Chapter 1
Cadella’s POV
Goose pimples broke out over my arms and legs as a hard shiver wracked through my body. My thin shirt and shorts were no match for the cold. A soft scuffle and thud alternated and echoed through the dark corridor as I walked barefoot through it. My foggy breath rose in front of my face as my stomach dropped and my heart pounded in my chest.
There was a familiarity in the stone hall I trudged through. Nothing good ever met me at the opening, but I couldn’t turn around. I was forced to keep walking towards the opening that was quickly approaching me.
I raised my arm to block the sudden brightness that flooded the doorway.
My eyes adjusted to the light as I studied the figure in front of me. His black hair shined in the light, while his amber almost red eyes softened as he met mine with a grin. Something stirred in me, a spark of recognition, but I couldn’t bring his name forward in my mind. He held out his hand to me, mine automatically reaching for it without my permission.
“My dearest Sophia, I love you.” His smooth voice confirmed the familiarity that was rolling around inside of me.
I took a step forward, trying to close the space between the two of us. I wanted his touch-needed it. Only instead of getting closer, he was pulled backwards. His form blurred as the ground fell out from beneath me. Wind whipped my silver hair into my face as colors blurred together in front of me. I continued to free fall as my breath caught in my chest.
Then I stopped.
I stood in the corner of a room, trying to catch my bearings. A breathy moan filled the air as my feet moved forward on their own. A black-haired man had a beautiful blonde woman pressed up against the wall. Her long, shapely legs were wrapped around his waist. I stared at his hand that held her pinned by her throat to the wall. She watched him with hooded eyes, her upper teeth digging into her lower red stained lip as he thrust into her again and again.
My cheeks heated as I realized what was happening before me. I wanted to back away, feeling like I was intruding on their private moment. Instead, my feet continued forward until I was standing so I could see both of their faces. It was the same man I’d just seen, the familiarity coursing through me.
A sharp pain followed the feeling of recognition. It speared my heart, making my breath catch in my throat. Why would this man I couldn’t name cause my heart to hurt this badly?
A blissful cry broke through the air as I watched red polished nails grip his broad, shirt covered shoulders. Her eyes shut and her face tilted upwards, her mouth parted while her chest heaved in heavy breaths.
The man’s movements became quicker and more urgent, the hurried movements drawing my attention to him. The woman was lost in ecstasy and her hooded eyes reflected love and affection. I forced myself to face the man, bracing myself to witness his pleasure.
Only there was no warmth in his hardened expression. His brows were drawn down and slightly together, in more of a scowl than out of focus. His eyes were flat and narrowed, his lips pinched together and the muscle in his cheek clenched, defining his already sharp jawline.
The more I studied him, the more resentment and anger I saw in this stature. Despite his coldness toward the woman, the pain in my chest grew as I watched them. My fists balled at my sides as my heart claimed this man, a man I had no rights to.
My hair tickled my cheek as a soft breeze picked up, quickly turning into a harsh cutting wind that whipped my hair against my cheeks. The man and woman turned into blurring colors as once again the floor gave out beneath me, and I was falling past a blurred rainbow of colors.
Then I landed in a heap of limbs, my arms at my sides with my palms facing up. A searing pain course through my forearms, making me look at them. Deep red pulsed from my veins and raced across the earth. Panic and confusion made me try to push myself backwards, but my body was frozen.
“Sophia! You have betrayed us. This is your last chance to redeem yourself!” An angry voice bellowed from above me. “This is your last chance to redeem yourself!”
My vision blurred as my body weakened, but I forced my face to the sky to see if I could find the source of the anger. Bright light blinded me and forced me to look away. I felt my body sway as my blood continued to flow freely down my arms and hands.
Why was I bleeding out like this? Why? Why were they calling me Sophia? What had I done to deserve this?
“No!” My voice sounded ragged as it tore from my throat as I jolted into a sitting position.
I blinked quickly, trying to force my eyes to adjust quickly to the dim room. Familiar gray furniture took shape over the cream carpet. My furniture and carpet.
“Cadella! Are you alright?” My mother’s panicked voice broke through the last of my confusion as she burst through my door.
“Yea, just a nightmare.” I muttered as I looked at my clock.
5:43AM.
Late enough I could get up, not that I would be able to fall asleep after that dream. A dream that was always so similar yet slightly different every time it broke into my sleep. I’d lost count of the number of times it happened.
“Another one?” My mother voiced my thoughts.
“Yes, I wish I knew what was causing them.” I scowled as I leaned against the wall facing her.
“Oh honey, it’s probably just the nerves and excitement of starting school tomorrow.” She smiled as she pulled me into a tight hug.
I rested my head on her shoulder, my cheek pressed to her chest. The warm embrace and the familiar steady pounding of her heart against my face made me relax into her.
“Come, let’s make some breakfast before we finish packing and loading up the car. We have a lot to do before you leave for school tomorrow. I need to double check everything, I just know that you’ll forget something and I’ll have to mail it to you.” She grinned as she pulled away from me and pulled me into the hallway.
I grinned. I was always forgetting something, so I couldn’t deny her statement. Instead I allowed her to guide me into the kitchen and watched her cook breakfast as we started our day.
Sweat dripped down my back, making my shirt cling to my skin. My suitcase rolled along behind me, thudding over the cracks in the sidewalk as I approached the gates. Freshmen were only allowed to park in the lower lots, a fifteen-minute walk uphill to the front gates of the Celtradian University.
This was my second trip from my car, and thankfully my last. The closer I got to the gate the more congested the sidewalk became. Voices overlapped as other students talked on their phone or to other students, making the area loud and overwhelming. I was grateful this was my last trip.
Suddenly I was thrown forward as someone from behind me collided with my back.
“Shit. Sorry about that, I should have been paying attention.” A deep voice rumbled behind me.
I caught myself, narrowly avoiding a long-legged girl in short shorts. A manicured hand hung directly in front of my face with fingernails brushed in a vibrant red polish. The loud chatter of the sidewalk faded as I was thrown back into the room with the man and woman from the night before last.
Passionate cries filled my ears as the man's cold stare reappeared in my mind. My heart aching at the betrayal I was rewatching.
I frowned.
There was no betrayal. This man wasn’t mine. Yet, it felt like he owned.
I shook my head, clearing it as I stood back to my full height, dragging my suitcase closer to me as I moved forward in the crowd. I wasn’t going to let that dream haunt me any more than it did in my sleep. The day, at least, would be nightmare free.
“Are you okay?” The deep voice asked, sounding closer.
“Yep and it’s no problem.” I dismissed his apology without looking back at him as I swallowed my anger and stepped forward again.
It was too hot and I was too tired to be courteous. I just wanted to be back in the cool dorm room. Maybe my roommate had shown up while I’d been gone. Honestly, I was sure if I wanted that or not. If she was nice maybe it could be a good ending to the day. But I wasn’t sure I could handle any attitude without losing hold of my shortened leash on my anger today.
After what felt like forever, I was through the gate and the crowd started to thin. I took a deep breath, finally feeling like I was safe to do so without inhaling the mixed smells that crowds often brought with them.
“Oh my god, look over there!” A too high voice screeched from beside me while another let out an ear-piercing scream.
A group of girls broke away from the crowd and moved onto the grass to get a better look at whatever the first girl saw. I forced myself to keep moving forward, pushing my curious thoughts from my mind. I just had to make it to my room.
“Did you see? This year is going to be the best now.” Another girl told her friend as they pushed by me.
I stopped, trying to make myself move forward and avoid the quickly growing crowd to my right. My foot raised, ready to take a step forward, but instead I found myself approaching the crowd. Curiosity winning over my tiredness as I pushed my way to the front of the crowd to see what everyone was fascinated with. Stopping a few rows back from the front, my heart quickly pounded in my chest as I tried to see what was making everyone so excited.