Page 100 of Shadow Kissed

That he does. My mind returns to the sex last night. Every touch, every kiss. I shudder as need warms my blood. Raegal’s nostrils flare and his dark eyes burn into me.

“We need to go,” I say insistently, with flushed cheeks, knowing damn well he can smell my arousal.

“We do,” he agrees with a grumble as he reaches for my dagger and hands it to me. I swallow when he comes in close, and his large hands encircle my waist. “Ready, Terror?”

I nod, unable to formulate words when he’s so close. I reach around his neck and lock my hands together and stare up into his eyes. “We shouldn’t have done that last night.”

He looks down at me, his silver eyes holding mine prisoner. “No, we shouldn’t have, but I can’t say I regret it.”

“Same,” I confess. His shadows whip around us, and his darkness surrounds us in a cocoon from the world. I wish we could stay here, like this. Just him and me and hide from the realities of our situation. He is my enemy, and I am his betrayer.

His shadows disperse, and we’re back in my room at the mansion. I untangle myself from him and his hand lingers at my waist before he releases me. “I must go. Duty calls,” he says, with a tight smile.

I nod my head, rocking on the heels of my feet. “And I have classes.”

“Until tonight.” I watch as his eyes fall on my lips before he swallows, and his shadows whip around him and carry him away from me.

I release a deep sigh and throw myself face first on my bed. I ache, deliciously. Last night really shouldn’t have happened, because now it has, I don’t know if I want to stop it fromhappening again. I need to wash and shake some sense into my distracted brain. No more thoughts about how it felt when he came inside of me. Or the touch of his mouth against my core. I groan aloud as I take myself to the bathroom. I am royally screwed.

I’m buzzing with built up anxiety and anticipation as we walk into history and culture class. This is my opportunity to ask some questions I’m desperate to have answers to. Saveya and I climb the steps to the row third row from the back so we can sit with our fellow dorm mates. Tyria smiles warmly at me and I hesitate before smiling back, reminding myself that these aren’t the same girls from back home who ostracised me for all those years.

Professor Aven enters the room from where his office is at the back. He places his books on his desk and looks up at us.

“Good morning, ladies. I hope your assignments are progressing well.”

Saveya snorts beside me. In all fairness, we have plenty of notes for our assignment. In terms of me sitting down and writing anything, well, I’ve been too busy figuring out if my crazy ideas have some substance to them. My mind returns to last night with Raegal. If I am correct and I am Night Borne, then I am sleeping with the enemy. I mean, slept with the enemy, because it won’t be happening again.

“Now, before we dive into the subject of mating ceremonies, does anyone have any questions regarding their assignments?”

My hand shoots up in the air.

“Miss Lockwood.”

“I have some questions about the demise of the Night Realm. Everything suggests the realm ceased to exist when it wasbetrayed and its king was killed, but why would the death of one man cause an entire realm to end?”

Professor Aven turns to the board behind him and writes three words:

Ever Night Star.

My eyes flare in recognition. The voices in my head earlier.

“The legend goes that the Night Realm relied on the power of the Ever Night Star to ensure the eternal night its people needed in order to survive and prosper. Someone stole the Ever Night Star from Vespera after killing the king, resulting in the realm being plunged into daylight and ultimately leading to the downfall of its people.”

“So, they can’t survive in sunlight?” I ask, confused.

“They can, but they weren’t born to prosper and thrive under the light of the sun. Without the Ever Night Star, they could not survive. Naturally, all realms have day and night. Aster, God of the stars, wanted a realm that was forever bathed in night and to do this he plucked the Ever Night Star from the skies and placed it in his realm. The only star that burns with darkness instead of light. Its power blocks out the powers of the sun and ensures it is always night in the Night Realm.”

“Is it possible that anyone survived and escaped to another realm?” Saveya asks, beating me to it.

Professor Aven purses his lips as he bobs his head from side to side. “Unlikely. They would have struggled to survive in other realms because of the presence of daylight.”

“But don’t they have crystals that strengthen them like the Flame and Shadow Borne do?” a girl called Iriel from the east dorm asks him.

“They do,” Professor Aven replies, returning to the board to write on it. “Obsidian strengthened their night magic and amethyst weakened them.”

Saveya grips my arm as a chill rushes over me and we glance at each other; his words sinking in.

“Amethyst weakens them?” I ask our professor, needing confirmation that I heard him correctly.

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