Page 36 of The Shadows of Excess

“Thank you, Elijah. We need all the help we can get.” I fastened the necklace around my neck, feeling a sense of empowerment. Elijah’s gift wasn’t only a tool for our protection. It was a symbol of hope in our fight against the shadows we were about to face.

Elijah offered me a bitter smile. “Don’t thank me yet,” he rasped. “For all we know, I might be sending you off to meet your deaths.”

His words sent a chill through my heart, tightening it with fear and determination. I stole a glance at Damon and Justice, the weight of potential consequences suddenly bearing down on me. If anything happened to them, the guilt would be mine to bear.

The demon in my dream had made a haunting prediction. The next time we tried to interfere with its plans, my coerced role in bringing it the phoenix, it would cost the life of someone I loved. That looming threat hung over me like a dark cloud, making Elijah’s grim warning feel like an evil omen.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

As the lights flickered erratically, a creeping chill wound up my spine, and I noticed my breath forming small clouds in the suddenly cold air. In any other situation, I might have dismissed it as theatrics, but with Elijah, I knew better. His authenticity was undeniable, and his intense gaze swept over us, charged with an unnerving, otherworldly power.

Damon cast a nervous glance between Justice and me, then back at Elijah. He chuckled with apprehension. “I bet you were the jolly one in your class.”

Elijah’s response was a small, tight smile devoid of humor. “I can only speak the truths revealed to me. Lies are not in my nature,” he rumbled.

Justice, who had been observing Elijah with skeptical curiosity, finally spoke. “You’re really telling the truth.”

Elijah’s eyes narrowed. “You doubted me, vampire?”

The acknowledgment caught Justice off guard. “You can tell what I am?”

“There’s no hiding your true nature from me. My gift of sight allows me to see beyond the veil to the essence of what you truly are.” Elijah’s gaze shifted to me, lingering with an intensity that suggested an unspoken message. A sense of unease washed over me. Did he know something he wasn’t revealing? His inscrutable eyes hinted at deeper secrets I had yet to discover.

Damon clasped his necklace around his neck and shot a glance at Justice and me. With a wry smirk, he quipped, “Looks like we’re suiting up for demon prom night. Better dress to impress, or in our case, dress to repress some evil.”

Justice and I stood from the table.

Damon shook Elijah’s hand firmly. “Always a pleasure, Elijah. You know, in a freaky, cryptic sort of way.”

I approached Elijah. “Thank you. How can we repay you?”

He ran his fingers through my hair. “By staying alive. This world is a better place with you and your brother in it.”

Goosebumps populated all over me like a bad case of measles. I nodded, not sure what else to say.

Justice lowered his head in a slight bow. “It’s been a pleasure,” he told Elijah with a hint of surprise in his voice.

“It’s always intriguing to meet one of the children of the night.” Elijah’s lips curled into a knowing smile.

Justice’s brow furrowed in confusion. “You mean I’m not the first vampire you’ve encountered?”

Elijah chuckled. “Let’s say I’ve had my fair share of encounters with your kind before.”

Justice rubbed his chin. “You’ve dealt with others from the PMC?”

Elijah shook his head, a hint of respect in his eyes. “You’re the first I’ve encountered personally. However, I’m well aware of the PMC and the role you’ve all played in protecting us from unseen threats. I have a feeling I will be meeting more of your colleagues.”

A playful twinkle lit up Justice’s eyes, enhancing his handsome features. “I’m sure you will. Dr. Gould will probably be the next one.”

Elijah raised an eyebrow, a hint of intrigue in his voice. “Ah, the golden dragon, your leader. I look forward to that encounter.”

As we headed out the door, I nudged Justice in the side. “I told you he was the real deal.”

Damon’s dimples deepened as he flashed his charming grin at Pandora, giving her a casual wave. “‘Til next time, gorgeous,” he called, playfully saluting her with two fingers. “Keep the place spooky for us.” His easy charm oozed from every pore, and Pandora couldn’t help but roll her eyes and blow him a kiss in response before returning to her computer with a lingering smile on her lips.

As we stepped out of The Crystal Oracle, the formerly bustling Main Street seemed eerily quiet, as if the town itself was holding its breath in anticipation of what was to come. I tightened my grip on the black tourmaline necklace, its presence a constant reminder of the looming threat and our fragile hope.

I stared up at the mountains. “I think we should pack everything we have. We need to be prepared for anything.”

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