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31. Zephyr

31

ZEPHYR

The night air is crisp against my skin as Adelaide and I make our way across the moonlit grounds of MistHallow. The scent of magick hangs heavy in the air, tinged with the earthy aroma of the surrounding forest. I can feel the power pulsing through me, eager to be unleashed. It's a familiar sensation, this restless energy, but tonight it feels different. More intense. I wonder if it has anything to do with the woman walking beside me.

I cast a sidelong glance at Adelaide. She's trying to hide it, but I can see the nervous energy radiating off her in waves. Her eyes dart around, taking in the shadows and the strange, ethereal glow that seems to permeate MistHallow at night. It's almost endearing.

"Right then, princess," I say, breaking the silence. My voice cuts through the night air like a knife. "Let's see what we're dealing with."

I pull out the envelope containing our task list, relishing the way Adelaide bristles at the nickname. Her eyes flash with annoyance, a spark of defiance that sends a thrill through me. It's an attractive look on her, I have to admit.

"Don't call me that, and while we're at it, don't call me Dollie either," she snaps, snatching the envelope from my hand. Her fingers brush against mine for a moment, and I feel a jolt of something. Static electricity, perhaps. Or something more.

I chuckle, low and dark. "I don't take orders from you, princess . Besides, there is shit you don't know about yourself yet." I lean in close. "You might be a vampire plus extras, but you're still new to this world. You'd do well to remember that."

She glares at me. "And what don't I know about myself yet? That I'm capable of kicking your arse?"

I snort, caught off guard by the sass. "Do you know who I am?"

Her eyes narrow. "A Dark Fae dickhead."

The urge to laugh and kiss her passionately war with each other. "That's Prince Dickhead, to you."

She squints harder and clicks her fingers loudly in my face. "I knew it," she hisses. "You look just like your father."

I raise an eyebrow. "Oh? Since when have you met him?"

"He's in the book I'm reading about your kind. So, Prince Dickhead, where do we start?"

"We start with me calling you princess and don't think that's just some endearment, Little Dollie," I snap, but not out of anger or frustration. I want her to know exactly what I mean.

She glowers at me but says nothing, instead focusing on the list of items we need to find. I watch as her eyes widen slightly, taking in the near-impossible task before us. The moonlight catches in her eyes, making them shine with an otherworldly light. For a moment, I'm captivated.

"A feather from a phoenix's tail," she reads aloud. "A vial of mermaid tears. A book that writes itself. A mirror that shows the future. A key that opens any lock. A flower that blooms only in moonlight. A stone that whispers secrets. A cup that never empties." She looks up at me, a mix of disbelief and excitement in her eyes. "How are we supposed to find all this in one night?"

I grin, feeling the familiar rush of adrenaline that comes with a challenge. This is what I live for - the thrill of the impossible, the chance to prove my power and cunning. "That, princess, is where the fun begins. Now, let's start with something easy, shall we? The flower that blooms only in moonlight."

Without waiting for her response, I set off towards the edge of the campus, where stone wall meets towering tree. The grass is slick with dew beneath my feet, but I move with the grace of a predator, sure-footed and silent. I can hear Adelaide hurrying to keep up, her footsteps quick and light on the ground. She doesn't move like a vampire. Not stealthy and smooth. This thing about her is needling me. How did she not know she was a vampire? How is that even possible for all this time? What is that extra that makes her not a vampire but something more?

Come on, Zeph, Figure it out. This isn't like you to be so oblivious to the facts.

"And how exactly is that easy?" she asks, interrupting my thoughts, slightly out of breath. I can hear the frustration in her voice.

I stop abruptly, turning to face her. She nearly crashes into me, and I have to resist the urge to steady her. Instead, I lean in close, my voice dropping to a whisper. The proximity allows me to catch her scent that draws me in, and that I haven't been able to get out of my nasal passages since I first met her. Jasmine and blood. It's a heady combination that fires up the lust in me like nothing else ever has.

"Because, princess," I murmur, my lips nearly brushing her ear, "I happen to know exactly where to find one."

I can see the curiosity warring with caution in her eyes. It's delicious, and I want to push her further, to see just how far she'll go. There's something about Adelaide that draws me in, despite my better judgement. She's a puzzle I'm itching to solve.

"Follow me," I say, plunging into the darkness of the forest.

The trees loom overhead, their branches reaching out like gnarled fingers. Shadows dance around us, taking on strange, almost sentient forms as I pass by. I navigate the twisting paths with ease, my Dark Fae nature at home in this realm of shadow and secrets. Adelaide stumbles behind me, cursing under her breath as she trips over roots and gets caught on thorny bushes.

"You're not very graceful, are you?" I say, not bothering to hide my amusement.

"Fuck you," she grits out, but I can hear the determination in her voice. It's impressive, I have to admit. Most would be cowering in fear by now, as we enter what can only be described as a dark realm of nature, but Adelaide pushes on, her chin set in a stubborn line.

We reach a small clearing, bathed in silvery moonlight. In the centre, a single flower stands tall, its petals closed tight. The air here feels different, charged with an ancient magick that seeps into my soul.

"There," I say, pointing. "The Lunar Lily. It only blooms at the stroke of midnight."

Adelaide checks her watch, her brow furrowing. "That's in two minutes. How did you know it would be here?"

I shrug, a smirk playing on my lips. "It's part of my charm." I don't tell her about the hours I've spent exploring these woods, learning their secrets. Knowledge is power, after all, and I'm not about to give away my advantages.

As we wait, I can feel the magick in the air intensifying. The forest seems to hold its breath, anticipating the moment. Even the usual nighttime sounds - the hoot of owls, the rustle of small creatures in the underbrush - have fallen silent.

Suddenly, a beam of moonlight pierces through the canopy, landing directly on the flower. As if in slow motion, the petals begin to unfurl, revealing a blossom of such exquisite beauty that even I am momentarily stunned. The petals are a shimmering silver, edged with the faintest hint of blue. They seem to glow from within, pulsing gently in time with some unheard rhythm.

Adelaide gasps beside me, her eyes wide with wonder. "It's beautiful," she whispers, her voice filled with awe.

I nod, reaching out to pluck the flower. As my fingers brush the stem, I feel a sharp sting. Blood, so dark a red it's almost black, wells up from a small cut, and I curse under my breath. The Lunar Lily's thorns are as deadly as they are beautiful, it seems.

Adelaide hisses, and when I turn to her, her fangs are gleaming in the moonlight. Definitely a vampire then, but still, there's that ‘more' to figure out.

In a flash of grace and speed that I have expected of her this entire time, she grabs my hand and lifts my finger to her lips. She suckles it in a move so fucking erotic my cock bounces to attention, stiff as a rod of steel.

"Fuck," I mutter as I watch her drinking my blood. I have absolutely no idea what this will do to her. Make her drunk probably. My blood is where my power lies, like most supernatural creatures. She is about to get a massive kick off this, but the crash and burn will be… interesting.

"Well," I say, breaking the tension. My voice sounds strained even to my ears. "That's new."

She lifts her head and drops my hand immediately, a look of utter horror on her face. "Fuck!" she cries out. "I'm sorry, that was such a violation! I'm sorry, Zephyr, I don't know what came over me?—"

"Hey," I say, moving into her frantic space and cupping her face so she will stop and look at me. "It's fine. You can have my blood whenever you want, princess. But I think small doses. Do you feel the rush?"

She gulps. "I did that without your consent," she murmurs. "I, of all people, should know better than that. Can you forgive me?"

"Nothing to forgive, princess," I murmur, but she still looks so forlorn, it breaks my cold, dead heart. What. The. Fuck? "Yes," I amend, tighten my grip on her. "I forgive you."

She smiles sadly. "Thank you. I won't do it again, you have my word. It's no excuse, but I'm having control issues."

"Perfectly fine excuse if you ask me."

Her smile falls away. "You're being too kind to me."

"And you are being too hard on yourself." I tuck the Lunar Lily safely into my pocket, ready to move on from this and take her hand. "Shall we?"

She nods, and we make our way back out of the forest, the air between us charged with unspoken questions and simmering tension. I can feel Adelaide's gaze on me, curious and wary. She's reassessing me. Just as I'm reassessing her.

"Next on the list," I say, consulting the paper. The writing seems to shimmer in the moonlight, the letters rearranging themselves as if alive. "A vial of mermaid tears. This should be interesting."

Adelaide raises an eyebrow, a hint of excitement creeping into her voice. "How are we going to get this?"

I grin, a plan already forming in my mind. The thrill of the hunt is coursing through my veins, made all the more potent by the unexpected developments of the night. "In the Black Lake. And I know just how to get what we need. We need to speed this up now, princess. Are you over your pity party for one?"

She gasps, her eyes wide, but then she laughs. "Only if you truly forgive me."

"Truly, madly, deeply."

"Fuck off," she mutters but relaxes again and hurries along next to me as I lead her towards the vast, dark lake.

We approach the shore. The surface is like glass, reflecting the starry sky above. It's beautiful, in a haunting sort of way. But I know the dangers that lurk beneath that placid surface.

I drop her hand and close my eyes, reaching out with my powers. The world around me fades away, replaced by a landscape of energy and life. I can feel the creatures beneath the water, their magickal forces pulsing like beacons in the depths. The merfolk are down there, their energies bright and complex. And something else... something ancient and powerful, slumbering in the deepest part of the lake.

"Watch and learn, princess," I murmur, opening my eyes. I can feel the dark power swirling around me, responding to my call.

I raise my hands, magick swirling around my fingers like living smoke. With a swift motion, I plunge my power into the lake. The water begins to churn, frothing and bubbling as if boiling. The placid surface erupts into waves, the peaceful night shattered by the roar of disturbed waters.

Suddenly, a mermaid bursts from the surface, her scales glittering in the moonlight. She's beautiful in an otherworldly way, with iridescent scales and long, flowing hair that seems to move of its own accord. But her face is contorted with anger, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Dark Fae," she hisses, her voice like broken glass. It echoes across the water, filled with ancient power and barely contained rage. "How dare you disturb our waters!"

I smile, cold and cruel. This is a dance I know well, a game of power and intimidation. "Now, now. Is that any way to greet an ally?"

The mermaid's eyes narrow, and she bares her sharp teeth. They glint in the moonlight, razor-sharp and deadly. "We are not allies, Zephyr Nightshade. State your business and be gone."

I can feel Adelaide tensing beside me, ready for a fight. Her hand brushes against mine, and I feel a jolt of energy which does something to send my magick into a state of frantic chaos. It's distracting, but I can't afford to lose focus now. I want that Captainship. Nothing else matters.

"We need a vial of mermaid tears," I say, my voice smooth as silk. I infuse it with a hint of my power, a subtle compulsion that most creatures find hard to resist. "Surely that's not too much to ask?"

The mermaid laughs, a harsh, grating sound that sends ripples across the water's surface. "And why would we give you our tears, dark one? They are precious, not to be wasted on the whims of land-dwellers."

I smile, letting a hint of my true nature show through. The air around me darkens, shadows writhing at my feet like living things. The temperature drops, frost forming on the grass at the water's edge. "Because if you don't," I say, my voice low and deadly, "I'll freeze this lake solid and every creature in it."

The mermaid's eyes widen in fear, and I can see the moment she realises I'm not bluffing. She glances at Adelaide, perhaps hoping for some intervention, but my precious Little Dollie remains silent, watching the exchange with horrified fascination.

"Very well," the mermaid says, her voice trembling slightly. She raises a webbed hand to her eye, and a single, pearlescent tear falls into the vial I hold out. It glows faintly, containing magick beyond measure.

"A pleasure doing business with you," I say, tucking the vial away. The mermaid disappears beneath the waves without another word, leaving only ripples in her wake.

As we walk away from the lake, I can feel Adelaide's eyes boring into me. The weight of her gaze is almost physical, filled with unasked questions and conflicting emotions. I turn to face her, expecting disgust or fear. Instead, I see inquisitiveness and admiration and a growing understanding of the power dynamics at play in this world she's thrust into.

"That was interesting," she says, her voice low. There's a slight tremor in it, but whether from fear or excitement, I can't tell.

I shrug, trying to appear nonchalant. "Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind, princess. Or, in this case, cruel to win." I pause, studying her face.

She nods slowly, and I can see the wheels turning in her head. She's learning, adapting to this world faster than I'd given her credit for. It's both impressive and slightly concerning.

"What's next?" she asks, a new determination in her voice.

I grin, feeling a surge of something that might be pride. "Now, we go hunting for a phoenix."

As we set off towards the aviary, I feel a growing respect for Adelaide. She's tougher than she looks, this Little Dollie of mine, and as this night grows, so does my interest in her.

We approach the towering structure of the aviary, its spires reaching towards the starry sky. The building is a marvel of magickal architecture, designed to house creatures of flight from the mundane to the mythical. I can hear the rustling of feathers and the soft coos of sleeping birds as we draw near.

"So, how exactly are we going to do this?"

"A simple case of pluck and run," I grin, brimming with the thrill of how dangerous this is. But I want to test her.

"Pluck and run?" she repeats in disbelief. "Jesus. I have a bad feeling about this."

"Jesus won't help you here, princess. Ready?"

"Ready?"

I grab her hand, and we run into the aviary, laughter bubbling up as we aim straight for the sleeping phoenix. I snatch a feather from its tail, earning ourselves a loud squawk as we dash away, whooping with delight that we are three items down and making excellent time as well.

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