Chapter 1: Hidden in the shadows
"Jenny!" Tom exclaimed as she looked behind her for the millionth time. "There's nobody following us! Chill out will you."
"What's made you so paranoid?" Dee asked.
"I think you should know."
"It's been over a month since we escaped from the shadow world. You should just forget about it." Zach's gray eyes were frowning - he was worried about his cousin.
Jenny stopped walking and turned to Zach. "Forget about it?" she said. "I can't 'forget' about it. Do you remember what Julian said to me that day?"
"Nothing really dies as long as it's not forgotten," Audrey remembered.
"Exactly. Don't you see? If I forget about him he won't be there any more. There'll always be a part of him inside me. I can't get rid of it - and I don't want to."
"I don't think there's any chance of that," Tom said roughly. "With that great bulky thing on your finger."
Jenny took her ring off and held it to the light. She remembered how the inscription had changed to "I am my only master." A tear came to her eye as she remembered the day they had escaped from the shadow world - the day Julian's name had been carved out of the stone. Tom watched her stare at the ring. He had been getting the feeling all week that nothing could be the same between him and Jenny again. Now, has he watched her looking at the ring, as he saw the tears in her eyes, he knew it was true. He left the group and went and sat on a bench in the park, alone.
Jenny snapped out of her daze as she saw something in the corner of her eyes. A figure, standing half hidden behind a bush. Someone was watching her, following her.
"See!" she said triumphantly, pointing to the bush. "I told you there was someone following me." She looked at the bush once again. The figure had disappeared. The others looked where she was pointing, and when they saw nothing; they looked at Jenny as if she were mad.
"There was someone there. There was! I promise." The group nodded, although their faces showed concern. Jenny noticed Tom sitting on his own and she frowned then left the group to go and sit with him.
"Tom," she said. "What's wrong?"
"I've been kidding myself haven't I? Thinking that you could just forget about Julian and we could go back to the way things were?"
"You weren't kidding yourself. You were just hoping."
"Yeah well it was a waste of time wasn't it? You're still in love with Julian." Jenny remained silent.
"You don't have to pretend," Tom said.
"I'm sorry Tom."
"Don't be sorry Jenny. I understand. I'm happy for us just to be friends if you don't want anything more."
Jenny began to cry. "I miss him Tom. I know you and the others don't understand how I can feel so strongly towards him after everything he did. But he… changed. OK, so he could be seductive… deadly even, but he was vulnerable as well - I could see things inside him that no one else could. He made me appreciate beauty. In the last few minutes of his life he was… different. Almost…"
"Human?" Tom suggested.
"Yeah. Exactly."
"It's OK Jenny. I understand. I know you can't forget him, and that's fine. But you've got to get on with your life all the same. Julian isn't coming back and you know it. In a way, that might be a good thing. He's too dangerous to live." Jenny looked at Tom. It was as if he had read her mind. That was exactly what she had thought.
"I know," Jenny said, fiddling with her ring.
"Come on," Tom stood up. "Lets join the others. They're probably wondering where we've got to."
Jenny stood up again. As she walked off with Tom she thought she saw the figure watching her again. She didn't mention it to Tom because she knew he'd think she was imagining things. But she knew someone was following her every move. And she wanted to find out who it was…
* * *
Sebastian watched Jenny and Tom walk off to join the others. He stood in the shadows so he couldn't be seen. He had been following her for a while - he'd even followed her into her dreams. He had heard her saying someone was watching her. They hadn't believed her. But then they wouldn't, every time she had seen him he had slipped away out of sight. He needed to wait until she was alone. He needed to get her back to the shadow world, and somehow, he knew he would succeed…
"Jenny!" Tom exclaimed as she looked behind her for the millionth time. "There's nobody following us! Chill out will you."
"What's made you so paranoid?" Dee asked.
"I think you should know."
"It's been over a month since we escaped from the shadow world. You should just forget about it." Zach's gray eyes were frowning - he was worried about his cousin.
Jenny stopped walking and turned to Zach. "Forget about it?" she said. "I can't 'forget' about it. Do you remember what Julian said to me that day?"
"Nothing really dies as long as it's not forgotten," Audrey remembered.
"Exactly. Don't you see? If I forget about him he won't be there any more. There'll always be a part of him inside me. I can't get rid of it - and I don't want to."
"I don't think there's any chance of that," Tom said roughly. "With that great bulky thing on your finger."
Jenny took her ring off and held it to the light. She remembered how the inscription had changed to "I am my only master." A tear came to her eye as she remembered the day they had escaped from the shadow world - the day Julian's name had been carved out of the stone. Tom watched her stare at the ring. He had been getting the feeling all week that nothing could be the same between him and Jenny again. Now, has he watched her looking at the ring, as he saw the tears in her eyes, he knew it was true. He left the group and went and sat on a bench in the park, alone.
Jenny snapped out of her daze as she saw something in the corner of her eyes. A figure, standing half hidden behind a bush. Someone was watching her, following her.
"See!" she said triumphantly, pointing to the bush. "I told you there was someone following me." She looked at the bush once again. The figure had disappeared. The others looked where she was pointing, and when they saw nothing; they looked at Jenny as if she were mad.
"There was someone there. There was! I promise." The group nodded, although their faces showed concern. Jenny noticed Tom sitting on his own and she frowned then left the group to go and sit with him.
"Tom," she said. "What's wrong?"
"I've been kidding myself haven't I? Thinking that you could just forget about Julian and we could go back to the way things were?"
"You weren't kidding yourself. You were just hoping."
"Yeah well it was a waste of time wasn't it? You're still in love with Julian." Jenny remained silent.
"You don't have to pretend," Tom said.
"I'm sorry Tom."
"Don't be sorry Jenny. I understand. I'm happy for us just to be friends if you don't want anything more."
Jenny began to cry. "I miss him Tom. I know you and the others don't understand how I can feel so strongly towards him after everything he did. But he… changed. OK, so he could be seductive… deadly even, but he was vulnerable as well - I could see things inside him that no one else could. He made me appreciate beauty. In the last few minutes of his life he was… different. Almost…"
"Human?" Tom suggested.
"Yeah. Exactly."
"It's OK Jenny. I understand. I know you can't forget him, and that's fine. But you've got to get on with your life all the same. Julian isn't coming back and you know it. In a way, that might be a good thing. He's too dangerous to live." Jenny looked at Tom. It was as if he had read her mind. That was exactly what she had thought.
"I know," Jenny said, fiddling with her ring.
"Come on," Tom stood up. "Lets join the others. They're probably wondering where we've got to."
Jenny stood up again. As she walked off with Tom she thought she saw the figure watching her again. She didn't mention it to Tom because she knew he'd think she was imagining things. But she knew someone was following her every move. And she wanted to find out who it was…
* * *
Sebastian watched Jenny and Tom walk off to join the others. He stood in the shadows so he couldn't be seen. He had been following her for a while - he'd even followed her into her dreams. He had heard her saying someone was watching her. They hadn't believed her. But then they wouldn't, every time she had seen him he had slipped away out of sight. He needed to wait until she was alone. He needed to get her back to the shadow world, and somehow, he knew he would succeed…