Chapter 34
We reappeared at the end of the neighborhood's main street, and the first thing I noticed was the place was packed with fae and humans enjoying themselves.
This was a safe area, and Interion's high elite loved wandering its streets in search of good restaurants and beautiful views.
The central neighborhood offered all that and then some.
Zion carefully set me down, holding my hand in case I wobbled, but since the trip had been short, I didn't feel dizzy.
At that moment, a laughing couple was heading our way, but as soon as they saw us, the man stopped, saluted, pulled the woman close, and steered them away from Zion. They passed by me, silent and stiff.
My throat tightened immediately. I was used to Interion rejecting me for my appearance, but watching Zion go through this filled me with overwhelming indignation.
“I know what it's like to be judged and avoided before a single word is spoken. It's unfair.” I turned to face the couple, and the man cast me a sidelong glance. “Doesn't it bother you?”
“I've gotten used to it, though I find it pointless.
At first it bothered me, and I tried to change things, but after a while, I realized there's no point in arguing.
They fear what they don't understand, and the shadows are beyond anyone's comprehension.
It's easier to run than to stay and try to understand,” he replied, looking at the crowded streets.
Some passersby spotted us holding hands and quickly looked away.
“I think when it comes to 'running,' you could write an entire book,” I teased, but regretted it the moment his eyes met mine.
“And it's not something I'm proud of.” His voice was soft, with no hint of annoyance.
“So you admit it.” I narrowed my eyes at him. He laughed.
“Okay. I know I haven't been easy for a long time. In my defense, it was for a bigger reason—one I couldn't explain.” He smiled, a wide, perfect smile, then raised his free hand in surrender.
That beauty left me breathless. He was the one raising his hands, but I was the one surrendering. I looked away, focusing on the path ahead.
“Couldn't? What changed?”
“You figured it out on your own. I felt part of the magic dissipate when that happened. Now I can explain.”
Zion seemed lighter as he walked beside me, as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. I figured this must have happened when Serguei told me about the agreement. Now I knew the whole story, but it didn't feel right to bring it up immediately. So I said:
“I hope you really do have a great explanation. I'm eager to hear it.”
Children ran past us, playing and chasing each other.
I dodged to avoid getting caught up in their games, and Zion squeezed my hand, pulling me closer.
Only then did I realize we'd been holding hands since we arrived.
Something warm and pleasant spread through my chest, but I pushed the thought aside before he noticed my sentimentality.
Shifting my thoughts, I remembered he'd mentioned the shadows and looked around for them.
But there was nothing dancing on his shoulders that night.
“Wait, where are the shadows?” I asked, stopping in my tracks and looking at him from every angle. Zion shrugged.
“I'm keeping them contained.”
“Why?”
He looked away.
“Because yesterday... we did some things that were a bit... intense. So I'm keeping them locked up today to let them calm down.”
A bit intense must be some kind of euphemism for “murdering several people.”
“But is everything okay now?” I asked, looking into his eyes.
“Yes. Everything's okay now.” Zion swallowed hard, and I couldn't tell if he meant himself, the shadows, or all of it.
“Then let them out. Isn't it exhausting to hold them back?”
The first thing we learned in college was that suppressing gifts was harder than just using them.
To this day, I still couldn't block my healing—it takes years of control.
Ambrose worried a lot about this, because if I ever broke a bone, we'd have trouble containing the regeneration before surgery could begin.
“Are you sure? They usually can't control themselves around you. Doesn't it bother you when the tendrils wrap around your hair?” He seemed to be trying to contain his excitement, and seeing him like that, I dared to stroke his hand with my thumb, tucking my hair behind my ear.
“I love your shadows, Zion. Actually, it feels strange when they're not around.”
His face lit up with a smile, and just like that smile, some shadows broke free, appearing on his shoulders. They rose in serpentine black threads, but as soon as they saw me, they transformed into rounded little beings, watching me expectantly.
“Come,” I called, holding out my hands. They leaped toward me, tumbling and tripping over each other.
“I think they like you more than me.” He pointed to the little ones wrapping around and playing in my hair, making it darker and more flowing. I noticed some people giving us dirty looks, but I just ignored them and kept walking beside him.
“And how could they not? I'm cooler than you.” The shadow playing in my hand seemed to smile.
“Traitors,” he grumbled beside me, and the small tendril climbed up to play on my shoulders.
My hair seemed supernatural, billowing and floating as if it had a life of its own, and when they passed too close to my neck, goosebumps prickled across my skin.
Zion watched me with intrigue and a hint of surprise at the freedom they had to touch me.
We continued walking along a white stone path; tables were set up here and there, and strings of yellow lights illuminated the way. Our joined hands ignited every flame inside me, and I let them shine.
“How does this whole shadow thing work?” I asked curiously, turning to him. “I know you control their actions—I can see when you hold them back and they react like puppets. But sometimes, like now, I don’t know what to think.”
I couldn’t quite understand this relationship, and the tendrils seemed to adore me that night. Zion turned to face the path ahead, working out his response.
“The theory my tutor and I came up with is that they’re an extension of me, but at the same time, they have a small, primitive consciousness—something more emotional than logical.”
We studied the little ones in my hair. He touched a tendril and it pulled away, continuing to spin around my shoulders. I couldn’t help but laugh when surprise flickered across his face.
“And your feelings influence their actions?” I asked, reaching for my necklace to have something to fidget with and burn off my anxiety, but it wasn’t there. I’d wanted to ask this for a long time but hadn’t had the courage. Zion’s eyes darkened as he answered:
“Yes, they act mainly based on my mood. The stronger my emotions, the less control I have over them.”
I remembered the day in the gym when I’d bumped into him naked. That day, the shadows had touched my body intimately. I pushed the thoughts from my mind as Zion watched me curiously.
“What is it?” I asked, embarrassed by all the attention.
“They’ve always acted based on my feelings and commands. But when I’m near you, they simply ignore me and develop wills of their own. I’m still getting used to it.”
He kept watching my hair, fascinated, and I brought a hand to the strand that had come loose. The shadow there jumped to my palm, seeming happy to be touched.
“It must be because of the bond. Maybe they feel its call too.”
The shadow climbed up my arm and nestled at the base of my neck, as if it knew that was a sensitive spot and was eager to touch it affectionately.
My whole body shivered. Surprised by the intimate touch, I rubbed my neck to relieve the tension that had built up there.
When I looked at Zion, his expression turned serious and he looked away, seeming uncomfortable.
“They seem more... solid today. Normally they feel like mist, but today I can feel their warm touch on my skin. Is it because of what they did yesterday?”
“Yes.” He shifted his gaze to the yellow lights above our heads. “Shadows feed on the energy of souls. I don’t really know how it works either, but after a battle, they become stronger and a bit bolder. They go back to normal after a few days.”
A shiver ran up my spine at how disturbing that was. Watching them play in my hair, they seemed harmless, but they were far from it.
“Have they ever...” I felt awkward asking, thought about stopping there, but Zion was watching me attentively. “Have they ever attacked someone without your permission?”
“Never,” he answered quickly. “They hiss and bristle like a cornered cat when they don’t like someone, but they’ve never attacked without permission.”
“And what happens if they don’t feed?”
“Nothing too serious,” he replied, focused on the tendrils. “They just become more translucent and lose some of their vigor during transport, which shortens the distance between one dematerialization and another.”
It was a huge relief that he had total control over them. Something like this could become a massive problem if it got out of hand. There’s no way to fight soul-devouring shadows.
“And the teleportation?” I asked, steering us away from the morbid subject. “Can you transport more than two people at a time?”
“Teleportation is relative. Alone, I can cover a kilometer with each jump; if I transport more than one person, the distance drops to 500 meters, and so on. So I can transport more than two people, but my range decreases considerably.”
“That’s fair.” It made sense that the power would weaken since it was being divided among people.
A group of young people came out of the restaurant next door, and the warm breeze that escaped through the door swept across my face. It smelled like ribs in orange sauce and made my stomach growl with hunger. I blushed when Zion looked away from the lights and toward the sound.
“How long has it been since you ate?”
“Let me see.” I did the math and was surprised to realize I hadn’t even had water in 24 hours. “Um, I think it’s been a whole day.”
He looked at me, horrified.
“That’s why your stomach’s been singing obscenities.”
“Welcome to the world of doctors!”
Zion frowned in disapproval.
“I’m so irresponsible—here you are starving while I’m strolling through the city streets. Let’s go straight to Lemon’s.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but within seconds he grabbed both my hands and the shadows swallowed us. When I blinked, we were already in front of Lemon’s. I stepped back, taking in the enormous black wrought iron gate that formed part of the restaurant’s entrance.
“First, let’s eat and talk about the things we’ve been putting off,” Zion explained in a serious tone. I straightened my posture—there were many things we’d been putting off. “Then we can get back to our walk. I know places within the walls that I think you’ll like. Does that work?”
“It can be anything, as long as it’s with you.”
His ocean eyes sparkled.
“Then let’s start with food.” He moved closer, guiding us toward the gate.
Lemon’s was an old, well-regarded restaurant in Interion. It was the last establishment on the street, carved into a recess in the first mountain. Its builder had been a powerful earth user born centuries ago, when gifts were so strong they could literally move mountains.
We entered through the gate and followed a well-lit stone path lined with colorful sconces.
At the end of the passage stood an elevator, and Zion led me inside.
The interior looked like a glass box, and as it ascended, I could see more and more of the city’s expanse and the lake.
All the lights were on, and the city glowed, bathed in a golden aura.
It was so beautiful I couldn’t help myself—I moved closer to the glass to take in as much of the view as possible.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” I asked, enchanted. I felt Zion move closer.
“Beautiful doesn’t even come close.” I tore my gaze from the glass and turned to him—his eyes were on me. A shadow brushed my cheek. I quickly turned away, unable to bear the electricity of being so close.
“Maybe this is becoming the fourth best view I’ve ever had,” I said cheerfully, and the shadows stirred.
“Since I first saw you, you’ve been my favorite view.”
“Really? The first? You’ve been to Lemon’s before?” I turned to the man beside me, and to my surprise, he was still staring at me. I couldn’t help the blush that crept across my cheeks. Zion blinked a few times, then looked through the glass as well.
“Lemon’s... Yes, I came once, when I passed the academy’s final test. I graduated with Angelo, the owner’s son, so he threw a celebration dinner. Actually, Angelo runs the place himself now.”
“I’ve always wanted to come here, but it’s where Lorenzo and Ambrose celebrate their wedding anniversary, so whenever they came on those dates, I avoided accepting the invitation. I didn’t want to be a third wheel.”
“And why didn’t you come alone?” He moved closer to me, almost as if our bodies no longer wanted to stay so far apart.
“I don’t know, I guess I was waiting for a special occasion.”
He seemed to weigh my words, measuring every inch of what I’d said. The elevator stopped and the back door opened. Zion smiled and extended his hand again, so I placed mine in his.
“I hope I don’t disappoint on your first time.”