Water Bird’s Shadow: You can fight against the past, but some shadows never die

By Mary Flint

The light dropped her in the snow, her surroundings unfamiliar. All Andresha knows is that she is far away from Rendaria, Edrix is missing, and she has no idea how she is going to get home. Injured and lost, Andresha is forced to rely upon the strangers the light brought her to. But as she searches urgently for Edrix, the more she discovers the mysterious facility in the mountains, and a possible path back to Rendaria, connect back to Edrix's mysterious origins. Is Edrix alive? Or will she be trapped in this strange world alone? Edrix does not know where the Light brought him, but Andresha is not with him. Imprisoned in a dark cell, a potential ally to Red Star presents himself. But Edrix senses something dark, something sinister as forgotten memories begin to resurface. Edrix must learn if there is an enemy in the darkness, or if the darkness is his own.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Publication Consultants
• Release date: Apr 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781594339479

Mary Flint

Mary Flint, encouraged to try writing by a family member, discovered her love of writing from her life-long love of stories. Inspired by the books and success of teenage author Christopher Paolini, she began writing her first book, Red Star: The Hunter Trials, at the age of fifteen and published it two years later. Water Bird's Shadow is the second book of the thrilling Red Star trilogy, and Mary hopes that readers will enjoy exploring the characters and their worlds as much as she does. She also enjoys interacting with Red Star fans at conventions, book signings, and online. Mary currently writes from her home in South Texas, USA.

Book preview

1

Andresha

White and red snow beneath me … strange trees. Hot, sticky blood running down my face and on my hands. My face and hands numb. Trying to get up … falling back down. Calling Edrix’s name … receiving no answer. People finding me … then everything going dark.

My promise …

I replayed the memory over and over again in my head as I walk through the snow. My head is tucked down against the icy wind that seems to go right through my coat. That had been a month ago, when the light had dumped me in the middle of the forest with strange trees. They didn’t have leaves, just bare branches. Others had green needles. The people here call them spruce trees.

I don’t know exactly where I am. I know that the nearest city can only be reached by air. The people here drove cars—cars with wheels that drive on the ground. The town where I currently live is small, with barely a hundred people, and it’s in the middle of nowhere, in someplace called Alaska.

There’s a lot of things I don’t know. I don’t know if Red Star is still hidden. I don’t know if Seth and the rest of Red Star have been compromised. I don’t know if Fara is here with me. I don’t even know if Edrix is alive. And above all …

I don’t know how I’m going to get home.

Part One

The Light

2

Andresha

My breath clouded in front of me as the knife flew from my hand. The blade buried itself into the target I had painted on a dead tree. I spun on my heel, my other knife leaving my hand and into the target behind me. I didn’t wait to see the results; I knew it was a good throw. I drew the last two knives from my belt and threw them to each side of me and dropped to one knee. I heard the sound of three knives hitting wood in rapid succession. I’d completed the sequence in three seconds, my best time yet.

That was the last sequence Edrix had shown me before we’d left for the Hunter tournament. I’d been working on it every day for a week. Now I’d finally gotten it right, three times in a row.

I came here every day to practice, whether it was knife or hand-to-hand. After a week of recovery from the minor injuries I’d sustained, I had gotten rusty. Not terribly so, but enough that it had bothered me. I’m sure that most of my knife technique left a lot to be desired, but I was doing my best.

I got to my feet and brushed snow from my pants, called jeans, with my gloved hand. A dark yarn cap was stuck over my black hair, which was in its usual braid, the faded red streak loose by my face. For once, my black coat actually felt warm in the frigid air. My nose and cheeks were red from spending hours outside.

I collected my knives, my boots crunching in the snow. I was in the middle of the woods outside of the tiny town where I currently lived. It was called Keystone Creek and it was too small to be on a map. I think most passers-by came across it by accident. According to Irene Hunt, it only existed because of the massive grey complex I could see peeking above the treetops.

Larkworks. That’s what they called it. I don’t know what it is exactly, some kind of environmental research facility. Another thing to add to my already-long list of don’t-knows.

Everyone in the town had someone working in the facility, and that included the Hunts. That was where Mr. Hunt worked, only getting to come home once every two months. Larkworks owned and staffed everything, the school, the small grocery store, and even the small hospital. Coming from Rendaria, where everything operated under one organization, I couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy, even though I knew that the town wasn’t large enough to sustain the businesses themselves.

I looked at the sky above the thick pine trees, then at my watch. It was only four o’clock in the evening, but it was already getting dark. The sky was cloudy and grey, but the light was fading fast.

I sighed, then slipped the knives into the water-proof bag I’d sewn into a make-shift sheath, rolled them up, and tied the strap around it. The Hunts had found me a month ago, somewhere in these woods, and found the four knives with me. I had only been carrying one in the Core when we’d broken in to install Nelvin’s virus. The other three I recognized as some that Edrix had been carrying. I suddenly remembered his promise, just before I had woken up in the snow. I shoved the memory aside. I didn’t have time for that.

I’d been combing the woods, looking for any sign of Edrix every day since I’d been able to get outside. So far, my search had been empty. I had thought about asking the Hunts about where they found me, but I hadn’t gotten the courage to. So far, they hadn’t said anything about that day. I was still waiting for the right time to bring it up.

I stuffed the sheathed knives into the hollow behind my first target, then I followed the notches that I had made in the bark of the trees going back to the main road that lead into town.

I kept my head down, and my hands shoved in my pockets. Everyone I passed ignored me, leaving me with my thoughts, but I wasn’t doing much thinking, I was just asking myself questions I didn’t know the answers to.

It only took me twenty minutes to get back to the house. It wasn’t huge, but it was big enough, with two stories, red siding with white trim, and a white wrap-around porch. There were two small cars in the driveway, one blue, one silver. I passed them as I walked up the sidewalk and up the front steps. I stomped the snow from my boots, then fished a key from my pocket and unlocked the door.

A wave of warm air greeted me when I went inside, quickly shutting and locking the door behind me.

I’m back, I called into the quiet house. Something smelled delicious. Dinner was probably ready. I took off my coat and boots as an older woman came into the entryway. Mrs. Hunt was in her late forties, with blue eyes and dark hair that was just beginning to grey.

Did you take a walk? she asked me, and I nodded.

I needed some air.

I had been giving the same excuse for three weeks. She knew I wasn’t going for a walk from dawn until dusk every day, sometimes even longer, but she didn’t ask. I think she worried about me like one of her own children, which was kind of her. She was a caring person, but I couldn’t look at her without seeing my own mother. They were so similar, it made my heart ache. But that wasn’t her fault, so I changed the subject.

Something smells great, I said, putting my hat and gloves in my coat pocket.

Mrs. Hunt smiled and nodded. Yes, dinner’s ready.

I smiled a little. Just let me wash up, and I’ll be right there.

We won’t start without you, she assured me, walking out of the room. I quickly went into the bathroom and washed my hands and my face in warm water. Then I headed into the dining room where everyone was waiting for me.

Mrs. Hunt had three children. From oldest to youngest, there was Irene, Chris, and Lindsey.

Irene had graduated from … college. I guess that’s what they call career contracts here. She worked at the small local hospital as a nurse. She had told me that she was twenty. Her younger brother, Chris, was eighteen, and Lindsey was the youngest at sixteen. All of them shared their mother’s blue eyes and dark hair, except for Lindsey. Her hair was blonde.

I walked into the dining room, following the wonderful aroma of food. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast. I sat down in the empty chair in between Irene and Lindsey. Dinner was simple. Mashed potatoes and fish—salmon, I think it was called—with a green salad. It had taken me a while to get used to the food, especially fish. It was much oilier than any of the meat back on Rendaria, but once you get past that, it was pretty good. At least the vegetables were similar to the ones back home.

Everyone asked each other how work or school went for them that day. I ate in silence, eating as fast as I dared to not be impolite. I was halfway through when questions were finally directed my way.

How was your day, Andresha? Irene asked me.

I swallowed my bite of fish before I answered, It was fine. I spent most of it outside. Also the same thing I’d been saying since the day I could get out of the house.

Chris, Irene, and Mrs. Hunt exchanged a glance, but they didn’t say anything. I wondered what they were thinking. After their quick glance, they resumed their conversation, keeping the questions directed to me simple, like if I thought there was enough salt on the fish, or if I’d heard about the bear one of the neighbors spotted yesterday. Apparently, that happened a lot here, running into wildlife. Luckily, I hadn’t run into any bears in the woods yet. A couple of moose, and plenty of squirrels, but no bears.

I mostly listened for the rest of dinner, looking around at everyone at the table, hearing about school science projects and Irene’s shift at the hospital. Irene and Chris were the ones who had found me in the snow, and Irene, with her medical expertise, had saved me from hypothermia. They hadn’t taken me to the hospital. I didn’t know why they didn’t, but I would be forever thankful to them for that.

I didn’t know what, but something wasn’t right in this town, and I think it had to do with how I got here.

3

They were at it again. Jess leaned her elbow on the briefing table and rested her head in her hand, letting her black hair cover her face. She stared at the table’s white glow as Nelvin and Jinx argued, her dark eyes resting on the Star of Rendaria in the center. The two men had been at each other’s throats ever since they had come back from the Core. The three of them had assembled in the Briefing Hall at Chief’s request, as well as Agent Tompson. Six sets had passed since the incident and it was still the same argument.

We can’t just give up on them! Nelvin protested, his hazel eyes blazing. His face was unusually free of dust and soot, his wild, reddish hair in desperate need of a trim, curls sticking up at odd angles.

Jinx folded his arms, his eyebrows lowered in a scowl. The older man kept his head shaved, accentuating the long scar that ran from his hairline, down across his face. His right eye had been replaced by a crude cybernetic unit; a metal sphere with a glowing red pupil in the center. The cybernetic had inspired his new codename, Redeye.

Jinx now leaned over the table towards Nelvin. It’s been an entire phase, Nelvin! If they could have contacted us, they would have!" he said with some heat.

So, what are you saying, that they’re dead? Nelvin countered.

Jinx leaned his head back and turned his chair away. Yes, Nelvin, that’s what I’m saying, he replied. "And if they are alive, then they can’t contact us, and that means we can’t find them."

He sounds like he’s talking to a child, Jess thought.

Nelvin shot to his feet. No, it’s not— he started, but Jinx cut him off, also getting to his feet, his hands slamming on the table, causing the odd cup or datapad to rattle.

Just forget it Nelvin, they’re gone! They knew what they were getting into, and they volunteered to go!

Nelvin stared at him hard, his face a mix of anger and hurt. Ever since Tasha had been killed during the Core mission, he’d been quiet and reserved, and now he was terrified of someone else being lost. Nelvin started to reply, but Jinx started talking over him, both men’s voices rising steadily. It had gone on long enough. Jess got to her feet.

That is enough! she shouted, and the room fell silent. She was not known to raise her voice unless it was to be heard above gunfire.

After the room had sat in stunned silence for a moment, she said quietly, Sit down, both of you. Jinx and Nelvin obeyed, both looking a bit ashamed. Jess looked at both of them, not saying anything. Finally, she said, You both have fair points, her voice was barely above a whisper. She looked over at Jinx.

I agree that it has been quite some time since we’ve heard from Agent Solan and Commander Kanway, and you’re right. They volunteered for the mission. Jinx opened his mouth to say something, but she held up a finger to silence him.

But, she continued, what we do next is up to Chief to decide, not you or Nelvin. Your opinions have been noted, she said sternly. Then she turned to Nelvin.

I know you’re worried about them, she said gently. We all are. I agree that we shouldn’t give up hope, but we do have other matters that need attention as well.

Nelvin slumped back in his chair and looked down at his hands as Chief entered the briefing room. His usually combed black hair was messy, and his clothes slightly rumpled. He was holding three datapads in his hands and trying to look at all of them at once.

He sat at the head of the table, laying the pads out before him. Jess noticed how tired he looked, dark circles under his dark blue eyes, but she didn’t say anything.

All right, he said. Here’s the situation. The planet is still on complete lockdown. The Lifts are at a standstill, and the Chairman has been secured in REGS headquarters.

It was a REGS procedure. In the event any high-priority facility—like the Core—should be attacked or infiltrated, all functions outside of food and power production, and government facilities would be halted, and the Chairman moved to REGS headquarters until the culprit was arrested or killed.

But, Chief continued, we have determined that, for the time being, Red Star is safe from detection. All information concerning Red Star, our base, or any of our personnel has been deleted. Nelvin’s virus worked.

It was Tasha’s virus, Nelvin muttered. "I just came up with

the idea."

The room was silent for a minute. No one could think of what to say. Finally, Chief asked, Has there been any contact from Agent Solan or Commander Kanway?

Tompson shook her head. No, sir.

Jinx, staying calm, said, If we don’t get a communication from them, we won’t be able to trace their location.

Nelvin wasn’t able to stay silent any longer. That’s not the only way to find them! he burst out. Everyone turned to look at him. He was undaunted.

When I installed the virus, I was able to download the recent files and security footage from the Core’s system. That includes sensor readings on the strange light that appeared right before Edrix and Andresha vanished.

Chief sat forward, leaning his arm on the table. Go on, he said.

Nelvin, seeing that he was paying attention, continued, more enthusiasm creeping into his voice. I think that if I can analyze the data, I’ll be able to find out what that light was, and what happened to Edrix and Andresha.

Chief didn’t look entirely convinced, so Nelvin added, It’s worth looking into, isn’t it? I mean, if they had just fallen, surely REGS would have found them by now. That news would be all over the place, wouldn’t it?

Chief ran a hand through his hair. You make a good point, Nelvin. Get started right away. I’ll see that the files are transferred over to you. After Nelvin had muttered a humble thank you, Chief glanced at the rest of the group. Dismissed, he added. Everyone stood up and left the briefing room, leaving Jess and Chief.

He turned towards her. Do you need something? he asked.

Jess stared at the red, six-pointed star in the center of the table. I don’t know. I guess that’s what’s wrong. I just … don’t know.

Chief nodded. I know what you mean. It makes it hard to know if you’re making the right decision.

Now you know why I didn’t want to be in charge.

Chief shook his head, a small smile tugging at his mouth for a moment. I didn’t either. You just stepped aside.

Jess smiled, still looking at the table. That’s because I knew you’d be better suited to leading this movement than I would.

That could be debated, he said ruefully.

She looked at him and tilted her head to one side. What’s that supposed to mean?

He waved her off. Forget it. I just … sometimes I feel like I could have done things better.

She smiled again. That’s not just command, that’s life.

He looked at her now, no smile on his face. But when you’re in command, those not-so-great decisions can mean someone else’s life, because they did what you told them …

Especially when it’s your little sister, Jess gently finished for him. That wasn’t your fault, she said sincerely.

Chief shook his head. People always say that, like it makes things magically better, he said.

Sometimes, it’s just because they don’t know what to say, but I’m serious. It’s not your fault, and it’s not mine. It was an accident, and that’s all.

He looked at her, admiration in his eyes. How do you just … let it go like that? he asked.

I didn’t say ‘let it go,’ Seth, she said. I haven’t been able to do that for years.

They sat in silence for a moment, no words to say. Jess’s gaze was fixed on the table again.

Finally, Chief said, I need to get those files to Nelvin. Jess nodded and looked up, right into his blue eyes. Their gazes locked for a moment, having a silent conversation, then he stood and left the room, leaving Jess alone with her thoughts.

4

Patrisha looked up as Nelvin entered the lab, his eyes fixed on the datapad in his hands. His reddish curls were wild like he was constantly raking through them with his fingers. Just then, he reached up, tearing through his hair with his fingers, confirming her thought. He looked like he hadn’t slept since the briefing, two days ago. He sat down at a workstation and transferred the information on the datapad to the holo-projector. He spread images and scan data around in the air with one hand, and rested his chin on the other, his eyes searching the holograms intently.

She watched him for a minute, listening to the quiet rabble of conversations around them, with the occasional hiss of steam or the odd explosion here and there. Beeping consoles, and squealing alarms contrasted the quiet rustling of the plants above them as scientists moved about the upper floor of the lab.

Finally, Patrisha shook her head and got up, heading for Nelvin’s station. He looked up in surprise as she pulled a chair over and sat down.

You need a break, she said simply.

Nelvin shook his head stubbornly. I need to find them, he protested, pulling up another scan.

Patrisha waved her hand, deactivating the holograms. You’re not going to find them if you’re this tired! she countered. You’ll miss things. That’s just a fact.

Time is essential here, Trisha! Nelvin pleaded. The more time it takes to find them, the less likely that Edrix and Andresha will still be alive!

Patrisha nodded and put a gentle hand on his arm. I know, but you’ll work faster if you’re rested. At this rate, you waste two to five minutes every time you fall asleep or find yourself staring off into space.

Nelvin started to argue, but she stopped him. I know you’re still beating yourself up for what happened to Tasha, but you working yourself to death isn’t going to get Edrix and Andresha back any faster. Trust me.

Nelvin buried his face in his hands, hiding the sudden tears that sprung to his eyes. But what if it’s not enough? he muttered through his fingers. What if Jinx is right?

Patrisha put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "He isn’t, and you know it. I know it. You can do this. Nelvin still didn’t look quite convinced, but he was wavering. She tried one last time. I don’t have any assignments today. If you want, I’ll take a look at what you’ve got here. I may not be an expert, but I can look for anything out of the ordinary."

Nelvin sighed. "Alright, fine. I’ll go take a break. But just a little one! And let me know as soon as you see anything."

Patrisha nodded. Of course, she agreed.

He rose from his seat, raking his hands through his hair again. This is the data from the Hub, right before and after they disappeared, he explained, motioning to the station.

Patrisha nodded. Alright, she said. Nelvin nodded and started to walk away, but Patrisha turned after him.

Nelvin! she called. He stopped and turned back. Patrisha hesitated, then asked, Did you try to … fix Tasha?

His shoulders drooped and he folded his arms. He looked down at his shoes. No, he whispered. I’d never seen that kind of technology before, and … it just … it didn’t seem right, he whispered.

Patrisha got up from the station and went over to him. Why? she asked. Admittedly, she hadn’t known Tasha very well. She had been busy trying to solve the mystery that was Edrix Solan, a mystery that had only gotten deeper since they’d recovered the files on Project Phoenix, and Tasha had seemed to prefer to spend her time in the lab rather than the med bay.

Nelvin blinked, a tear running down his cheek. Her neuro wiring is damaged, and it’s an extremely delicate network, almost more complex than actual brain surgery. If I mess up even one thing, all of Tasha’s memories, or personality, or emotions could just be … erased. He hung his head. "That just … the thought that my trying to save her could just … erase her … I don’t know if I can live with that."

Then he turned and quickly left the room, wiping his eyes furiously.

Patrisha was sorry that she’d asked. The last thing she had wanted was to bring up more grief for him. She went back over to the station and reactivated it, idly flicking through the images. Nelvin was so different now. He wouldn’t go near the Grabby Plant, as it had been dubbed … by Tasha, she realized. And Tasha had loved this lab.

He had a broken heart, and all she wanted to do was fix it. Then, she looked up suddenly, looking intently at an image and scan.

And maybe this will do it, she whispered.

5

Andresha

Icracked another egg into the pan, listening to it sizzle. Then I slipped a piece of bread into the toaster.

It was six-thirty in the morning, and the sky was just beginning to lighten up. It was my usual time to get going, but on Saturday, everyone was still asleep.

So naturally I was surprised when Lindsey came into the kitchen. I froze, my hand reaching for an apple from the fruit basket.

Good morning, she said. I smiled, grabbing my apple and moving over to the counter.

Hi, I returned, then motioned to the apple. Just getting a snack.

Lindsey blinked. Eggs and toast are ‘just getting a snack?’ she asked dubiously.

Silence filled the air between us.

I don’t have toa— I started, then I heard a soft ding as the toast popped out of the toaster.

More silence.

Finally, I relented. Alright, I was going to go for a walk, I admitted.

Lindsey nodded. Maybe I’d convinced her, and she’d go back upstairs or something. She reached down to pet the family dog, Fly. Irene said she was a Bernese mountain dog. She had a thick, shaggy black coat, with white markings on her feet, snout, and the tip of her tail. She also had two brown spots above each of her blue eyes.

Can I come?

Lindsey’s question took me by surprise. I hesitated for a moment. She was already dressed in a sweater and jeans, her hair gathered back in a ponytail.

I’m going to be out for a while, I said.

She shrugged. For as long as usual, you mean?

I tugged my braid. Why? Why do you want to spend eight hours in the freezing cold with me? I asked her.

Because I want to know what you’re up to all day, she replied.

I turned off the stove and put my eggs on a plate as I considered it. It’s not like I was doing anything that was a big secret. I’d just walk around the woods and look for Edrix some more. She already knew I had the knives, but I wasn’t ready to showcase my abilities to anyone, to keep them to my advantage.

Fine. Make yourself some breakfast, I said.

She grinned. "I didn’t