First Magic by Raven Steele (ebook reader screen txt) 📖

I’d like to say things became better the next several weeks, but they didn’t. First there was the annoying sound of Christian’s dumb heart monitor going off every time I breathed heavy. The teachers were constantly getting upset at me, but after I politely explained that I had to wear it per the doctor’s orders, they left me alone.

It was a lot harder than I expected to keep a steady heartbeat. It would go off even when I wasn’t stressed. Like a few times Matt had put his arm around me to walk me to class like he sometimes did, making my pulse race which would set off the annoying alarm. I couldn’t figure out why. Sure, he was very good looking, but I didn’t like him like that.

Whatever the reason, Matt became good practice for me to remain calm and keep my breathing slow and steady. I was beginning to get really good at it—during the day. Night was a whole other story.

Almost every night, I was visited by the same dark figure outside my window. He’d appear out of nowhere for just a few seconds and then be gone, but lately his visits were becoming more frequent. And it was like he knew when I was in my room no matter how quiet I was or how late the hour.

I didn’t have blinds on my windows, nor did I want any until now. I loved having a view of the mountains. It made me feel like I was a part of them, but now the openness made me feel vulnerable.

The nightly visits by shadow man only made me train that much harder. Not only did I continue practicing with Light whenever I had a spare second, I also asked my martial arts instructor if I could join the advanced class held just after mine. He said I could as long as I was able to keep up. I not only kept up but excelled in it, too. I found I could use Light to predict my opponent’s moves, making my blows more effective. But even more amazing, I was able to fight and still maintain a normal heart rate. At night, however, the beeping sound of the monitor often woke me up, and I’d only have to look to the window to know the source of my anxiety.

“What do you want?” I whispered loudly one night, but even as I finished my sentence, he was gone.

After that, I started sleeping on the couch in the living room. This made all the difference in the world. In only a week’s time of fighting hard and keeping my heart rate normal, I began to feel more confident. So when Jake told me he had to go away for the weekend on a business trip, I wasn’t concerned at all. In fact, I was so confident, I decided to sleep in my own room again, just to prove I wasn’t afraid.

My favorite late night talk show had just ended. I locked all the doors and mentally turned off the porch light. I tried not to be nervous as I made my way down the hall to my room, but with every step my anxiety grew. Before I even got there, I knew what I would face. It was as if I could feel his presence, waiting.

I stopped just before entering my room. No more. I was going to put an end to this once and for all. I rushed to the garage and flipped on the light. It took me several minutes to find what I was looking for. I found it buried behind several boxes: black paint. I grabbed the rest of the painting supplies and headed back to my room. This time I didn’t feel the anxiety I’d felt before. Shadow man was gone.

I turned the light on in my room and worked quickly. In less than ten minutes, my entire window had been painted black. I stepped away from it, satisfied. And for the first time in weeks, I finally fell asleep peacefully in my own bed. That is until 2:21 a.m.

My eyes focused on the green, glowing light of the clock. It took me a moment to realize the heart monitor was beeping. Along with my heart racing, came labored breathing. The air felt heavy, pressure mounting with every second. I sat up and tried to inhale. The feeling was so powerful, much like it’d been in the hospital, that I half expected to see a Vyken standing inside my room.

But I was alone.

I didn’t want to, but my gaze turned slowly toward the window. My body followed until I was standing next to my bed facing the painted glass. He was behind it; I had no doubts. Count to ten and he’ll be gone. I managed to get to eight before I involuntarily took a step toward the window.

I was losing control. I could feel it slipping away.

As much as my mind fought against the pull, my body moved again. The sound of my heart beating was louder than the beeping monitor. A cold sweat broke on my brow, and my hands became ice cold. When I was only inches from the window, I stopped and stared at the blackness. I could see nothing beyond it, but I could feel him as close as if he were standing next to me.

The paint directly before me began to peel back as if a claw were scraping it away—on the inside of the glass. I watched in horror as five thick stripes of black paint fell to the carpet. Again the invisible nails scraped at the glass leaving a clear slash mark in its wake. The screeching sound made a violent chill rock my whole body.

The invisible hand clawed at the paint again leaving a narrow view to the other side. And what I saw melted my insides. A bloodshot, yellowed eye peered in at me as if I were a mouse in a hole.

I begged myself to move, to do anything, but I could only stare and feel its power slither over me, coating me in suffocating darkness. The strap of my tank top began to slide down my shoulder by the monster’s invisible touch. I stopped breathing, fear paralyzing me. Do something!

Just as he began to move my other strap off me, I used all the strength I could muster to call upon Light’s energy. I could feel it trying to break through the blanket of darkness around me. I pressed harder until I heard an audible pop. Every light in the house flipped on, including the back porch’s, taking with it my shadow man.

With shaky hands, I moved quickly, grabbing my coat, shoes, and keys, and then bolted outside to my car and backed out of the driveway. I slammed my foot against the accelerator, propelling the car forward. The sound of tires squealing against pavement probably woke the neighbors, but I didn’t care.

By the time I reached Christian’s house, I was crying hysterically as I banged on the front door. This isn’t how I wanted to react, but I’d never been touched by something so dark and evil. The unclean feeling lingered on me like a never-ending nightmare.

Gratefully it was Christian who answered the door. I threw myself into him without thinking. His arms came around me and he held me tightly making me feel safer than I’d felt in weeks.

He waited for me to calm down and catch my breath before he finally asked, “What happened?”

I opened my mouth to speak but