Page 118 of Haunted

I lift my arm, turning my power on her. The darkness wraps her throat and gradually squeezes. She collapses to her knees.

No! You’ll not harm me! She throws light into her extremities and launches to her feet. A blast of energy lashes me and breaks my hold on her neck. She hunches over, gasping.

I fall against the wall.

Niawen acts with fury, her thoughts a whirlwind that I catch. What Kenrik suggested could work, but how could he even suggest living without my light?

No. You cannot, I say. Our light is our bond.

Severing the bond with Caedryn will take all my light. How might that feel to a Daughter of Light? She pauses with a heavy breath. I can heal Kenrik and free myself with one move.

I’m destroyed. She has decided. She will break us.

She tumbles to the stone floor beside Kenrik. Deian, forgive me. She pulls the orb from her chest. Her fingers simply slip around the ball and pull it into her hands.

My chest feels barren even though Niawen is the one who has removed her light.

I gasp. I reach in the air toward her. Niawen!

She can’t hear me. Our connection is severed.

She smashes the light into Kenrik. His body tenses, and he screams.

“What did you do, Niawen?” I clamber forward, grab her shirt, and shove her to the floor. “How could you give him your light? I didn’t want to hurt you,” I hiss, “but you leave me no choice.” I climb onto Niawen and straddle her midsection.

I will save us.

“Get off me!” She thrashes beneath me.

I press into her with my darkness as I hold her hands down.

She stops struggling and whimpers something about Kenrik.

“I’m sure your prince will be just fine,” I growl. I don’t really care.

Niawen squeezes her eyes shut, her face absolutely anguished.

“Just because you have no light does not mean you can’t be mine.” I slide more darkness into her.

There’s a glow behind us. A light shines off Kenrik’s body as he howls in pain. What is Niawen’s light doing to him?

I continue to force my darkness inside her. She is empty. Void of her light, so my darkness should take, should cling to her heart-center. We will be bound through my darkness. She relaxes, and I sense her giving up, sense her succumbing to my power.

You will embrace us.

Elation courses through me.

I spit my words into her ear. “You are mine. If light can’t bind us, darkness will!”

What’s going on in her mind? I cannot discern her without her light, but the darkness will soon fix that. She will be glorious.

“Daughter of Darkness. Fallen Emrys,” I purr.

“I am a Daughter of Light!” she yells.

“What did you think would happen as you gave yourself to me?” I roar. “You would have turned to the darkness eventually. Embrace it.”

“It’s not possible. I am light!”

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