#Chapter 32 Fated

I slump against a tree deep in the woods behind our house as the sun begins to set. Giving up already? Blaze taunts me. I’ve been tirelessly busy between working for Henry and practicing shadow wielding, and it’s starting to wear me down. When you are physically exhausted is when you might need your shadow wielding the most, Blaze argues. This is the perfect time to practice. Annoyed, because she’s definitely right, I stand back up, dusting the dirt off my butt. I breathe in, closing my eyes as I envision breathing in the shadows until they are within me. I open my eyes, allowing a little twitch of a smile at the sight of the shadows swirling around me. Pulling at them more tightly, every muscle in my body strains as I attempt to create a wall of shadows in front of me. The darkness contorts before me, separate tendrils dancing and licking at each other, but not quite forming a solid barrier. I’m not sure how to determine when it’s sufficient to hide me from anyone on the