Adelaide

Chapter XLII

Adelaide DuPont
* TW: Blood *

"Your companion — he must be worried why you are out so late."

Julian ruins the moment, after hours of serenity under the city lights and stars. I turn toward him, immediately sitting up from where I'd nestled myself by his side on a bench overlooking the Seine.

"Possibly," I retort too carelessly.

I'm doing everything I can to keep this Julian fresh in my memory. We will not meet anymore after tonight. Emerald would become suspicious, then we'd all have another problem on our hands — albeit one much more petty and shallow than the last.

Julian stands, stretching his legs after sitting for so long. He offers me his hand with a slight grin, which I accept, pleased by how easily we fit together — not as well as me and Emerald, but well enough for my liking. We both understand the goodbye and are equally hesitant to address it aloud. Julian tugs me into an embrace that quickly becomes a loving kiss, one that seems to last for minutes on end. Breathless, I pull away to study his features. Under the moon, his eyes swirl like liquid silver.

"Jules," I exhale, pain lacing my tone.

He shakes his head fiercely in denial, directing me toward the cobblestone walkway.

"Go home, Adele, before you can get the nerve to say goodbye."

I nod, grateful for his intervention and frustrated that he doesn't ask for more time. How am I to know what will happen next? Will we meet again, or is this truly the end?

"Goodnight, Julian," I whisper, a tear trailing down my cheek.

The walk home is lonely, and I spend it forcing my expression to clear of sorrow. What will I tell Emerald? I'm out of time to plan; my feet lead me directly to the front door, and I widen my eyes with my usual naïve facade. Emerald needs to believe it, just as he has for so long. Steeling myself against his questions, I pull open the door.

He stands leaning against the edge of the narrow entryway table when I enter, his arms crossed loosely against his torso and his amber eyes blazing with acuity as they trace over the innocence scrawled across my countenance.

"Your evening was satisfactory enough, I expect," he finally interjects, nonchalant as he obliges to shatter my uncertain silence.

His voice is calm, yet tense with anger. He offers nothing else and extends no hand in my direction. Dread sinks in my stomach. He knows, but how?

"I'm not so sure if it was," I quietly counter, unsure how to proceed.

Any night that ends in a goodbye feels lacking, but this one pains me even more so, plagued by my guilt over sneaking around behind his back. He's never acted this upset with me before, but I know he does not anger the same as James, who would go out and kill to satisfy the void in his soul. He's different, as is Julian.

Emerald scoffs, tipping away from the table.

"I've heard otherwise."

His autumn eyes bore into mine, which prick with guilty tears. I love him, do I not? The way he smiled at me just days ago, and the conversations we had — they can't all be for nothing.

"Ral, I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."

His expression softens slightly. For a moment, then, a glimpse of the person he used to be shows through — the nurturing, melancholic boy from the citadel whose amber gaze overflowed with affection. He releases a breath and steps toward me, wrapping his arms clemently around my shoulders and burying his face in my hair.

"I'm sorry, Ral."

"No. You're not at all, really. About any of it."

His sudden coldness startles me almost as much as the knife he jerks from my back. I didn't even feel when it pierced my spine. My shock soon passes, however, replaced by searing pain and a rush of adrenaline that heightens my panic. My body slouches against his torso, but I claw desperately at his shirt to hold myself up. Emerald refuses to look at me, adamantly avoiding any glimpse of my face while my blood seeps like fresh ink into his clothes.

I always thought James would be the one to do it.