𝙒𝙝𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙤 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨?
Newly graduated accountant Cordelia Ashling has come to terms with the fact that her life is destined to be absolutely uneventful. That is until her parents gift her wi...
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I crack the curtains to the window of my room and squint my eyes against the harsh rays of the sun. Although the island is enchanted to block out most of the harmful light, it still irritates my skin in a way that I imagine a rash would be uncomfortable for a human. My exposed chest itches with the warmth of day.
I have a perfect view of the shoreline from up here. Everyone has congregated on the sand, laughing and playing, but only one holds my attention.
Cordelia has no idea that she is frolicking with monsters. Her naiveté is charming but infuriating at the same time. She has no regard for her safety, even after her experience last night. I played off her fears as irrational, but they were very justified. She is a liability amongst our kind. I have no doubt that someone meant harm to her, and she shouldn't let her guard down with any one of us.
I snap the curtains closed and say aloud, "She isn't your concern, Elias."
Falling back on the king-sized mattress that is mine for the summer, I scratch my chest. The hardest thing about being a creature of the night is missing out on all the simple things that happen during the day. Nights are purposeful and complex, but the day is littered with normalcy. I don't even remember what it is like not to be confined by my skin or to do menial tasks. I miss the light.
There's another thing I miss too. Something I haven't even thought twice about in years until meeting a certain silver-haired human last night. I've been content with being on my own since the woman I thought could possibly end up being my forever decided she wanted that future with someone else.
But Cordelia Ashling stirs something inside of me.
And that is exactly why I cannot allow myself to get any closer.
I cannot—
One rapt knock interrupts my thoughts and before I can even rise from my position on the bed, Lorelai comes bursting through the door.
"Good god, do you ever knock?" I grumble, sitting up and pushing my hair back into place from where I'd been running my fingers through it.
My best friend scoffs. "Knock? Please. I think that ship sailed a long time ago." She sweeps across the room and plops down on the bed next to me. "Aw, shit." Her tone shifts from sarcastic to sincere in a millisecond as her gaze runs over the red marks on my chest. "The rash. It's already happening?"
I nod and get to my feet, pulling my black t-shirt over my head. I don't like anyone seeing my physical vulnerabilities. It plays against all the rumors vampires have created about themselves. We are believed to be one of the strongest creatures in this realm and the next. I don't like dropping that façade and leaving myself exposed. Even with my best friend.
"Yep," I say, pacing the room. "We knew that would potentially be an issue, coming to an island below the equator."
Her shoulders sag and the guilty expression I know so well crosses her face, her cheeks reddening. "Fuck, E. I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I shouldn't—"
