Page 31 of In the Dark

“Since when do you care how he feels?” Karsia fired back. The words felt like hot acid boiling inside of her. Frowning, she stuck her hands in her pockets and lifted her chin. “You’ve never been a daddy’s girl.”.

Astix stared at her, a veil slipping over her eyes. “I know that’s not you saying those things. Calm down.”

“It is me. And I don’t appreciate you telling me to calm down. Have you forgotten who I am? Why I’m here? You have a lot of nerve talking to me like you’re so much better.”

“Calm down,” Astix repeated. She touched a finger against Karsia’s sternum. “Right now.”

A burst of light coursed through Karsia and her world turned white. The toll of a bell echoed in her ears, the only sound she heard, and when she drew her next breath the darkness dissipated, if only for a minute, and her true self stared out through her eyes. A tidal wave of hurt assaulted her and scalding tears leaked from her eyes. At once she wished for the numbness of the dark.

“Oh my God. Mom.”

“I know.” Astix drew her sister close in a hug.

Morgan looked on helplessly as Karsia broke down. Her keening sobs tore at his heart and broke it into pieces. He understood the need for being quiet and standing back. Nevertheless he could barely prevent himself from crossing to her side and swooping her up, taking her away from the anguish.

“What did you do to her?” he asked.

“She’s fine,” Astix spoke over Karsia’s head. “I activated the gemstones around her heart.”

“She’s herself again?”

“For a time.”

His face broke out into a grin. “That’s great! Let’s hurry upstairs right now and heal your mom. With Karsia back to normal, we can—”

“It won’t last long enough to make a difference,” Astix said softly. “But it’s a wonderful thought. Thank you.”

He jerked when Aisanna moved to him and touched his arm gently. She looked like the others, cut from the same mold. Here was wisdom. A dynamic and cultured woman who had seen her fair share of tragedy. She shared the same coloring and eyes but with harder planes to her face. A stronger chin. She was a woman who understood self-control and discipline.

“I don’t know how she found you or why she sought you out when none of us could reach her, but thank you. Thank you for keeping watch over her and bringing her home.” Her voice was easy and washed over him with the comfort of a warm blanket just removed from the dryer.

Morgan admired her strength even as he heard the pounding of her heart beating against her ribs like a bird in a cage.

“She won’t tell me what’s really happening. I want to help, and there’s only so much I can do without understanding the whole picture,” he told her. “I have started to look for a way to get rid of what she says is inside her, but so far I haven’t had enough time to find anything.”

“You’re here.” Aisanna sent him a tense half-smile. “It’s enough for now. We’ve been working on a way. Darkness is tenacious, though. You seem like a nice man.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” he muttered.

Karsia jerked her shoulders. A slight, uncomfortable twitch.

Aisanna gestured with her head. “I’m surprised this worked.”

“Would you kindly explain to me what, exactly, was done?”

Aisanna focused on her sisters embracing instead of giving in to her own anguish. She would deal with it in her own time, in her own way. It helped to keep a bubble around her thoughts to keep them from scattering. Magic, she thought. It was something she could focus on instead of her own inadequacy—an earth witch who didn’t have the power to heal her mother. It was deplorable.

“Astix has an affinity for gemstones. The only reason Karsia has not become Darkness in earnest is the pieces of stone around her heart keeping the evil at bay,” she went on to say. “Emerald and amber, both used for centuries in keeping negativity and evil spirits away. It’s witchcraft in its purest form.”

Morgan stopped, turning toward the rest of them. “What?”

“Her heart. Astix tapped into it, so what you’re seeing now is the real Karsia. No filters.”

Karsia had no heart? How was she still alive? “That’s cruel.” Morgan longed to intervene. He sipped his tea and tamped down his need to meddle. “Her feelings will drown her. It’s too much for her right now.”

Aisanna sighed. “I understand, and you understand, but in this case, we need her to see why she should stay here. The real her. There’s a war going on, Mr. Gauthier. Our mother was one of many casualties in the fight of good against evil. I’m upset, yes. More than you can ever imagine.” Aisanna hiccupped and set her jaw. “But my sister is here, and that’s what Mom would want. I have to focus on moving forward. Or I’ll sink and never resurface.”

“I’m going to make this right. For her,” Morgan vowed, the desire solidifying in his mind. “I am sorry for your loss, I am. But I’m here for her.”

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