Page 44 of The Dark Rising
“Little wolf?”
How dare he call me that, how dare he even show himself in my presence. He doesn’t deserve anything less than pain and hate and rage after what he has done.
He sighs, then moves closer. I tense, pressing deeper into the softness. Let me sink in it, I think, let it wrap me up so I can just…be.
I feel him sit, feel heat spreading along my leg that he is so close to touching. “You need your rest,” he says. “But I also need to see those eyes of yours.” Ha, why? So I can once again be locked in his gaze and my resolve weakened? Because if the Gods hadn’t given me enough to survive though, they gave mehim.My weakness, my downfall.
Just like I knew he would be.
Something cool strokes over my hand, my body locks up, and then relaxes. I feel his magic gently roaming over the back of my hand, like a greeting. My fingers flex, and it pushes between them before going to my palm. My heart thumps heavily within my chest, and tears prickle behind my closed eyes at what it’s doing. It wants to comfort, soothe me, and dammit, I let it. I raise my hand a little, letting it fully move all over my hand and then gently place it back down on the softness. It’s like it’s holding me, seeping into my skin. I feel my own magic, just under the surface, instinctively moving toward it. I feel the moment they press against each other, feel the moment I release a breath as Darius echoes it.
The connection thrives like lightning inside of me, and I clench my hand around it, keeping it in my grip as it swirls against my palm. Like-caressing-like. The other thing that is the same as me, but different throughout the whole of the lands, and it’s attached to the enemy,isthe enemy.
I feel a sob bubble up my throat, and I unclench my hand, batting his magic away and roll over, my back toward him. I feel the moment he calls his magic back, feel the tension in the air, but I can’t do it. It’s a lie.
I grab what feels like furs and burrow against it, pulling it over my head as I try and come out of the feeling of hopelessness. And although I feel that, rage is simmering just under the surface, ready to rise and boil over. I just need a little more time before it’s ready, a little more time to rest and then I will get out of here.
We shouldn’t have come to this keep, we should have stayed at Witches Rest and figured out what to do. Found somewhere else to stay where Darius cannot find me and then made plans to figure out how to get Kade and our pack back.
There has to be others out there that go against the Highers’s ruling, that hates them as much as we do. The number of people we have rescued over the years, there must be so many more of them, wanting a new life, wanting revenge.
Because even though most are not directly affected by the Highers, their laws do not protect them, they just take more of their food and leave them to fend off the rogures themselves.
So maybe we can still get Sarah, and then we will go and look for others who are willing to fight for the lands, who will help right the wrong and hopefully not be scared of an Heir.
Maybe some will welcome me. maybe they will.. like me. Forgive me for hiding.
I don’t know, but I need to try, it is the least I can do for all those that have suffered at the hands of the Highers because of my absence.
I hear Darius move, and I burrow deeper. When I feel a hand on my shoulder though the furs, I want the ground to swallow me and he growls beneath his breath. I wait for what’s to come. A shove, or ripping the furs off of me and demanding answers.
None of this comes though. “I’ll let you rest more and bring up some food later.” And then he’s gone. His presence disappearing from the room.
I think to myself I should get up, go to the door I just heard close, and make a run for it.
But I’m just so tired.
I snuggle down.
Just a quick rest and then I will go. I will go when my magic recovers from my outburst and get my pack that are here, get Sarah, and disappear, never to see Darius again unless it’s on a battlefield.
I don’t go though. Darius comes to me everyday and I ignore him. He talks to me, touches my shoulder underneath the furs, my legs, feet. Still I don’t say a word.
And I don’t hear anyone but him.
I don’t smell anyone but him.
I don’t sense anyone but him.
Just always… him.
Seventeen
Darius
Shewon’ttalktome, look at me. Fuck, she barely breathes in my direction, always rolling away from me. It’s been days since I saw her eyes, since she spoke a single word to me and I feel… restless.
Drax growls, his back turned from me, and I growl back. What does he want me to do? I’m trying to be patient, trying to give her time, but it’s wearing thin. She’s exhausted, and not eating won’t help that. Everything I have put on the table, she doesn’t even touch. I’ve tried to place it on the bed and leave, but when I come back, it’s still there untouched. I’ve even resisted the urge to sleep next to her, just so she can feel like she can come out of this… slump. But again, nothing is working.
