Page 63 of Marked By Night

Then everything blinks out at once, plunging the room into total darkness. My muscles tense and I shift my weight, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. With the way these past few days have gone, I’m not taking any chances.

Muscular arms wrap around me protectively, pulling me back from the center of the circle into his embrace. “I’ve got you, my Little Flame,” Kaos whispers.

“We have waited for you for so long, child.”A phantom hand caresses my cheek. Every muscle in my body relaxes and I intuitively know this entity means me no harm. Tears spring to my eyes as her loving strength wraps around me.

The cadence of her words can only be described as ethereal. “Use your powers wisely and beware of the dark forces against you. Know we are always watching, waiting for the day when things are made right. May the Shadow’s guide and watch over you on your journey.”With one last gentle caress, the ghostly hand trails her fingers down my cheek in a loving way, and then it’s gone.

“Who are you?” I whisper, but the room no longer feels heavy with the weight of her power and I know—whoever the voice belongs to—is no longer with me.

“Well, that’s certainly never happened before,” Bedi says, relighting the candles with a snap of her fingers, and I finally get a good look at the guy’s worried expressions.

Great. Another way I’m different from the others. Is a littlenormalcy too much to ask for?

Bedi reaches under the altar and hands me a smooth milky white pebble she calls ashadestone. She tells me it was charged during my ritual and that I’ll need it one day. That it will bring me strength and healing. I’m not sure how a rock is supposed to do that, but I’ll keep it on me anyway. It can’t hurt, right?

There are so many other things I want to ask, but I can’t seem to make my mouth move. Every time a question comes to mind, it suddenly disappears. Since my senses are too overloaded to really do anything else, the guys usher me out of the chamber and Bedi’s treehouse.

I can tell the ritual rattled them.

It shook me too if I’m honest.

26

Sadie

After an uneventful ride, we roll off the backroads into a town, passing a weathered welcome sign that statesWelcome to Sevierville. Your Hometown in the Smokies.It’s the first indication of actual civilization we’ve passed since we left the duplex.

Riding in Dante’s lap has been pure hell. Every time I shift, his dick pokes me in the ass. It can’t be comfortable for him. Although, he’s been super accommodating and hasn’t made me feel awkward once. That’s the thing about these guys, they make me feel like I belong in a way no one else ever has.

Kaos takes an abrupt left down a gravel driveway between a large patch of trees. The sharp turn almost throws me out of Dante’s arms, and I’m forced to brace my hands against the roof or end up in Kaos’s lap. Which was likely the point, considering he smacks a kiss against my lips before Dante pulls me back across the console.

“I can’t let Dante have all the fun, now can I?”

Lord, these two are going to be the death of me.

I take a moment to study our surroundings because if things go sideways, I need to know where to go. Determine the best route to leave. On our right side, there’s a serious dropoff. One wrong move or slight jerk of the wheel and we’ll be pancakes in the ravine. When the rickety road finally turns the opposite way, leading us away from the cliff, I let out a relieved breath.

“That was a long way down.”

Dante shrugs. “It’s a decent tourist deterrent.”

No shit.

A few minutes later, the gravel roadway turns paved. We pass through row after row of picture-perfect oak trees leading to an equally picturesque mansion. It looks like they plucked it right out of an HGTV magazine and plopped it onto a plot of land in the mountains. Honestly, who needs this much space?

Kaos maneuvers the Maserati around the circular driveway, parking in front of the entrance. There’s a short staircase leading up to a giant wrap-around front porch. “Welcome to our humble abode,” he announces, reaching over to give my knee a small squeeze.

“Humble?” I scoff. “Our duplex was humble. This is something else.” I take in the stone facade and the perfectly manicured lawn. We’re in the mountains, yet there’s not a fallen leaf in sight.

Dante opens our door, and slips out with me in his arms, then sets me down with a kiss on my cheek. I let the seat forward, allowing Goldie and Ash to exit and they do with muttered groans about tiny backseats. I can’t blame them.

A butler—or at least I’m assuming he’s a butler, judging by the full tuxedo—comes rushing out of the front door, his man bun bouncing with each long stride he takes.

“I’m so sorry I’m late. Please excuse my absence, Kings’,” he says, giving a short bow to the guys. Then he extends a gloved hand to me. “Please allow me to take your bag for you, Miss.”

When I don’t react, he looks up at me expectantly. My breath catches in my throat because he has the most exquisite eyes with light golden flecks throughout his iris and they seem like they hold so much pain behind them. He’s also sporting a massive black eye, split lip, and bruised cheekbone.

He clears his throat and my trance snaps. I frown, looking down at my ratty bag that holds everything I have left to my name. “I’d prefer to keep it with me, but thanks for the offer.”

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