The Prophecy of Shadows by Michelle Madow Read Free Book Online Page A

energy and letting it in through my palms, it already existed inside me—in orbs of white that joined into a single whole. The light flowed out of my palms and through the rest of the circle. A rush of colors burst through me—green, blue, red, and yellow—twisting around each other like streamers in the wind.
    The comet flashed through my mind, followed by a burst of power that exploded into a bright white light. Electricity shot through every inch of my body. Then the streams of colors unwound, each glowing with a brightness that it hadn’t had at first. Each one fled out of my palms and returned to from wherever it came.
    I pulled my hands out of Chris’s and Blake’s, my fists clenched so tightly that my nails dug into my skin. I relaxed my muscles and flexed my hands, opening my eyes and studying the others to see if they’d felt the same thing.
    Their shocked looks said it all. Gone was the anger from Danielle’s face, softened into what I could only describe as vulnerability. Chris stared up at the sky, his mouth open as he gazed at the comet. Kate seemed dazed, like she’d just woken up from a nap, and she looked around at all of us, her eyes wide. Blake seemed to have regained his composure, if he’d lost it at all, and he watched me closely, like he thought I could explain whatever had happened.
    But I was as confused as they all looked. After all, I’d only known about this witchcraft stuff for a few days. I was the least qualified to provide any sort of explanation. Especially because on top of everything, their eyes all seemed brighter, as if enhanced. Danielle’s were bluer, Kate’s greener, Chris’s more yellow, and Blake’s a more intense shade of that burnt, reddish brown. My eyes had always been a pale, boring gray. But had they changed, too?
    “What on Earth was that?” Chris finally broke the silence.
    “You all felt it, too?” Kate’s voice sounded weak, and she played with her hands, looking around the circle.
    Danielle nodded. “If you’re talking about that whole ‘feeling like you were in a bathtub and someone dropped a hairdryer in it thing,’ then yeah, I felt it.” She flung her hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms over her chest, although she still didn’t look as tough as she’d seemed before the comet.
    “What was supposed to have happened?” I asked.
    “None of us know.” Kate gazed up at the sky, a distant look in her eyes. “We’ve never done a meditation under the Olympian Comet before.”
    “Obviously.” I couldn’t help but chuckle. “This comet comes around once every three thousand years. It’s pretty safe to assume that you’ve never done this before, unless witches are immortal and no one’s told me yet.”
    “We’re not immortal.” Blake laughed. “But I don’t think any other group felt what we did. If they did, they’re not acting like it.”
    I looked around the yard to see what he meant. The closest group to us consisted of freshmen. They were all frowning, their brows furrowed in disappointment. They must not have felt the energy jolt. Other students talked and laughed with each other. Some looked up at the comet as it made its way through the sky, their mouths open in awe. But not one person had a similar look of shock and confusion that I’d seen on the faces of the others in my group.
    Suddenly, thunder cracked through the air, followed by a bright flash of lightning. Dark clouds covered the stars that had shined brightly only minutes before. They were so thick that the comet dimmed to a barely visible orb of light. The temperature felt like it had dropped at least ten degrees. Before I could process what was happening, sleet pounded down from the sky, the pinpricks of cold coming down so fast that they created a layer of ice on my skin and clothes.
    I looked up in confusion, shielding my eyes from the sleet. I’d checked the weather before leaving. This hadn’t been in the forecast.
    “Everyone get inside!” Darius