☼ Chapter XXI ☼

picture; Nora Preudova

song; "Ease" by Troye Sivan (this song is amazing; it's about feeling out of place when going through a new chapter in life, and I related to it a lot after getting married and moving out of state away from all my friends and family. Definitely worth a listen! I linked it because Sonya still feels pretty unsure in the Unknown World even though she's lived there for years.)

author's note; This is a pivotal point in the story because Sonya is going to get a little bit of something she has been missing so dearly. It's important because we're going to unravel Sonya's character more and we are now halfway through the first book! Yay!

We also finally get to meet Mistress Eloize, who is an absolute badass. Nora is one of the sweetest characters and I love her so much. We have a much less likeable Sorcerer in Ever, but Nora balances it out, just like Trent and Sawyer. I hope you guys enjoy meeting Eloize and Nora.

Also decided to cut this chapter in half as well as it came out just a bit longer than I expected, but this will be accompanied by the second part of the chapter because it was all written at once.

Tell me what you think of Eloize and Nora.

Comment + Vote, enjoy!

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The frigidity of the nighttime Siberian air was actually refreshing when I stepped into it. The ice laced my lungs as I breathed in and expanded my senses, seeking his presence. I felt a peaceful blackness, something similar to the blackness you can find when you're asleep. Derik had to be home; the quiet hum of this warmth drew me in that direction.

Pulling my cell from the outside pocket of my bag, I clicked in the code and then Derik's number that I had memorized at this point. I almost thought he wouldn't answer after the fifth ring, but then his groggy voice muttered "Hello?" into the line.

"Hey, it's me. Were you sleeping?" Derik hummed his answer, and I grinned at the receiver. "I'm on my way." I told him, hoping that he was listening and not being dragged under again by his exhaustion. "I have a favor to ask when I get there."

"Okay, baby. Be seeing you." The smile over my lips widened at the familiar line that caused warmth to brim in my core. Without saying another word, I hung up and started my trek through the snow in the direction of Derik's home.

The walk there was quiet, with only a few Novices lingering around in the Plaza, and then the closer I got towards the Protector's side of campus, the less people that were around. I was really enjoying the quiet, with only the sound of my boots in the snow and the brisk air kissing my cheeks. It was the first moment in a long time that I had been truly alone, and I was okay.

Whether my peace was found because I was just enjoying my quiet walk or if it was because I was drawing nearer to the man chaining me to the earth, I didn't know. The calmness was chipped away, though, when my name was called from a few feet away. Twisting to my left, I could see Trent standing a few feet away, looking confused.

"Oh, hey." My words were slow, unsure, and my feet had completely stopped. "What are you doing on this side of campus?" I wondered, my eyes surveying the area around us. The street appeared quite dead and Trent didn't seem to be with anyone either.

"Just out for a walk." For some reason, he seemed uncomfortable saying this, but I didn't really plan to ask why. "What are you doing?"

Without meaning to, I looked in the direction of Derik's house, only a half a block away now. I could see his gorgeous royal blue Camaro parked in the gravel driveway. "I'm sorry about the other day," I started as I tiptoed around his question. "We never really got the chance to talk about... whatever this thing is between us."

"So you have felt it?" Trent's voice was neutral, but the glimmer of hope in his eyes made me feel sorry for him. Even standing a few feet from him now, I can feel those sparks slithering over my skin, so faint that if I didn't pay attention, I wouldn't notice it.

"Yes. Yeah, I have. I do. But... I've felt it with others too. Lorelai's Mate, Ever Dahlyke, was also Marked by Darkness. Right after I was Marked, I felt the same sparks with her. I think it's because I'm a Seer. Seers can sense things about people when they touch them." Trent didn't seem to like my answer, and I sighed, turning my eyes down to my boots. "Or it could be an Anima Vinculum Thread. Those are formed between people that are Marked by Darkness, too."

"I've never felt this with anyone else before." He confirmed Ankiel's words from before. "And this feeling was there before you were Marked." My brows furrowed together at this fact, now puzzled all over again.

That is true that from the moment I met Trent a little over two months ago, I felt the electricity skittering over my body. "That's right." Sighing, I shrugged my shoulders, really unable to dredge up any semblance of concern about this. The urge to continue on my way to see Derik was growing. My head lolled back in the direction of his house again. "Well, unless you're crapat too then I don't know, man."

"Crapat? I guess that explains it." Trent crossed his arms over his chest at the realization, annoyance instantly coating his handsome features. His violet-amber eyes seemed to glow in the blue-gray of the night, the moonlight beaming off the snow seemed to make them hold a celestial radiance. Interesting.

"Explains what?"

"If someone lingers in the In Between for too long, they can become crapat. I discovered my Gift to walk on that plane when I Awakened. I fucked up, died. Came back. And then Sawyer had a Ritual done on me to find out if I was okay. And we found out that I came back crapat. The Anima Vinculum Thread can still be formed between two crapat supernaturals." Trent chuckled to himself, though nothing he just said was humorous in the slightest.

"Oh, wow. That... sounds horrible." I admitted through a scoff, not really able or even wanting to hide my true opinion.

"Yeah, but it makes sense. I don't know why I've never felt the Thread with anyone else, but that is the only thing that really makes sense." He repeated and I nodded. I didn't know what to say that could make him feel any better.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Listen, I wish that it hadn't happened this way. I know this is really shitty, and I hope you find an amazing girl, Trent." Smiling for good measure, I took a step towards Derik's house, still facing Trent who seemed perturbed by my words.

"Thanks." He responded slowly, and when I'd walked a few paces away, I swear that I heard him start to laugh to himself. There didn't seem to be any humor there either.

Hunger ignited in my chest when Derik pulled the door open, one hand lazily ruffling his messy blonde hair as he yawned into the night. He was wearing a pair of gray sweatpants that hung low enough on his waist that my eyes could glimpse the deeply defined muscle lines of a sexy "V" that vanished passed the waistband. His torso was totally bare and I worked hard not to drool over his flawlessly contoured abs and strong broad chest.

"Hey," I greeted him easily when I pressed my palm to his chest to encourage him back inside the cozy warmness of his house. "Why are you so tired? You didn't have a shift tonight?"

"My Mate is a little spitfire," he teased through a lazy grin. "She really wore me out, so Kailo is covering for me tonight."

"Kailo?" I quizzed.

"He's a friend of mine, another Protector. We usually work together for patrol or guard duty." Derik wound his arms around my waist, reeling me in to the stifling inferno of our Mate pull.

"So, guess what." My giddiness from earlier returned as I encircled my arms around Derik's neck. He tried to nuzzle into my throat, but I leaned away. "Sawyer invited us to come meet Eloize tonight."

"It's going to be dawn in a few hours."

Frowning at his lame response, I allowed my hands to maneuver back down to his bare chest. The swirls of fire that ignited there again made him lean in to my touch and pucker his lips dramatically for a kiss. "It's only one-thirty. Dawn isn't until seven something because it's fall."

"Baby..." He whined and laid his head on my shoulder roughly enough to where a dull throb reverberated through my collar bone.

"Oh, come on, Derik. You've slept all day and most of the night. Please?" Derik seemed unphased by my request. "I'll go without you."

"I just wanted to have a night in with you." He objected in an impatient tone.

"Do you even care how much this means to me?" I questioned, scowling at him now.

"Of course I care, Sonya! I just wanted you all to myself." Derik whined more and I rolled my eyes at his childish antics.

"If you care, go get dressed. Matter of fact, take a shower and I'll get your clothes together." Derik stared at me for a long time trying to see if I was serious or not. At my unwavering glare he finally groaned and twisted around to stomp toward the bathroom, grumbling something that sounded very similar to a snarky "Okay, mother." Jeez, he was such a baby.

Tracing his steps into the bedroom, I caught a glimpse of him stripping off his sweats and jumping into the already running water. Steam was quickly filling the bathroom as the shower poured scalding water into the tub. Without fear of being caught, I shamelessly stared at his perfectly toned butt before Derik pulled the black and white design shower curtains back and—unfortunately—blocked my view.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance and moved over to his dresser to choose an outfit that would fit mine but looked nice enough to go to a more uppity restaurant. I didn't know what Sawyer and Eloize had planned, so I chose to wear this white bodycon dress I'd left here a while ago. Derik had it cleaned for me and it was hung up in his closet.

It had black floral print over it and was pretty but not too over the top. I paired it with the burgundy trenchcoat I'd worn to my IOS lesson tonight. My shoes were the black ankle boots I'd already picked out for the day, but with the light makeup I'd opted for and the dress, I think I was presentable enough.

After rummaging through all his clothes, I finally managed to scavenge a black long-sleeve button-up shirt. Selecting a simple but chic-looking black blazer to go over the long-sleeve, I matched a pair of burgundy Levi dress pants to the rest of the outfit.

Clothes were scattered all over the place once I'd finally settled on Derik's outfit because it had been a challenge to find something nice for him to wear. He either had things that were too dressy or things too comfortable. When the sound of a door opening found my ears and some men's body washed wafted over to me, I knew that Derik had entered the room. I twisted around to give him an innocent smile.

"Hey." I held his clothes out to him, my eyes continuously flickering down to his ravishing-looking stomach. A towel was wrapped around his hips and effectively covered his yummy looking butt.

Derik slowly reached out to take the clothes I offered to him, his tongue flicking out to slide across his lips in an attempt to mask the alluring and knowing smirk that crept to the corners of his mouth.

"You tore my room apart." He said, that radiant cerulean gaze never wavering. I took survey of the several pairs of jeans and t-shirts thrown over the bed and scattered across the beige carpet.

"It just looks a little... lived in." Derik smiled and cut his eyes to the floor before looking back up and meeting my gaze. Why did he have to be so friggin' adorable?

"You're cute." Despite the fact he was complimenting me, his tone felt much more like teasing. He turned so his back was facing me and pulled his boxers on under his towel before pulling it from his body.

"Mmm," I hummed and then smirked as I gazed at Derik's sculpted back. His muscles rippled as he pulled his pants on and then slid the sleeves of his button-up over his arms. "You're not too bad yourself."

I sat on his bed, crossing my ankles over one another and stretching my deep amber-brown legs out in front of me. The palms of my hands were pressed flat to the mattress so I leant back to watch my gorgeous Mate as he dressed. Truthfully, I would be much happier if he was taking his clothes off, but I knew that if that were happening we'd definitely miss our date with Eloize and Sawyer.

Derik moved to kneel in front of me, his shirt still fully unbuttoned. "Could you...?" His blonde hair was still wet from his shower, making it look brown. My fingers rushed through the wet strands in an attempt to neaten its appearance.

Hands settled onto the top of my thighs before squeezing gently, causing me to giggle at the feeling. Derik's fingers moved up higher, deftly finding my hips as my own moved to splay over his neck. My eyes moved down to his strong chest and defined stomach again. Derik was a spitting image of Godly perfection in my eyes.

"I'm offended you're so perfect." I told him jokingly when my eyes reconnected to his and Derik leant up higher so he was eye-level with me.

He pressed a kiss to my Mark, and a new, vicious jolt of the fever that lived between us slammed into me. I loved how his hands moved so hungrily over my skin, almost as if he didn't hold me tightly enough, I would suddenly vanish.

Derik's hold became even more urgent as I deepened the kiss, but after a few moments, he pulled away. I could see that his eyes had darkened to the salacious Navy blue they always seemed to when he was having ravenous thoughts, like he was now. Derik wanted nothing more than to lay me back onto our bed and remove the dress I'd just put on.

He wanted to be inside me again, to feel my soft skin against his. To die in the heat of our bond. But he knew that if we did that, I wouldn't be able to meet Eloize. We had the rest of the night after dinner, and good things come to those who wait.

Derik's fingertips had become so hot that I could swear his prints would brand into my skin, not that I would mind another mark from him. I'd wear them all proudly, lovingly.

"The Goddess really picked the perfect woman to be mine." Even though he was looking at me, Derik seemed to just be speaking his thoughts aloud. His voice was husky and almost unrecognizable, but when he loosened his hold on me slightly I knew that Derik hadn't yet lost himself to the dream.

"You need to finish getting ready." Hesitantly, he leaned away further, but the deep Navy blue shade his eyes had turned remained. "We have the rest of the night." I reminded him, and Derik's mouth twisted into a wolfish grin.

"We're gonna need the rest of the night and the day too." His fingers grasped roughly into my curls as he smirked dangerously down at me, and I could only smile back as my own excitement began to gnaw on my willpower.

☼

Sawyer and Eloize's home was unlike the rest of the Mentor's houses on the block. Ruthless in its flamboyance, it towered over the other homes neighboring it, colored a rich and conspicuous deep burgundy. The trimming of the house was jet-black and matte, including the wraparound porch. Easily, the house could be three-stories high at least.

My mouth dropped open a bit as I gawked out the window at it. Why would Eloize and Sawyer need this much space for just the two of them? Talk about redundant.

Derik helped me out the car before curling his arm over my shoulders and pulling me deeper into his side. I revelled in his warmth since stepping out into the wintry air was much more uncomfortable now that I was wearing a dress.

The heel of my boots clacked quietly as we made our way up the steps of the porch, and as I began to shake from anticipation everything seemed to slow down. What would Eloize think of me? What would I think of her? Would she think I'm weak? Would I be afraid of her? Would she be judging me, sizing me up to see if I was worthy of continuing the Reinove line or would she treat me like family regardless of how I looked or acted?

The door began to open and I realized that while I was rambling inside my head, Derik had rang the doorbell. A girl that was not Eloize stood before us. She was petite with fair skin, shorter than me by a couple inches. Her dark waterfall of curls and endless dark eyes were familiar, along with her pretty Japanese features.

"Oh, hi!" Her bottomless shadowy gaze glittered with thrill, and I placed her face as I heard her upbeat tone. It was as effortless and sweet as it was the day I'd bumped into her outside my Gifts & Powers lesson. "Come in. We don't want the two of you to turn into popsicles."

"Thanks," Derik regarded her good-natured demeanor with no noticeable difficulty, but I was taken aback by how someone could be so chipper so easily. "I'm Derik." He told the girl and offered his hand for her to shake.

"I know! We've been waiting for you guys. I'm Nora, Sonya's cousin." Wasn't it weird that this Nora girl made it feel more like I was bringing Derik to meet my family rather than it being me meeting them for the first time? "I, of course, know you Sonya. Well... I mean, not officially, but I know who you are. We bumped into each other a couple weeks ago outside of Mentor Nyoria's room, but I just got so nervous I kinda ran away."

"I noticed." I teased as a smile began to find a home on my lips. Nora was likeable; I couldn't deny it. Her rosy poise was really endearing. "It's nice to meet you. I've heard a bit about you from Sawyer."

"Don't listen to a word he says." She told me seriously before melting into a fit of giggles. The sound proved contagious as I started to chuckle a bit myself and Derik grinned wider.

"Nora, you're doing an exceptional job charming our guests." Emerald eyes sparkled with awe as they landed onto me. She hadn't changed a bit from the moment I'd seen her in my vision weeks ago, a vision from twenty-three years ago.

Eloize descended a grand, curving staircase in a flowing black dress, looking as sublime as I remember. The same lengthy braids waterfalled down her dainty frame, outlining the same gorgeous and carved bone structure. The unchanged light brown skin that gripped golden undertones. Eloize looked quite the opposite of me with her braids, tiny frame, and light brown skin, but the jade eyes was one thing we shared.

The jade eyes was something I shared with my grandma Janice, my mom, and my sister. Maybe it was the mark of a Reinove Vampyre.

A small smile that seemed to hold a natural mischievous edge to it widened as I stepped closer to her. The Power she emanated drew me in, almost pushing me to the edge of maniacal intrigue. Derik felt her strength as well, and caught my upper arm to keep me close to him. I could tell that he felt uneasy that his Mate was around such a Powerful Vampyre. He probably caught on that if Eloize wanted to hurt me, she easily could.

"She was warming you up for me, of course." Eloize's eyes slit into Derik's hold on my upper arm, and she grinned softly at him. "Please, boy. I'd never harm her. She is a Child of mine after all." I recognized a slight Russian accent in her voice, one that was probably much thicker centuries ago. Her elegant way of speaking revealed that she was as old as Sawyer had said.

To make Derik feel a little more assured, I leant into him and placed my hand over his that still tightly held my arm. His grip loosened slightly to where it wasn't as uncomfortable but was still unyielding. "This is my Mate Derik, Mistress."

Eloize blew a raspberry and rolled her eyes in a way that was not what I would expect from an Ancient, let alone a Mistress like Eloize, before the sweet smile from a moment before graced her lips again. "Please, fiică. You mustn't use that wretched title. Call me what you will, but avoid bunică and Mistress. They are only useful to remind me of my age."

Warmth that I hadn't experienced in a long time curled in my chest as Eloize used the Romanian word for "daughter" when she addressed me. I giggled into Derik's side at her clear distaste toward being called "grandmother" and nodded curtly. "Eloize it is then... bunică."