Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal Romance)
Date Published: July 1, 2014
Publisher: Self
Curiosity killed the cat, and nineteen-year-old Adelaide was next. She could barely remember the moments during her childhood when she knew magic existed, but she never stopped searching for it since. On the flipside, monsters from the magical world never stopped searching for her either. Their paths finally cross in time for Adelaide to realize she should have stayed on the human side of the east coast. Unlike college, she can’t get out of trouble with a cute smile and a cuter wardrobe. These monsters are out for blood, her blood, but she’s in luck. They will spare her life in exchange for one favor, and that favor is named Leon Colton.
Adelaide screamed as she fell. Her hands flailed but she never caught the banister in time. She plummeted down the short flight of stairs and nailed the bottom step. Her vision flashed black and pain reverberated up her spine. She found her feet after a moment, but by the time she looked up, the basement door was shut.A halo of light outlined the doorframe and provided the only illumination in the dark basement.
A cold fear suddenly seized her in the next second. The shade was in here. Disorientation from the fall lingered but she still felt its presence. She heard the wheezing breath and smelt the bitter smoke that clung to its being. She could only see the hint of its figure in the dark, but refused to stay long enough to see more.
“Adelaide,” it cooed. The sound of its catlike voice made her misstep and stumble. She winced but forced herself to stay calmand find the stairs. The monstrous shade was tied and bound, she told herself. It could not get free.
Wood creaked. The wheezing grew louder. The smell of smoke thickened in the air.
She carefully hurried to the top of the staircase and reached the door. She raced her hand along the wood until she found the knob and twisted, but the lock wouldn’t give. Twisting with all of her might, her muscles burned before she let go. The door was still pressurized in its exact position and that barred her only escape route. Leon’s aura filled the halloutside and the pressure wouldn’t let up until he did.
“Adam!Adam!” she called. Adelaide beat on the door with her fists, ready to splinter the wood if necessary.
“Come down here, Adelaide. I’ve been waiting so long to talk to you,” it hissed.
She stopped her futile assault and her fists hovered in the air. The sound of its voice unnerved her and it refused to shut up.
“Why won’t you look at me? What are you afraid of seeing?” it asked.
Adelaide would have scoffed at the question if fear didn’t keep her so quiet. After a second of collecting her nerves, she turned to face it. Its figure was barely visible, but she saw it tug against its bindings. The wooden chair it was bound to creaked again.
“I am not afraid of you. You can’t hurt me,” she blurted upon finding her voice.
“That boy is not going to protect you…”
“You don’t know anything. Leave me alone,” she spit. It was just taunting her now, but it also affected her more than she’d like to admit. She turned and pressed her ear against the door. If Adam was on the other side, he stayed silent. Her skin crawled when she couldn’t hear anything at all from the hallway.
“You cannot even protect yourself,” the shade said.
“Then you’ve never met me.”
The door suddenly groaned. It shifted in its frame and she grabbed the knob again. She yanked the door open and the sweet fresh air of freedom beckoned her out of the dank basement. But then the shade called out to her again and this time it stopped her dead in her tracks.
“Regardless, you will come see me soon if you want to survive,” it said. “Because I know your secret.I know what you’re doing here.”
A cold fear suddenly seized her in the next second. The shade was in here. Disorientation from the fall lingered but she still felt its presence. She heard the wheezing breath and smelt the bitter smoke that clung to its being. She could only see the hint of its figure in the dark, but refused to stay long enough to see more.
“Adelaide,” it cooed. The sound of its catlike voice made her misstep and stumble. She winced but forced herself to stay calmand find the stairs. The monstrous shade was tied and bound, she told herself. It could not get free.
Wood creaked. The wheezing grew louder. The smell of smoke thickened in the air.
She carefully hurried to the top of the staircase and reached the door. She raced her hand along the wood until she found the knob and twisted, but the lock wouldn’t give. Twisting with all of her might, her muscles burned before she let go. The door was still pressurized in its exact position and that barred her only escape route. Leon’s aura filled the halloutside and the pressure wouldn’t let up until he did.
“Adam!Adam!” she called. Adelaide beat on the door with her fists, ready to splinter the wood if necessary.
“Come down here, Adelaide. I’ve been waiting so long to talk to you,” it hissed.
She stopped her futile assault and her fists hovered in the air. The sound of its voice unnerved her and it refused to shut up.
“Why won’t you look at me? What are you afraid of seeing?” it asked.
Adelaide would have scoffed at the question if fear didn’t keep her so quiet. After a second of collecting her nerves, she turned to face it. Its figure was barely visible, but she saw it tug against its bindings. The wooden chair it was bound to creaked again.
“I am not afraid of you. You can’t hurt me,” she blurted upon finding her voice.
“That boy is not going to protect you…”
“You don’t know anything. Leave me alone,” she spit. It was just taunting her now, but it also affected her more than she’d like to admit. She turned and pressed her ear against the door. If Adam was on the other side, he stayed silent. Her skin crawled when she couldn’t hear anything at all from the hallway.
“You cannot even protect yourself,” the shade said.
“Then you’ve never met me.”
The door suddenly groaned. It shifted in its frame and she grabbed the knob again. She yanked the door open and the sweet fresh air of freedom beckoned her out of the dank basement. But then the shade called out to her again and this time it stopped her dead in her tracks.
“Regardless, you will come see me soon if you want to survive,” it said. “Because I know your secret.I know what you’re doing here.”
To learn more about Constance Sharper and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads and Twitter.
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