Page 59 of Crimson Shadows
For a tense moment, we stand there, the air thick with unspoken challenges.
“Sweet dreams, Corvus,” Lucian calls as he and Asher back away. “Do give our regards to the lovely Miss Black next time you see her.”
I wait until I’m sure they’re gone before I take to the sky again, heading back to my room. Adelaide is protected in thattower. Only Blackthorn and I can get in without an invitation. Or a pocket dimension to another world… asshat djinn.
I land gracefully in my room and transform back to human form. The encounter with Lucian and Asher has left me on edge. Their presence near Adelaide’s tower was no coincidence, and their thinly veiled threats make my anger issues have anger issues.
I try to calm the rage building inside me because that will lead to no good, and more than likely, it will end up kicking my own arse. Something tells me she won’t be amenable to being locked up in her tower, so she is safe from idiots like Lucian and Asher, not to mention the Strix and, more importantly, the master of those assassins.
The taste of Adelaide still lingers on my tongue, a bittersweet reminder of what just transpired between us. But now, that moment of bliss is overshadowed by the looming threat and the increasing urge to keep this Vesper safe, not just because of what she is, but who she is becoming to me.
28
ADELAIDE
I stand therein shock for several moments after Corvus leaves, my body still tingling from his touch. What the actual fuck just happened?
First that insanely vivid dream, or not-dream with Zaiah, and now this with Corvus? My head is spinning. I feel like I’m losing control, like I’m being pulled in multiple directions at once. And the scariest part is that I kind of like it.
I catch sight of myself in the mirror and barely recognise the woman staring back at me. My cheeks are flushed, my lips swollen, my eyes bright with a hunger I’ve never seen before. Is this what embracing my vampire side looks like? Because if so, then I definitely need to do more exploring.
But first I need to sort out the human side of me. I bend to pick up the tampon still in its packet and get to work.
After a quick shower, my legs are still a bit wobbly as I pull on a fresh pair of pjs. These two otherworldly men have made me feel things today that I have never experienced before, and I want more.
Peering into the mist of the early morning, my stomach grumbles and I turn away from the window to the dresserwhere the flask of human blood awaits. I haven’t tried it yet. I chickened out several times during the night, but I need to do this because Professor Blackthorn is expecting me to have drunk this entire flask and he said in small and frequent doses.
With a shaking hand, I pick it up and unscrew the lid. The scent hits me and I growl quietly. My fangs drop, slicing into my tongue and lips. It’s an automatic thing. I have no control over them.
I take a deep breath, steeling myself. The scent of blood is overwhelming, making my head spin. But I need to do this. I need to embrace who I am.
Slowly, I raise the flask to my lips. The first taste is indescribable. Rich, metallic, potent. My body hums with energy as I swallow, feeling the blood slide down my throat.
“Fuck,” I whisper, licking my lips.
I take another sip, larger this time. The effect is instant. My senses sharpen, colours become more vivid. I can hear the rustling of leaves outside my window with crystal clarity.
My fangs ache, wanting more. It takes all my willpower not to down the entire flask in one go. But I remember Blackthorn’s words about pacing myself. Reluctantly, I screw the cap back on and set the flask down.
My reflection catches my eye again. There’s a wildness in my appearance, a predatory gleam that terrifies me. Is this who I truly am?
I shake my head, trying to clear it of the savage thoughts that descend. I want to hunt, to feed, to feel my fangs slice into a warm vein…
“Fuck it,” I mutter and grab the flask again and open it. I take another sip, as slowly as I can, which turns into a gulp and another. With a gasp, I drag my mouth away from the top and force myself to recap it. Slamming it back to the dresser, I cross over to the other side of the room, needing to get away from it.
“Did you know this would happen?” I murmur, glaring at the flask. “Did you know I’d want to lose control?”
My trust in Blackthorn drops a notch or two. He must’ve known.
Shoving my hands into my hair, I crawl back into bed and pick up the book on Dark Fae to carry on reading about Zephyr. Next time we meet, I will have a better handle on what he is capable of. Not that I can do much about it, but at least I won’t be caught off guard.
I try to focus on the words in front of me, but my mind keeps drifting back to Zaiah and Corvus. The intensity of those encounters has left me reeling. Part of me wants to chalk it up to some weird vampire mating instinct, but I know it’s more than that. There’s a connection forming between us, something I can’t quite explain but is very real and very intense.
The book falls from my hands as another wave of hunger washes over me. My gaze darts to the flask on the dresser. Just one more sip...
No. I clench my fists, fighting the urge. I need to stay in control.
I get off the bed and take my pillow and book to the window where I curl up in the small patch of weak sunlight fighting to get through the misty morning. Instantly, I feel the lethargy hit me. It’s like pulling a pair of curtains closed. I yawn and settle down to keep reading.
