Page 24 of Crimson Shadows
“Yep. He’s quite handy.”
“I bet,” she mutters, and her friendly attitude drops a notch.
Okay, note to self. Orbs aren’t given out to everyone. I hadn’t even noticed.
Lyra suddenly stiffens, her eyes fixed on something over my shoulder. “Uh oh,” she mutters. “Trouble at six o’clock.”
I turn to see what she’s looking at, and my heart sinks. Corvus and Zephyr have just entered the dining hall, their eyesscanning the room until they land on me. Slow, predatory smiles spread across their faces.
“Friends of yours?” Lyra asks, her voice low.
I shake my head. “Not exactly. We had a bit of a run-in earlier in the library.”
Lyra’s expression turns serious. “Be careful with those two, Adelaide. They’re bad news.”
“Yeah, I got that impression,” I mutter.
“Don’t let Zaiah fool you into thinking he’s the good cop. He is dangerous.”
“I know.”
She rambles on as if I didn’t even speak.
“And the really cute fire elemental that hangs out with them is nice, but watch your back with him as well.”
I frown at her. It seems to me she is going overboard in trying to warn me off these guys I have no intention of ever speaking to again if I have my own way. Does she have an ulterior motive, or is she just being helpful?
When she looks down at the orb again and goes stony-faced for a second before adjusting her features, I figure this woman isn’t to be trusted. I force a smile and nod at Lyra, but my guard is up now. “Thanks for the heads up,” I say, keeping my voice neutral. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
As Corvus and Zephyr make their way towards us, I feel a surge of panic. I’m not ready to face them again, not after what happened in the library. I need more time to process, to figure out how to protect myself.
“I should go,” I say abruptly, standing up and grabbing my backpack as Orby zooms up into the air. “It was nice meeting you, Lyra.”
She looks annoyed that I’ve blown her off. “Sure, whatever. See you around.”
I turn to leave, but Corvus and Zephyr are already there, blocking my path. Zephyr’s purple and silver eyes dance with amusement, while Corvus’s gaze is intense, almost hungry.
“Going somewhere, Adelaide?” Zephyr asks, his voice smooth as silk.
I try to push past them, but Corvus’s hand shoots out, loosely gripping my arm. His touch sends a jolt through me, fear and something else I don’t want to name, but it begins with an ‘l’ and ends with ‘ust’.
“Let go,” I growl, yanking my arm away. To my surprise, he releases me immediately.
“We just want to talk,” Corvus says, his blue eyes boring into mine. “No compulsion, I promise.”
I scoff. “Right, because I should totally trust the word of a vampire who’s already mind-fucked me once today.”
Zephyr chuckles, the sound sending shivers down my spine. “Well, she’s got you there.”
“Mm, mind-fucking,” Corvus murmurs, and I blush for the first time in a really long time. It is mortifying.
I glance around, looking for an escape route, but the dining hall suddenly seems impossibly crowded. Lyra has disappeared, leaving me alone with these two predators.
“Look,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady, “I don’t know what your game is, but I’m not interested. Just leave me alone.”
“No game, Adelaide,” Zephyr says, his expression turning serious. “We’re here to make amends.”
“Amends? For compelling me and touching me against my will,” I hiss.
