Page 102 of Radiant Shadows

“I’m in Marguerite’s quarters at Heritage Prep,” I replied with a sad slur to my words. “My punishment is that I’m to be her eternal plaything. They’ve fitted me with copper cuffs to weaken me. I can barely move.”

“Oh, Julian,” she whimpered. “Who is this bitch?”

“A vile woman who’s been obsessed with me for decades,” I lamented. “Now she finally has what she’s always wanted: me at her mercy.” More sobs croaked from my dry throat.

Silence echoed in my mind for several long seconds, but I couldfeela deep and righteous anger reverberating through our mental connection.

“I will kill her with my bare fucking hands,” Shea vowed in a menacing tone I’d never heard from her. “I’m going todestroyher for laying her filthy hands on you.”

The promise and devotion in her words made my shattered heart throb with love for her. That she would be driven to such murderous intent on my behalf… I didn’t have the words to describe how deeply that touched me, especially in my current state.

“Don’t worry, Julian. Caesar and I will come for you. We will get you out of there if it’s the last thing we do. I promise.”

My sobs intensified, lurching out of my helpless lungs like the chug of a train’s engine. I didn’t know whether to be relieved, grateful, or terrified. I was stuck with indecision between begging her to rescue me and insisting she stay far away from this goddamn place. A witch and a gryphon alone would be no match for an entire school full of highly trained vampires and their militia of willing human pawns.

“Just hold on. Please, hold on. And, Julian, um…there’s one more thing you should know.”

I closed my eyes, letting them roll back into my head and away from the sunlight that was now far too bright. I wanted to be able to focus on Shea’s beautiful voice without any other sensory distractions.

“I… IamAlice.”

The entire world fell silent at the end of those words. Whatever wheels were left to turn in my mind jammed, understanding escaping me completely. What did she mean? Did I hear her correctly? Was my brain so melted and fried that I was losing touch with reality?

“Julian?” she asked.

“I’m here,” I rasped.

“Look, I don’t know how or why, but it’s true,” she continued. “My blood accidentally unlocked the grimoire because it’s my family’s grimoire. I cast a summoning spell to talk to Alice, but it didn’t work because her soul isn’t in the spirit world… It’s inside me.”

My head began to spin, dizziness clutching my belly with sickening fingers. “I… I don’t understand.”

“I’m Alice reincarnated,” Shea said plainly. “You don’t need a spell to bring her back because she’s already here, as me.”

A sense of peace fell over me as my muddled mind flashed with hazy memories. Shea’s face the first night I saw her, so much like Alice’s. Her magic, so similar. Her touch, her smell, her taste, new and nostalgic at the same time.

Though my mind was beyond comprehension at this point, my soul knew. Shea was right. And I think some part of me had known it all along.

Bliss buzzed through my frail husk of a body, my sobs turning into low chuckles of joy.

“I love you, Shea,” I professed, my voice constricted with emotion.

“I love you, too,” she whimpered. “We’re coming for you. Stay strong for me.”

“Forever,” I vowed.

The connection faded, and I was left in a silence that no longer felt hollow and bleak. Shea was Alice. The greatest desire of my heart had happened without my intervention or influence. Perhaps fate wasn’t such an evil bitch, after all.

I was no longer afraid for Shea’s safety in attempting to rescue me. There was nothing that tenacious witch couldn’t achieve, and with Caesar by her side to protect her, they were a force even for the vampires to reckon with. If my Alice had found a way to come back to me, then my Shea would do it again.

For the first time in a long time, I finally hadfaith.

Chapter 37

Shea

“What is it? What happened?” Caesar asked, his forehead creased with worry as he looked at me. He had been sitting next to me through the whole conversation with Julian, only able to hear my responses and growing more and more concerned as he listened.

“Julian, he’s… Hadrian found out about his disloyalty,” I said with a shaky voice. “As punishment, he gave Julian to some vampire bitch to play with. He’s got some kind of cuffs on that weaken him. He sounded like he was in so much pain.” My voice cracked as my throat constricted with anger and grief.

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