Page 46 of Crimson Shadows
I watch as Corvus moves towards her, his movements slow and non-threatening. He brushes the back of his hand over her cheek. “Hey, it’s okay,” he says softly. “We’re not going to let anything happen to you.”
In an instant, I’m next to him, smacking his hand away. “Don’t touch her,” I snarl.
Corvus’s eyes flash red briefly, but he calms instantly and steps back.
Adelaide takes a deep breath, her shoulders relaxing slightly as she looks up at him.
A pang of jealousy shoots through me, surprising in its intensity. Our kiss is still fresh on my lips, our bond now stronger than ever, even if she doesn’t know what it is yet.
But seeing her respond to Corvus stirs something primal and possessive within me.
I push the feeling aside, focusing on the matter at hand. “We need to figure out who sent the Strix and why,” I say, my voice perhaps a bit sharper than necessary.
Ignatius, who’s been unusually quiet, speaks up. “More importantly, we need to keep Adelaide safe until we can sort this out.”
A heavy thump against the window makes Adelaide jump, a small cry escaping her lips. Another thump follows, then another. The Strix are trying to break in.
I cross over to the windows and open the curtains a fraction. The Strix are plastered up against the window, sensing their target’s presence in here. They are in a hold for now, but that won’t last.
I move instinctively, placing myself between Adelaide and the window. “We need to get her back to her tower,” I say. “It’s protected.”
Adelaide, still standing close to Corvus, shakes her head. “But Corvus could get in,” she says. “How is that safe?”
Corvus grins, a wicked glint in his eye. “It’s not protected from me, Dollie,” he says.
Zephyr steps forward, his expression more curious than anything else. “We’ll all go,” he says. “To make sure Adelaide is safe.”
I nod, even though part of me wants to protest. The bond I share with Adelaide - the one I’ve been subtly strengthening since she arrived - pulses with a need to protect her. But I know that right now, her safety is more important than my desires.
“But if it’s protected, how will we get in?” she asks, her voice trembling.
“I can create pocket dimensions. It will allow us into the room but then you have to be the one to draw us in.”
“What? I can’t do that!” she says, her pitch going up several notches.
“You can and you will,” I say to her. “It is the only way to get you back to your room without going through them.” I wave my hand at the window.
“Fuck,” she mutters. “Fuck!”
I place a hand lightly on Adelaide’s shoulder. The contact sends a jolt through me, and I see her eyes widen in response. There’s no doubt now - she feels the bond too.
With a thought, I transport us all to Adelaide’s tower room into a small other world within this world.
“What now?” Adelaide asks, looking around at us all crowded into the pocket dimension.
“Step out,” I murmur.
She hesitantly takes a step, and the bubble breaks.
“Now,” I say, meeting her gaze, “we figure out who wants you dead and why. We keep you safe until we do.”
As I say the words, I make a silent vow. Whoever is behind this, whatever their reasons, they won’t succeed. I’ll protect Adelaide with everything I have - not just because of the bond, not just because of the kiss, but because I know now that the force that was pulling me towards her wasn’t a mere whim or a curious needling. The bond I created between us is real and it’s growing every second I’m in her presence as a result.
Zephyr stops pacing as the Strix, clearly visible outside the floor-to-ceiling windows of Adelaide’s tower room, circle like vultures. “It doesn’t make sense,” he says. “Adelaide’s only just arrived at MistHallow. Who could she possibly have angered enough to warrant an assassination attempt?”
“Who have you spoken to since you arrived here?” Corvus asks.
“You guys, Blackthorn and some girl named Lyra. Oh, and Blue Water lady at the front desk. Orby!”
