Page 72 of Crimson Shadows
The use of my actual name, rather than one of his nicknames, catches me off guard. I look up at him, searching his face for any hint of mockery, but find only sincerity. It’s a side of Zephyr I haven’t seen before, and it makes my soul ache for his touch. All this time, pushing people away, not wanting their hands on me,suddenly has a reason. I was waiting for these four idiots. It’s as clear to me as nothing ever has been before.
But I don’t understand it fully. Why these four in particular and no one else?
We reach a small courtyard, where an ornate fountain stands silent in the moonlight. The water’s surface is perfectly still, reflecting the stars above like a mirror. The entire area shimmers with an unearthly energy.
“Here,” Zephyr says, his voice low and intense. “This fountain is said to show visions of the future on certain nights. Maybe we can convince it to work for us.”
I step closer to the fountain, feeling the magick humming in the air around it. It’s different from the magick of the library or the Lunar Lily - older, wilder, less predictable. Without thinking, I reach out to touch Zephyr’s arm. As our skin makes contact, I feel a surge of power flow between us.
He rasps softly, gaze on mine. Zephyr’s Dark Fae magick is cold and potent, mingling with my growing Vesper abilities. The combination is potent, filling me with a sense of limitless potential.
The water in the fountain begins to swirl, images forming and reforming on its surface. I see flashes of possible futures - some bright and hopeful, others dark and foreboding, and in many of them, I see Zephyr and myself, side by side. Fighting together against unseen enemies. Laughing in moments of joy. Standing before a crowd, leaders of some great change.
As the visions fade, I look up to find Zephyr staring at me with an intensity that takes my breath away. His eyes are glowing faintly, and I can feel the mystical energy still crackling between us.
“What did you see?” he asks.
I gulp, still processing the images. “Lots of things,” I reply, my voice shaky. “Some good, some bad. But in a lot of them,we were together. Fighting, leading, changing things. It was intense.”
Zephyr’s expression is unreadable, but I feel his hand tighten around mine. “Now, do you see why I call you princess?” he murmurs.
I blink, unable to answer that loaded question.
The moment is broken by a distant bell tolling, giving us the halfway mark. Zephyr shakes his head, as if clearing away cobwebs, and consults the list again. “Grab a vial of that, will you, and we’ll move on. A key that opens any lock,” he reads as I take the vial he conjured up that is floating in midair near my face and do as he asks. “Now that’s going to be a challenge.”
“Aren’t they all?” I drawl, making him snicker.
We make our way towards the centre of the campus, laden down with our items, where the administrative buildings stand. The architecture here is more imposing, with sharp angles and gleaming surfaces. I can feel the protective magick humming in the air, warning away those who don’t belong.
“The key we’re looking for is kept in the Headmaster’s office,” Zephyr explains as we approach the main building. “It’s one of the most heavily guarded artefacts in MistHallow. Getting to it won’t be easy.”
I eye the building warily. “How are we supposed to get past all the magickal security?”
Zephyr grins, a mischievous glint in his eye. “With a little bit of Dark Fae trickery and a whole lot of whatever you’ve got going on there. Are you ready to push your limits, princess?”
I take a deep breath, steeling myself. “And what would those limits be, exactly?”
“You enhance my magick,” he murmurs, reaching up to brush a stray lock of hair away from my face. “I felt it at the lake, and again before. I know what you are, princess.”
“What am I?”
He gives me that wicked smile. “I’m not saying it out loud. There is a reason you and the faculty are keeping it a secret.”
“I trust you,” I blurt out.
His gaze softens, and that sinister smile turns genuine for the first time ever. “That means everything, Little Dollie.”
“You had to go and ruin it, didn’t you,” I murmur.
He chuckles. “Have to remind you who you belong to.”
“I don’t need the reminder.”
The words hang there; the unspoken ones screaming louder.
Zephyr clears his throat. “To be continued… right now, we need to focus on this. I’m going to use my powers to create a distraction and slip us past the outer defences. But once we’re inside, we’ll need your ability to boost my powers enough to break through the final barriers. It’s risky, but it’s our best shot.”
I nod, fear and excitement coursing through me. “Let’s do it.”
