Page 132 of Darkness

Farren turned, seeing the sins of another traveler clear as day. She’d stolen four bodies in her time, killed for money, power, greed, and reeked of arrogance.

She screamed like any other as the portal claimed her.

Judge, jury, executioner. And Farren was vengeance.

He banished five more travelers before spotting Morrisey. A sigh of relief swept through him—a moment before panic hit.

Morrisey faced Asher. Seething darkness swirled around Asher like oily water. Sickly, unnatural.

The darkness surrounding Morrisey appeared more of a comforting, shielding blanket. Unlike Asher’s aura, Morrisey’s darkness moved with him, a part of him.

Farren's fear vanished. His light reached for Morrisey. Warmth enveloped him, his counterpart acknowledging his presence. They were now two halves of a whole. Together, they created balance.

Asher’s malevolent energy struck an unsuspecting human, flinging the woman like a rag doll into Morrisey’s path. Morrisey curtailed a blast at the last moment. Sparing the woman.

With a snarl, Asher lashed out again, his hatred alone slashing bloody gouges across the woman’s face and neck. She fell with a gurgling cry, blood oozing from her mouth.

Energy. They used energy as a weapon.

Farren would have felt pity if the woman hadn’t aligned herself with the very madman who’d killed her for no reason except her availability.

Morrisey’s consciousness stroked against Farren’s like one of Colm’s cats might rub against a leg. They no longer needed to be in proximity to be close. One day soon, Farren would test the bounds of their newfound connection.

For now, he stood to the side, watching as Asher made a slashing motion with his hand. Farren felt the power roil from the gesture. Energy, like a static charge, sailed toward Morrisey—and smacked into an invisible wall.

Morrisey stood in the center of the room, not attacking, merely deflecting every blow, whether from Asher or one of his followers. A mere flick of Morrisey’s wrist ricocheted a bullet back to the one who fired. The shooter screamed and fell, grasping a bloody shoulder.

“Farren! Look out!” The yell might have come from Colm.

Farren whirled in time to block Leary’s blow. “Die, motherfucker!” Leary screeched, extending his gun in a two-handed grip.

Before Farren could take aim, Asher shouted, “Kill Morrisey!”

Fuck. Those still standing rushed Morrisey. Farren bunched his muscles, ready to block Morrisey with his body. The portal in his brain yawned wide. He focused on Asher, but Asher’s power proved too great at the moment. Farren settled for the traveler currently taking aim at Morrisey.

He extended his hand, sending out white light.

The woman screeched, eyes going wide. Farren opened himself up, clearly seeing the evil this woman had wrought, then committed her to banishment.

Next came an occisor, then another. Farren stripped the souls from the bodies they held, casting them into the abyss.

More came. Asher must’ve kept folks in reserve. Surely there’d not been this many in the conference room. Sounds of battle twisted around Farren, and a cacophony of sounds he couldn’t parse now.

Traveler after traveler came after Morrisey, only to find their judgment.

The conference room doors flung wide, a rolling tide of humanity flooding through the opening.

“Oh, shit.” Farren swallowed hard. No way could four people hope to take on so many.

Asher chortled. “You can never defeat me. Give up now, and I might be merciful. Allow you to use your power for my glory.”

“Never!” Morrisey snarled.

“Not even to see your beloved Craig again?”

Morrisey stopped. “My what?”

A stranger approached, tall and lean, with dark hair and eyes. Attractive, except for his corrupted aura. “It’s me, Morse. Craig.”

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