Page 69 of Crimson Shadows
The trees loom overhead, their branches reaching out like gnarled fingers. Shadows dance around us, taking on strange, almost sentient forms as I pass by. I navigate the twisting paths with ease, my Dark Fae nature at home in this realm of shadow and secrets. Adelaide stumbles behind me, cursing under her breath as she trips over roots and gets caught on thorny bushes.
“You’re not very graceful, are you?” I say, not bothering to hide my amusement.
“Fuck you,” she grits out, but I can hear the determination in her voice. It’s impressive, I have to admit. Most would be cowering in fear by now, as we enter what can only be described as a dark realm of nature, but Adelaide pushes on, her chin set in a stubborn line.
We reach a small clearing, bathed in silvery moonlight. In the centre, a single flower stands tall, its petals closed tight. The air here feels different, charged with an ancient magick that seeps into my soul.
“There,” I say, pointing. “The Lunar Lily. It only blooms at the stroke of midnight.”
Adelaide checks her watch, her brow furrowing. “That’s in two minutes. How did you know it would be here?”
I shrug, a smirk playing on my lips. “It’s part of my charm.” I don’t tell her about the hours I’ve spent exploring these woods, learning their secrets. Knowledge is power, after all, and I’m not about to give away my advantages.
As we wait, I can feel the magick in the air intensifying. The forest seems to hold its breath, anticipating the moment. Even the usual nighttime sounds - the hoot of owls, the rustle of small creatures in the underbrush - have fallen silent.
Suddenly, a beam of moonlight pierces through the canopy, landing directly on the flower. As if in slow motion, the petals begin to unfurl, revealing a blossom of such exquisite beauty that even I am momentarily stunned. The petals are a shimmering silver, edged with the faintest hint of blue. They seem to glow from within, pulsing gently in time with some unheard rhythm.
Adelaide gasps beside me, her eyes wide with wonder. “It’s beautiful,” she whispers, her voice filled with awe.
I nod, reaching out to pluck the flower. As my fingers brush the stem, I feel a sharp sting. Blood, so dark a red it’s almost black, wells up from a small cut, and I curse under my breath. The Lunar Lily’s thorns are as deadly as they are beautiful, it seems.
Adelaide hisses, and when I turn to her, her fangs are gleaming in the moonlight.Definitely a vampire then, but still, there’s that ‘more’ to figure out.
In a flash of grace and speed that I have expected of her this entire time, she grabs my hand and lifts my finger to her lips. She suckles it in a move so fucking erotic my cock bounces to attention, stiff as a rod of steel.
“Fuck,” I mutter as I watch her drinking my blood. I have absolutely no idea what this will do to her. Make her drunk probably. My blood is where my power lies, like most supernatural creatures. She is about to get a massive kick off this, but the crash and burn will be… interesting.
“Well,” I say, breaking the tension. My voice sounds strained even to my ears. “That’s new.”
She lifts her head and drops my hand immediately, a look of utter horror on her face. “Fuck!” she cries out. “I’m sorry, that was such a violation! I’m sorry, Zephyr, I don’t know what came over me?—”
“Hey,” I say, moving into her frantic space and cupping her face so she will stop and look at me. “It’s fine. You can have my blood whenever you want, princess. But I think small doses. Do you feel the rush?”
She gulps. “I did that without your consent,” she murmurs. “I, of all people, should know better than that. Can you forgive me?”
“Nothing to forgive, princess,” I murmur, but she still looks so forlorn, it breaks my cold, dead heart. What. The. Fuck? “Yes,” I amend, tighten my grip on her. “I forgive you.”
She smiles sadly. “Thank you. I won’t do it again, you have my word. It’s no excuse, but I’m having control issues.”
“Perfectly fine excuse if you ask me.”
Her smile falls away. “You’re being too kind to me.”
“And you are being too hard on yourself.” I tuck the Lunar Lily safely into my pocket, ready to move on from this and take her hand. “Shall we?”
She nods, and we make our way back out of the forest, the air between us charged with unspoken questions and simmering tension. I can feel Adelaide’s gaze on me, curious and wary. She’s reassessing me. Just as I’m reassessing her.
“Next on the list,” I say, consulting the paper. The writing seems to shimmer in the moonlight, the letters rearranging themselves as if alive. “A vial of mermaid tears. This should be interesting.”
Adelaide raises an eyebrow, a hint of excitement creeping into her voice. “How are we going to get this?”
I grin, a plan already forming in my mind. The thrill of the hunt is coursing through my veins, made all the more potent by the unexpected developments of the night. “In the Black Lake. And I know just how to get what we need. We need to speed this up now, princess. Are you over your pity party for one?”
She gasps, her eyes wide, but then she laughs. “Only if you truly forgive me.”
“Truly, madly, deeply.”
“Fuck off,” she mutters but relaxes again and hurries along next to me as I lead her towards the vast, dark lake.
