Shadows Entwined (Shadows Descent #3)

42. Violet

42

VIOLET

“What now?” I groan as I pull away from Thorne and stamp over to the door in a huff. I yank it open and immediately grin at the beautiful face in front of me.

“I’m back!” Gaida exclaims, striking a pose and then thrusting a ginormous magnum at me. “Blood Champagne, the best there is, courtesy of my dad. He is really glad you stopped all those crazy goings-on.”

“Thanks!” I say, taking it with a grin and thrusting it at Flint, closest to me. “Crack that open, would you? I’m famished.”

Gaida giggles as I let her in, and she gives me a big hug. With her long legs and sky-high heels, she is taller than me, so I rise on my tiptoes to hug her back properly.

“It’s good to see you. I missed you.”

“Same,” she says. “I can’t believe Blackthorn made Dad take me home. Ugh! How embarrassing!”

Gaida’s eyes widen as she takes in the dishevelled state of the bed. “Ooh, did I interrupt something fun?” she teases, waggling her eyebrows.

I laugh, shaking my head. “We were just about to get breakfast.”

Flint pops the cork on the Blood Champagne with a loud bang, making us all jump. “Breakfast of champions,” he grins, handing me the bottle back.

I place it to my lips and tip it back, sighing as the rich, slightly fizzy blood slides down my throat. “This is amazing. Tell your dad thanks.”

Gaida beams. “So, fill me in on everything I’ve missed! I want all the juicy details.”

“Do you have a year?” Caine drawls.

“As a matter of fact, I do,” Gaida says with a smirk. “Fancy that.”

I laugh and pass the bottle to Thorne. “Well, let’s start with breakfast, and we can catch you up on everything.”

We all head down to the dining hall, Gaida chattering excitedly the whole way. As we enter, I’m struck by how normal everything seems. Students milling about, grabbing food, laughing with friends. It’s as if the chaos of the last few days never happened.

We load up our plates—a rare steak for me, as promised, plus cups of blood. Gaida just takes the blood, but I can see her eyeing up my steak. We find a quiet corner to sit in. As we eat, we take turns filling Gaida in on everything she’s missed. Her eyes grow wider with each revelation.

“Holy shit,” she breathes when we finish. “That’s a lot. Are you okay, Violet?”

I nod, swallowing a bite of steak. “I think so. It’s been wild, but I’ve got these guys.” I smile at my boys, feeling a rush of affection.

“And now you’ve got me back, too,” Gaida says, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand. “Whatever you need, I’m here.”

“Thanks,” I say softly. “So, tell us about your time away. How was it being home?”

Gaida launches into a dramatic retelling of her family drama, complete with wild hand gestures. I lean back in my chair, sipping my blood and letting her animated voice wash over me. For the first time in ages, I feel like a normal university student again.

“Tell me, what’s the plan now?” Gaida asks. “Are we just going back to classes and pretending this didn’t happen?”

“Pretty much,” I mutter and then add, “We’ve got a year before things change again.” I squeeze Caine’s hand under the table, and he returns the pressure reassuringly.

“A year to be as normal as we can be,” Flint adds, his voice light but his eyes serious.

Gaida looks between us, her brow furrowing slightly. “Normal? Is that even a thing at MistHallow?”

“Nope,” Flint says. “But we can try.”

I nod slowly. It’s all we’ve got. One day at a time.

“Speaking of which,” Caine says with a nod towards the door. “It looks like we are back to classes already.”

I glance over and see a few of the Professors informing the students to get back on their schedules, effective immediately. “Just another day at MistHallow.”

“We’d better go,” Thorne says, standing up and gathering up his plate.

“You okay?” I ask with a frown.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” he says, kissing the top of my head but sauntering off without another word.

I chew the inside of my lip and watch as he leaves the dining hall. Something’s off with him, but I can’t put my finger on what. I make a mental note to talk to him later.

“Come on,” Caine says, gently tugging my arm. “We don’t want to be late for class.”

I nod, forcing myself to focus on the present. I say goodbye to the guys as Gaida, and I head to our first lecture of the night: Advanced Blood Magick. As we walk, I can’t help but feel a strange mix of emotions. On one hand, it’s comforting to fall back into the routine of university life. On the other, it feels almost surreal after everything we’ve been through.

We enter the lecture hall, and I’m struck by how ordinary it all seems. It’s as if the past few months never happened, as if this power of the world isn’t coursing through me.

As we take our seats, the professor sweeps into the room. She clears her throat, and the chatter dies down.

“Welcome back, students,” she says, her voice crisp and clear. “I trust you’ve all had an eventful break. However, it’s time to refocus on your studies. We are behind now and have much to cover before the end of term.”

I exchange a glance with Gaida, suppressing a snort. Eventful doesn’t even begin to cover it. But we knuckle down and do the assignments she doles out to us, chatting amongst ourselves as I try to push Thorne’s evasiveness away along with something else that is bugging me. I think for a moment it’s Nathaniel’s death, but to be honest, I don’t really care. There was no doubt he would still cause trouble if he were still around, even if I severed the bond. It’s something else, but I don’t really know what.

I try to focus on the task at hand, but my thoughts keep drifting. The professor’s voice fades into background noise as I stare blankly at my notes, tapping my pen against the desk.

“Violet?” Gaida whispers, nudging me. “You okay?”

I blink, realising I’ve been lost in thought. “Yeah, sorry. Just distracted.”

She gives me a concerned look but doesn’t push it. We return to our work, but the feeling persists.

As the lecture drags on, I find myself fidgeting more and more. My skin feels too tight like it’s stretched over something that doesn’t quite fit. I rub at my arms, trying to ease the sensation. When my stomach lurches, I rise suddenly, knocking my chair over in my haste and quickly excuse myself as I run to the bathroom. I barely make it before all the blood and steak comes back up, and I groan as I throw up the entire contents of my stomach, plus the lining and probably parts of my stomach as well.

I flush and sink to the bathroom floor, sweating profusely as my magick sparks erratically at my fingertips.

“Everything okay?” Gaida asks, tapping lightly on the closed cubicle door.

“No.”

“I’ve never known vampires to get sick before,” she starts carefully. “Are you… are you pregnant?”

I sit up straighter, my eyes going wide. “What?” I snap. “Don’t be absurd. Vampires don’t get pregnant.”

She snorts. “Tell that to my mother.”

Horror strikes me as I remember she told me she was born from two vampires. I look down at my stomach and shake my head. Nah. It can’t be possible. Could it?

Suddenly, I’m pulled into my own head, and I stare into the wizened old eyes of Magdeline. “Hello, dear,” she says. “Glad to see you fixed everything.”

“Did I?” I croak.

“Of course you did. And soon, it is time to pass this on to the next generation. The new daughter of all magick.”

My sluggish heart beats a little too quickly. “Now?”

“Soon, dear. Who else would be able to conceive such a precious gift?”

I narrow my eyes at her. “Does that make you my ancestor?”

“I am your grandmother, child. Morgan was my daughter.”

“Oh.” I don’t know what else to say.

I blink, and suddenly, I’m back in the bathroom stall, my head spinning. Gaida’s voice filters through the door, filled with concern. “Violet? Are you okay? Do you need me to get someone?”

“No,” I manage to croak out. “I’m... I’m fine.” And actually, I am. Not pregnant yet, thankfully, but someday I will bear a daughter and pass on this role. I just hope that I did my job right yesterday and sealed the veils completely shut.

I guess time will tell.

“I think I’m just tired and getting used to these powers,” I add, getting to my feet and opening the cubicle door.

Gaida nods understandingly. “Well, if you need to know about vampire pregnancy, hit me up. I can ask my mum.”

Tears well up, and I fling my arms around her. “Thanks, Gaida. You are the best.”

“Are you sure you’re not preggo?” she says with a concerned look, pushing me away gently and guiding me to the basins.

I laugh shakily, rinsing my mouth out and splashing some cold water on my face. “No, I’m not pregnant. I’m just overwhelmed, I guess. It’s been a lot to process.”

Gaida nods, rubbing my back soothingly. “I can’t even imagine. You’re strong, you know that. I, uhm, heard about Nathaniel. Dad mentioned it. Is this because of that?”

“No,” I say firmly. “I had a bit of a dull ache, but it’s gone. He meant nothing to me.” But maybe she’s onto something there. It’s not that I miss him and need him, far fucking from it, but everyone kept telling me the vampire bond when broken is a difficult thing to overcome.

“I know, but I’m just checking. It’s a hard thing, I believe, to go through.”

“Thank you, but I’m fine.”

She nods and drops it, thankfully.

We head back to class, but I can’t shake the strange feeling that’s settled over me. Magdeline’s words echo in my mind. A daughter of all magick. The next generation. It’s too much to think about right now.

As we leave the lecture hall, I spot Thorne leaning against the wall, waiting for us. His face is a mask of cool indifference, but I can see the tension in his shoulders.

“Hey,” I say, approaching him. “Everything okay?”

He shrugs, not quite meeting my eyes. “Fine. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. They told me you ran out of the lecture.”

I frown, sensing there’s more he’s not saying. “I’m okay. Thorne, what’s really going on?”

He hesitates, then sighs. “Can we talk? Privately?”

I nod, my stomach clenching with anxiety. “Of course.”

We say goodbye to Gaida and find an empty classroom. Thorne stares at me for a long time. Eventually, he says, “I have to go back home.”

My heart plummets to my feet. “Why? For how long?”

“Long enough to break ties with them once and for all.”

“Break ties?”

“I need to sever my connections to the Dark Fae court. Completely. It’s the only way I can truly be free to live my own life, to be with you here.”

“Are you sure that’s what you want?”

He nods.

“Can’t you just stay here, and they’ll get the message?”

“Despite the fight I had with Dad the other day, no. In my heart, it’s not my home anymore, but I’m a Dark Fae noble in the Storm Court. I can’t just walk out without a formal declaration.”

“Storm Court?”

He nods. “There are several Dark Fae Kings in different Courts. My uncle is the king of the Storm Court.”

“I see. So, there are protocols?”

“Only to ensure that they get the message loud and clear.”

I nod slowly, trying to process this information. “How long will you be gone?”

“I will be as quick as I can, assuming they don’t detain me.”

“Detain as in…?”

“Imprison me.”

“Fuck.” My stomach twists at the thought of him being locked away in a place I can’t get to. “This sounds dangerous, Thorne.”

He narrows his eyes. “Have you heard about these new powers I’ve got?”

I giggle. “No, never.”

He laughs as well. “I will come back to you, Violet. You don’t have to worry about that.”

I step closer to him, taking his hands in mine. “I understand. I don’t like it, but I understand.”

Thorne pulls me into a tight embrace.

I bury my face in his chest, inhaling his familiar scent. “When do you leave?”

“Tomorrow morning,” he murmurs into my hair.

I pull back, looking up at him in surprise. “So soon?”

He nods grimly. “The sooner I go, the sooner I can return.”

I bite my lip, fighting back tears. “Okay. That makes sense.”

He brushes my tears away. “Don’t cry, Vi. This is a good thing.”

“I hope you’re right,” I murmur, brushing my lips over his. I fucking hope you’re right.