ADELINE

What is wrong with me?

Pulling the covers up to my chin, I lay in bed, eyes wide open. What is going on? First, there was the dream involving two men. That was weirdness all on its own, but then to meet both of those men?

How the hell is that even possible? People have fantasy dreams all the time, and they’re usually fictional people. But who, other than me, actually meets the men of her fantasy?

One is a gorgeous and well-dressed professor at this university, and the other is a brutish-looking mountain man that scared the crap out of me. In the dream, I wanted both of them equally.

How sick——is that?

I might be able to play it off as coincidence, or that maybe I’d seen them at some point but only my unconscious mind remembered, if it weren’t for all the other crazy things that have been happening to me.

The other night, I was reading through one of the books I’d gotten from the library when I felt as if someone was watching me. Looking up at my dorm room window, I swore I saw a pair of red, glowing eyes looking back at me through the glass.

But that wasn’t possible, considering I’m on the third floor. And they were human eyes. At least, they looked human-shaped instead of like some animal. When I blinked, though, they were gone.

This morning, I was running late to meet up with Laurel and Donovan, and I wished I could just snap my fingers and be dressed already.

A jolt of what can only be described as electricity tingled through my extremities, and when I looked down, I was fully dressed!

When I rushed to the bathroom and checked in the mirror, my makeup was on and my hair was brushed and pulled into a long braid.

Again, I might have blown that off as being tired and out of it, but I never wear my hair in a long braid.

And the worst thing…I’m hearing that strange voice in my head more often, the one that told me Professor O Broin—Cian—is not who he seems.

Most of the time, it’s just gibberish, and I don’t understand. Sometimes, though, the voice is clear as a bell, but even though I can discern the words, they don’t make sense.

Like when the voice told me that I have the power, I just have to tap into it. The power for what?

Another time, it said, “Trust your instincts.”

I figured it was my own subconscious; my intuition. I disregarded it because I had been debating on eating a second donut and figured it was just my guilty conscience.

But too many of these bizarre things keep happening for me to just dismiss them. Something is wrong with me. Something has changed. I can feel it.

My mind has run through all kinds of scenarios. Maybe I have a brain tumor. Perhaps I’ve had a stroke. This could be an elaborate hazing from other students.

You name it, I’ve considered it.

Except, of course, the scenario that I have some kind of superpower. I haven’t been bitten by a spider or fallen into a pit of radioactive material. The only new thing in my life is moving here, to Castle Dundorie.

So, the only thing I can think of is how I’ve immersed myself so deeply in studying the Di’an and being here in Ireland, staying in a castle with crazy legends and lore, that I’m starting to let my imagination get carried away.

Tossing the blankets aside, I swing myself out of bed. A chill sweeps around me, so I hug myself to keep warm.

I slip on the long, sheer white robe laying over the back of my chair. It’s thin and doesn’t provide much warmth, but it’s better than just my long, white nightie.

A sliver of silver shines through the window. I pull the curtains to the side and stare up at the moon.

It’s late, but I’m too restless to sleep. I consider texting Laurel or Donovan, but a quick glance at the antique clock on the wall shows that it’s after midnight.

We are supposed to meet first thing in the morning, so I’m pretty sure they’re fast asleep.

Unlike me.

With a heavy sigh, I pad, barefoot, to my door and open it slowly. Sticking my head out, I look up and down the hall.

Only candles and lanterns break up the darkness, giving a shadowy cast to the dorm. One of the rules of Castle Dundorie is that no artificial lights can be used after ten at night.

It’s supposed to be to preserve the ambiance and authenticity of the centuries-old castle, but I’m thinking it’s more about preserving the pocketbook. It’s got to cost a pretty penny to keep the lights on in this place.

Grabbing the provided lantern from the shelf by the door, I fumble with it until I get it lit, then step out into the hallway.

My feet make little noise as I walk the carpeted hall, holding the lantern high to lead the way.

Huge portraits and tapestries hang along the wall. As I walk by pictures of men and women from different eras, I wonder if any of them lived in the castle. And even more importantly, at least to me, were any of them Di’an?

I shake my head even as I think it. The Di’an were a unique civilization that once existed where Dundoire is now. They were spiritual people and followed the goddess, the Di’an Dulaine.

Maybe, the Di’an Dulaine herself might have stayed here. After all, according to that book Gram gave me, the goddess was good friends with King Dumnorix, who, if the legend is correct, used to rule from this castle.

Of course, the legend also says he was a vampire. I snort out loud, the sound echoing in the empty hallway.

Not everything in legend and lore can be believed, of course, but that’s part of the fun of researching and learning about civilizations. Stripping away the fantasy from the truth.

Still, myths come from somewhere, either from fear or from truth that gets exaggerated with each telling. Perhaps the king had a skin allergy and couldn’t tolerate the sun, or some other ailment that turned him into a vampire throughout the years.

An arm snakes across my middle, and I’m pulled back into a hard body. I don’t even have time to gasp, the move is so sudden.

“Careful there,” a male voice whispers next to my ear.

I open my mouth, then suck in a sharp breath when I see how close I’ve come to tumbling down the stairs. If the man hadn’t stopped me, I could have broken my neck.

“Oh, my God!” I finally breathe even as he slowly loosens his grip on me. “Thank you—”

I turn around, heat flooding my veins as I recognize my savior. It’s Professor Cian O Broin, of all people!

“What are you doing up so late, wandering these old, drafty halls?” he asks when I’ve turned around to face him.

My head tilts back so I can see him, and I’m caught by his mesmerizing brown eyes. “I-I couldn’t sleep.”

He nods in understanding. “Still getting used to the time difference?”

No, but I take the out he gives me and I nod. “Day is night, and night is day. Or, that’s how it seems. Takes some getting used to.”

As I talk, my voice gets quieter until I’m practically whispering. I can’t tear my eyes away from his intense gaze. I can’t even seem to blink.

The light from my lantern casts a pale glow, playing hide-and-seek with his features. He doesn’t have a lantern, candle, or even a flashlight, and I briefly wonder how he can see so well.

But as soon as the thought enters my mind, it’s gone as if it were never there. I’m still trapped in his gaze, watching as if in slow motion as his head tilts toward mine.

He’s going to kiss me. I know it with everything in me, just as I know it’s not appropriate. He’s going to be my professor once classes start again.

But I can’t help this powerful attraction to him, and when our lips touch, I feel it throughout my being. My legs go weak, and I’m grateful when his strong arm wraps around me again, holding me upright.

There’s a buzzing sound in my mind, and I feel dizzy—very dizzy, as if I’m going to faint. That voice is whispering something inside my head again, but I can’t make out the words.

Until it grows louder. More urgent.

“Stay awake!” it commands me. “Do not succumb.”

It’s like a mantra in my head, over and over that voice telling me not to give in to the darkness pressing in on me.

It’s too strong, though. I can feel myself slipping, and there’s nothing I can do. Staring into Cian’s eyes, I silently ask for his help.

It’s too late. My legs collapse and inky blackness swims over me. But not before Cian’s eyes turn an eerie red.