Page 63 of Dark Angel

Eyes widening, Daisy’s heart jumps into her throat and the beats of her blood quicken and vibrate down to her marrow.

“Daisy, what’s wrong?”

Swallowing, she watches the man take a step towards her. His head tilting to one side as he’s sickening smirk deepens. His hair’s more dishevelled this time, but still warm and fluffy. “I thought you would have tried harder keeping me out of your mind this time.”

Daisy tries stepping away, but her limbs don’t seem to want to work.

Clarence is now looking around frantically, trying to figure out what she’s so captivated by.

Green snake eyes stare her down like prey. “Trying to protect your friends. How courageous of you. You’re such a martyr,” he drawls as he steps closer again. “You know, I can feel every emotion your brain produces.” Mocking her lightly.

“I’m not helping you,” Daisy grits out.

“What?” Clarence looks at her like she’s terrifying him.

“I can tell what you feel for this man before you. You long for him. You want him for yourself.” The man teases her, grinding her gears. “You’re scared of me. Of what I’ll do to you and your loved ones. Yet, there’s also something inside of you that’s intrigued.” He continues closing the space between them. “You find me terrifying and alluring. You want me to leave you alone just as much as you want me here.”

“Stop!” Daisy shouts at him, tears prickling her eyes.

Clarence steps backwards, and she looks at him. His expression is a mixture of confusion and concern. “Daisy.” Clarence exhales slowly, but she focuses on the haunting man only a foot away from them now.

“Don’t you get it, Petal? I won’t stop until I’m done. When I have my power and this world. I won’t stop until this place knows my name and everyone flees from me. I won’t stop until I have what I deserve!” He yells at her with a face full of rage and terror.

“Stop!” She shouts again.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Daisy’s back slides down the wall, her head falls into her hands, covering her ears as she allows herself to cry. Her hot blood pounds erratically. “I won’t help you. Get out of my head!” She repeats to herself.

“Daisy.” Clarence’s voice is soothing compared with the man’s vengeful tone.

“Get out of my head!”

“Daisy, what’s going on? Talk to me.” Clarence is now crouching in front of her. “Look at me, Daisy.”

Her eyes flicker up into his before anxiously glancing to the side.

The blurred man has vanished.

Letting out a sob of relief, she falls into Clarence’s arms. “What was that, Daisy?”

Reluctantly, she tells him about the man haunting her mind. Clarence silently listens to her every word. She tries gauging his thoughts as she mentions the visions and night terrors and his words in her head.

She waits for him to yell at her for keeping this from him, but to her surprise, Clarence reaches up to wipe away the tears from her cheeks and kisses her gently on the forehead. “We’ll figure this out, Daisy. I promise I’ll help you find out who he is.”

Daisy shakes her head in his hands. “I’ve never seen him before. I don’t know who he is.” Fresh salty tears roll down her face once more and the soft pads of his fingertips swipe them dry. “I’m scared, Clarence. I’m too scared to sleep in case he comes back. I’m too scared to be alone.”

“I know, but we need to find out who he is. Maybe Kora can-”

“No!” Daisy’s raised voice cuts him off abruptly. “You can’t tell Kora. Not right now, at least. I don’t want this on her shoulders as well.”

“But she’s your closest friend. She deserves to know Daisy. She’ll want to help.”

“Exactly. She has enough to stress about already. I don’t want her to worry about this, too.”

Clarence’s eyes search her own. “Would you have told me if I wasn’t here right now?” his voice almost breaking as if he’s scared to know the truth.

Daisy’s gaze drops to her fingers fiddling in her lap. Would she have told him? Maybe eventually. “I don’t know,” she responds honestly, not able to look him in the eye, “he said he’ll hurt the ones I love. I wanted to protect you all from him, and I thought that meant keeping this from everyone.”

Clarence rocks back onto his heels as fear flashes across her face. “I know you want to protect us, but maybe you’re the one that needsprotecting, Daisy.” He sighs heavily before reaching out and helping her back onto her feet. “How does your head feel now?”

---