Page 33 of Tasting Darkness

Darius’ breathing becomes harsher as I use my aura to taint him, turning his hunger for power into lust. The moment I move my hands, I will be like a puppet in his strings because I can't fight him and maintain concentration at the same time to hold it over him. Every time this has happened, I have usually been on my own or with Lycus, and I always block Lycus out. Yet, with Aleera, I wasn't sure I can block her fully now she had marked me, she is our keeper and once she marks us, there are no secrets we can keep from her.

My hands tremble as I let him go, knowing what I am in for, and my eyes glaze over as I try to maintain the same level of control, contorting and twisting his aura. Still, at the same time that left me defenseless against him. It blinds me from my surroundings as his aura envelops me. He has no control, he never did, and neither did I, which leaves us both at the mercy of his instincts.

This is an instinct for him to take, humiliate, and destroy souls and feast on their pain and magic. That is what the Demonic King does. He could twist your worst nightmare, demolish it and rebuild it into something worse. Take on the persona of the person you feared most.

Blinded suddenly to my surroundings, I hear him growl before the air is knocked out of my lungs. The room fizzles into view momentarily as I drop my magic before I am suddenly blind as I regain control.

Darius tugs at my clothes, and I feel with my hands to realize I am on my back on the desk. He snarls, the sound sending a chill up my spine, so cold I think it will freeze my heart. Tobias, I can feel is horrified as Darius shreds my clothes. He’s never seen Darius like this. I always deal with him when he is this way after learning firsthand what he was capable of. Therefore, I make sure I force them out, yet Tobias isn’t leaving.

Darius’ hands fall on my hips before he flips me, making me lose my magic as he slams me on my stomach on the desk, flinging me around like a rag doll. Reaching out, I open a portal, wanting Tobias to step through it. Yet all he does is shake his head, and refuses to tear his eyes from us.

My magic drops when Darius forces himself inside me, as pain rips through me. I grip the desk and grit my teeth, instead focusing on his aura and trying to slow him as he thrust into me. I feel like I am tearing in two when I feel him latch onto my magic and draw on it. Once it is gone, I would have not a sliver of control left over him until he is done with me and comes back to us. It sickens me knowing this could have been Aleera if she didn’t get out in time.

Tobias growls, and I feel my magic fading away with each brutal thrust. Darius groans behind me, and my vision flickers as he drains me of power. The room comes back into view when I see Tobias step into a portal.

It closes, and I sigh with relief. No one wants to witness this. However, moments later, it opens, and I whimper as I find Tobias stepping through it with Aleera. Tobias’ back is to me, and I can see she is crying, making me wonder if I had managed to block her at all. I would kill him for bringing her in here. Only when he moves, do I see she is blindfolded, her hands outstretched.

My scream is deafening when I feel Darius rip himself from me, feeling her energy burning like a beacon. And I turn, trying to grab him as he rushes at her. “Immobilize agus faigh!” Tobias says, and he grits his teeth, trying to hold it over Darius, as Darius resists it, now writhing with my power. This was stupid of him to bring her here. Lycus steps through the portal behind her and glances at me before his eyes flick away.

Lycus grabs her arms, leading her toward him. “Hurry, Lycus!” Tobias spits as Darius breaks free of his magic and slams against her. They all tumble to the ground, and Aleera screams as Darius bites into her neck; he would kill her to get her magic. Lycus is trapped beneath the pair of them when Aleera clamps her hands on his face. Her hands glow gold as she feeds her magic into him, burning it out. Her eyes glow through the blindfold like a torch was turned on beneath. As the magic fades, Darius rips his teeth from her neck.

Blood runs down his chin, and Aleera’s arms fall at her sides, and her body goes slack. I see Darius’ aura flicker as his conscious mind returns. Meanwhile, Aleera’s magic is burned out completely. He drained her entirely, not leaving even a speck of power. Lycus is breathing heavily, and Aleera’s head rolls to the side of his chest when Darius comes too. The air fizzles around him, hazed like a veil has been lifted. He pants, trying to catch his breath before his breath halts completely.

His eyes peer down at her beneath him, realizing he is naked. His head whips to the side to look at us in horror. Tobias stands in shock. Lycus just stares vacantly at the ceiling clutching her body when Darius' eyes fall on Aleera pinned beneath him, her clothes all torn from their earlier struggles. He makes a strange noise in the back of his throat, yanking the blindfold off her.

“Did I…?” he says, horrified, looking down at her.

“Rape her?!” Lycus growls, glaring at Darius.

“No! Just Kalen!” Lycus snarls at him in disgust.

ChapterTwenty-Five

Kalen Wraith

Darius pushes off the ground, looking down at her, horrified. Guilt smashes into me, not his, but my own. They hated him for what he did, but they don't know what it is like for him when he is like that. He isn't human, man, or fae in those moments.

He is demonic possession, dark energy that knows no limits, no boundaries. It makes me feel guilty because I can't get them to see that. The look of revulsion and pure disgust on their faces as he tries to pick her up upsets me, and his embarrassment washes through the bond. He is ashamed of himself.

Tobias shoves him away when he reaches for her, but it is Lycus who gets up and growls ferociously. None of them knew. I kept the act itself from them, just like I kept their secrets and how I kept Darius'. This was our secret. They didn't need to know.

If Tobias just left as I had asked, this wouldn't be an issue right now. Lycus usually leaves, or I’m always able to make him by convincing his mind to think I am simply tainting Darius' aura.

Since Tobias is Vampiric, I can’t compel his mind. I’m not strong enough. The joys of being a Dark-Fae, an empathic fae. I hate it but also love it. There is nothing they can hide from me, not even the darkest secrets they refuse to share.

I know it all. Every dirty sin, every desire, and every secret. Despite the darkest parts of them, I love them. I love Darius and know he would never hurt me, his possessive demonic side would, but I know that is a separate entity to him. So for that, I can’t hate him.

Tobias grabs her off Lycus, cradling her to his chest and Darius looks wounded as he stares at her. Lycus, however, rises to his feet before punching Darius. Darius doesn't even fight back. He wants them to hurt him for what he did to me. He hates himself.

Darius lands on the ground on his back before Lycus pounces on him. Burning rage bleeds through the bond. Meanwhile, Tobias simply opens a portal and steps through it, abandoning Darius. Turning his back on him. He doesn’t care if Lycus hurts him. But I do.

Darius is our mate, and I won’t let them harm him even if he wants them to. Therefore, I yank my pants up before rushing around the desk and slamming against Lycus.

I tumble on top of him. His beast rages within him, and his eyes glow, canines protruding from his lips as he snarls. He shoves me to the side and growls. Lycus wants to rip him to pieces and destroy him like he thinks Darius did to me.

Darius sits up, and I throw myself in his lap as Lycus' fist goes toward my face. I close my eyes a second before his eyes widen at the realization he’s going to hit me. He heaves in a sharp breath, then whimpers, making my eyes open to see Darius' hand encasing his fist just off my face.

Lycus jerks his hand back instantly, breathing heavily as he looks at me, his eyes returning to normal, no longer the glowing obsidian of his beast. He stares at me in shock that I would defend Darius against him.

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