Shadows Book 1 in the World of Shadows Read Online Free

took the harsh lines from their faces, or perhaps it
was the trusting look Axon had given me before he fell asleep with
his head on his arm. He had no reason to trust me, but he did. My
heart pounded at the thought of trusting him back.
    The shift from dusk to dawn was a longer one
than I had ever held at the Caves. By the time the Luminos woke
from their moon sleep, I could barely think. My muscles ached from
the unaccustomed walking and the bruises that colored my skin in
patches of purple. When Axon’s men sprang to life at the touch of
the sun on their skin, I had to force myself to stand from my
sentry position on a group of rocks near the side of the tent.
Marken handed me food identical to the night before and gave me a
skin of water to sling over my shoulder. It felt like it weighed
more than I did.
    “ One night down,” Axon said
with a smile while he watched his men pack the tent
away.
    “ Yay,” I replied with all
the enthusiasm of a cactus. I waved my curved sword in a tired
victory circle, then slung it through the ring on my belt Dathien
had given me.
    Axon’s eyes narrowed in amusement. “Not
thrilled about your accomplishments?”
    I shrugged. “Not infused with the energy of
the sun, I guess you could say,” I replied with a nod at the rest
of his camp. They jostled each other and joked as they packed and
made ready for the trek. Marken dropped a sand crab from his pack
and Jatha, the youngest Luminos in the group, dove for it before
Marken could. They both wrestled for a moment in the warming sand
until Marken bested Jatha, then proceeded to drop the sand crab
down his shirt.
    Axon smiled at them fondly. “They’re just
glad we survived a night in the desert. We couldn’t have done it
without you.”
    I shook my head. “I didn’t do anything.”
    “ Ah, but you did.” Axon
picked up the cushion I had been using and dusted it off with hands
calloused to match the sword at his side. “It’s the thought that
you are standing guard that helped them rest, not the actually
guarding.”
    I shrugged my shoulders; the movement pulled
against the still fresh whip wounds along my back. They scratched
at the rough cloth of my shirt, pulling in places where the blood
had dried against the fabric.
    Axon’s brow creased. “Are you
alright?”
I opened my mouth to reply, then shut it again. A Luminos had never
asked me if I was alright. Luminos as a rule didn’t care about
Duskies, though Axon seemed an odd exception. I glanced around the
camp and noticed that the gazes of those who looked my way were a
little less harsh than the day before, a little less disgusted at
my presence. I nodded. “I’m fine.”
    He frowned. “I don’t expect you to walk to
the next campsite after standing guard all night.”
    I gave a wry smile. “And what, someone’s
supposed to carry me?”
    He nodded and I shook my head, horrified at
the thought. “I’ll be fine, trust me.”
    He studied me thoughtfully. “You weren’t a
very obedient Duskie at the Caves, were you?”
    I bit my lip. “What makes you say that?”
    He smiled. “No one’s ever talked to me the
way you do. You argue, don’t follow orders, and try to do
everything the hard way.”
    His eyes crinkled again at the corners and I
looked away at the thought that he was laughing at me. He chuckled
and walked to join his waiting men. I lingered for a moment by the
rocks, then a tug on the chain drew my attention. I made my way to
Dathien’s side and the trek continued.
     
     

By the time we stopped at midday, I could
scarcely force one foot in front of the other. I had drained half
my water and barely ate any of the rolls and jerked meat, but I
shoved the remains in my pockets for later and sucked on the bitter
skin of the dried fruit in an attempt to stay awake. Dathien walked
beside me until I stumbled on a rock that wasn’t there. He tugged
on my chain to catch my attention. “You know, I don’t look this
strong for nothing.”
    I glared at him.