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

  “It must be difficult not knowing your true history and then finding out everything in the manner in which you did,” Ace began. “Centuries ago, towns became plagued with Ghost sightings and strange occurrences. They were supernatural disasters but it wasn’t easy for humans to understand. Your ancestors discovered a gem that had been bound with a protection spell. Legend states that once that necklace was placed around the neck of a Shadow Seeker, which is part of your heritage, the person wearing the gem could protect all those surroundings her. The necklace was passed down through generations and your aunt was in line for it. Now that she has passed, the necklace should be passed to the next Shadow Seeker. Your mom is a Mediator, which deems her unable to hold the power of the gem.”

  I sat there, listening intently to every word Ace spoke. His words were gospel and felt as though they had the power to give me life.

  “Is this necklace here?” I asked.

  Shaking his head, Ace sat up taller in the chair. “That’s the problem. We weren’t prepared for your arrival. We have to find the necklace and soon. One Demon has already arrived; there will be more that follow now that they know the protection spell isn’t set.”

  Jumping out of bed, I felt like a surge of energy had been lit inside of me. I paced the floor as thoughts began pouring into my head.

  “It would have to be somewhere on my property. That explains why my Aunt Morgan left the house to my mom when she passed. Everything she did was for a reason, that much I knew from the stories my mom had told me.”

  A smile beamed across my face as Ace watched me curiously.

  “Do you think you could find it?” he asked.

  “I think so. We will have to search the property,” I said, continuing to pace.

  “The next issue won’t be so simple,” Ace said, stopping me dead in my tracks.

  “What are you talking about?”

  Ace stood, his large frame towering over me as he moved closer to where I now stood in the center of the room. “Even with the necklace, you will still have to learn how to defend yourself. Some Ghosts and spirits won’t pose a deadly threat like the Demons do, but they still sometimes like to fight for their old lives. You have to be prepared for everything. I will train you and teach you more about your role as a Shadow Seeker,” Ace finished, huffing.

  I could tell this was difficult for him, so I decided to hide my own snide comments.

  “Great, when do we start?” I asked.

  Before Ace could answer, Maylee entered the room holding a tray filled to the brim with breakfast foods.

  My senses went crazy as the aroma of fresh sausage, scrambled eggs, and warm pastries filled the room.

  “Breakfast,” Maylee rang out, way too perky for the morning.

  Ace took that as his cue to leave. He rushed to the door, but before exiting he turned to me and said, “Tomorrow we will begin your first training. And, don’t worry about your parents. I sent them a text from your phone last night and told them you were staying the night with Maylee,” Ace stated, before disappearing out the door.

  Oh crap, my parents.

  With everything that had happened, I had completely forgotten about my parents. I was beyond grateful for Ace and couldn’t help the smile that grew on my face.

  Noticing my sudden change in demeanor, Maylee placed the tray of breakfast items on the bed and sat. I could tell from her face that she wanted to ask me about my conversation with Ace, but she didn’t.

  Sitting down beside her on the bed, I began devouring the delicious food as Maylee and I enjoyed a few minutes of silence. Because we both knew, that soon enough the silence would end and the insanity would begin.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Don’t Call It A Comeback

  G

  ray clouds hung heavy in the Sunday morning sky. A light drizzle began to fall, blanketing the ground with a light mist that made walking on the grass more like sliding on ice. After my conversation with Ace, Maylee had driven me home to unsuspecting parents. Little did they know their daughter had been chased by a Demon the night before.

  My mom should have been the first person that I confessed my terrifying night to, but I just couldn’t bring myself to sharing the gritty details with her.

  For once in my life, I had my own secret and for the time being, I wanted to keep it as my own. I knew that eventually, I would have to tell her what was happening; but, for now, the Demon would stay my own information.

  I knew Ace would be coming by to get me around noon for our first training session, but there was something I needed to do first.

  Finding my mom out lounging on the living room sofa, I settled myself in one of the large navy chairs that faced the fireplace.

  “Hey mom, did Aunt Morgan leave anything here when she passed?” I asked.

  Turning her head to face me, her eyebrows arched in question. “What do you mean?” she asked, muting the Hallmark movie she was watching.

  Crossing my legs, I tried to appear casual. “Well, I remember you and dad once telling me a story about how you found an old letter in the attic here. Something about a Ghost that was looking for her fiancé,” I stated, trying to remember all of the details of the tale.

  This house had held centuries worth of families and stories, and I knew there were more secrets here left to be discovered. Hopefully, some of those secrets were my great aunts, too.

  Pursing her lips, my mom watched me carefully before she answered. I could sense her trying to get a feel for my question. Like she knew I was hiding something.

  “I’m not sure. You know, this house is full of old items. Even after the renovation, I’m sure there are things still in the attic. Truthfully, I haven’t been up there since I was a teenager,” she mused. “Why do you want to know?” she asked, sitting up and narrowing her eyes on me.

  I gulped down my own fear. My mom could always tell when I lied, and I was doing my best right now to appear as calm and collected as I could.

  Relaxing in the chair, I smiled “I just thought it would be cool to find something of hers. You know, you and dad and Aunt Lucy had all the fun. Since I’m not really like you, I would just like to explore,” I admitted.

  I knew it was wrong of me to use guilt to get my way, but it was the only way to divert her from the real truth.

  “Lizzie, you are like me. You are special, just in a different kind of way. Seeing Ghosts and dealing with the afterlife isn’t something I ever wished on you. But, you can sense spirits and that, in itself, makes you unique,” she said, sighing.

  Nodding, I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yeah, I’m definitely something.”

  Mom's eyes turned to tiny slits as she stared at me in confusion. I was starting to act weird and I needed to reign it all back in. “Well, I think you are special,” she said.

  I nodded awkwardly as I picked at my nails. “Thanks.”

  “You know, Lizzie, another idea would be to research this town. I’ve found that sometimes when searching for something important, it helps to dive into the history of what you are searching,” she added, quirking her brows at me.

  “I will talk with Ace and Maylee. Maybe they can help me.”

  “I think that’s a great idea,” she said.

  “I’m going to go check the attic,” I said, jumping up and heading toward the stairs.

  “Ok, well if you need me, just let me know,” mom yelled, as I began bounding up the stairs two at a time.

  I made it upstairs and then found the door at the end of the hall that led to the attic. Creaking, the door welcomed me with a musty wave as I began walking up the wooden steps.

  I could see a stream of light filtering in through a small window; but other than that, it was almost pitch black.

  The old floorboards creaked under each step, alerting the world of spiders and dust to my presence. I found the cord for the lone light and pulled, allowing the room to become bright once again.

  Boxes lined the walls and old furniture had sheets draped over t
hem. It appeared to be an ordinary attic, but something deep inside of me knew there was more lurking in here. This house held too much history for there not to be something up here. If my aunt had the necklace, she would have left it somewhere to be found. While I had only met my great Aunt Morgan a few times, but her angelic magical qualities always shined and radiated with me. She was the person who had taught my mom all about being a Mediator. She had led her to uncovering her real truth-- never just handing it over like a gift.

  So, I knew that whatever I was meant to find, would be up in this attic. Waiting for me to find like the hidden gem it was.

  Moving slowly, my eyes roamed over every inch of the space. Most of the boxes were labeled and contained kitchen items and old blankets. As I reached the back of the attic, I found a small leather jewelry box. Kneeling down, I placed my hands on the warm leather, feeling the course, slick material under my fingertips.

  It was cracking from age, but the structure of the box was still good. I turned the box over in my hands, my heart rate picking up as I realized I may have just found the necklace.

  Slowly, I lifted the silver clasp and opened the box. Only, to my dismay, there wasn’t a necklace to be found. Instead, I found a stack of paper.

  Feeling deterred, I fell back on my behind and allowed my head to fall against the wall.

  “That wasn’t what I was expecting,” I spoke to myself, my own voice sounding strange in the confined space.

  I lifted the papers and noticed the yellow stains from age. Unfolding one, I realized it was a letter. The ink had faded over time, but it was still readable.

  My dearest Elizabeth,

  If you are reading this letter, I have passed from this earth. By now, you have realized the truth of who you are. Just as your mother once did as a teenager, you will have to decode the mysteries of your own life. I wish that I could have given you more information, but the order of the paranormal world prohibits us from telling you too much. We are all meant to uncover our own realities and the real truth about who and what we are. For you, the answer to your safety will come when you find the Crows necklace. It will provide you safety against those that seek to harm you. The necklace is hidden in a very special place on this property. Once you uncover its hiding spot, place the necklace around your neck and never, never take it off. The answers you seek are near. Have faith in yourself.

  All my love,

  Great Aunt Morgan

  Each word seemed to jump out from the page as my eyes scanned over them again. Shaking my head, I held in a raging scream. Why did everything have to be so confusing? If I needed the necklace for my own protection, why hide it? Was someone else looking for it? My head was full of a raging hurricane.

  Suddenly, my phone pinged from inside of my pocket. Taking it out, I saw the glowing message on my screen.

  Ace: I’m out by the pond.

  Perfect timing, now I had to go deal with training with Ace. I quickly typed a response and then placed the box under my shirt. I was going to take the box and the notes and hide them away in my room until I found a way to tell my mom.

  Me: Be right there.

  I left the attic and made a quick stop to my bedroom where I hid the box under my bed. Once downstairs again, I passed my mom on my way to the back door.

  “Hey, I didn’t find anything in the attic, except for some old blankets and quilts. I might use one on my bed,” I lied.

  “Oh, that’s a nice idea,” mom noted, only taking her eyes off the television to offer me a smile.

  “Maylee texted while I was in the attic. I am going to meet her and Ace to hang out,” I added.

  “Ok, well please be home for dinner. You have been gone most of the weekend,” she said, a slight hint of sadness in her voice.

  She was right. I wasn’t used to being gone so much, I was sure it was difficult on my parents.

  “I will,” I said, waving as I took off toward the back of the house.

  Once outside, I took in a large gulp of fresh air. The sky was still dreary and overcast, but the coolness of the breeze felt nice against my heated skin. I briskly walked toward the pond, like I was a woman on a mission.

  In no time, I saw the tall grass lining the pond and standing like a gift from the gods above, was Ace.

  It was disturbing how someone so brash and impolite could appear so angelic.

  It was like a curse.

  My eyes couldn’t stray away from him, no matter how much I fought with myself, I just couldn't look away from him.

  “Took you long enough,” Ace scowled, as I approached him.

  Seems like our nice conversation from earlier was just a fluke. He was back to being rude again.

  “Sorry, I was just searching for the necklace that will save my life,” I snapped, rolling my eyes.

  “Did you find it?” he asked, stepping forward. There was an intense need in his eyes and I found myself getting lost in them.

  “Oh, now you are interested. Now, it’s ok that I am late,” I teased sarcastically.

  Shaking his head, Ace’s jaw drew tight as he bit back his own snarky comment. “Look, now is not the time to fight. If you found the necklace, that will be huge.”

  Sighing, I shook my head. “No, I didn’t find it. But, I did find a letter from my great Aunt Morgan. Apparently, she hid the necklace somewhere on her property,” I finished, looking around.

  This land was expansive, it would take us forever to search for it.

  Ace’s eyes followed mine as I glanced out over the rolling hills. “Well, at least we know where to look,” he said, sounding strangely hopeful.

  “Yeah,” I agreed. “My mom told me that we should do some research on the town. I’m thinking we look into supernatural sightings or old legends,” I prompted.

  “While I have lived through most of the supernatural occurrences around here, there are some that happened way before my time. Maybe there will be something about the necklace. But, we need to get to Crow Haven immediately. From what I have learned, our Demon sighting last night wasn’t the first one. They are coming and we need to be prepared. Our town is in jeopardy if we can’t protect it,” Ace finished.

  My heartbeat raced beat like a wild drum as I thought about how much danger we were all in.

  “Alright, well then let’s go. Where’s your car?” I asked, realizing I never saw him pull up.

  A sly grin flashed as Ace’s lips curved. “I thought we would take a different mode of transportation.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked, not sure I wanted to know the answer.

  Ace took a step back and then I heard a strange, clicking sound. Then, to my complete surprise, large black wings sprouted from behind Ace.

  Stumbling back, my feet slipped and I lost my balance and fell onto the glistening grass below. A piercing scream erupted from me as I closed and quickly reopened my eyes again. Did I just see wings come out of Ace?

  “What...Are those…” Words tumbled out of my mouth, but none of them made any sense.

  Laughing, Ace seemed to be enjoying my crazed state. Leaning down, he offered me his hand and helped me up. Once I was back on my feet again, I pushed his hand away and wiped the wet grass from my jeans.

  “I knew you would freak out,” he chuckled to himself.

  “You have wings?” I finally managed to ask.

  “Well, I am a Crow Shifter, so it only makes sense that I can sprout wings,” Ace answered.

  His reasoning might have made sense, but it still felt surreal to me.

  “Ok, so you can fly. That still doesn’t tell me how I am getting to Crow Haven,” I remarked, crossing my arms across my chest in a proud display of defiance.

  Ace just shook his head again, that stupid grin still plastered across his face. “Just wait,” he stated.

  He reached for my hand again. With uncertainty tingling through me, I placed my hand in his, and that familiar spark ignited inside of me like a lightning bolt sent straight from Zeus himself.

  M
y body shook from the contact as my eyes locked with Ace’s. I had no idea why I felt this way whenever we touched, but it was growing even more confusing each time it happened.

  “Close your eyes and hold on,” Ace whispered, lifting me into his arms.

  Before I could blink, Ace leapt into the air and a rush of air took my breath away. Fearing for my life, I gripped hold of Ace and closed my eyes, afraid to look at how high we were.

  Roaring waves of wind crashed all around me as Ace flew us through the air, slicing through it like butter. I felt weightless as I lay in Ace’s arms, soaring over the land that we called home.

  I tried to open my eyes, even though Ace instructed me not to, but all I saw were bright lights and blurry lines. Nothing made sense in this moment, and I loved the feeling overtaking me.

  Just as quickly as we had taken flight, we descended to the ground.

  I felt a slight jolt as Ace placed us back onto Earth.

  “Open your eyes,” Ace said, releasing his hold on me.

  My hands slipped from his arms as my eyes peeled open. With a heaving chest, I smiled up at Ace.

  “That was fantastic,” I mused, breathlessly.

  “It definitely has its perks,” Ace said.

  We were still dangerously close to one another and we both knew it. Simultaneously, we each took a step backward. It was then that I realized we were at Crow Haven. Of course, we were. I had been so lost in my whirlwind flight, that I had completely forgotten our destination.

  Hoovering like a king on his throne, the Crow Haven manor looked elegant in the daylight.

  I hadn’t seen it beyond last night and in the early morning hours, so seeing the structure in all its glory was magnificent.

  “Where are we going to train?” I asked, making sure we stayed on track.

  If I allowed myself, I could get lost in Ace and his world. I had too much to lose if I didn’t stay focused on training and finding the necklace. With the reality of Demons coming after me and the town that I now called home, I needed to make sure I had my mind focused on one thing only; surviving.