued the town. There seemed to be a period of rest in the 1900’s.”

  Ace thought this over as he played with his piercing. “That was probably when your Great Aunt Morgan’s ancestors received the necklace.”

  We were clearly thinking on the same page.

  “I arrived in town around the 1950’s and, by then, the Crows had already taken control and everything was calm-- save for a few attacks, but we managed to handle them. However, the witches have been a little bit more complicated,” he chuckled.

  “Are you talking about the three Witches said to have haunted West Jessamine High School?” I asked, perking up. It was nice to finally feel like I was privy to shared knowledge. Even if I had just learned about the old legend.

  “Yeah, I guess you read about it?” he inquired.

  I proceeded to tell him the information I had just read. As Ace listened, I saw his famous cocky grin appear.

  “What?” I asked, shaking my head.

  “Well, that’s a nice story, but a local author wrote a story about it a few years ago. Apparently, she visited the school at night and had an encounter with the Witches. They taunted her and she wrote about it. It’s pretty cool if you are into mysteries and paranormal tales,” he chuckled.

  “I didn’t know you were such an avid reader,” I mused.

  “Only when it involves death and destruction,” he scowled.

  Rolling my eyes, I grabbed my laptop again. “Fine, show me this story.”

  “How many stories can there be? I mean, this town is small and barely a blip on the map,” I sighed.

  After making fun of Ace for his taste in reading, he began to scour the internet for the story he wanted to show me. I was astonished at how many books had been written about this town and the mysterious sightings and events.

  “Are you serious? Nicholasville is one of the Ghost capitals of the South. You should know that by now,” he said, pulling up an article.

  Together, we both leaned in and prepared ourselves to read and for Ace to prove me wrong-- again.

  Through the thick, heavy fog of the Kentucky fields, lost souls can be seen rising from their unwanted graves to lurk around the small town of Shady Oaks, Kentucky. It is here that stories of unnatural occurrences and frightening sightings have brought fear to many residents of this small, country town, only to cause chaos and anger from the non-believers.

  Sure, the supernatural stories sounded wild; like fantastic, paranormal horror stories told from one generation to the next for the sole purpose of scaring kids. However, in this town, nothing is ever as it seems
.

  As Brody and Hallie drove down the winding, one lane road, they laughed as they thought about the Ghost stories they had been told all of their lives. With the windows rolled up in Brody’s old 1969 Chevy truck, he could hear the howling wind from the cool, October night beating against his windshield. Now, as high school seniors at Shady Oaks High School, they set off on an adventure to finally put to rest the stories of hauntings on the grounds of the local high school. With the thought of a new adventure in their presence, Brody and Hallie allowed adrenaline and curiosity to motivate their next move. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be their last adventure.

  As Hallie turned her head out the window to watch the mist roll in over the trees blanketing the road and shielding the moon from providing the much needed light to drive through, Brody stole a glance at Hallie and sighed. It was no secret that he was infatuated with Hallie, and had been since he first laid eyes on her when she transferred to Shady Oaks, their Freshman year of high school. With her long, brown hair, perfectly tanned skin, and long legs, it was no wonder why Brody and every other boy in their school fell in love with Hallie upon first glance. Brody’s shyness had kept him from making his move for years. He had a boyish charm that most girls adored. His honey blonde hair and piercing blue eyes attracted everyone to him, but he only seemed to see Hallie. It was also Brody’s love for Hallie that brought him out of his warm, comfortable bed to drive down the road at midnight, just to look for some Ghosts that he didn’t even believe existed.

  Throughout generation after generation, tales had been spun about spirits that haunted Shady Oaks High School. Of course, those stories seemed to beckon Hallie, who had a wild fascination with the dead, who she believed roamed the halls of her high school and lurked around every corner of her small, Kentucky town.

  “Are you sure about this?” Brody asked, as he pulled into the vacant student parking lot. Only a small light was glowing from the front steps leading to the darkened school. Even though Brody thought the stories were nothing but hocus pocus, he still felt uneasy about what they were about to do.

  Eyeing the dark space surrounding him, Brody kept his hands securely placed on the steering wheel of his old farm truck, and kept the vehicle in gear. Secretly, Brody hoped that Hallie would, too, feel the strange sensations that he was experiencing and ask to leave.

  Turning to face Brody, Hallie’s blue eyes glowed with excitement. “Of course I am sure!” Hallie exclaimed, as she placed her hand on the door. “I can’t wait to see my first Ghost,” she yelled, as she jumped out of the truck and began walking around the front of the truck.

  Quickly following, Brody put the truck in park and followed Hallie. “Don’t be so loud,” he hissed, as he kept with her stride.

  Laughing, Hallie allowed her long, brown hair to bounce off her shoulders. “Are you scared?” she joked, as she continued walking toward the back of the school building.

  Running to catch up with Hallie, Brody allowed a nervous chuckle to escape his pursed lips. “I’m not scared. I just don’t want to get arrested,” Brody sneered.

  “You worry too much,” Hallie teased again. She pulled out her cell phone and began looking through notes she had documented. “The stories on the websites claim that the Ghost sightings happen behind the football field and inside the school. Apparently, you can see a young female walking through the halls,” she gushed.

  Looking through her phone, Hallie’s face became illuminated by the glowing light and her own curiosity and excitement. Watching her, Brody forgot all of his fears and decided to play along with Hallie’s games tonight. It seemed that she was always getting some kind of a thrill looking for exciting new adventures, and trying to uncover secrets of their old and haunted town. And, truth be told, Brody would do anything to see Hallie smile like that.

  As he began to walk toward the football field, following closely behind Hallie, Brody felt a cold chill sweep over him, stopping him dead in his tracks. He swore he felt the remains of a hand touch his shoulder. Quickly glancing behind him, Brody noted that they were still alone, and no one else was dumb or brave enough to hunt for Ghosts in the middle of the night.

  “The three gravestones are right over there,” Hallie pointed, as they made their way across the now damp football field. With each step they took, their feet crunched under the crisp dew from the cool night air.

  “What gravestones?” Brody asked, as he was suddenly taken out of his trance, and back to the reality of their situation.

  Sighing, Hallie’s eyebrows rose as she gave Brody a strange look. “Have you not been listening to me? We are searching for the graves of the three witches that haunt our school. According to the numerous articles published, and stories from faculty and students here at Shady Oaks High School, the witches come out in the evenings and leave the fragrance of roses and lavender in their path. Some people have even felt their hands brushing upon their shoulders, and their laughter echoes through the halls at night.”

  “You said we were just going to look for some dumb Ghosts, you never mentioned looking for graves. That’s just weird,” Brody stated, as he looked around. The thick fog that had developed over the field blocked all other sights from being seen. In that moment, Hallie’s words rang through his ears as he remembered the slight brush on his shoulder only moments ago, and the eerie sensation he felt that something was terribly wrong.

  “Stop being such a baby,” Hallie snapped at him.

  Her strong, and cruel tone struck Brody as odd. He had never heard Hallie raise her voice before. Shaking his head, Brody laughed off his feelings. He must be losing his mind, he thought.

  “Look, I am not being a baby, but this is a little weird. Why don’t we come back in the morning?” Brody suggested.

  Shoving past him, Hallie rolled her eyes and mocked his nervousness. “Sure, this might be weird, but it is exciting, too. Just think, we may actually get to see a Ghost tonight. And if not, we can finally put to rest the rumors and stories.”

  Thinking over her words, Brody decided Hallie was right. He would just play along with her tonight so he could finally prove that her games were silly.

  “Fine, I’ll play along,” Brody said, as he shoved his hands deep inside his jeans pocket. With the puff of air he released with his words, Brody noted the coldness of the night and shivered.

  Squealing, Hallie jumped up and hugged Brody around his neck, nearly knocking him to the ground. “Thank you so much!” she yelled into the night air. Her voice echoed around them and they both laughed at the sound.

  Feeling his heart and nerves ease, Brody allowed himself to hug Hallie back before gently placing her back onto the ground. Grabbing his hand, Hallie began to lead Brody to where her directions on her phone said would lead her to the three graves of the witches.

  Ten minutes later, Brody’s hands felt like icicles as they approached three stones, all aligned with a large oak tree. Staring at the tiny, gray and weathered stones, Brody suddenly felt as though there were eyes watching his every move. A strong gust of wind startled him from his thoughts and he noted his surroundings with a strange curiosity. The fog that they had walked through which had been covering the football field, now threatened to over-take them as it began to wrap around them like a blanket. Noticing this, Brody began to panic as he realized with the thick, white haze blurring his vision, he wouldn’t be able to find his way back to his truck.

  “Hallie,” Brody stuttered, as he began to slowly back away from the graves. In his attempts to remain calm, Brody had almost forgotten about Hallie.

  Kneeling down, Hallie had her back to him, as she ran her hands along the jagged edges of the grave stones. Her hair gently blew in the soft breeze that came from the rolling mist. She seemed in a trance, lost in the sights before her. Noticing this, Brody took a slight step toward her.

  “Hallie,” he said again, this time his voice as sharp as a razor blade. He had hoped his voice, cutting through the eerie silence, would have caused Hallie to stir; but instead, she
seemed to lean in closer to the tiny graves almost as if she were trying to get inside the dark and forlorn spaces.

  Almost laughing to himself, Brody dismissed the idea entirely. He was really letting this place and Hallie’s horror stories get to him. Growing frustrated with Hallie and himself in this situation, Brody decided he had enough. Even though he loved Hallie and wanted nothing more than to be alone with her in a dark and secluded area, the reality of where they were was quickly sinking in and he knew he didn’t want to follow Hallie any more. For years, Brody had chased Hallie, allowing himself to be at her every want and need. But still, she only saw him as a friend, someone to go on her wild and crazy adventures with. Even now, as Brody stood in the cold night air amongst a thick mist that threatened to overtake him, following Hallie so she could fulfill some desire of hers to witness a haunting, she still didn’t care about what Brody wanted or needed. He was freezing in the middle of the night, nonetheless, and the end game was always going to be the same; he would eventually leave alone and without the love he desired from Hallie.

  An unsettling feeling washed over Brody, forcing him to take a stand and face Hallie. “Hallie, I’m leaving. If you want to stay here and look for some crazy Ghost that doesn’t even exist, then stay.”

  Brody’s words hung through the night, and he waited impatiently for Hallie to respond. Sighing, Brody turned on his heels to leave, but was taken aback when Hallie finally began to stand. Slowly, her body seemed to peel itself away from the graves. As her head began to turn to face Brody, her eyes seemed to glow a golden yellow that broke through the black night.

  Gasping, Brody began to back away from Hallie. His stumbling feet tripped and he fell backwards into the sea of rising mist that now enveloped the large space. Scrambling to regain his composure, Brody began calling out for help, but he knew it was pointless. There was no one to hear his cries except for Hallie, and that thought alone terrified Brody to his core.