Page 76 of Touched By Death

“You’re stronger than this,” he says, his voice firmer. “Fight the darkness.”

My spine arches in an unnatural curve, threatening to snap as I release a choked cry. I dig my fingers into the damp grass. Everything hurts. An eternal battle as old as time plays out in my soul while I writhe on the grass that’s covered in a thin layer of dew.

Shadows hiss at me. Ghostly figures leer over Amenadiel’s shoulders with glowing eyes and rotten flesh.

“Look at me,” he orders, cupping my chin. “Whatever you see is a figment of your imagination. Focus on the light.”

“I don’t know how,” I grit out as the clouds part to reveal a blood-red moon.

Sliding his arms beneath me, he lifts me into his arms and scoops me up as though I weigh nothing. The soothing scent of midnight and hellfire settles over me like a warm blanket. I wonder briefly when Amenadiel became my safety. “Focus on the one thing that burns brighter than a candle in the dark.”

Raven wings and eyes as dark as the night flash in my mind. Softly spoken words and snarling teeth. “I want you.” The whisper of a memory from a time when Daemon confessed his love caresses the fringes of my awareness like a cool summer breeze on a warm day. All around me, the shadows hiss, forced to retreat back into the tree line.

“I’ll be damned,” Amenadiel whispers, stroking his fingers over the palm of my hand where a small beam of light swirls in the air like a thousand floating dust particles. Intrigued, he slides his fingers through it, caressing the light with hesitant curiosity. When I glance up, my breath catches in my throat at the sight of the tears on Amenadiel’s lashes.

Clearing his throat, his hand retreats, and he helps me to sit. “You’re breathing normally again.”

I look down at myself, at the pleated skirt and leather bra I’m wearing. “What happened?”

“You lost yourself to the darkness.”

I lower my gaze and swipe at my wet cheeks. Fragmented memories assault my mind. I flinch when Amenadiel reaches out to cup my chin.

His hand retreats, and he puts his elbows on his knees. “You fought and won. I knew you would.”

Resting back against the big boulder behind me, I look around the small clearing. “Where am I?”

“Deep in the forest.”

My gaze snaps back to Amenadiel, who rises to his feet and dusts off his knees. The black shirt beneath his cloak has the top three buttons undone, and my attention is drawn to the silver chain that disappears beneath the collar. Running a hand through his dark hair, he motions to me. “You need to feed to regain your strength before the shadows overpower you again.”

With great effort, I climb to my feet on wobbly legs and press my hand flat on the boulder to steady myself. “How did you find me out here? What happened?” Memories hover at the fringes of my consciousness of Daemon visiting the cellar where I was locked up. I try to strain my mind, but they’re out of reach, teasing me with snippets of imagery.

“Daemon and I crossed the veil and saved you. But you had to fight off the shadows to free yourself.”

I attempt a single step, arms outstretched by my sides to balance me.

Steadying me with his hands on my shoulders, his wings erupt behind him to block out the night. “Easy now.”

“How will I feed to regain my strength? Won’t that coax the shadows to the surface?”

“It will,” he agrees, stroking his hand down my hair in an almost tender gesture before stepping back. “But if you don’t feed, the shadows will claim hold of you anyway.”

My wings ache as I stretch them out behind me, the feathers rustling in the late-night breeze. “They were tied,” I whisper, wincing as memories of being locked in the dark flood my mind. “I was shackled.”

Gritting his teeth, Amenadiel looks past me toward the trees. “We’ll find out who the stalker is and kill him.”

“Can we go back now?” My shaky voice is almost lost on the breeze.

Looking back at me with dark eyes that peel me open, he nods softly. “Sure. Come here.”

Hesitating, I stay rooted to the spot.

With a sigh, he motions to me. “You’re weak. You can’t fly on your own in your state. Not until you’ve fed.”

When I still don’t move, a muscle clenches in his cheek. “Look, do you want to get back or not?”

Something holds me back. It unnerves me that I feel this safe around him—the man who used to be my prime enemy. Wrapping my arms around myself, I swallow past the thick lump in my throat and blink back tears. My voice is so quiet, he’s forced to step closer to hear me. “I don’t know myself anymore.”

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