A Shattered Dawn

Chapter 9

I'm sure the Night Angel, whose name I still do not know, saw Adrian enter after I did and likely left his position in the hallway; with Adrian's dismissal, of course. Now I am alone again with him and I have never felt more unsafe. What if he knows what I am?

Pushing these intrusive thoughts away, I perch on the foot of his bed, sinking into the plush mattress.

"Why are you back so early? I thought you had to get some things done in the office?"

I can't help but call him out for his odd behavior. It has only been at most an hour since I last saw him.

"I was looking for you, actually, and I wanted to let you know that dinner tonight is at five sharp, and there's lunch being served right now."

With this, he turns and gestures at the doorway.

"Just ask him and he can lead you to the dining room. Your clothes will be waiting in my bathroom."

I convey my thanks and he kisses me goodbye, adjusting his ornate watch as he walks out the doorway. Although he dresses in formal attire, his boyish attractiveness shows through.

I take a few moments to catch my breath and process everything that has happened. Everything hits me at once and I realize that I am in far over my head. Nevertheless, the world keeps moving around me, the birds float by the window and the afternoon sun filters through the tall windows, pouring onto the shining wooden floor.

After a few moments, I remember that the servant is still standing outside, and I force myself to stand, walk over and pull the doors open.

There he is, leaning against the wall with his slender arms crossed over his chest. He looks up when the doors open, and his eyebrows come together with concentration.

Before he speaks, I ask to move somewhere where we can talk freely. He nods. We have a mutual understanding that we must be careful what we say, and where we say it since our mouths can kill us, too. He leads the way again, this time going down several flights of staircases and through the main hallways until we reach a foreign exit at the back side of the mansion. I recognize a similar patio to the one on which I stood with Adrian last night, this one overlooking a different portion of the beach and ocean far below. There are a few mingling Celestials drinking tea and having lunch in the shade created by the overhanging deck above.

We pass by the marble pillars and descend yet another staircase, this one carefully crafted and set into the side of the cliff. Before long, we reach the sand and I can finally fully embrace the natural beauty of this continent: the southern beaches.

The sea here is nothing like I have ever seen anywhere else—so much different from the roaring, unrelenting waters of the west or the frigid, snow-capped seas of the north. After an expanse of sand, the ocean begins; its translucent water sparkling teal. There is no one for miles in both directions, and after I take a moment to take in the breathtaking scenery, I walk with him, staying close to the cliffs.

"Who are you? You must have a name other than 'him,' right?"

I smile to myself even though my current situation is anything but amusing.

"Fallon. Fallon Ambrose, but I don't use my father's name anymore." He looks up at the pristine sky. "I lost all respect for him after he left us."

I consider his words, observing him from head to toe. The rolled–up sleeves of his white collared shirt, the bruises showing on his arms.

"What?"

"Nothing."

That was a lie. I can't believe he is real. Maybe he isn't, maybe I'm imagining all of this and I've already gone crazy.