Mag-log in|•|•“How I pray for your heart, my son. That it might never have to choose between love and hope, but if you must decide- I pray that you do not find regret at the end of the path you have chosen.”|•|•[SHADE SHADOWS]"But we do need help, and Eve is a great addition, " Vale continues, and then adds, gesturing to the human, " and so is she.""I have a rogue's scent, and you have that of a keffer, Shade." My gaze flickers back to her."Eve might be an illegitimate, but she can not be identified through her scent alone. If we use the stone root, our scents can be easily covered by hers. It's much easier to traverse Valcane with a normal scent. She is our best chance out there to avoid being hunted." Her eyes glide to the human once more. "And Dula..."The human stiffens at the call of her name as if uncertain of where this might turn."She speaks for herself. No one knows the human lands as well as a human. Their culture and their customs. We can assimilate perfectly with her to guid
•|•|•But alas, a life without risk is no life at all.•|•|•[SHADE SHADOWS]"The rooms have been divided into groups of four," Dula excitedly explains, practically skipping beside me as she takes me into our new room.Her eagerness and childish nature bring warmth into the air, a new light in her eyes that had once been dull. Her gaze shifts to the new room she presents before me with a twirl.I am stunned by what I see.Beds.Actual beds.I have not slept on a bed in...well, it felt like ages.Iron beds.Mattresses, pillows, blankets. Four separate beds in a room, equally spaced, with two windows at the farthest end and a perch beside them. The room itself was warm and inviting. Enough light that it actually felt like home.There were even chests placed before the beds.Dula, in high spirits, rushes to them, flipping them open. "Madam gave each of us two new sets of clothing and shoes," she explains as I take a peek inside, surprised.Indeed, clean new attire is folded neatly insi
|•|•With every decision you make, pup, you must identify the sacrifice. For every choice demands a price—and blood and time are the most expensive of currencies.|•|•[SHADE SHADOWS]Kayos is hovering.Keen on every move I make, his eyes follow me as I test out the crutches that kind-hearted Master Gregory brought for me.Truly, I do not know what it was Barnabas was warning me about the masters. So far, the two I have met have been nothing but a delight.Or perhaps.. I am simply lucky.How strange for a keffer.Either way, I am grateful.I take a few more hops before coming to a stop. A little wobbly, the crutches certainly need some getting used to, but I manage to steady myself, turning around to face Kayos, in victory once I cross the threshold again.He waits by the shelves, but his eyes are filled with worry, brows drawn in, and eyes fixed on my movements with precision lest I fall.I laugh at the sight of him.Warmth brews in me when his gaze snaps up to my face at the sound a
|•|•Are you afraid, pup?Walk in the light where the shadows do not reach. And if the darkness devours us, we will search for hope, whose flame never goes out.•|•|•[KAYOS ADREN PRIME]I have not found a dinner this enjoyable in years. And no—it is not because of the delicacies spread before me.There is no honorable way to confess the obsession that grows the longer that I am in her presence.Her smile has become an addiction; her voice sustains me.Reason. What has become of reason?When was the last time I thought of consequences? For surely, there will be consequences. Life has never been this generous.Traps set so plainly, and I take caution to the wind.I have walked the path of the blind once and decided to never stray.Indeed, I have long established that I am to keep her no matter the cost. It is simply not negotiable.There is no way—no future that I can see where she is not intertwined completely.She sees me, and by heaven and hell, I refuse to be hidden again.I have k
•|•|• At the end pup, when your eyes are weary with age. Gold and silver become worthless, and memories—priceless. •|•|• [SHADE SHADOWS] I am dazzled by the spread before me. It is not just plenty; it is diverse. From fruits to meats, desserts, and even things I have no idea what they might be. My mouth waters, slightly overwhelmed. I confess, I do not even know where to begin. I have never seen a table so plentiful in my life. So much so, that I am reminded of my sister and the other slaves that eat portions bland and small that- should they be put together could not even equate half of what was here. "Shade?" My eyes flash back up to the Master at the soft call of my name. Kayos watches me through the flicker of the candlelight. There is a concerned draw between his eyebrows, his head shifts slightly if only to see me better—a question lingering in his gaze. I realize that my expression must have come across as worrisome. I did not want him to think I was
[A/N] The POV's switch twice this chapter. (Dual POV chapter)•|•|•Come, and I will teach you, Pup—things of old.How to keep a heart beating, warm and living. Feed it with a kiss, let it dine on affection and at night, when it is coldest, let it nestle in your utmost devotion. •|•|•[KAYOS ADREN PRIME]Beneath the low gleam of torchlight, I set down two wine glasses on the large master's table that sits at the heart of the library.With precision and care, I align them with the rest of the silver plates and golden bowls, paired with matching cutlery. The rich scent of exquisite foods from all over Valcane fills the air, placed atop chargers, covered beneath intricately designed royal dishes.The books and maps that had previously littered the table had long been cleared, the old chairs replaced with stronger ones, the surface wiped clean. My eyes study the spread, taking a mental note of what was and was not, eyebrows drawn.Everything had to be in place. Every detail had to be







