Page 12 of Midnight Reign
“Oh, don’t worry about that, princess. Once I tell Dad about what happened here earlier, all merry hell will reign down on MistHallow, and we will be free to do some hunting.”
He actually looks quite eager about that, so I smile and nod. “Okay, as long as you won’t get into trouble.”
“But getting into trouble is part of the fun,” he says and then swirls off in a misty shadow.
“Oh, I don’t like this,” I fret, wringing my hands.
I watch the spot where Zephyr vanished, anxiety gnawing at my insides. Ignatius places a warm hand on my shoulder.
“He’ll be fine, Addy. Zephyr can handle himself.”
I nod, trying to believe it. “I know. I hate that he has to leave because of me.”
“It’s not just because of you,” Zaiah says, his white eyes serious. “What happened today affects all of us. We need answers, and honestly, his dad is probably the best person to go to about what happened here on campus. He will be fucking fuming that his son and heir was left to defend himself against these attacks,” he adds with a chuckle.
They don’t seem that worried, so I try to calm down a bit, but that’s when all hell breaks loose.
Of course.
6
CORVUS
As I makemy way down the tower stairs, my mind races with everything that’s happened. Adelaide’s transformation, the attack on MistHallow, Randall’s betrayal - it’s all spinning in my head, a chaotic whirlwind of unanswered questions and looming threats. Adelaide is in serious danger, and we have to make sure we can protect her at all costs.
The stone steps echo with my footsteps, each one a reminder of the gravity of our situation. Adelaide’s face flashes in my mind - her confusion, her fear, her strength. She’s been thrust into a world she barely understands, and yet she’s facing it as well as can be expected.
I’m so lost in thought that I almost miss Zephyr waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. His expression has a seriousness that sets me on edge.
“Corvus. We need to talk.”
I nod, following him to a secluded corner of the courtyard. The scent of blood, scorched feathers, and magick lingers in the air, a reminder of the chaos we’ve just survived.
“What is it?”
Zephyr runs a hand through his dark hair, a rare sign of agitation from the usually composed Dark Fae prince. The shadows around him seem to writhe, responding to his emotions. “It’s about Adelaide, and everyone else.”
I feel my body tense, every muscle coiling tight. “What do you mean, everyone else?”
He meets my gaze squarely, his purple eyes almost glowing in the darkness. “Christos knows. About Adelaide being a Vesper.”
The words hit me like a physical blow, knocking the unnecessary breath from my lungs. “Fuck,” I growl, my fangs dropping instinctively. The beast inside me roars to life, demanding blood. “How?”
“I don’t know,” Zephyr admits, his frustration evident in the way the shadows dance around him. “But if he knows, we have to assume others do, too. Then this happened… the secret’s out, Corvus.”
The urge to hunt down Christos, to make him pay for endangering Adelaide, is almost overwhelming. “This complicates things,” I manage to grit out.
“No shit,” Zephyr snorts, a hint of his usual sarcasm breaking through. “But there’s more. Christos made a move on Adelaide. While I was fucking sitting right next to her.”
My head snaps up, fury blazing in my chest. The world around me turns red, my vision narrowing to a pinpoint. “What?” The word comes out as a snarl, more animal than vampire.
Zephyr holds up a hand and shakes his head. “Relax. I dealt with him. So did Adelaide, actually. You should’ve seen her. Kicked him right in the nuts.”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, I feel a surge of pride. That’s my girl. The image of Adelaide standing up to Christos, fierce and unafraid, brings a smirk to my face.
“Still,” I growl, the anger not fully dissipating, “he came after her.”
“While. I. Was. Sitting. Right. Next. To. Her,” he grits out.
