He was trying to scare me. To intimidate me to back off. Well, Ace sure had no clue who he was messing with. I had learned from the best on how to be stubborn and strong-willed. I was Sadie Sanders-Bufford’s daughter, and I never backed down from a challenge.
“Well then enlighten me,” I said through clenched teeth.
I swear I saw a smirk trying to appear over his angry face. “Saturday. I will show you Crow Haven then. But for now, all you need to know is that since you arrived in Nicholasville, things have changed. The Crows have had to face more spirits than ever,” he paused, looking away briefly before rubbing his jaw and continuing. “You will need to learn how to fight. Not just physically, but mentally, too. Your mom holds the answers on how to talk with the ghosts. It is the Crows who will teach you how to handle the evil spirits. The restless souls that we need to extinguish from our home. If you are up for that, then we will teach you. Otherwise, you might as well go ahead and tell your family to move back to where you came from.”
I stood there for a moment, horrified by his words. It was like I had fallen asleep and woken up in the middle of a nightmare. Only, this wasn’t a dream and I was very much awake.
I had spent my entire life watching my mom work with the afterlife. She spent her life saving the lost souls and, now, it was my turn to have a true purpose.
“Meet me here Saturday morning. I will be ready,” I said, never losing eye contact with Ace.
From behind me, I could hear Maylee’s rapid breathing as she watched us. I knew this was a lot for her to handle, too. Ever since I had arrived in town, I had changed their lives as well. I guess we were about to see just how different everything was going to be.
The rest of the week flew by like a blur. After Ace had promised to take me to Crow Haven this upcoming weekend, he had been MIA all week. I didn’t really expect anything different from him; however, it wasn’t lost on me that I continued to see the large Crow outside my house most nights. I couldn’t be certain, but I was sure it was Ace. Why he cared enough to watch me, I had no idea. Knowing him, he was probably making sure I wasn’t inviting a bunch of Demons over for a party.
Maylee had been cheery, but I could tell she was growing nervous about Saturday. I wasn’t sure why they were so upset, even though they claimed that more spirits were entering town, I hadn’t seen one yet. Neither had my mom. So, I felt pretty safe.
After a long day of school and a nice evening run, I had drifted off to sleep one night with the feeling like I was being watched.
Snakes and spiders crawl all around me and an angry wind sweeps over me. I’m no longer in my bed, but in a lone forest. An icy chill licks my skin as the moon becomes cloaked in dark clouds.
“Is anyone out there?” I call out, but my voice sounds distant.
Trying to run, my feet remain planted on the cool, damp filled ground. I begin to melt into the darkness, my body disappearing as though I never existed.
“Help!” I try to cry, but my voice no longer works.
Tears burn my eyes as fear courses through me.
Suddenly, I jolted up in bed, my hair coated in sweat.
“Lizzie, it’s ok,” a voice whispered beside me.
Trembling, I turn to spot the last person I would ever expect to see in my room, standing over me.
Placing his hands on my shoulders, Ace begins to shake me, calling out my name. “Lizzie, what’s wrong? What just happened?” he asks frantically.
It takes me a moment to comprehend what I just saw and to find the strength to speak. “Horror. All I saw were snakes and spiders. The world was gray and dark. Shadows slithered all around me and I was all alone,” I said, my bottom lip quivering as I spoke.
Sighing, Ace moved away from me and ran a hand through his wavy hair. His eyes turned black and if I hadn’t just been paralyzed by my own fear, his sudden change in appearance might have just frightened me.
“Wait, what are you doing here?” I ask, trying to keep my voice quiet so I don’t wake my parents.
“I’m always here,” Ace says, diverting his eyes away from me.
“You watch me sleep,” I said, matter-of-factly.
Ace simply nodded. I knew it was him.
“Lizzie, what you saw was the shadows taking over. They are here and looking for lives to destroy,” Ace warned. “We need to find out what they want.”
“What do we do now?” I wailed. “I don’t understand any of this. I didn’t ask for this…”
Before I could say anything more, Ace grabbed me and pulled me into his strong arms. For the first time in a very long time, I felt a sense of comfort. Being enveloped in his embrace sent a warmth shooting down my spine. Releasing a heavy breath, I allowed myself to relax as he held me. I felt safe in his arms and that notion alone both surprised and concerned me.
By Friday, the entire town was buzzing with excitement over the first home game of the season. The parents and teachers were tailgating in the parking lot and the town was decorated in blue and green, showing their support for the East Jessamine Jaguars.
After school, I had rushed home to dress in a pair of jeans, a blue t-shirt, and I tied a green ribbon in my hair.
Sawyer and Kade were going to meet me at my house while Ace drove Maylee himself. Of course, he was too cool to attend a game, but something told me he wouldn’t be too far from the action.
“Lizzie, your friends will be here in ten minutes,” my mom called up to me.
I bounded down the stairs as I grabbed my cellphone and money.
We still hadn’t talked a lot since I found out I was a Shadow Seeker.
“I’m ready,” I said, stopping in the kitchen.
“You look great,” my dad said, placing a kiss on top of my head.
“Have a great time,” my mom added, her eyes full of pride and a touch of sadness.
I hated when my mom was upset, even if I felt like she deserved my anger.
“Mom, tonight after the game, we can talk,” I offered.
Her smile lit up the room and it filled my heart with happiness. “Really? I would love that, Lizzie,” she gushed. “Just remember. I only knew about the stories of Shadow Seekers. I never truly knew you were one. I have questions, too,” she said.
“I know, but you knew it was a possibility,” I added.
She nodded. “With us, there are always possibilities,” she sighed, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Lizzie, I know that growing up with a Mediator as a mother wasn’t always easy. I tried to protect you from most of my work, but I also didn’t hide the truth either. Returning to Nicholasville was the right choice, and now I see your great Aunt Morgan had something to do with it. We will get through this together because that’s what we do,” she said, smiling down at me.
Just then, my phone chimed to alert me to a text.
Sawyer: Hey, we are about to pull into your driveway.
“Mom, my friends are here,” I said, hating to stop this conversation.
“Go have fun, we will finish this tonight,” she said, hugging me before letting me go.
I wiped a tear away from my eye as I opened the front door. Just as I stepped out onto the front porch, a loud squawk startled me. Soaring high in the sky, a large black Crow circled above my driveway. Shaking my head, I had a sneaking suspicion it was Ace.