Soul of Light and Shadow (Lords of the Underworld Book 1)

Soul of Light and Shadow Lords of the Underworld Series Book 1 Maggie White The following text is a work of fiction. All the characters, organizations, businesses, and events portrayed in this novel are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Soul of Light and Shadow by Maggie White Book 1 of the Lords of the Underworld Series Story Copyright 2023 Maggie White Editing by Magnolia Author Services Map by B.C. FaJohn Books All rights reserved. Identifiers Paperback: 979-8-9876093-1-6 Hardback:: 979-8-9876093-2-3 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission. Any reproduction of this publication without prior consent from the publisher is an infringement of copyright law. Content Warning The book you’re about to read includes the death of a parent, moments of tension or danger, mature language and situations. For a full list of possible triggers, please visit www.maggiewhitebooks.com. Table of Contents Map Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Epilogue Prologue Lucia W hen I was six years old, Molly from first grade’s mom hit me with her car. I should’ve waited in the designated pick-up line. I should’ve followed the teachers’ directions, but I didn’t. I couldn’t wait to see my mother. She’d been working long hours, and I was relieved to spend the night together, just the two of us, no babysitters, no day care. No interruptions. One minute I’d been skipping across yellow striped pavement, the next I was skidding backward across cool cement after a large, dark vehicle slammed to a halt, breaks squealing. A frantic crowd had instantly descended on me, a hundred eager hands looking for injuries. And yet, nothing. 1 Lucia The morning sun blazed into my room, sending the shadows and swells of the morning darkness back into hiding. I lay completely still, basking in the comfort of bed and the strange longing which always followed waking up. Stretching languidly, I stared around the small but familiar space. It was mine for now, until I left for college again in a few months. I loved being home. I loved the way it smelled, I loved the way that my mother insisted that each and every trophy, prize, and drawing I’d ever done be hanging somewhere around the two-bedroom apartment we’d spent the last few years in. It was home. I rolled over, grinning as