Daughter of the Shadows

idn't dream

rea

of black roses burned around her, their petals crackling into ash. In t

the world befor

ached f

woke g

g ancient stirred beneath the floors. Her skin tingled with static. Her magi

neede

ke stars caught mid-scream. The sky above Umbraeth was restless again. Storm clouds cur

her eyes a

nced across her palm - not red, but si

y... until a shado

'd come here

urse h

didn't want him - and w

fire still dancing in her

guardi

s a diff

Especially when you walk into sacred grou

n't bor

oftly. "That's what

tween them thickened, like the very air didn't k

the quiet. "You

di

fought b

ught f

ame for me?" she ask

ghter - like stars dyin

eople who don't know

me. Help me

dy, or her beauty, but something benea

e nodde

stand this - I wi

asking f

clashed agai

er. F

, Seraphina di

ts smooth, fluid. She struck with fury and grace, her sil

l precision, sweat glisteni

g stronger," he

ound so s

. I'm...

him hard in the chest. He s

he l

d that sent shive

on," he said.

tending to be

again, but this ti

ragged. Sparks flying between their

at her lips. S

her d

air around them - a magnet

d t

teppe

ntact. Jus

na's che

afraid,"

an eyebrow.

appen if you let

aw tig

r me, Seraphina? Or would you run the mo

idn't

she did

Kael had given her earlier. Its blade gleamed with etch

owly and dragged

und blo

n bl

- in less t

bli

her flickered st

of the window. Silver eyes. Pale skin fl

ok like the gi

like somet

hing b

to the court

lready ther

ime, no

move

y da

locked, breath syncopat

ended, it wasn't Ka

the distance between them. The bla

, touched his t

like no one had touched him

I already belong to

ou do," Kae

n he kis

ntle. N

shadow and thun

tangled in her hair. The kiss deepened - a c

reached the edge o

bro

athl

how much she

ched hers. "This

dded. "

n, s

I don'

-

conti