Page 14

I wake to the feeling of someone watching me. Opening my eyes I find Cyrus doing just that.

“Did you even sleep?” I ask, a little startled to find him staring right at me. There’s no suspicion in his eyes, no distrust or hard edge. Just a soft curiosity that examines every inch of my face.

“I did,” he says with a slow smile that builds, leaving me a little dazed. “How did you sleep?”

“I don’t think I dreamt at all.” I try to think of any dream I might have had after we went to sleep, but there’s nothing. I also feel much more relaxed, similar to when Knox stayed.

“Good, I made sure of it,” he says, and my brows rise.

“You can do that?” I ask, and he nods.

“What else can you do? Or is that something super-secret I’m not allowed to know?” I roll my eyes, and he laughs.

“It’s not a secret. Everyone knows our abilities. It’s one of the reasons they give us more leeway than most.”

“What makes you four so different to the rest of the Shadows?” I ask, remembering Robin telling me a little bit about the different types, but I still don’t understand why they fear them so much.

He reaches out and brushes his fingertip along my cheek, his eyes darkening when I shiver at his soft touch.

“Shadows are divided into four sectors based on their powers and weapons. Sentinels are blue. They’re the foot soldiers.

Our watchers. They can form chakrams as their weapon.

When thrown, it acts similar to echolocation, revealing whatever they’re watching out for.

” His finger starts exploring my face, his eyes following it.

I try to focus on his words and not how his touch is making me feel.

“Seekers are white. They’re our archers. They can form arrows that seek out their target, and their shadow abilities ensure they don’t miss.” His finger slides down the curve of my neck, and I start focusing on his touch more than listening to his explanation.

“Shields are purple.” His eyes flicker to mine, and I spot the hungry look in them.

A hungry look that must also mirror on mine.

“It may come as no surprise that their weapons are shields. But they can also infuse them with their shadow abilities to make them more powerful.” His fingertip slides back up my neck and chin to my bottom lip.

“And finally Elite. They’re black,” he smirks as if he has some inner joke about that little fact. “Their weapons are daggers, swords, and any close combat weapon. Our shadow abilities are more powerful. More destructive. More malleable.” He drags his hand away but still stares at my lips.

“Even though we’re Elite, we’re not the same as them.” His eyes flicker to mine. “Our abilities are stronger. And on top of that, we also have our own individual abilities. Only one percent of all Shadows have a separate ability.”

I raise a brow giving him a smirk. “So, you’re all super special? No wonder you’re all so cocky.”

He chuckles low, giving me an amused look.

“What’s it like? Your abilities?” I ask, wondering what it would be like to have such a power. No matter what they think, I’m human. Well… mostly. If we don’t count that random burst of light that happened. It probably has more to do with them and their bond than me.

“Would you like me to show you?” His eyes darken with heat, and in an instant, he’s hovering over me with an arm on each side of my body, caging me in.

“What are you doing?” I ask, and he smiles.

“Showing you one of my many talents,” he whispers just as black shadowy tendrils slide from his skin and wrap around my arms and legs before curling up and around my body.

“Cyrus…” I breathe as a feather-like touch brushes against every inch of me, making my body come alive.

“Yes, mate ,” he says, his voice low and husky, sliding down my back like silk.

Although the black tendrils feel light and airy, no amount of force helps me escape their hold. I glance at him but still when I find his eyes completely black.

“Sena…” he breathes before leaning down and brushing his lips against mine, running his tongue over the seam before swallowing my gasp with a heady groan. I try to move; to drag him closer to me but his dark shadows don’t budge an inch.

He continues to tease and torment me with every stroke and caress of his lips until I melt into a puddle of heat beneath him.

But he draws back all too soon and presses his forehead to mine. “I’ve decided that I’m no longer going to fight this,” he breathes, his breaths ragged. He moves back, and his eyes slowly clear, revealing his normal indigo blue. But the heat in them is unmissable.

“From here on out you’re mine ,” he growls, and I feel the husky rasp of his voice right down my spine. “I’m on your side as much as I am theirs.”

My eyes drop to his lips, wanting to feel them again, to feel every part of him. But I shake the thought away to focus on his little vow.

“So, no more joining up and tricking me?”

My heart pounds as he dips down and nips my lip before licking the spot with a mischievous smirk. “No more games. At least not from me.” His shadowed tendrils slide down my body, making me shiver.

“What if the others act like dicks?” I ask while the possibility of him and me opens up in my mind. Even if it is just for now.

He chuckles and moves back to beside me, taking his shadows with him. “We can team up against them, and then I’ll come to your room and make sure your frustrations are thoroughly seen to.”

I turn on my side to look at him and narrow my eyes at his little promise. But pause when I realize that none of them actually believe me. They still think I’m her. The other Sena.

“I’m not lying when I say I didn’t know you before waking up here,” I tell him honestly and his eyes soften.

“I know that now,” he says.

I raise a brow. A little shocked that he so easily believes me now. “And all it took was you sleeping next to me to figure it out?”

He smiles and shakes his head. “I’ve been watching you for a while now.” He runs a finger down my cheek again, almost like he can’t help but touch me, his eyes following it. “You’re different from how you used to be.” His gaze finds mine, searching for something. “It’s like you’re another person.”

I clear my throat, hiding my shock while trying to quickly change the subject. “What was I like… before?”

“Stubborn,” he says immediately. “To the point of being reckless. Selfish and extremely impatient.”

A dry chuckle slips past my lips. “I’m sorry I asked now.”

“Deceptive,” he continues, and I pause to look at him. “But this version seems to wear her heart on her sleeve. She has kindness, pain, and sadness in her eyes. But I enjoy watching every emotion cross her face.”

“Even when I’m pissed off and angry?”

He gives me an easy smile. “ Especially then.” Leaning over, he places a kiss to my head. “It’s time to wake up,” he whispers before pulling back.

I frown at him and then jolt, and I blink awake.

My eyes find his and the slow teasing smile on his lips.

Wait… “That was a dream?” I ask, glancing around the room as I try to figure out if this too is a dream before my eyes find his once more. “But it felt so real.”

I can still feel his feathery shadows that held my wrists and ankles. Still feel them as they brushed across my body.

I sit up, and he follows before moving in front of me and grasping my chin and tilting it up to him.

He drops a kiss to my lips. “Don’t worry. We can play as much as you like,” he promises with a hungry look in his eyes before getting up and heading out.

Shaking off my shocked and fizzled brain, I take a quick shower, more to cool my overheated body down than anything else before throwing on some clothes and heading downstairs.

As soon as I hit the bottom step, I spot Knox and his savage smirk and instantly want to turn back around.

“There she is. Our true mate,” he says with a chuckle, but there’s not an ounce of humor in it. “Whatever type of fates exist must fucking hate us to match us with you.”

I raise a brow and walk over to the lounge, quickly spotting Theon and Malakai on the sofa eating. “I’m not exactly over the moon about it either.”

Knox scoffs at me and opens his mouth to reply when Cyrus walks down the stairs, heads straight for me, and places a kiss on my head before heading to the coffee machine.

Knox does a double take. “What the fuck, Cyrus?”

He turns to him and shrugs. “She’s my mate. There’s no question about it now. You all saw our markings. I’m not wasting my time playing anymore games. She’s changed; we all can see that.”

His eyes widen as he points to me. “She sicced the Vims on us!”

“You left me in a pit of mud in the lashing rain. You fucking deserved it.” I move past him and head for the door. I need something to eat, and the smell of fresh coffee is only making it worse.

“Where are you going?” Knox calls out.

“Out,” I tell him, choosing to be the bitch he thinks I am.

“Sena,” Cyrus calls out making me pause.

I turn to look at him.

“Don’t block us all out. Check in every now and again. Please ,” he says, and I see the soft, hopeful look in his eyes.

I swallow hard against the knot in my throat and nod before heading out, all while frowning at myself and my bad choices as I walk through the forest.

One kiss and a promise to be on my side and I’m already giving in.

I need to not be so na?ve. It’s gotten me into far too much trouble before.

Glancing back, I make sure none of them is following me and that all of my blocks are in place, before heading straight to my little hidden spot.

Grabbing some food from the container that’s now kept stocked with food from the canteen, I wolf it down with some water before making my way to the library.

I couldn’t research much about Variants until I learned how to fully block them out. I can’t risk them finding out what happened. Not if it’s going to get me killed.

Heading into the library, I start looking for any books on dark energy and beings. It takes me a while, but I eventually find an entire section on it.