Page 15 of Crimson Shadows
6
ADELAIDE
After much adoand pausing to rest from the heaviness of my holdall, I finally reach the top of the stairs, panting heavily from the climb. The orb hovers in front of a heavy wooden door with an ornate brass knocker shaped like a snarling beast. The orb bobs expectantly as I stare at the door and reach for the handle to turn it, but it’s locked.
“Fuck,” I hiss. “Blue water lady didn’t give me a key!” The thought of going all the way back down, only to join the back of the queue to ask for a key and then come all the way back up these steps, is a bit more than I can take on at the moment. My bandwidth is low, and I needed this to not happen.
The orb bobs agitatedly as I just stand there, staring morosely at the door. Then, it zooms downwards and smacks against my right hand. Annoyed, I glare at it as it bumps the back of my hand repeatedly until I turn it over and it slaps against my palm.
“You’re the key?” I murmur and it jumps a couple of times, which I take as a yes.
Scanning the door for orb-shaped keyholes, I don’t find any and huff out a breath.
The orb, clearly having had enough of my stupidity in this area, flies out of my hand and bumps up against a smooth panel of wood and holds position until I place my hand over it again. I can practically feel the sigh of relief from the orb that we are finally getting somewhere.
“Sorry,” I murmur as the door clicks open a fraction.
The orb flies into the room, and I push the door to stagger in with bags that have decided to moonlight as concrete breeze blocks.
My eyes widen as I drop the bags and take in my new living space. I wasn’t sure what I envisaged, but this goes past whatever expectation I was forming. It’s a spacious circular room with a high, vaulted ceiling. Moonlight streams through tall, arched windows, illuminating the rich furnishings.
There’s a four-poster bed draped in deep purple velvet, a massive oak wardrobe, and a plush armchair by a crackling fireplace that flickers and glows unnaturally.Magick?Bookshelves lining one wall are filled with leather-bound tomes.
“Bloody hell,” I mutter.
As I explore, I notice little details that confirm the use of magick. The candles in the wall sconces light themselves as I pass. When I glance at the mirror above the ornate vanity, it seems to ripple like water.
I approach the mirror cautiously, mesmerised by its fluid surface. As I lean in for a closer look, my reflection suddenly shifts and changes. For a moment, I see myself with glowing eyes and elongated fangs. I jerk back with a gasp, blinking rapidly. When I look again, my normal reflection stares back at me, wide-eyed and pale.
“Right,” I mutter, running a shaky hand through my hair.
A soft chime draws my attention to the orb hovering over the desk. I notice a thick envelope resting on the polished surface. As I pick it up, the orb settles down on the wood and stops glowing.
I blink at it.
Is that snoring?
Shaking my head, I smile and look back at the envelope in my hand. It’s heavy, made of thick parchment with my ‘name’ - Adelaide Black - written in flowing script across the front. I tear it open, pulling out several sheets of paper.
“Welcome to MistHallow University,” I read aloud, skimming the contents. Class schedules, campus rules, a map that seems to shift and change as I look at it. My eyes catch on a particular paragraph:
“As a Vesperidae, you will be required to attend additional sessions to help you understand and control your unique abilities. Your mentor, Professor Blackthorn, will meet with you tomorrow morning to discuss your specialised curriculum.”
Sighing, I toss the papers onto the desk and flop onto the bed. It’s ridiculously comfortable, like lying on a cloud. I stare up at the canopy, watching as patterns seem to swirl and dance across the fabric.
I should get up and unpack, but after everything that has happened today, I’m exhausted and I only just remember it’s my birthday.
“Happy fucking birthday,” I mutter as my eyes close, and sleep drags me under.
7
ADELAIDE
An incessant buzzingin my ear wakes me up. Opening my eyes, I realise I’m stiff, still in my clothes and starving. Sitting up on the sumptuous bed, I stretch and see Orby bobbing about, making that infernal racket.
“Shut it,” I mumble and climb off the bed to peer out of the floor-to-ceiling windows over the misty canopy of trees. “Well, I can’t fault the view,” I mutter. “But where is the bathroom and food place?”
Orby, being helpful in all things, zooms across the room to a panel in the wall that I wouldn’t have seen had he, yeah, yeah,he, not been dancing in front of it. “What’s up here then?” I ask, grabbing my toiletry bag in the hopes there is a bathroom… and a lift, seeing as I’m assuming the only place to go is up.
