This is Book 1 of the Arcelia Series.* Book 2 is in the works!
*Can be read as a stand-alone
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Malik Jackson needed help. After being exiled from the ocean, he washed up on the beach covered in injuries and missi...
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~ ~ Virgil ~ ~
I couldn't wait on Xander, Malik, or Adrian to sort things out. Cleo could catch on at any moment, and we had no time to waste. I left on my own, and although I knew I made a risky decision, I still ignored my phone when Adrian called me non-stop. He worries too much.
The drive took about an hour, my GPS taking me into an abandoned neighborhood. I expected the area to be completely empty, but there were still people around, setting up camps along the streets. I made a mental note to deliver care packages and any needed medical supplies to them later.
I hoped I wasn't too late as I hurried across an empty parking lot and into the run-down building. I had to duck police tape to get in. I looked at my surroundings as I approached. An empty front desk sat ahead of me, the stairwell entrance waiting for me on the left. I noticed the absence of an elevator, but that was probably for the best.
The wallpaper didn't do this place any favors, an ugly faded floral pattern. The floor, made up of scratchy carpet squares, must have seen better days. I tried not to think about the questionable stains.
I slowly made my way up the creaky stairs, trying to be silent in the already too quiet building. I ended up shifting into a rat to avoid hitting too many noisy spots. As a vampire, I can be lots of different animals. Bats, cats, small dogs, rodents, even insects. Luckily, I was just about big enough to climb the steps.
When I got to the top, I could already hear someone shuffling around. I followed the noise to an apartment halfway down the hallway, and then changed into a spider to fit under the door. I couldn't see as well this way, so I changed quickly back into a rat before anyone could spot me.
I snuck around the small apartment, not paying any mind to the areas where I didn't hear any activity. I followed the noise of shuffling items to my left, approaching a doorway to a bedroom. The door had been left open, so I poked my small head inside.
That's when I saw her.
She was packing things into a suitcase. She looked like a mess, her hair was greasy, her eyes were baggy and bloodshot, and her clothes were stained. I didn't want her to leave before I could talk to her, so I shifted back and stepped into the room.
The shuffling noises I heard were clothes she packed into a suitcase. I watched as she zipped it up with shaky, bony hands. She looked sickly, and I understood why. That's what happens to someone when their soulmate dies. I had heard of cases where people can get over that without deteriorating, but she hadn't been so lucky.
As she finished zipping up her suitcase, I shifted back and stepped into the room so I could talk to her before she leaves. When she noticed me, her face visibly paled and she stumbled back in shock, nearly falling over if not for her hand on the bedside table. "Elias!" She coughed. "What are you doing here?"
