Page 73 of Ever Dark

Even Rodrick placates me. It seems trivial now. She almost died for those three rows. Because of me. Despite all my threats, I never meant to hurt her.

“Thank you. I’ll send another car to pick you up.”

“You did a good thing, Draven. You didn’t let the darkness win tonight. I’m proud of you, son.”

Chills sweep my back. That’s the first time… I swallow hard to choke back a sob. I can’t fucking break now. Not like this. “Yep.” I click off before he can pry any more sappy emotion out of me.

I carry Mia up the stairs to my bedroom, relishing the wayshe feels against me. I suck in deep breaths of jasmine and traces of honey left over from the paste.

When I pull back the covers and lay her down on my bed, that familiar ache returns. The pain from not touching her. I gently remove her slippers and leggings, then the remaining fabric from her ripped tank top before pulling the black satin sheets and comforter up to her neck.

The blush has returned to her cheeks, but I can’t risk her freezing to death after I just saved her from poison. I pull a chair next to the bed and sit.

She whimpers softly as she sleeps. I wonder if she is with him now. With Nox. I pray he allows her this one night to rest. Because no matter what my feelings are right now, I’m not done being angry with her.

My troubled little lamb needs to feel my wrath. To know that she does not get to scare me like this again.

MIA

“Oh, my sweet, dark one. You are not well. I can sense it.”

“Nox?” I don’t remember falling asleep. I don’t remember anything from last night.

“Yes, my love. I’m here. Tell me what happened.” He lies next to me, stroking my hair.

“I-I don’t know.” There’s this gap in my memory. The last thing I can recall is sitting with Aries at his house. We were kissing.

“Something’s happened to you. I can feel it. Are you hurt?” Nox tucks me into his chest.

I curl onto my side and bask in his warmth. But there’s a chill in my bones that I can’t shake. I shut my eyes and try to remember.

“I don’t feel hurt.”

He kisses my forehead. “That’s because you’re sleeping. But I sense you are hurt in the other world.”

Aries and I were kissing and then we were interrupted by…Draven.

I gasp and boltup. Fuck.

“Draven put me in a trunk. He’s trying to make me sell the house to him. I ran away from him. And then… I lit the poison fields on fire.”

“What were you thinking?” Nox growls.

I look down at my trembling hands. “I-I wasn’t. I was just so angry. That baneberry has caused me nothing but grief. I made a split decision to burn it all down.”

He pinches my chin hard between his clawed fingers. “And now you might die, Mia. The fumes from the poison… it can kill you.”

Tears stream down my face. “I didn’t think about that. He makes me so angry.”

Nox releases his hold on me and goes back to caressing my hair. “That’s because you love him. Did you ever think that he’s using the poison as an excuse to get to you? Embrace your darkness, my love. Embrace his. You need someone to care for you up there. Because I cannot.”

Is he right? Do I love Draven? Do I have feelings for all three of them? After everything they’ve done to me… I couldn’t. But I feel something for each of them. I’m drawn to them like an addiction.

“I’m sorry. I know it was stupid. But if I’m here, that means I’m not dead, right?” The chills in my spine deepen. I pull the sheet up around me.

“You are still alive. But you need to rest, so you stay that way.” He pulls me back to his chest. “Sleep now, my love. Return to me when you’re healed.”

I cry myself back to sleep on Nox’s beautiful chest. It’s these tender moments between us that strengthen our bond. He’s my nightmare, but he’s also my savior. The only one who has never abandoned me.

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