Clarity: A Young Adult Paranormal Vampire Romance (Blood Haze Book 4) by Tara Shuler Page A

turned to see Liam reachin g for the crystal, and my heart nearly stopped. I gasped and stood, and I noticed the world around me was strangely blurred. I dashed over to him, and I could tell that it looked as if he were standing frozen in time. I grabbed his shoulders and tugged him away from the crystal, and for a brief moment everything froze completely. When time started again, we were both tumbling backward to the floor, and he slammed on top of me as I thudded to the floor on my back.
    “Ouch!” I cried as his weight pinned me to t he floor.
    He rolled off me and crawled on hands and knees, confused. “What happened?” he asked.
    “You almost touched the crystal, brother,” Alexi admonished him. “You should have known better.”
    Liam glared at Alexi and said, “You touched it first, brother .”
    “So I did,” Alexi admitted. “But I would have thought you would have learned from my example.”
    Liam snickered and then chuckled. He clapped his hand into Alexi’s, and the two helped each other to their feet.
    “Let’s get out of here before something like this happens again,” Liam said.
    “I agree,” Alexi said. “Alice?”
    “I…” I turned toward the crystal, its thrum still echoing within me. Somehow I felt that I could not leave it.
    “Alice?” Alexi repeated.
    I took a step toward the crystal, feeling its resonance strengthening as I drew closer. I reached my hand toward it, but suddenly I was moving away from it.
    “Alice!” Alexi shouted as he pulled me forcefully into the hallway. “Enough!”
    “Why? What’s wrong?” I demanded. “I’m connected with it. It won’t hurt me.”
    “ Alice, with something this powerful you must take it slowly,” he said, brushing my hair from my face. “You can come back soon, but you must rest.”
    My shoulders slumped, but I nodded. Perhaps he was right. He closed the door behind us and tried to open it, noting that it was once again locked with its powerful incantation that only I seemed able to overcome.
    I glanced longingly back toward the door as he dragged me down the hallway, and I nearly bumped into my brother who was just exiting the room of many lo cks.
    “How’d your training go?” I asked him as soon as I noticed him.
    “Not bad,” he said. “I managed a few tough locks.”
    “That’s great news,” I told him. “I’m very proud of you.”
    “Are you alright?” he asked me.
    “Yes… why?” I asked.
    “Your eyes are all glazed over,” Will said. “And bloodshot.”
    “I had a run-in with a crystal,” I said.
    “Huh?” he muttered.
    “Long story,” I said.
    “She is exhausted,” Alexi explained, his hand sliding protectively to the small of my back. “She must rest.”
    Will nodded and said , “See you later.”
    “See ya.”
    Alexi ushered me toward the bedroom and as I tried to climb the stairs, I realized he was right. I was exhausted.
    “Would you like a bath, darling?” he asked me as we entered our room.
    “No, I just need to lie down,” I answered.
    I crawled weakly onto the bed and flopped across it like a suffocating fish nearing its last breath. Fully clothed and lying atop the covers, I fell asleep almost immediately.
     
     

Chapter Five
     
    I had no idea how long I had been sleeping, but at some point I began to stir and I realized to my delight that Alexi was beside me. I reached for him and he took me into his arms. I snuggled against his chest and listened to the thump of his heart and relaxed against the rise and fall of his chest.
    The room was dark, and no light was streaming through the curtains, so I knew it must be quite late. I yawned and snuggled closer to Alexi, enjoying the first truly relaxing moment we’d had together in quite some time. I wanted to go back to sle ep and enjoy my time with him, but something was compelling me to stay awake. Something was luring me away from my nice, warm bed and my sleeping husband. Something wanted me to come to it. Thrum . It was the