5. Adelaide

5

ADELAIDE

The guys freeze, their eyes widening as they process my words. The silence that follows is heavy, charged with confusion. I take a deep breath, trying to organise my chaotic thoughts. "I think my human half died," I whisper.

The guys exchange worried glances. Zaiah steps closer. "What do you mean, Addy?"

I run a hand through my hair, frustration building. "When Randall stabbed me, it should have killed me. A knife through the heart is not something you just walk away from. But I did. And now I feel different. Stronger. More alive, if that makes any sense."

"It does," Corvus says slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. "I saw the blade, it was wooden coated in silver. It is impossible for a vampire to walk away from that, and yet here you are."

"So what does that mean?" Ignatius asks, his fiery hair flickering flames with his agitation. "Are you a full vampire now?"

I shrug helplessly. "I don't know. I just know I don't feel human anymore. The hunger, the strength, the heightened senses... it's all so much more intense now."

"We need to get you somewhere safe," Zaiah says, his form shimmering slightly with concern. "Somewhere we can figure this out without prying eyes."

Corvus nods in agreement. "Let's get you to your room."

Moments later, we reach my tower room, and Corvus helps me inside. The familiar surroundings are a comfort after the chaos of the past few hours. I sink onto my bed, the guys gathering around me.

"It definitely sounds like your vampire side has been fully awakened," Corvus says slowly. "But there's more to it than that. The healing, the increased power, is beyond what even a full vampire should be capable of."

"So, what am I? If I'm not human anymore, and I'm more than a vampire... what does that make me?"

The guys exchange glances, uncertainty clear on their faces.

"We need more information," Zaiah says, his white eyes thoughtful as they all dodge the question. "About Vespers, about this ritual, Randall performed. There has to be a reason he did this."

"But where? There is nothing on Vespers here at MistHallow."

"That you know of," Zephyr murmurs.

I sit up straighter, intrigued. "What do you mean?"

Zephyr exchanges a look with the others before continuing. "MistHallow has secrets. Hidden places, restricted sections. My father has maps of every inch of this place. But they're locked up back at home."

Corvus glares at him, as do the other two guys. He shrugs.

"And you know this for sure?" Corvus asks, raising an eyebrow.

A slow smile spreads across Zephyr's face. "I might have stumbled upon a few of them during my nocturnal wanderings."

Ignatius snorts. "If that's what we're calling it these days."

Zephyr shrugs. "The point is, if I go back home, I think I know where we might find some answers."

"I don't want you to leave," I say anxiously, gripping his fingers. "But can you even leave once term starts?"

"They can try to stop me," he says with that slow smile that does things to my insides that thrill me.

"Fuck," I groan. "I don't want any of you to get into trouble."

"This is nothing," Corvus says. "We've done way worse, and something tells me that when Zeph returns, we will be up to our necks in it."

Staring at them, so willing to run into danger for me, I know I have to come all the way clean. "That crazy, ancient vampire woman is still in my head."

Corvus stares at me, eyes narrowed. "Oh?"

"Do you know anything else about her?" Zephyr asks.

"Not really. But she isn't going anywhere. We are connected somehow."

The guys exchange another worried glance at my revelation. Corvus's jaw tightens, his blue eyes flashing with concern.

"Connected how?" he asks, his voice low and controlled.

I shake my head, frustrated. "I don't know. She's just there. In my head. Commenting on things, being generally annoying."

"Can she control you?" Zaiah asks, his white eyes searching mine.

"No," I say firmly. "At least, I don't think so. She's more like an unwanted spectator."

"Fuck," Ignatius mutters, running a hand through his flaming hair. "This is bad."

"No shit," I snap, then immediately regret it. "Sorry."

Zephyr moves closer, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "It's okay, Adelaide. We'll figure this out."

I lean into his touch, grateful for the support. "What if she's dangerous? What if she tries to hurt you guys through me?"

"Oh, Dollie. You have so much to learn about who we really are under these friendly exteriors," Corvus snickers.

I snort. "Friendly? Okay, I actually think you might be big badasses then."

"Damn straight we are," Ignatius says, clapping his hands and igniting a fire between his palms.

Zaiah nods in agreement. "Zephyr, how soon can you leave for home?"

Zephyr's purple eyes darken as he considers. "I can go tonight. The sooner we have information, the better."

"Are you sure you will be okay?" I ask.

"I will be fine. We need answers about your situation, and that takes precedence over everything."

I nod, trying to push down the anxiety bubbling up inside me. "Okay. Be careful."

Zephyr leans in, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. "I will be."

As he pulls away, I sense anxiety coming from him, but I'm not altogether sure why.

"Right then," Corvus says. "While Zephyr's off playing spy, we need to figure out how to keep Addy safe and under control."

I bristle at his words. "I don't need to be kept under control."

Corvus raises an eyebrow. "Really? Because that little bloodlust episode earlier says otherwise."

Heat rises to my cheeks as I remember my frenzied attack on Zephyr. "That was different. I was weak, and?—"

"And now you're stronger," Ignatius interrupts. "Which means your hunger is stronger, too."

I open my mouth to argue, but Zaiah cuts me off with a gentle hand on my arm. "They're right, Addy. We need to help you learn to control your new abilities."

I slump back against the headboard, defeated. "Fine. Where's that blood Blackthorn said he would give me?"

"I'll go and find out," Corvus says and gets up and leaves.

"You do that, and I'm going to go now," Zephyr says. "The sooner I leave, the sooner I can get back."

"What will you tell your family about why you are there?" I ask, worried about him.

"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.