Page 56 of Crimson Shadows
I try to calm my racing thoughts, but all I can see is Adelaide—her flushed skin, her parted lips, the way she writhed against me. The memory of her touch sends electricity coursing through my body.
“Fuck,” I mutter, opening my eyes. This is getting out of hand. I need to regain some semblance of control.
I stand up abruptly, needing to move, to do something. My powers are swirling just beneath the surface, begging to be used. I could grant a thousand wishes right now and reshape reality on a whim. But the only wish I want to grant is my own - to be with Adelaide again.
But that’s the irony here. I can’t wish for anything. I’m forced to see others get their whims seen to, to create unbalance while I do it, but for me, a wish is as far away as the stars.
27
CORVUS
I cling to the window,trying desperately not to slide down the glass and hit the deck several hundred feet below. Trying to get a better look inside, I see Adelaide approach, wrapping a towel tightly around herself. Her scent hits me again, stronger now, and I have to fight to keep my composure. The smell of her blood is spellbinding, stirring something primal in my vampire soul.
She cracks the window open, her expression annoyed. “Corvus, what the hell are you doing?” she hisses. “Isn’t this place supposed to be on lockdown?”
I can’t respond in this form, but I flap my wings and duck inside, making her squeak with surprise. Once inside, I transform back into my human form, landing softly on the bathroom floor.
“Sorry for the dramatic entrance,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady despite the overwhelming scent of her blood. “It was lifted a few minutes ago, and then I smelt your blood.”
“Again? You are seriously creeping me out with that!” she snaps.
“I can’t help it. You’re like a drug to me,” I murmur, scanning her body up and down but not seeing any harm done.
Adelaide’s eyes widen slightly, and she pulls the towel tighter around herself. “I’m fine,” she grits out.
It takes a moment to read between the lines, and when I do, I feel like a complete idiot. “Oh,” I say eloquently. “Right. Sorry, I didn’t mean to... intrude.”
Adelaide rolls her eyes, but there’s a hint of amusement in her expression now. “It’s fine. Though maybe next time, try knocking instead of face-planting into my window?”
I chuckle, grateful for the break in tension. “Noted. Though in my defence, bats aren’t known for their graceful landings.”
She smiles, amusement dancing in those black depths. “Do you think I can change into a bat?”
Grinning back, I shrug. “Maybe a half-bat. Ooh, maybe like a human head but with a bat’s body! Or?—”
“Oh, shut up,” she laughs, throwing her bath sponge at me. “Blackthorn says you’re meant to be my mentor, not some goof who makes fun of me.”
I catch the sponge with ease, my vampire reflexes kicking in. “I can be both,” I say with a wink. “A mentor with a sense of humour. It’s a package deal.”
Adelaide shakes her head, but I can see the smile tugging at her lips. “Lucky me,” she says dryly.
The air between us shifts, becoming charged with something more than just playful banter. I’m acutely aware of her state of undress, the thin towel barely concealing her curves. The scent of her blood is still strong, mixing with the lingering smell of her arousal. It’s intoxicating.
“Corvus,” she says softly, her voice taking on a husky quality that sends a shot of lust straight to my cock. “You should probably go.”
I know she’s right. I should leave, give her privacy, maintain some semblance of propriety in this time of humanity for her.But every instinct in my body is screaming at me to stay, to close the distance between us, to taste her.
“I know,” I murmur, taking a step closer instead of backing away. “But I don’t want to.”
Adelaide’s breath hitches, her pulse quickening. I can hear it, the rushing of her blood in her veins, her thumping heartbeat.
“This is a bad idea,” she whispers, but she doesn’t move away. If anything, she leans in slightly, her body betraying her words.
Adelaide’s words hang in the air between us, but neither of us moves. I can hear her heartbeat quicken, see the flush creeping up her neck.
“Probably,” I agree, my voice low. “But when has that ever stopped me?”
Her eyes flick to my lips, then back up to meet my gaze. “Corvus,” she breathes, and it’s both a warning and an invitation.
