Page 41 of Crimson Shadows
“Well,” he says, sitting up and brushing dust from his clothes, “that was exciting.”
“You’re fucking nuts!” I retort but join in his laughter, the release of tension feeling almost euphoric. “Is it always like this once the term starts?” I ask.
Corvus grins, helping me to my feet. “Only on the good days.”
He releases me and I mourn the loss of his cold skin touching mine. It seems to take the itch away that sits right under the surface.
As we continue on, I become more attuned to the Labyrinth’s tricks. When a section of the floor ahead suddenly turns translucent, revealing another pit of shadows, I’m the one who spots it first.
“Wait!” I call out, grabbing the back of Corvus’s suit jacket to haul him back. “Look at the floor.”
He nods approvingly. “Good catch. But how do we get across?”
I push aside the niggling thought that he let me have that one and look around, noticing a series of protruding stones on the wall beside us.
“Handholds,” I say, pointing. “We can climb across.”
Corvus raises an eyebrow. “Risky, but it might be our only option. Ladies first?”
“Oh nice, so you can see if I drop to my death first?”
“You’re immortal. You’ll live,” he snickers.
“Fuck off,” I grunt and take a deep breath, steeling myself. Then, reaching out, I grasp the first handhold and begin to make my way across the wall. It’s slow going, and my arms are soon aching with the effort, but I force myself to keep moving.
Halfway across, my foot slips. For a heart-stopping moment, I’m dangling by my fingertips over the pit of shadows.
“Adelaide!” Corvus calls out, alarm clear in his voice.
But something inside me refuses to give up. With a grunt of effort and a strength I didn’t know I had, I swing my body, managing to hook my foot back onto a hold. Gritting my teeth, I continue on, finally reaching the other side.
“Vampire side, activated,” Corvus calls out. “Nice work.”
As soon as my feet touch solid ground, I turn back to watch Corvus make the crossing. He moves swiftly and gracefully, showcasing his supernatural abilities as he crosses the distance quickly.
He lands beside me, a note of genuine admiration in his voice. “Do you feel it?”
I grin, feeling a surge of pride. “Sort of. Yes, at the time, not so much now.”
He nods as if he understands, but how can he when I don’t even get it?
As we carry on deeper into the Labyrinth, the challenges become increasingly treacherous. We turn a corner and are immediately confronted by a long corridor lined with ominous-looking holes in the walls.
“I don’t like the look of this,” I mutter, eyeing the passage warily.
Corvus nods, his body tense. “Stay alert. Something’s not right here.”
We take a cautious step forward, and suddenly, a jet of flame erupts from one of the holes, nearly singeing my hair.
“Back!” Corvus shouts, pulling me against the wall as more flames shoot out in rapid succession.
The heat is intense, the roar of the fire deafening. I can feel sweat beading on my forehead as we press ourselves against the cool stone.
“We need to time this perfectly,” Corvus says, his eyes darting back and forth, studying the pattern of the flames. “There’s a split-second gap between bursts. We’ll have to run and dodge.”
I nod, my heart racing. “Oh-kay, but I’m not as quick as you!”
He grins and holds his hand out. I reach out and take it, mine shaking uncontrollably.
