Page 36 of Crimson Shadows
“Aren’t I always?” I reply, flashing him a wicked grin.
“She’s stronger than that,” Corvus says, joining us from seemingly out of nowhere.
“You lurking?”
“Skulking,” he says with a wide grin.
I snort. “Spying.”
“Protecting. Adelaide is special.”
“Oh, I’m aware,” I murmur. This encounter has only accelerated whatever it was I was feeling for her. I’m a creature of shadow and chaos, heir to the Dark Court. I’m not meant for relationships or anything other than a causal fling, but Adelaide has awakened something deep inside me. A beast that is unfurling and stretching its claws, hungry for more. It is clear that Corvus knows something about her we don’t. Or thinks he does. Either way, this isn’t a competition. Whoever gets to her first, gets her for all of us. We all know that. We don’t even need to discuss it. It’s an unspoken agreement between us. The thrill of the chase, the challenge of winning her over, is intoxicating.
18
ADELAIDE
I stumblethrough the misty forest, my heart pounding. The encounter with Zephyr has left me shaken.
Dark Fae.
The monsters that haunt your darkest nightmares.
His words echo in my mind, sending chills down to my soul. I’ve never heard of Dark Fae before now, but I know I need to do some research. I need to know what his powers are and what he can do to me.
As I burst out of the tree line, I find myself somehow back on the grounds of MistHallow. The imposing gothic structure looms before me, both menacing and comforting in its solidity. I bend over, hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath and slow my racing thoughts.
What the hell just happened? One minute, I was out for an early morning walk, trying to get my bearings in this confusing place, and the next, I was trapped in a bubble of darkness with a guy who claimed to be some kind of nightmare creature.
I find it worrying that there is something undeniably alluring about Zephyr. The way he moves is fluid and predatory. The dark energy crackling around him. Even as I was terrifiedearlier, a part of me wanted to lean into that darkness, to let it envelop me.
“Fuck,” I mutter, running a hand through my damp hair. “What is wrong with me?”
“Miss Black,” Professor Blackthorn’s voice comes at me out of nowhere. “Everything okay?”
I straighten up. “Yes, Professor. I went for a jog.”
He nods slowly, his eyes narrowed, not quite convinced by my lie. “Indeed. There is the House choosing today for those students already here in around an hour or so. It’s in the Main Hall.”
“Oh? Do I need to bring anything?”
“Just yourself,” he says with a friendly smile.
I give a quick nod, trying to keep my composure. “Thank you, Professor. I’ll be there.”
As Blackthorn walks away, I take a deep breath. The House choosing. What does that mean? It’s another step into this strange new world I’ve found myself in. Part of me is excited, curious to see where I’ll end up. But another part is terrified. What if I don’t fit in anywhere? What if they take one look at me and realise I don’t belong here after all?
I shake my head, trying to push away the negative thoughts. I can’t let myself spiral like this.
Heading back to my room, I try to calm myself down. I have an hour before the choosing. Enough time for a quick shower and a change of clothes. As I step into the hot water, I let it wash away some of the fear from my encounter in the woods.
Clean and dressed in fresh clothes, I take a deep breath and square my shoulders.
“You can do this, Addy,” I mutter. “You belong here as much as anyone else.”
Making my way to the Main Hall with the help of the map, as Orby is weirdly nowhere in sight, I feel a flutter of nerves inmy stomach. The corridors are bustling now with other students heading to this choosing. I catch bits and pieces of excited chatter as I stand off to the side, feeling like a spare part.
Corvus, Zephyr, Zaiah and Ignatius stroll in, thick as thieves, whispering together, which makes me even more nervous.
