A lump formed in my throat as I looked between them. The blood on my dress, the cruelty of my captivity—it all felt a little lighter. My fingers moved to my diamond necklace. I sure as hell didn’t know the specifics of how the fucking thing worked, but if The Shadow could tell I had visitors, we were all in a shitload of trouble.
Without a word, I climbed onto the bed beside Celeste. She pulled the blanket over us, her presence warm and steady against my side.
“Sweet dreams, huh?” she muttered, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
I closed my eyes, my exhaustion overwhelming me. “I think I’m past those.”
But for the first time in days, I felt safe.
12
THE SHADOW
The light of the Manhattan skyline filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of my New York City penthouse, casting a faint glow over the sleek, dark interior. This was where I came to get away from the demands of The Below, to clear my head without the ever-looming presence of my father.
The silence of the space, usually a balm to the chaos of my life, was suffocating this morning. I stared up at the ceiling, the expensive sheets tangled around me, one arm draped over my forehead.
I hadn’t slept. Not really. The brief moments I managed to drift off were consumed by thoughts of her. Vivian. Her name alone was enough to fill my chest with an unfamiliar pressure I didn’t care to examine too closely.
I cursed the erection I got just from the memory of her body pressed against mine in the library, her defiance like a spark setting fire to dry kindling. She had looked at me with those stormy eyes, unyielding even as she trembled. That infuriating combination of fear and boldness...
What the fuck was wrong with me?
Women had never been my weakness. They’d tried to be, of course. Throwing themselves at me, hoping to entangle me in their petty schemes or satisfy their delusions of taming the untamable. None of them did it for me. None of them could touch the parts of me I’d locked away so tightly that even I couldn’t fully access them. They were distractions at best. Irritations at worst.
But Vivian? She was different. Disobedient. Reckless. Always pushing the boundaries of what I expected. And yet…
Yesterday, I’d wanted to fuck her against those bookshelves. Not out of lust—at least not entirely—but to show her who was in charge. To remind her that defiance had consequences. Instead, I’d retreated like some green boy who couldn’t handle the mere sight of a woman.
Pathetic.
A sharp ding pulled me from my thoughts. I reached for my phone on the nightstand, the screen illuminating Eldora’s name. The message was brief, but it was enough to send a wave of anger surging through me.
Eldora:Vivian has visitors in her room.
Visitors? Inmyhouse? My estate? Where no one came or went without my express permission?
I clenched my jaw so hard it ached. Throwing off the sheets, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and grabbed the nearest clothes—a black shirt and gray sweatpants. Functional. Comfortable. I didn’t have time for anything more. I pulled the shirt over my head, my movements sharp and purposeful as my thoughts churned.
She was pushing me again, testing the limits. And someone, someone stupid enough to think they could get away with it, had helped her.
I strode to the elevator, pressing the button for the private garage. My penthouse, my sanctuary, was supposed to be whereI escaped the pressures of my life. My “role” as The Shadow, the expectations, the responsibilities—all of it faded here. In this place, I could be justme. Not the monster. Not the heir. Not the illusion.
But even here, she still haunted me.
Anger coiled tightly in my chest, like a vise threatening to crush my ribs with every breath.
My footsteps echoed sharply against the concrete of the private garage, the sound bouncing off the walls like a physical manifestation of my mood. Sliding into the driver’s seat of my car, I fired up the engine. The low growl of the machine vibrated under me, but even its hum couldn’t drown out the storm of thoughts crashing in my head.
The streets blurred past as I navigated to the tear in the Veil in a nondescript garage hidden in the city’s labyrinthine layout. No one else knew about this tear. It was a secret I guarded fiercely. Its obscurity ensured my comings and goings would remain unnoticed. I parked the car and stepped out into the cold night air. The Veil shimmered faintly as I approached, its edges warping reality just enough to feel disorienting. I passed through, the energy around me thickening briefly before giving way to the familiar grounds of my estate.
My estate stretched before me in the early dawn light. It should have calmed me, this reminder of my dominion, but each step across the grounds only sharpened my anger. Shadows clung to the edges of the path, restless and alive, feeding on the intensity radiating from me. I had no time for reflection. Not tonight.
As I neared the main house, I pulled out my phone and quickly fired off a text to Jareth to meet me at the estate.
I clenched my jaw as I put my phone back into my pocket. Jareth would come quickly as always. He thrived on chaos—the messier the better—but his loyalty was reliable even if hishumor grated on my last nerve. I could trust him to handle the unexpected, which was a necessary counterbalance to the rigidity of Luca’s approach.
When I reached Vivian’s room, I pushed the door open without knocking, the cool brass handle grounding me just enough to keep me from immediately snapping. But the scene inside ripped through the last threads of my restraint. Celeste and Vivian were curled up in bed together, fast asleep, while Luca lounged in a chair, his head tilted back as if he had every right to be here.
