Page 30 of Twilight Echoes
“Look at your fairy dust,” her father said.
She glanced up, and her dust made a circle around her and Darrell. “I’m getting used to this happening.”
“It’s not just that.” Her father waved his finger. “Your outermost aura layer just connected to Darrell’s.”
“We’re sharing my aura,” she whispered. “How is that even possible? I’ve never heard of that happening before.”
Darrell glanced between her and her father.
Tears welled in the corners of her eyes. Aura is made up not only of who a person is but also carries a part of their soul. Without it, any living creature didn’t exist. Separating from your aura meant death.
“Why is her aura doing that and what does it mean?” Darrell asked.
“She’s your mate. She’ll do what she has to in order to protect you, and right now, the only thing keeping you from dropping dead in a few weeks is her fairy dust and aura,” her father said behind a tight jaw.
Avery couldn’t imagine how difficult the reality of the situation was on her parents.
Her father looped an arm around his wife, pulling her in tight, and kissed her forehead. “If Avery isn’t in close proximity, pulling her aura away, there is no telling how quickly you will die. While I believed it was important for you to be near each other, now it’s absolutely necessary.”
“Why do I get the feeling there is more?” Darrell asked.
She tucked her head under the crook of his arm, wrapping hers around his middle. “It’s sucking my life out of me.”
Darrell jerked back, pushing her to the side. “Are you telling me that keeping me alive is killing you?”
“It’s not that cut and dry,” her father said.
“No. No. No.” Darrell shook his head, rubbing his temples. “I won’t allow my mate to put herself at risk. We’ll separate, so her aura?—”
“You can’t do that, son.” Trask rested a hand on Darrell’s shoulder. “She accepted fate, which is why her aura could layer on you. If we don’t reverse this spell, she will die anyway. Her aura gives us more time, if we need it.”
“Whether we like it or not, he’s right, son,” her father said.
“I need to get out of here.” Darrell moved toward the foyer. His dark eyes were speckled with orange balls of fire. “I need to run. Think.”
“If you shift, you weaken both you and my daughter. If you’re away from her for too long, the aura that covers you now will never make it back to her, and she’ll die. You both will die. Now, please, we all need you to stay here, close to Avery, and let me go talk to the head wizard in the morning.”
Avery inched closer, but as soon as she reached out and touched Darrell, he shot his arms out to the sides.
“So, if I hadn’t come here, seen her—this wouldn’t be happening because she wouldn’t have known.” Darrell’s words tumbled out of his mouth in a harsh tone.
“Don’t do this to yourself,” Avery said.
“Can I be in a different room without risking the aura to split?”
“It’s better not to have a wall between the two of you,” her father said softly. “This isn’t easy for me or Avery’s mother. We’re talking about the fate of my little girl, but it’s bigger than that. We have the Legend of the Fated Moons to consider. Jackson’s children are at stake. Your pack could be wiped out. I won’t let that happen at the hands of black magic.”
Avery held her breath, staring at Darrell. His nose flared. The veins in his arms bulged. The anger that seeped from his pores burned her skin.
“Darrell,” she whispered, resting her hands on his shoulders. “We need to trust my father, Trask, and the council on this.”
“What about my pack? Last I spoke with my mother, things were the same, and no one was getting sicker.” Darrell tugged her to his chest, threading his fingers through her hair.
She closed her eyes, feeling the beat of his heart against her cheek. With one long exhale, every doubt that had crept into her mind was gone.
“With your permission, Trask can cast a short-term spell to help them fight the effects they are suffering. It doesn’t last more than seventy-two hours, but that adds three days to whatever timeline we are looking at.”
“Do it,” Darrell said with conviction. “I’ll call my second-in-command and let him know, but I want you to consider letting Avery and me go with you tomorrow.”
