Page 32 of Visions of Darkness

Moments later, her breaths evened out. They were long and deep, a monotone lullaby.

Lying on my side, I closed my eyes and drifted somewhere between consciousness and sleep.

I chanted his name as lights flickered and flashed, my spirit fluttering in anxious anticipation.

Pax. Pax.

Just at the edge, I heard my name somewhere in the distance. It held me in this realm, my spirit hovering at the cusp.

I realized Jill was talking about me.

“Have you seen her back?” Her voice echoed from somewhere outside my door. Concerned frustration underscored her tone.

“What are you saying, Jill?” an unfamiliar voice asked. “Her chart clearly states there is no evidence of someone else inflicting those injuries.”

“I don’t know what I’m saying. It’s just that I saw something similar once, back when I worked in Des Moines. Something is off ...”

Their voices faded as they began to travel farther down the hall, becoming indistinct as I felt myself detach.

Aria floated, her spirit beaten and broken, her soul calling out to her Nol to be saved. She spun what felt never-ending until she flashed from the mortal world and the moist dirt of Tearsith was suddenly firm beneath her feet. A lush paradise welcomed her, grew up on all sides, the trees dense and their leaves thick.

He was waiting in the middle, like she knew he would be.

Stumbling, Aria took five steps out into the meadow before she crumpled to the ground.

Chapter Nine

Pax

Tearsith

“Aria!” Pax shouted.

Fear streaked down his spine as he watched his Nol stumble out from the dense forest and drop to her knees, collapsing onto the ground.

His heart raced at warp speed, and terror ripped through his consciousness as he ran to where she had collapsed just inside the boundary of Tearsith.

The entire day, he’d known she was in trouble.

Through time and space, he’d felt her turmoil. Had heard her calling his name. Louder than ever before, which he knew was something he shouldn’t be able to do.

He wasn’t supposed to be able to feel her while they were awake.

But he could.

He swore he’d always been able to.

The hours of the day had haunted him as he’d warred with the nearly irresistible urge to look for her.

To seek her out.

Find her in the day.

He knew better, though, didn’t he? The rule that it was forbidden.

A knot formed in his gut. Somewhere inside, he knew the rules were there for a reason. Logically, he understood why. He would only put her in danger. Make him somehow turn against her, though the thought of that seemed like complete bullshit to him.

He would never hurt her.

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