Page 18 of Court of Aether and Shadows

He’d help me figure it out without a hint of judgment.

I trust him with my life, so I’d trust him with something less threatening to my well-being. At least, for now.

He leaned in, his brow furrowed with concern.

"What is it, Sparrow? You can tell me anything, you know that."

I took a deep breath, aiming to prepare myself for this confession that seemed to be years in the making, but before I could begin, a commotion in the hallway caught our attention.

What the?

Raised voices, the sound of running feet.

Liam and I exchanged a troubled look, before he was on his feet in an instant, moving to the door with the fluid grace of a trained fighter.

"Stay here," he said, his hand already reaching for the gun I knew he kept concealed in his pocket. "I'll check it out."

With my injuries still healing, I wouldn’t be much help, but I’m looking around, ensuring I have some sort of protection if things go haywire above.

A surgical cabinet and a narcotic cabinet could do some damage.

As he slipped out into the hallway, I was left alone with my thoughts.

Elenore’s words echoed in my mind, mingling with the memory of the Shadowed Prince's touch.

Two worlds, pulling me in opposite directions.

And me, caught in the middle, unsure of where I truly belonged.

I closed my eyes, not intentionally, especially with what was happening outside, but exhaustion suddenly weighed heavily on me.

As I drifted off, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was standing on the precipice of something vast and terrifying.

A choice loomed before me, though I couldn't yet see its shape.

In my last moments of consciousness, I heard Elenore's voice again, as if from a great distance.

"Be careful of your dreams, Sparrow. Not everything that glitters is gold."

But even as the warning registered, I felt the pull of that other world.

My Shadow Prince was waiting, his golden eyes burning in the darkness.

And despite everything, a part of me longed to answer his call.

Sweaty Interlude Of Taunting Chemistry

~SPARROW~

The underground complex sprawled beneath the city like a cancerous growth — a labyrinth of concrete corridors and repurposed industrial spaces.

The air was always slightly damp, carrying the faint scent of mildew and something metallic that might have been blood. You never really know who lost their patience fuse in this hellhole, so no surprises there.

Flickering fluorescent lights cast everything in a sickly pallor, creating deep shadows that seemed to move when you weren't looking directly at them.

I had called this place home for the past seven years, ever since Vincent had taken me under his wing. It was either this eerie place that hid so many of us lost souls, or the streets.

And the streets were already brutal enough.

---