Page 57 of The Dark Rising
“As far as I know, yes.”
I want to ask if there is any way he could get him out, could getmein to get him, but we haven’t even gotten Sarah yet. For all I know, this could all still be a trap.
“Under the moonlight,” he murmurs after more silence stretches, and my shoulders bunch up, refusing to look at him. “The darkest of nights shine the brightest.”
I swallow roughly as he repeats what I said to him in Eridian. I thought he didn’t hear me. “How do you know that?”
I feel his stare on the side of my face. “How could I not?”
“Maybe we should use a memory stone on you and block it out,” I snark.
He chuckles, and it makes my insides flutter. “I think both of us have had enough of memory stone bullshit.”
“True, but this could be an exception. You can forget all about me and be on your way with your band of merry assholes.”
“Even if my memory was taken, little wolf, it would be impossible to forget you.” I hate the way his words wash over me and burrow deep. The thought of someone not forgetting me, even my enemy, settles something inside of me. I have been hiding for years, I could die and the only ones who would know would be those in Eridian. To have someone on the outside makes me feel like I’m part of the lands, not burrowing into it until I cease to exist. “You know as well as I do that I couldn’t forget you.”
“Souls are a funny thing,” I tell him, picking at my fingers and shaking off my thoughts. “They are this invisible thing, yet are very much there and are a part of you. You don’t see it, but you feel it, and they can hurt, tear, and damn near break you. But you know what I think?” I ask, finally looking at him.
“I want all your thoughts,” he says, eyes roaming over my face.
“I think no matter thehow, we created our own soul, and since we did that, we can eventually over time, re-make it. We can mold it, take some off and keep the bits we like.”
He tilts his head at me. “And why would you want to remake it?”
“Because I would take out the parts that cause me to falter in my steps, that weigh me down under boulders and drown me in its darkest depths.” I don’t know why I told him that, but the words spill from me anyway.
He shakes his head slowly. “I don’t think you would need to do that.”
“Why not?” I question, my brows furrowing.
“You don’t need to remake your soul, little wolf, all you have to do is conquer it. When you do that, and it is awhen, Rhea, you will have a home with foundations, not a tent that could blow away at any moment. With that, you will become more than you were, but never forgetting how you started or how far you have come.“ He turns toward me, and I’m unable to move back, to get out of his sight as everything narrows down to him, on his words. “When you do that, you will shine more than you do now. The lands will know it too, and they will feel your wrath, but they will also feel your heart.” He nudges his nose against mine, the action too quick for me to avoid. “I could create a path so you don’t stumble anymore, carry the weight you bare and make sure you stay in the light.” He looks me over, a small smile on his face, the one that is unguarded, free. “But you don’t need me to do that for you, Rhea, you can do it on you own. Though I will help you, whether you want it or not.” He turns and heads back through the doors before I can reply. “Come, time for bed,” he calls over his shoulder.
I stay where I am and bring my fingers up to my nose as it tingles. My chest warms at his words, and my heart crumbles at wanting to believe him, for just a moment, to believe that maybe we can forgive what we had both done.
I lied, I killed some of his men, I hid Sarah and more people died because some of the Elites weren’t there to help with the rogures.
He took us to the Highers, broke our vow, and whipped me.
It feels like so much hangs between us, and in the softer moments, we forget for a little while. We both know that the silent words of this mess hanging between us, of anger and betrayal will soon spill out.
And I’m not sure what will become of us at the end of it.
“I’m not tired,” I eventually tell him.
“Don’t care, bed.”
Ugh, insufferable asshole.
Twenty Two
Darius
“Keepyourdominantfootbehind you to power your strike, use your whole arm when you swing your blade, it is an extension of you, not an accessory!” I shout to my Elites as they spar with each other.
The training yard is on the other side of the west wing. It’s a large square enclosed with fencing, with soft dirt on the ground for when they land. The summer sun beats down on their naked backs, nicks and some shallow wounds dripping blood from them as we enter our fourth hour of training.
“You’re hard on them, more so than usual,” Leo says when I reach the fence that goes around the perimeter.
