Chapter 4 The Shadows Between Us

• The cool night air bit into Cassian's skin as he carried Mira through the alley, her unconscious form cradled against his chest. Her pulse, though faint, was steady—a rhythm he found himself attuned to far too easily. Her scent clung to him, sweet and warm like sunlight trapped in skin. Every instinct screamed at him to protect her, to never let her go, to claim her.
• But now wasn't the time.
• He moved with supernatural speed, blurring past shuttered buildings and lamp-lit streets, slipping through shadows like smoke. The city had grown dangerous, too curious about what roamed after midnight. He couldn’t risk taking her to the Blood Estate yet—not when every step with her felt like exposing his greatest weakness to the night.
• Instead, he veered toward the western hills, to an old manor hidden beneath ivy and memory—a place few remembered, and fewer dared approach. The door creaked open as if in welcome, and Cassian stepped inside.
• The interior smelled of wood polish and lavender. Dust motes swirled in the golden shaft of moonlight falling through the tall stained-glass window. A fireplace sat cold but stacked, and with a flick of his hand, flames burst to life, casting warm light over the sitting room.
• Cassian laid Mira on the velvet chaise lounge, adjusting her gently as though she might break.
• He knelt beside her. Her chest rose and fell in soft rhythms. Her lips were parted slightly, and a crimson flush had returned to her cheeks. He reached out and brushed a lock of hair from her forehead, his fingertips trembling despite himself.
• "You should not be this important to me," he whispered.
• But she was. The bond had already started to whisper through his veins like wildfire.
• He stood, shaking the desire from his bones. She needed rest, not obsession. He strode into the adjoining room, found a linen blanket, and returned. As he tucked it around her, her hand brushed his wrist.
• Her eyes fluttered.
• Cassian froze, breath held.
• But she only sighed, eyes still closed, and murmured, "Don’t leave me."
• His heart clenched. Gods, how she didn’t even know what she asked of him.
• He lingered by her side longer than he should have, watching her features soften in sleep, noting the bruising around her neck had faded already. Human, yes—but her spirit had strength beneath it. There was fire in her.
• And it called to his.
• Mira stirred to the smell of burning wood and something else—cedar and spice. Her limbs felt heavy, her thoughts clouded. But the first thing she registered was warmth. She was warm. Safe.
• Eyes fluttering open, she stared at an unfamiliar ceiling carved with intricate wooden patterns. The room was dimly lit, cast in amber glow by a crackling fireplace.
• She sat up slowly. A soft blanket slid down her shoulders. Her clothes had been changed—a silk nightgown clung to her skin. Her cheeks flamed.
• "What the hell..."
• The room was empty.
• "Hello?" Her voice echoed through the silence.
• There was no answer.
• She stood, unsteady on her feet. Her memory came in fragments: the bar, the drink, the dizziness... hands grabbing her. And then— a man.
• Shadow eyes.
• A voice like velvet thunder.
• "I won’t let them touch you."
• She padded softly across the polished floor, past tall bookshelves and faded portraits, until she reached the front door. It was slightly ajar.
• Beyond, the world was still. Mist clung to the trees. Not a soul in sight.
• He was gone.
• Something in her chest ached, and she didn’t know why.
• From the edge of the forest, Cassian watched her.
• He hadn’t meant to stay. But the bond wouldn’t let him go just yet. It throbbed through his being like a second heartbeat.
• She looked so small in the doorway, wrapped in the nightgown he’d summoned from shadows. Her hair glinted bronze under the moonlight. And even from a distance, he could sense the confusion in her aura. The fear.
• He took a step back.
• He couldn’t reveal himself. Not yet. She wasn’t ready.
• His world was teeth and blood and darkness. And she was still light.
• Still hope.
• But soon, the night would come for her.
• He would be there when it did.
• With one last look, Cassian melted into the shadows, his form disappearing into the trees like smoke caught by the wind.
• Back in the manor, Mira sat by the fire, drawn to the heat even as questions swirled.
• Who had saved her?
• Why did she feel like she’d known that voice all her life?
• And why, when she closed her eyes, did her heart ache for a stranger with eyes like the void?
• She didn’t know.
• But she would find out.