Page 158 of Walking in Darkness
I reeled when I realized a broken piece of wood was sticking out of my upper leg.
Nausea rolled through my gut, and my hand was shaking out of control as I wrapped it around the blunt end of the plank.
Then I yanked.
Hard.
A scream tore out of me as I pulled it free. The wood was bloody and sharp at the tip. Hand fumbling, I dropped it to my side, gasping for air, for resilience, for the strength to get back to my feet when everything hurt so badly.
I made it to my hands and knees when my gaze traveled, and it landed on Pax, who was coughing as he climbed to standing at least a hundred feet away.
Thrown across the park as well.
Then my attention jerked away from my heart and slanted back to Ambrose.
Ambrose, who stood at the base of the gazebo, staring at me.
Death in his eyes.
Lightning flashed above him in the toil of clouds, and a clap of thunder shook the heavens and rumbled across the ground.
Footsteps suddenly pounded up beside me, and a hand darted out to my shoulder. “Oh my God, Aria, are you okay?”
It was Dani.
Dani.
I struggled to speak. “I think so.”
Dread carved Dani’s brow when she noticed the blood saturating my pant leg. I shook my head to cut off her worry. “It’s fine.”
We didn’t have time for it not to be.
“Okay, but you’ve got to get off the ground. Right now.” Dani fumbled around in front of me and stretched out her hand.
A moan rolled from my throat at the rush of pain that clawed across my thigh, but I managed to stand.
Pax rushed up and held me in those strong, unrelenting arms.
“Aria. Baby,” he wheezed at my temple.
Torment seeded in the words.
I wanted to sag into his care. Into his embrace. Into the promises I knew he wanted to make.
But this wasn’t about my well-being.
So I gripped him for one second, relishing the warmth, his scent and ferocity and everything that he was, before I peeled myself from his hold and straightened.
With my chin lifted, I slowly swiveled toward Ambrose, who still hovered by the gazebo.
Dani and Pax were on either side of me.
It was the first time I noticed that the sounds of the battle no longer resounded, and I became aware that Laven had begun to gather.
A force that had assembled from every direction of the earth.
Surrounding me as they began to amass.
