Her mom had tried the whole morning to get her to join her for breakfast, but Cadence had held steady, refusing to leave the safety of her room and head to school, choosing instead to curl up under the covers and drown in her heartache."Cade, you have to eat something," Sonja's muffled voice on the other side of the door broke through her foggy sleep again, and Cadence rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. Her stomach grumbled loudly at the mention of food, reminding her that her hunger strike couldn't go on much longer and that her pity party would have to end soon.She was famished and in desperate need of a bathroom, shower, and change of clothing. In that order. But seeing her mom would remind her of her foolish belief that Luca could be anything more than what he was, and she wasn't ready for that."Cade?" Sonja tapped on her door lightly. "Are you okay?""I'm fine, Mom," Cadence said with a tinge of sharpness in her words."Okay, I have to run to the store. But I've ma
Over five thousand kilometres away, Luca cut the call when he saw Andrew and the two ladies approach. He sighed as he shoved his phone inside his pocket. He desperately wanted to hear Cadence's voice and tell her about his trip. Not everything. But some stuff, like his friendship with Aziz and the snake charmer he saw at the market. It would have to wait, it seemed."So, how did it go?" he asked Andrew when they were close enough. April looked at everything but him, while Rosalie clung to Andrew's arm for dear life."Here." Andrew held out the small pouch with the Star of Chaos."Great. Let's get out of here," Luca murmured as he snatched the bag from him, the dreadful knot in his stomach melting away instantly. But his relief was short-lived."We can't leave the country without the proper documents for the star. Ethan has them," Rosalie explained quickly. And Andrew filled him in on the rest."That son of a bitch! I'll fucking kill him! Where is he?" Luca seethed, glaring at April. He
Across the desert, about five hundred meters from their base camp, Luca and Andrew approached the Tomb of Enlightenment, well aware of why Ethan had sent them there. The place was rigged with all sorts of traps, and he didn't expect them to make it out alive. But with the fate of their clan resting on their shoulders, they were determined to prove him wrong. Having explored the tomb in its entirety before put them at a great advantage, but Ethan didn't know this.They paused inside the entrance to re-familiarise themselves with their surroundings. The room seemed to have shrunk since their last visit about eight months earlier. It looked much smaller. The stone walls and floors seemed gloomier too.Barely speaking, they moved deeper into the tomb, to the second room to the left of the entrance. It was much bigger, and from past visits, they knew the stacks of barrels lining the wall were empty, so they didn't bother with them. Whatever homebrewed beer or oil they'd once held had since
When Cadence walked into the kitchen the following morning, her mom was already seated at the table, reading the day's paper and sipping her tea. She mumbled a quick hello and headed straight for the fridge."Do you want me to fix you some breakfast?" Sonja got up from the table and hovered around her. "No!" Cadence pulled out the milk, wishing she would back off a little. She wasn't a child anymore, and she could get through the day without any hand-holding."Okay." Sonja returned to the table and picked up Shadowbrooke Times.Cadence stared at her, the carton in her hands turning her palms to ice. But the cold was oddly comforting. At least she still felt something. The numbness in her heart hadn't spread to other parts of her body."Mom, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you." Cadence dropped her gaze and stared at the white tiles, absently scanning them for specks of dirt and grime, some traces of imperfection. But there wasn't any. The floor was spotless, like the rest of t
Cadence didn't know how to feel when she saw Luca's van in his front yard the next morning on her way to school. A part of her was thrilled he was back. But another—a huge one at that— wasn't looking forward to the challenge of staying away from him. She had to, though, for so many reasons. He was married. He was a vampire. He wanted her blood to free his brother. And how could she forget the most important reason: the whole town hated him. Her coven would cast her out if she so much as admitted to anyone she was in love with him. This insane love she felt for him was hopeless and a waste of space in her heart. She had to clear it out soon to make room for Mitchell."The coven would love that, wouldn't they?" She scoffed to herself as she walked into her dance class.Emme smiled at her in the mirror. Cadence returned it with one of her own. A silent promise was made in that briefest of moments. They'd never mention their chat again. In her moment of weakness, her mentor had lost
Cadence was done talking and listening. Done giving her mom chances too.She went to her room and rummaged through her closet. She dug out her overnight bag and an armful of clothes, and dumped them on the bed, two pairs of shoes and toiletries. She didn't even check to see what she was packing. She was in too much of a hurry to leave.But her mom wouldn't let her go without a fight. She begged and cried as she clung to her, grabbing anything she could get her hands on, her arm, her leg, just to hold on to her and make her stay."I'm so sorry. I didn't know what else to do!" Sonja wailed.Cadence carried on with her packing spree, paying her no mind, pausing briefly when her phone chimed on her desk. She snatched it up, relief flooding her as she read Rachel's text. Her bestie was cool, with her staying over for a few days."Cade, I didn't lie." Sonja tried yet again to plead her case, the rims of her eyes red and moist from her tears."You didn't tell the truth either. You made me th
Luca stuck close to Cadence and her friends in the woods, but he was careful to keep a safe distance. The last thing he wanted was the mutt catching his scent. They could only avoid their inevitable fight for so long. He breathed a huge sigh of relief when he saw Cadence and her friends go inside Rachel's place. Now that he knew she was safe and sound, he could finally get some much-needed rest. Turning back to the direction of the creek, Luca gently tapped his heart. He hated this constant fear and worry for Cadence. He really should talk to her. She had no clue that the people she thought she could trust would turn on her without batting an eyelid.He was almost at the manor when the hunters emerged from the thicket. He couldn't say he was surprised to see them. He'd known they were on their trail the whole time he'd followed Cadence to Rachel's house."Luca!" Samuel said grimly."Samuel." Luca nodded, his demeanour just as cold.It was their first meeting in twenty years. 'Meeting
"There you are. I thought you were skipping school again," Emme beamed at Cadence when she walked into class the next morning. And it didn't take her long to figure out why her dance instructor was as excited as a teenager high on space cookies.Three serious-looking suits—two males and one female—sat in the front of the class, appraising one of her classmates while she went through her modern dance choreography. They looked a little unnerving with their cynical smiles as they typed something on the iPads glued in front of them on the long steel table. From their expensive, stylish clothes, Cadence figured they weren't from Shadowbrooke. No one dressed to the nines around here. Not unless there was a funeral, a wedding or a job interview.Emme confirmed her suspicions about the strangers. "They are from the Bridgetown Dance Company, and they are looking for the next big thing. Cade, you have what it takes! You must impress the one in the middle—his name is Fernando, or Fern as he like