“You can’t see or feel it,” he explained briefly. “It’s a bit different this time, but still designed to keep all hostiles out. It’s wider by a mile, and it reads into a creature’s very soul. If their intentions are not pure, they can never come in.”
“Well, that’ll come in handy someday, I’m sure!” I quipped.
He showed me the interior as well, and I found myself gawking at the stunningly sumptuous design—the fine-threaded wallpaper, the delicate cast molding, the smooth carpets and cherry-wood furniture, the beautiful art on the walls and the extravagant dining hall. The bedrooms had all been redecorated as well, with different patterns and color palettes of the same late eighteenth-century style, canopy beds, and sculptural vanity tables.
It looked like a perfectly preserved museum of a luxurious plantation villa, complete with a working water pipe system and marble-clad bathrooms. The study rooms had also received a makeover, filled with more books and seating by the large French windows.
We ended up in his study on the ground floor where, funnily enough, everything was more or less the same. The fire was burning in the fireplace, and it was still crazy hot in there, with a cool draft wafting in beneath the basement door. But the walls were clean, and the old furniture had been replaced with sturdier mahogany pieces.
Draven stopped in the middle of the room and pulled me closer to him, his pulse drumming in my ears. He gazed at me for a while, without saying anything, while I tried to understand what was going on with him. His emotions, a mixture of love and anxiousness that I’d never felt from him before, confused me even more.
“The ancient wards had all this done for us, Serena,” he finally said with a slight tremor in his voice. “For you and me.”
“I never thought I’d see this place again,” I gasped, overwhelmed by the idea. “I had the strangest experiences here, and yet, when we left, I genuinely missed it. It looks so beautiful now, like it’s been upgraded to its full potential…”
“It’s all for you, Serena,” Draven replied, his knuckles gently brushing against my cheek and sending heatwaves through my body, igniting my core and reminding me how easily I reacted to the simplest of his touches.
“I never thought I’d be so happy, Draven,” I breathed. My heart brimmed with so much love for him in that moment, it was hard to express in words.
I took a step forward and kissed him, sweetly and deeply enough for him to feel everything I had to give him. He responded with a hum as his tongue touched mine and he took me on a head-spinning journey toward the stars, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me closer.
“Serena,” he said, his breathing ragged as he broke our kiss to look at me. His eyes flickered black, his golden energy washing over me like a radiant sun, while his hand fumbled through his coat pocket. His pulse spiked, his heart banging against his ribcage.
I placed my hands on his chest in an attempt to soothe him. Whatever was going on, he was so nervous that I started to worry… until he brought up a delicate diamond ring between us. It was made of sterling silver, with two snaking vines intertwining to form a smooth, heart-shaped loop around the flawless stone.
My heart jumped in my throat and my stomach immediately tied itself up in knots, heat rushing through me and burning my cheeks as I realized what was happening.
“My father once gave this to my mother,” Draven whispered, trying to catch his frantic breath. “It was a symbol of his undying love for her. It was one of the heirlooms he left me with, and I never thought I’d find anyone worthy of wearing it, but… then you ended up in my mansion, all mad and loud and annoyingly curious and so… so beautiful, so… so determined and fierce and sharp. And I’ve been living with this interesting feeling ever since… That maybe, just maybe, I’ve actually found someone to give this ring to, as a symbol of my undying love…”
His words peeled away at my heart until I was left so naked, so fragile and raw, that I felt tears coming to my eyes and love pouring out of me in turbulent waves. He felt it all, and he shuddered, his steely gaze fixed on me.
“I love you, Serena,” he said, his eyes flickering black. “I love you like no one and nothing else in this world. I nearly killed you, and yet you still believed in me. You fought for me, and you singlehandedly pulled me out of the darkness and took me back into your arms. I will worship you for as long as I have a breath, my sweet, sweet sentry. And I want you as my wife. As my partner. My queen. My empress. My goddess. My everything…”
Tears were carelessly rolling down my cheeks at the sound of his declaration of love, further unraveling my soul in front of him. I knew he was genuine; I could feel it shining out of him, enveloping me in a warmth I’d become certain I could no longer live without.
“Will you marry me, Serena? Will… Will you give me the chance to make you the happiest creature in all of the In-Between and the worlds beyond?”
What could I possibly say to him, other than a loud, wholehearted Yes? What could I tell him, other than I love you a million times? How could I not be the most fortunate creature in all the universes, for having found Draven, the isolated Druid with such strength, with raw emotions raging through him like foamy mountain rivers?
I was his, and he was mine.
“You know what?” I managed to croak, swallowing back more tears of pure happiness. He just looked at me, unable to say anything. Too nervous to react, waiting for my response. “I think we should scratch my previous statement about how happy I am, because you’ve just managed to take this to a whole new level…”
He didn’t move, but he held his breath, his heartbeat echoing into mine.
“I’ve just found a whole new, much higher level of sheer bliss right here, with you,” I continued. “I love you, Draven, with all my heart, my body, and my soul. So, yes, of course I’ll marry you. I will follow you to the end of the universe and back if I have to…”
It was then that his spirit simply expanded like an incandescent star, heating me up as his lips crashed against mine and captured me in his tight embrace, kissing me so sweetly, so profoundly that it brought new tears to my eyes.
It was joy that we felt, like a warm summer breeze lifting us off the ground as we held on and deepened the kiss that sealed us for good.
We filled each other with love as we lost ourselves in one another. Our souls forever connected. Our bodies always attuned.
And our lives beginning a new chapter… as was GASP’s. With the new Eritopian alliance, our famed Global Agency for Supernatural Protection had just become even stronger, and we were one step closer to understanding the vast unknown that was the In-Between, and the mysterious, beautiful, and deadly subset of creatures that called it home.
GASP’s journey here was just beginning, with so many worlds lying in wait, but I also knew The Shade would remain its beating heart. It was the one place in the universe where anyone was welcome, no matter their size or shape; the one place we all knew we could return to after a hard week of work. I suspected our beautiful island would continue to beguile new creatures onto its calm shores, long into the future. We were going to have some interesting new couplings, to say the least—as well as new species to tame and integrate into our way of living.
Clutching my fiancé’s hand, I looked boldly into the future.
I couldn’t wait to see what another Shadian adventure would bring.
IT’S THE END OF A SEASON,
But is it the end of The Shade?
… No, it isn’t!
There will be a Season 7! :)
Dear Shaddict,
Thank you for reading the final book of Season 6, A Clash of Storms.
Many readers have reached out to me over the past month, worrying this book would be the last in the Shade series, but I’m excited to say it will continue for another season! Woohoo!
Book 1 of Season 7 is called ASOV 51: A Call of Vampires, and we’ll be going back to our vampiric roots a little bit with this one, as well as meeting some enticing new species�
� ;) Needless to say, I am extremely excited to share it with you!
You also won’t have to wait long for it. A Call of Vampires releases very soon: October 19th, 2017!!
So pre-order your copy now and have it delivered automatically to your reading device on release day!:
If you’re in the USA: Tap here
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Check out the awesome cover:
I’ll see you there!
Love,
Bella x
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Read more by Bella Forrest
THE GIRL WHO DARED TO THINK (New!)
The Girl Who Dared to Think (Book 1)
The Girl Who Dared to Stand (Book 2)
The Girl Who Dared to Descend (Book 3)
THE GENDER GAME
(Completed series)
The Gender Game (Book 1)
The Gender Secret (Book 2)
The Gender Lie (Book 3)
The Gender War (Book 4)
The Gender Fall (Book 5)
The Gender Plan (Book 6)
The Gender End (Book 7)
A SHADE OF VAMPIRE SERIES
Series 1: Derek & Sofia’s story
A Shade of Vampire (Book 1)
A Shade of Blood (Book 2)
A Castle of Sand (Book 3)
A Shadow of Light (Book 4)
A Blaze of Sun (Book 5)
A Gate of Night (Book 6)
A Break of Day (Book 7)
Series 2: Rose & Caleb’s story
A Shade of Novak (Book 8)
A Bond of Blood (Book 9)
A Spell of Time (Book 10)
A Chase of Prey (Book 11)
A Shade of Doubt (Book 12)
A Turn of Tides (Book 13)
A Dawn of Strength (Book 14)
A Fall of Secrets (Book 15)
An End of Night (Book 16)
Series 3: The Shade continues with a new hero…
A Wind of Change (Book 17)
A Trail of Echoes (Book 18)
A Soldier of Shadows (Book 19)
A Hero of Realms (Book 20)
A Vial of Life (Book 21)
A Fork of Paths (Book 22)
A Flight of Souls (Book 23)
A Bridge of Stars (Book 24)
Series 4: A Clan of Novaks
A Clan of Novaks (Book 25)
A World of New (Book 26)
A Web of Lies (Book 27)
A Touch of Truth (Book 28)
An Hour of Need (Book 29)
A Game of Risk (Book 30)
A Twist of Fates (Book 31)
A Day of Glory (Book 32)
Series 5: A Dawn of Guardians
A Dawn of Guardians (Book 33)
A Sword of Chance (Book 34)
A Race of Trials (Book 35)
A King of Shadow (Book 36)
An Empire of Stones (Book 37)
A Power of Old (Book 38)
A Rip of Realms (Book 39)
A Throne of Fire (Book 40)
A Tide of War (Book 41)
Series 6: A Gift of Three
A Gift of Three (Book 42)
A House of Mysteries (Book 43)
A Tangle of Hearts (Book 44)
A Meet of Tribes (Book 45)
A Ride of Peril (Book 46)
A Passage of Threats (Book 47)
A Tip of Balance (Book 48)
A Shield of Glass (Book 49)
A Clash of Storms (Book 50)
Series 7: A Call of Vampires
A Call of Vampires (Book 51)
A SHADE OF DRAGON TRILOGY
A Shade of Dragon 1
A Shade of Dragon 2
A Shade of Dragon 3
A SHADE OF KIEV TRILOGY
A Shade of Kiev 1
A Shade of Kiev 2
A Shade of Kiev 3
THE SECRET OF SPELLSHADOW MANOR
(Completed series)
The Secret of Spellshadow Manor (Book 1)
The Breaker (Book 2)
The Chain (Book 3)
The Keep (Book 4)
The Test (Book 5)
The Spell (Book 6)
BEAUTIFUL MONSTER DUOLOGY
Beautiful Monster 1
Beautiful Monster 2
DETECTIVE ERIN BOND (Adult thriller/mystery)
Lights, Camera, GONE
Write, Edit, KILL
For an updated list of Bella’s books, please visit her website: www.bellaforrest.net
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A Shade of Vampire 50: A Clash of Storms Page 27