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Iheave the massive bag of books up from the floor where they’ve been dragging along behind me since leaving the dining hall. The crack of the leatherbound books hitting the wooden desk echoes throughout my dorm room—my sigh of relief following mere seconds later.
I search through it halfheartedly, almost sure that Kyros hid rocks in there with how heavy it is. Pulling the books out, I stack them on the desk, examining them one by one. Thankfully, dinner passed uneventfully, with no new gods startling me, kidnapping me, or throwing daggers across the room.
My heart sinks for a moment at that thought. I refuse to let myself dwell on that feeling, pushing it aside as I pull out theGods and Their Powersbook. I scowl at it, recalling what was written about Adrian. Nope, I definitely shouldn’t be upset that his stupid sexy ass didn’t come to interrupt my delightful dinner.
My hand pauses as I reach for the next book, the cover unfamiliar. The thick book is bound in aged black leather. The cover readingDescent of the Darkis emblazoned in a gilded silver script. Below it sits a gleaming silver dagger, the edge catching off the light when I tilt my head. The drawing flashes like the edge of an actual blade. Its hilt is decorated in rubies, made to sparkle with the light’s movement. Green snakes wrap around the handle, careful not to touch the dagger’s edge.
My hand hovers mere inches from the cover, a deep dread twisting my gut with its presence. Yet, something deep inside me calls to it. Recognizing the dark text as though it is part of me.
My fingers curl around the spine. The indecision wraps around me like a vise, seeming as though I’m closing the space in slow motion, hours passing by rather than mere seconds. Sweat beads on my brow as my hand draws closer. My senses warring with one another. Part of me screams to be rid of the vile text, the other, longs to welcome it like an old friend.
My fingers press against the smooth, supple leather, the connection soothing part of me. Lifting it into my palm, I grip the spine, my other hand running over the cover. The pads of my fingers slide over the foil dagger on the front, as though drawn there by some unnatural force.
The moment my index finger slides over the foil edge, a sting of pain emanates from the tip. I jerk my hand away, seeing the small bead of blood pooling on my fingertip. My eyes flash to the book, a tiny smear of blood on the silver edge of the dagger. My gaze stays trained on the spot, watching as the book absorbs the blood, fading without a trace.
Blinking, I attempt to comprehend what just happened. My thumb rubs across it, smearing the drop of blood on my finger and confirming I haven’t just imagined the entire situation.
I jump back as a cloud of black smoke emanates from the leather cover hanging thick in the air. The smoke expands, cocooning around me before tightening into a thick band coiling on the floor like a snake. I stand frozen in fear before the smoke unfurls itself, slowly inching closer to me.
Slithering along the carpet, it wraps around my ankles, holding me in place before I have a chance to react. My knees knock together and it curls further up my body. My breaths come rapidly, catching in my throat while I watch the smoke ascend. Unable to do anything to stop it.
It caresses my skin gently as it winds up my legs, as though attempting to put me at ease. Energy ripples through me and the smoke winds around my waist. It pulls around my chest, restricting the rapid rising and falling of my breaths. The smoke stops suddenly, constricting around my body before sinking in.
The dangerous and intoxicating power pulses through my veins. The energy flows through my body, converging to my center in a rush. I clutch my chest, inhaling sharply as the power swirls around my center like a tornado—the energy growing in intensity before finally bursting back out of my skin. It sticks around me in a fog before slowly dissipating into the air around me.
The force of the power leaving my body knocks me onto my knees. My hands brace me on the floor and I stay there for a moment, pulling in long, deep breaths. Attempting to fill my desperate lungs with the air they were deprived of. The rapid beating of my heart slowly calms with each even, measured breath.
I pull myself from the floor. Eyes darting around, searching for any trace of the black smoke. The room stands completely clear. As though nothing out of the ordinary occurred. The smoke now absent from the room. I kick the book under my desk, careful to only allow my shoes to touch it this time.
Backing away from my desk, I collapse back onto my bed, exhaling a sigh of relief. I lean back into the soft pillow and cover my eyes, hoping to push away the feeling of both fear and strength, the power the black smoke wrapping around my center brought.
Panic grips my chest. I was so relieved to have the book out of my sight, I hadn’t thought of actually getting rid of it. There’s absolutely no way I’ll be able to sleep tonight, knowing that black smoke could come back at any time. Suffocating me in my sleep.
I gingerly slide out of my bed and creep back over to the desk, crouching low in case it’s able to magically move. Gritting my teeth, I take a deep breath, gathering my strength and peek with one eye under the desk. The area is now void of anything. I place my hands on my hips and stare down at the space where I had just swiped the book to. My lips lower into a frown, and I cock my head in confusion and scan the small area, convinced it must be some sort of an illusion. A book can’t just up and walk away.
Lowering onto my hands, I balance on my knees, still wary of getting too close to the area. My hands frantically move over the rough carpet, throwing caution to the wind. I sit back on my heels, brows creasing, eyes glued on the spot where the book should be. My hands shake in trepidation and dread causes a sinking pit to form in my stomach.
Shooting to my feet, I rush to my bag, pulling out my phone and searching through my contacts, desperate for some help with this bizarre turn of events. I stare at my phone, finger hovering over Adrian’s contact. Hesitancy freezes me, I squeeze my eyes shut, hands clenching the phone.
Letting my phone drop down onto my bed, I loose a sigh, attempting to release the tension built up in my chest. I’ve only known the man for two days. Sure we made out, but that doesn’t mean I trust him—head and my heart war with indecision. My head wins the battle, firmly putting on the roadblocks.
If the book was a bad omen, would I really be able to trust him? Or would he turn me in if I confided in him? If I admit the thick black power strengthened me as much as it repulsed me. Yeah, no. Sinister black books that absorb your blood, emit black smoke, and then disappear? Yeah, that definitely seems suspicious.
I’m pulled out of the inner turmoil of my thoughts by a thunderous knock at the door. Jumping at the sound in shock, my spine goes ramrod straight. I debate ignoring it, biting my lip in indecision.
“Liv?” The knock sounds again, Adrian’s voice accompanying it this time. My shoulders instantly slump with relief, lips parting to exhale the breath I was holding. My feet move of their own accord, closing the distance to the door in record time. I send out a silent thought, hoping I’m not being tricked somehow.
I unlock the door slowly, and cautiously swing it open. Adrian stands on the other side, brow quirked up in question, as I peer over at him, half-hidden by the door. As my eyes meet his, my body relaxes once more, and I open the door fully for him to enter.
“Is everything alright?” he asks, his voice hard, wasting no time marching into the room. His eyes scan every surface while wrapping a hand around me and directing me behind him. Shielding me from the perceived threat.
“Uh … what are you doing?” My voice takes on a sarcastic tone. As I hoped, he immediately relaxes, moving to the side and brushing off my initial reaction. He clears his throat, and turns to sheepishly meet my eyes.
“You looked like something scared the shit out of you.” His eyes still warily scan the room as though convinced something will pop out at us. Honestly, I’m not altogether sure that something won’t with how tonight’s going.
“Well, now that you’re done acting like a caveman. What are you doing here?” I add indifferently, hoping he can’t see through it. Truthfully, I’m relieved that he is here, yet I nervously glance around, hoping that the mysterious book doesn’t choose now to reappear.
“I thought you liked it when I took control,” he drawls, stepping closer to me. His lips quirk up in a dangerous smirk, thick fingers running through his sun-kissed brown locks, pushing it back from his face. “I knew you’d look great in that uniform.” His crystal blue eyes rove over me lasciviously while pointing out his thoughtful gesture.
