Page 77 of Crimson Shadows
“Of course,” I say, shifting us so we’re lying down on her bed, Adelaide curled against my side. “I’ll stay as long as you need me.”
Adelaide drifts off to sleep as dawn breaks. I lie awake, marvelling at the turn my life has taken. I’ve never allowed myself to form any deep connections. But now, with Adelaide, I feel anchored. As if I’ve finally found a place - a being - who will look after my carefully guarded essence.
Adelaide’s growing powers will bring challenges and dangers I can’t yet foresee. The bond between us - between all of us - will be tested in ways we can’t imagine. But as I lie here, holding this remarkable creature in my arms, I’m filled with a sense of hope and purpose I haven’t felt before.
As Adelaide sleeps peacefully beside me, I gaze out the window at the lightening sky. The first rays of dawn are starting to peek over the horizon, painting the clouds in soft pinks and golds. It’s a beautiful sight, but my mind is elsewhere.
Her powers are growing rapidly. The Essence of Awakening has accelerated her development, which is what I wanted, but that was before I knew who she really was. But I can sense that thing looming. Danger.
I don’t know how, when or in what form, but I know I will protect Adelaide with my last breath if I have to. This bond is growing more intense the longer I lie with her here, and I know soon, I won’t be able to be without her nearby.
34
ADELAIDE
My sensesgradually come alive as I drift out of a deep sleep filled with the most magnificent dreams. The first thing I notice is warmth - a solid, comforting presence beside me that I instinctively curl into. As I open my eyes, blinking against the soft, late afternoon light filtering through my curtains, I’m met with the sight of Zaiah’s sleeping face.
For a moment, I’m struck by how peaceful he looks. The usual intensity that marks his features is softened in sleep, and I’m reminded of just how mystically beautiful he is. I resist the urge to trace the line of his jaw with my finger. My heart swells with emotion. Affection, desire, and something deeper, more profound.
Our bond, still new and not fully understood, pulses gently between us, a living thing. I can feel his presence not just physically but on a spiritual level, as if our souls are intertwined. It’s a sensation that should frighten me with its intensity, but instead, I find it comforting. Like finding a piece of myself that I knew was missing all this time.
As I lie there, watching Zaiah sleep, I ponder the strange turns my life has taken. Just a few weeks ago, I was a somewhatnormal twenty-year-old, apathetic towards most things in life, and now I’m a half-vampire with growing magickal abilities. The sheer absurdity of it all hits me, and I have to stifle a laugh to avoid waking Zaiah.
Is this fate? Some grand design that I’m only beginning to see and experience? The idea is wild but also comforting. I’ve never been one to believe in destiny, but how else can I explain the pull I feel towards these four, the way our lives seem to be inexorably intertwined?
A loud crack hits my window and interrupts my musings. Frowning, I carefully untangle myself from Zaiah, trying not to wake him. As I pad over to the window, I’m struck by how different I feel - stronger, more graceful, more aware. The Essence of Awakening that Zaiah gave me seems to have sharpened all my senses.
To my surprise, I see Zephyr and Corvus standing below. Zephyr tosses another small stone at the window. The courtyard below is shaded by the enormous trees overhead, and I smile and wave.
I open the window, leaning out slightly. “What are you two doing here?” I call down, not too loudly, mindful of Zaiah still sleeping behind me.
“Checking on you,” Corvus says, his voice carrying easily in the quiet afternoon air. There’s concern in his eyes, and I feel a warmth spread through me at the realisation that they cared enough to come. “Can we come up?”
I hesitate for a moment, glancing back at Zaiah’s sleeping form. Part of me wants to keep this moment private, to stay in the bubble of peace I’ve found with Zaiah. But the concern in their eyes wins me over. “Okay,” I say.
“Going to need more than that, princess,” Zephyr says with a small smile. “Your tower doesn’t like me.”
“Likes me well enough,” Corvus states and opens the door to step inside.
I giggle at Zephyr’s scowl. “Yes, you can come up, my prince.”
His eyes widen, and the smouldering look on his face makes me blush. “She’s learning,” he says and disappears through the open door, closing it behind him with a loud bang.
A few moments later, there’s a soft knock at my bedroom door. I open it, and their eyes immediately land on Zaiah, still asleep on my bed. I see a flicker pass between them, but I can’t decipher its meaning before they adjust their features.
“Come in,” I say, stepping aside to let them enter. The room suddenly feels smaller with all of them here, the air charged with an energy I can’t quite define.
“How are you doing?” Corvus asks, his voice gentle. “After last night, I mean.”
I shrug, trying to appear calm even as I still feel a twinge of disappointment at the memory of not being chosen as House Captain. “I’m fine. Congratulations on becoming House Captain, by the way. You deserve it.”
Corvus smiles, but there’s a hint of concern in his eyes. “Thanks. But are you sure you’re okay? We were worried about you. You seemed to take it a bit hard.”
“Really, I’m fine,” I insist, touched by their concern but also feeling a bit overwhelmed by it. “It was disappointing, but I’m learning that there’s a lot more to all of this than titles and positions.”
Corvus glances at his watch, his brow furrowing slightly. “We should go,” he says. “Classes start soon, and we all need to get ready.”
Time seems to move differently here at MistHallow, or maybe it’s just the effect of being around these extraordinary beings. “Right, classes. That snuck up on me.”
