Page 47 of A Touch of Darkness

But it’s part of their dangerous allure. It’s probably how they’ve pulled in all their recruits before me, and I still feel the intense, growing desire to get far away from these people. There has to be a way I can get Lara back solely using the leverage—without joining their insane mission.

I know better than to fall into their trap. I trust the others. I trust Nicole. Rebecca. Lucian.

Lara.

I have to remind myself that these people are not my people.

They are using my sister for their gain.

I have to remember that.

The woman waits patiently, her expression unreadable, as if she knows exactly what I’m thinking. She’s given me just enough to whet my appetite, but not enough to give me all the answers.

Nicole. Rebecca. Lucian.

Those are the people that I trust. Not this woman. This woman whose voice drips like honey and who has some odd way of making me feel like everything she’s saying is true…even though deep down, I feel like she’s nothing but a liar.

I don’t know what I thought I’d accomplish by coming here today. Maybe that they’d give me answers about Lara or that I’d get to see her. I was just desperate enough to do this. But all she’s giving me is the run around—and it really makes me feel like everyone is right about them. They’re up to no good.

I take a deep breath, my heart hammering in my chest, and force myself to speak. “I still don’t understand everything. And I’m not ready to commit to anything until I know more. I’ll consider it. But only if you can explain exactly what it is you want with me. What is my role in all of this? The only thing that I care about is getting my sister back. Safely.”

Her eyes gleam in the dark, and I know—she’s playing me, slowly turning the key to unlock my curiosity. But I’ve made my choice. I won’t let myself be pushed further without knowing what I’m truly stepping into.

“We’ll have time,” she says, her voice silky, the hint of a promise in her tone. “You’ll understand soon enough. For now, just remember: You’re exactly where you need to be.”

If I’m being honest, I was worried Solstice would refuse to let me leave. I don’t think they see me refusing to join them, though. Part of me feels like they think they’re above it all. Nicole and Rebecca’s spellwork on me made me feel a bit safer, and they knew where I was if they needed to get to me. But I was still a little surprised that Solstice let me walk out without any sort of commitment.

The visit doesn’t make me feel any better about the group as a whole, especially after having some time to reflect on just how much Amara avoided giving me any straight answers. After that meeting, I’m standing firm in my belief that I can’t trust them, no matter how alluring Amara’s voice was when trying to pull me in. The most I got out of her is that they want me to unlock my potential, but it would be for their gain. I also know they think they can help me get Lara back. But is that a lie? Or is it possible to truly leverage my power in order to get her back? I’m going tofigure it out one way or another, but I have a feeling it isn’t going to be a quick process.

I just know I get a very, very bad feeling while around Amara and her people.

I step into the school library and notice it’s eerily quiet, a calm that only serves to amplify the chaos inside my own mind. The ancient shelves groan under the weight of forgotten knowledge, and the scent of old books fills the air. I head into the historical room that’s encased by four glass walls. After donning a pair of gloves, I run my fingers along the spines of the past, hoping to find something—anything—that could explain what’s happening to me. The Solstice Society, Lara’s disappearance, and the curse that wraps itself tighter around my heart with every passing hour.

I don't know where to start. So many questions, too few answers.

I do know I’m going to talk to the guidance counselor about switching some of my classes. Now that I know I have these abilities, and I know that there’s more than just humans roaming these halls, I think I deserve to delve more into it.

I hear the soft footfalls behind me before I feel them. Lucian. I know his footsteps, somehow, just another strange sense I’ve gained. My body tenses, but I don’t turn around. Not yet. I keep my gaze fixed on the books before me, wishing I could lose myself in their pages and forget about the mess I’ve created.

“You went to them.” His voice cuts through the silence, dark and menacing, with an emotion I can’t place.

I freeze, my breath catching in my throat. I didn’t tell him, purposefully, knowing he wouldn’t like it.

My fingers tighten on the edge of the book I’m holding, but I refuse to let it go. “I had to,” I say, my voice steady with counterfeit confidence, my heart racing in my chest. He scoffs, and I realize I’ve once again forgotten his vampiric abilities.

I finally turn to face him. “I went because I had to. The girls and I decided it would be the best way to get information, to try and beat them at their own game and figure out where Lara is.”

Lucian stands in the doorway, his dark eyes narrowing like he’s looking at a petulant child who’s been caught in an unforgivable lie. His anger is unmistakable now, his annoyance clear as he steps closer.

“‘You andthe girlsdecided,’” he repeats, the words laced with disbelief and something darker—something that feels like betrayal. “You and two young, impressionable witches?” His jaw clenches, a muscle in his neck tensing. “Do you have any idea how idiotic that sounds, Sylvie? You aren’t a stupid girl.”

I flinch backward, feeling the sting of his words, the truth of them cutting deeper than I want to admit. “I had to do something,” I defend myself, but the excuse feels hollow even as I say it. “We didn’t know what else to do, and I’m sick and fucking tired of getting the run around.”

Lucian takes another step toward me, his gaze fierce now. “What is so hard for you to understand? They will undoubtedly pull you in, Sylvie. It’s part of their plan,” he growls, his voice low and controlled, but the anger is there, raw and cutting. “They’ll manipulate you. They’ll make you think you’re in control, that you’re doing what’s best. But they’re not after you because they want to help. They want to fuckinguseyou. Bend you to their disgusting will. And they can pull you in so easily. You are a little girl who has been raised as nothing more than a human. Do you even know how easy those bastards will be able to manipulate you?” he seethes, his words like venom. “I repeatedly told you not to trust them.”

His words hit like a physical blow, and I take a step back, my breath catching.A little girl. I’m not merely a little girl. And the asshole in front of me knows it.

“I wasn’t thinking clearly,” I admit, his accusation settling in. “I just… I didn’t know what else to do. Lara’s gone. I had to try something. I thought maybe if I could gain more insight on them and learn what they want then maybe I could make a better decision on what to do.” I take a breath before continuing. “But once I got in there, I had a terrible feeling. I just knew I didn’t want to be anywhere near those people. If anything, it’s solidified things for me. I know I can’t trust them. I just need to figure out how to leverage the power they think I have so I can get my sister back.”

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