Hellfire - The Awakening (Complete)

Chapter Fourteen *

Once Cinder had left all I could think about was his kiss, it had been intoxicating and sensual and heartfelt, yet I feared it, because whether I liked it or not I was falling for Cinder big style and it scared me.

I stood up gingerly, my skin was damp with sweat and my clothes were stuck to me. It didn't take much imagination to guess how I must have looked. Sighing, I tucked my hair behind my ears and left the gym; I was in desperate need for a bath.

As I walked down the corridors I gazed at every painting and tapestry. I had started to familiarise myself with the manor and it no longer felt like a labyrinth waiting to swallow me whole.

When I reached my room I selected a shirt, jeans, underwear and boots from my wardrobe and ran myself a bath. Once inside the tub I scrubbed myself clean, replaying my kiss with Cinder over and over again.

When the water started to feel cold, I climbed out of the tub, towel dried and dressed. My hair was already starting to frizz and so I blow dried it and applied some make-up before checking the time, I still had half an hour to kill.

I picked up a journal and started to read but I was struggling to concentrate, frustrated I tossed the journal aside and picked up a young adult fiction novel. The main character was struggling to handle her relationships and I found myself feeling empathetic; finding yourself falling in love with one guy whilst another obsessed over you? I could relate to that.

I was so absorbed in reading that the next half an hour passed quickly. There were footsteps outside as other vampires set off to the dining hall. I moved the journal to a safe place and headed off myself.

When I arrived at the dining hall most of the vampires were already seated. I sat next to Cinder and he squeezed my hand under the table, Masquerade was chatting away animatedly to Ash.

The waiter arrived and I realised that Cinder had already ordered for me, thankfully I found that he'd gone with chicken wrapped in pastry, potatoes, peas and gravy, which was fine with me.

“Your birthday is in four days Ebony, thankfully because you're a winter baby we can do a double celebration for Christmas too,” started Evangeline.

I turned to her confused, “I was born on December the twenty ninth, it's only the fifteenth,” I replied.

Evangeline nodded, “We changed your birthday all of your new legal documents with your new identity has it on, we didn't want to alter your birthday too much, but it wouldn't be appropriate to use the same date as your human birthday,” she explained.

I nodded to show that I was listening, but inside my stomach was turning. I appreciated Evangeline's gesture but the change in dates was a painful reminder of everything that I had lost.

I had spent most of my birthdays with Sophie. My last birthday had been awful; she'd organised a huge party and then invited all of her friends. Not only was I sneered at all night, but the majority of people didn't even know it was my birthday, they'd just shown up for one of Sophie's infamous parties.

“We shall have the celebratory ball on Saturday, I shall order a dress for you and have it delivered to your room, you must think of what you would like as gifts,” continued Evangeline earnestly.

“Your kindness and hospitality is more than enough,” I said awkwardly.

“Nonsense, you are one of us, you simply must receive a gift!” She answered firmly.

I traced a finger down my glass of water embarrassed, “I'll have a think,” I lied.

She flashed me a warm smile appeased and continued her conversation with Salazar. Most of the waiters were collecting plates and several vampires flocked into another room.