15. Adelaide

15

ADELAIDE

As the others gather around me, their faces lit by the glow coming from me, I know our adventure is only just beginning. The book in my hands holds secrets - about MistHallow, about Vespers, about the ancient vampire presence in my mind. Each page promises answers, but also raises new questions.

I meet the eyes of my companions, I see the same emotions that I feel. Wary, excitement, dread. Whatever we've stumbled upon here, hidden deep beneath MistHallow, is going to change everything. The only question is: are we ready for what comes next?

The weight of the book in my hands feels like a responsibility I'm not sure I'm prepared for.

The secret archive stretches out around us, filled with untold knowledge and hidden dangers. But this small, unassuming book might hold the key to understanding my true nature and the ancient presence that shares my mind.

As we huddle closer, preparing to delve into the book's contents, I know that we're standing on the precipice of something monumental. The air seems charged with possibility, and the shadows of the archive seem to lean in, eager to witness what happens next.

"It's in Latin," I mutter.

"Here, let me," Corvus says, reaching for the book.

I growl, jerking it back out of his way. "Mine."

He holds his hands up, his look of caution deepening. "Okay, I can read and translate Latin. Can you?"

"I can now," I mutter, and I begin to read aloud, my voice clear and confident. "In the shadows between worlds, there exists a power beyond imagining—a convergence of magick and blood, of life and death. The Vesperidae are but a shadow of this power, a pale reflection of what once was and what could be again."

My voice falters as the words resonate through me. The others lean in closer, eager to hear more.

"Go on," Zephyr urges softly.

I nod and continue, "To unlock the full potential of this power requires a sacrifice. A merging of souls, ancient and new. The vessel must be willing, must embrace the darkness within. Only then can the boundaries between realms be shattered, and true power be unleashed."

My hands shake as I turn the page. The next passage makes my blood run cold. "Beware the one who seeks to claim this power for themselves. For in doing so, they risk unmaking reality itself. The balance must be maintained, lest all worlds fall to chaos."

"So we think the entity in your head is trying to unleash chaos?" Corvus asks.

"No. Or at least not necessarily. Obviously, the merging of souls, ancient and new is me and her. The vessel, me, must be willing. I wasn't, so whatever Randall, the one trying to unleash chaos, did, didn't work properly. The portal opened, but that's it. Whatever lies on the other side of this world through that portal is…"

We stare at each other.

"Entropy," Zephyr murmurs.

"Pretty much."

"So what does she have to do with this?" Corvus asks, frustrated and running his hand through his hair. "We still don't know, which is our more immediate threat."

I nod and look back at the book. I take a deep breath and continue reading, my voice growing stronger as I delve deeper into the ancient text. "The one who seeks to merge, to reclaim what was lost, walks a dangerous path. She is both saviour and destroyer, the key to unlocking untold power and the potential harbinger of doom. The Progenitor. The first of her kind, born in the crucible of magick and blood. She who walks between worlds, keeper of the balance. Her power is unmatched, her knowledge vast. But with great power comes great sacrifice."

I look up at the others, my mind racing. "This has to be her. The voice in my head."

Zephyr leans in. "What else does it say about her?"

I turn the page, eager for more information. The next passage makes my breath catch in my throat. "The Progenitor's essence can be passed down through the ages, lying dormant until it finds a suitable vessel. One with the potential to wield her power and continue her work. But beware, for the merging of souls is not without risk. The vessel may be consumed, their identity lost to the ancient consciousness within."

A chill runs down my spine as the implications of these words sink in. It's not like I hadn't already thought of it, but seeing it confirmed is a whole other ball game. "Crimson Shadow."

"Huh?" Ignatius asks into the chilling silence.

"Her name is Crimson Shadow. That matches with what she said to me. Crimson Sha—" I mumble, not really telling them that but needing to say it out loud.

Little bitch gets it. Finally.

"Why didn't you just tell me all of this," I hiss, startling the guys into stepping back slightly.

Not the way it works. Did you not read the part about being willing? That includes you finding this all out on your little old lonesome. Okay, well, with these hot studs. Fuck, they know how to please us, don't they?

"DO NOT EVER SAY THAT AGAIN!" I bellow, forcing the guys to duck for cover as a shower of fire rains down from the ceiling in my rage that I pulled from Ignatius unconsciously. "They are not yours. They are mine."

Well, kind of mine. So sexy. Been a while since I had a good lay.

"Jesus," I mutter, taking a deep breath. She is riling me up. Getting angry with her is just amusing her and will make her worse.

The others are watching me warily, clearly unsure how to react to my outburst.

"Sorry," I mutter. "She's chatty."

Zephyr steps forward, his purple eyes intense. "What did she say?"

I shake my head. "Nothing important. Just trying to get under my skin."

Corvus frowns. "We need to figure out how to control this, Addy. She's getting stronger, isn't she?"

I nod reluctantly. "I think so. But I'm learning, too. We just need to stay ahead of her."

"And how do we do that?" Ignatius asks.

I look down at the book in my hands. "By learning everything we can. About her, about Vespers, about this power she wants to unlock."

"So, she is a Vesperidae?" Corvus asks,

"The very first, I guess."

"And she has been waiting for you."

"Seems so."

Zaiah moves closer, peering at the text over my shoulder. "Does it say anything else? About how to stop her, maybe?"

I flip through the pages, scanning for any more relevant information. My eyes catch on a passage near the end of the book. "Wait, there's something here..." My eyes scan the ancient text, my voice growing more urgent as I read. "To contain the Progenitor's power, a ritual was devised. Five elements must come together - blood of the vessel, shadow of the fae, flame of creation, essence of wishes, and the void of night. Only through their union can the ancient one be bound, her power harnessed without consuming the vessel."

The group exchanges glances, the implications sinking in.

"Five elements," Zephyr murmurs. "That can't be a coincidence."

"Blood of the vessel," Corvus says, looking at me. "That's you."

"Shadow of the Fae," Ignatius adds, nodding to Zephyr.

"Flame of creation," Zaiah says, gesturing to Ignatius.

"Essence of wishes," I continue, my eyes meeting Zaiah's.

"And the void of night," Zephyr finishes, his gaze landing on Corvus. "The vampire."

A heavy silence falls over us as we process this information. My mind races, trying to make sense of it all. "So, we're... what? Destined to perform this ritual?"

"Fated, Little Dollie," Zephyr says in normal tones. "Just as our fathers were."

"Fuck," Zaiah whispers.

"That about sums it up."

"So, they contained Crimson ‘x' amount of years ago, and she has been lurking, waiting for a Vesper vessel to pop on along that she could possess, and here I am, giving her what she wants," I grumble. "Sounds about right for bad luck Addy."

"First off," Corvus says, taking my hand and kissing it. "You aren't bad luck Addy. Whoever gave you that name is a moron. Secondly, you have far surpassed her expectations. You were meant to die at that ritual, and she was meant to take over your body. You didn't die. You lived, but not only that?—"

"You thrived in the darkness," Ignatius finishes for him. "She can't take you unless you let her."

"I really appreciate the rally, guys, but seriously. This is bad. Very, very bad."

"Of course it is," Zaiah says with a laugh. "But we are going to beat this and have fun while we do."

"Glad you think this is fun," I mutter.

I take a deep breath, trying to process everything we've just learned. The weight of it is crushing, but I force myself to focus. "Okay, so we know who she is now. Crimson Shadow, the Progenitor, and we know there's a ritual that can contain her power. But we still don't know why she's trying to merge with me now, or what her ultimate goal is."

Zephyr nods, his expression thoughtful. "And we don't know how this ties into the portal Randall was trying to open, or what's on the other side."

I groan, rubbing my temples, my head splitting with a headache from all the magick and voices in my head.

Ignatius places a comforting hand on my shoulder, his touch is warm and reassuring. "We've got this. I love a good mystery."

I give him a small smile, grateful for the support. "Right. So, what's our next move?"

Zaiah sighs. "I think we need to learn more about this ritual. The book mentions five elements, but it doesn't give any details on how to actually perform it."

"Good point," I say, flipping through the pages again. "There's nothing here about the specifics of the ritual. Just vague mentions of ‘union' and ‘harnessing power'. No step-by-step instructions."

Zephyr runs a hand through his hair, frustration evident in his voice now as well. "Of course it wouldn't be that easy. Nothing ever is with ancient magick."

"Maybe there are other books here that could help," Zaiah suggests, glancing around at the vast library surrounding us. "This place must be full of hidden knowledge."

I clutch the book tightly to my chest. My mind is reeling from everything we've learned. Crimson Shadow, the Progenitor, wants to merge with me. But why now? What changed to make her seek me out after all this time?

Little bitch finally asking the right questions. Took you long enough.

I grit my teeth, resisting the urge to respond out loud. "Care to enlighten me then?" I think back at her.

All in good time, my dear. All in good time. For now, why don't you focus on finding out more about that delicious ritual? I'm quite curious to see how it plays out.

Her tone sends a chill down my spine. "Delicious ritual…"

The four guys look at me expectantly, and I gulp. "What is it?" Corvus asks.

"I think I know what the ritual requires, and it's got nothing to do with magick,' I say, feeling the blush creep up my cheeks.

"Oh?" Ignatius asks as the others seem to get there quicker. "Oooh…"

"An orgy," I croak, knowing in the back of my head it was probably going to happen at some point but discovering that it has to happen, especially when Crimson is watching, feeling, enjoying… creeps me the fuck out.

Too bad the guys don't feel the same way. Quite the opposite, in fact.