Epilogue

SHADOW CROWN

Two Years Later

My latest novel sits on the desk before me, its black cover gleaming in the candlelight. "Queen of Shadows" by Elena Monroe – my first traditionally published book since the transformation, and my most successful yet. The reviews call it "revolutionary," "darkly seductive," and "a complete reinvention of vampire fiction."

If they only knew.

I trace the embossed cover with a smile, remembering Sarah's reaction to the manuscript. My editor didn't question why I now only work nights, or why our meetings are strictly virtual. She's just thrilled with my "new direction" and the unprecedented sales numbers .

"Enjoying the reviews, my queen?" Torrin materializes from the shadows of our library, his presence making the ancient books pulse with energy. His amusement at the humans' reaction to what they think is mere fiction makes me chuckle. It’s all he talks about every time he gets online to read the reviews. I don’t read most of them these days because I never know what I’ll come across, but Torrin is able to sort through them and provide me with feedback I can use to strengthen my craft.

"They're calling it 'pure fantasy,'" I say, showing him the most recent review I was tagged in. "Apparently, the idea of vampires who can merge with shadows and command darkness itself is 'too far-fetched.' One reader said the connection between the main characters was 'unrealistically intense.'"

His laugh is velvety as he pulls me from my chair, spinning around and onto his lap so that I’m straddling him. "If they only knew how much you held back. How much of our true power you had to obscure to make it believable at all."

He's right. The past two years have shown us that we are far more capable than we could have ever imagined possible. Our blood bond has grown stronger with each passing moon, until we can sense each other across any distance, share thoughts and power with a mere touch, move through shadow as one being .

"Remember when we thought shadow-walking was impressive?" I muse, letting him cup my ass and grip it tightly, rocking me slowly over his growing erection. "Now it seems so... basic."

Through our strengthened bond, we share the memory of our first major discovery – the night we learned we could not just travel through shadows, but become them completely. Merge our essences with darkness itself, existing as pure power. That was also the night we found out that we could share consciousness, experiencing everything through each other's senses.

"You've grown so powerful," Torrin murmurs against my hair. "Sometimes I watch you hunting and can hardly believe what you've become."

I smile, remembering last night's hunt. We don't need to feed often – our combined power means a single feeding can sustain us both for weeks – but we hunt for pleasure now. For the thrill of being or natural, primal selves and the way we move together in perfect harmony.

"Show me," I whisper, pulling back to meet his arctic eyes. "Show me how you see me."

He grins softly as he opens his mind fully to mine. Through his eyes, I see myself as I truly am – beautiful and glowing. My skin gleams like moonlight, my eyes shift between brown and pure black depending on how close my power is to the surface, and living shadows wrap around me like devoted pets.

But it's more than just physical appearance. I feel his awe at how completely I've embraced this life. How naturally I took to the power, how perfectly we complement each other in every way.

"Your turn," he growls softly. "Show me how you see us ."

I open my mind in return, letting him feel everything – my endless fascination with him and everything that he is, my joy in every moment we spend together, my satisfaction in how we've grown together.

"We've come so far," I murmur, pulling him closer and letting his bulge press into me.

We spend several minutes exchanging memories of those early days – his careful pursuit of me, my awakening to power, our first blood exchange. Everything leading to my transformation and submission to the darkness in the ancient chapel.

"Look at us now," I say, letting shadows wrap around us like a comfort blanket.

"Show me the new skill you’ve been working on," he says, sitting back to give me room. "The one you were practicing last night. "

Smiling, I hop off of him, standing as I reach for that well of power inside me. Shadows gather around me, but instead of just moving through them, I begin to transform them. Shaping them and giving them purpose and form.

The darkness solidifies into wings – massive, beautiful, and deadly. They spread from my shoulders, each feather carved from pure shadow. Torrin’s gaze is awed as he watches me manifest this new power. Two years in, and I’m at the point of being able to manifest just about anything I want.

"Stunning," he breathes, reaching out to feel one wing with the tips of his fingers. The shadow feathers shiver under his touch, recognizing the power he holds within it. "And you can fly with these?"

"Better than flying." I wrap the wings around us both, pulling him into me with an inhuman strength."I can carry us both through the highest darkness, and we can dance amongst the stars."

His eyes blaze with supernatural light, and then he grabs hold of me, wrapping both of his arms around my body. "Show me."

One beat of my shadow wings, and we're airborne – soaring up through the library's vaulted ceiling as our forms become partially shadow to allow us through. The night sky welcomes us, the full moon blessing our flight with silver rays of light.

Higher and higher we soar, the world below shrinking. We share every sensation – the cool kiss of wind, the thrill of defying gravity, the trust he has in me to take us far above the ground.

At the peak of our flight, hovering between earth and stars, Torrin pulls me into a kiss. My wings wrap around us like a cocoon, feeding more energy into our craving for each other.

"Look at what we've become," he murmurs against my lips. "So far beyond ordinary vampires. Beyond anything I've seen in all my centuries."

He's right. Regular vampires can't do what we do – can't merge with shadow itself, can't share consciousness, can't manifest wings of living darkness.

"Show me more," he growls, eyes glowing with hunger. "Show me everything you've learned to do."

Smiling, I let my wings dissolve back into pure shadow. We hover in the air, supported by darkness itself, as I demonstrate how much I've learned. Shadows gather and take form, and the darkness between stars reaches for us. Reality itself seems to bend where our combined power touches it. We’re hovering in place, held by the strength of the stars.

"Your turn," I say when my shadow creatures dissipate and my wings return to hold us. "Show me something new."

His smile widens as he pulls me closer. The air around us grows heavy as he reaches for that place where our essences merge completely. I can feel him gathering a large amount of energy.

The darkness responds to his call, but differently than it does to mine. Where my power shapes shadow into solid forms, his energy seems to tear holes in reality itself. The night around us shivers as he opens a portal to... somewhere else. Somewhere older than time, where darkness was born.

"What is this place?" I whisper as we hover at the threshold between worlds.

"The source," he says, holding me close as we peer into ancient night. "Where all shadow comes from. Where our kind first emerged, centuries ago." His smile turns wicked. "Want to explore it together?"

Instead of answering, I kiss him again – a hungry, needy kiss that tells him how much I adore him. My kiss is all the confirmation he needs.

Hand in hand, we step through his portal into primal darkness. Into the source of it all.