Page 80 of Crimson Shadows
Asher struggles for a moment, his eyes wild with rage and humiliation as the crowd of onlookers grows, some giggling, some growling, but no one else gets involved, thankfully. Then, slowly, he goes limp, admitting defeat. Corvus releases him, and Asher slinks away, shooting us one last venomous glare.
As Corvus turns back to me, I see a fire in his eyes that I’ve never noticed before. It’s primal, possessive, and it sends a tingle down the back of my neck. Without warning, he pulls me close and kisses me.
It’s passionate, claiming, and over far too quickly.
When Corvus pulls away, leaving me panting, I hear the hushed whispers around us.
“Are you okay?” he asks softly, his hand still cupping my face.
I nod, still a bit dazed from the kiss and the confrontation. “Yeah,” I manage to say. “Who did that idiot think he was?”
“A complete arsehole who doesn’t know when to quit,” he snarls.
I nod, agreeing with the complete arsehole part. But while part of me is thrilled that Corvus staked his claim so publicly, another part worries about the complications this might bring. Have I made an enemy of this vampire who I’ve never even spoken to?
“What’s next for you?” Corvus asks, interrupting my worrying.
“Uhm,” I mutter, checking my schedule as Orby hovers nearby. “A break for an hour and then Vampires and Myths.”
“Fancy a drink?” His hand finds mine as we walk, and I’m struck by how natural it feels, how perfectly our fingers intertwine.
“Yeah, I’m feeling a bit drained.”
“I’m not surprised. You kicked butt back there.”
“Hardly,” I snort. “I lost control.”
He snickers as we enter the dining hall to grab some synthetic blood. The hunger that’s been gnawing at me since I woke is intensifying, and my stomach rumbles in protest.
Grabbing two to-go cups, we sip as we walk out into the courtyard, where we see Ignatius juggling balls of fire. The sight is beautiful and slightly terrifying, the flames dancing between his hands with a life of their own.
“Adelaide!” he calls, grinning as he sees us approach. “Corvus. How were classes?”
“Eventful,” I say, watching the flames dance between Ignatius’s hands. “I nearly lost control of a blood mist in Blood Magick class.”
Ignatius extinguishes the fireballs with a snap of his fingers. “Oh?”
I shrug, still feeling uneasy about what happened. “It was more terrifying than impressive. If Corvus hadn’t been there...”
“I told you, you’re powerful,” Corvus says, squeezing my hand. “You just need to learn control.”
Ignatius nods, his eyes gleaming with interest. “I’d love to see what you can do sometime. Maybe we could practice together?”
“You do Blood Magick?”
“I do all magick,” he replies with a smile.
“Well, go you,” I giggle.
“What can I say? I’m an overachiever.”
“And sweet with a cute accent, too. You’re the whole package.”
“Don’t you forget it.”
We laugh as Corvus watches this interaction with interest.
“Well,” I say. “I suppose I’d better get over to my next lecture. Don’t want to be late.”
