Page 46 of Taming Darkness

“That explains so fucking much to me,” Lycus exclaims, clutching his hair. Tobias turns to him. “You knew too?” Tobias exclaims.

“No, but it explains his gifts,” Lycus mumbles. Tobias shakes his head, trying to wrap his head around what I said before pinning me with a glare.

“Wait, how do you know?”

“I didn’t know he was a Harmony-Fae. I just knew he was different. I’ve witnessed it.” Lycus snaps at me. Tobias, however, is just a mixture of confusion.

“Witness what?” Tobias asks, and I am curious too.

“He can’t control it. He only did it once. But he has more power than even he knows about. His medication helps suppress it.”

“Suppress what?” I ask curiously, glancing at my mate, who has no idea we are talking about him.

“When my father found me.”

“Which one?” I ask.

“Porter… he…” Lycus looks over at Kalen. “He didn’t even touch them,” he mumbles.

“I shake my head. “What?” I ask.

“Kalen…my father and some of his friends from the pits stumbled on us, and I was in a bad way. I thought we would be killed until Kalen made them kill themselves. He gave it to them. He gave them the shadows. It sent them crazy. His ability to manipulate auras goes beyond anything I’ve ever seen. He didn’t just touch their feelings and tweak them. He used them as a weapon, so I know he can manipulate that oversized pigeon,” Lycus explains, and I blink at him. That explains how he is strong enough to manipulate my incubus. Nodding, I look at Ryze.

“Ryze!” I call, and her head turns to look at me. Opening her wings, she flaps them twice before riding the breeze and dropping in front of us. She squawks in my face, beak snapping. They are all on edge, restless for their Queen.

“Aleera,” I simply tell the Phoenix, and she tilts her head. They’re such smart birds that they recognize our language. I just need her to convince the others to allow Kalen to manipulate them.

I turn my wrist up to show her, tapping my infinity mark. “We need power.” I point up, then at Kalen. Her head follows my finger, and considering she doesn’t try to bite it, I take it to mean she is paying attention. Ryze, however, is far different from the others; she is as much ours as Aleera, though she would turn on us without a second thought for Aleera. But Ryze isn’t the head of the flock; Spark is, her father.

Kalen glances over when I point him out before wandering over to us through the long grass. “What’s going on?” he asks, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“We need you to manipulate their auras,” I explain as Ryze observes him.

“I haven’t got the power to do that, and I…” Kalen pauses, looking at Ryze. Her bird-like eyes watch him intently. He's right; we still require magic. “And I don’t think I can use it on an animal,” he finally says, uncertainty clouding his face. I nod in agreement.

“Your father,” I say, grabbing Ryze’s beak and turning her attention to me. “Magic,” I explain to her before pointing to each of us. Ryze watches, trying to understand what I am saying to her.

She ruffles her feathers, her tail cutting through the air like a frustrated cat, clearly struggling to grasp the concept.

“Magic,” Tobias repeats, tapping his wrist. She cocks her head to the side, observing him, before her tongue flicks out, licking his cheek. He sighs, shaking his head. In return, she screeches loudly in his face. “This is pointless. Do you want to piss them off?” Tobias asks, his tone exasperated.

“She doesn’t understand. She’s a juvenile, and I’m not pissing off Spark,” he clarifies, his voice tense.

I chew my lip, anxiety gnawing at the edges of my thoughts. We have no choice. Ryze hops along on the grass as I storm past her, scanning the ground for anything that will help us.

“Darius!” Tobias snaps at me, his voice full of worry.

“We need Spark. He’ll understand!” I retort with a growl, my determination unwavering.

“Are you fucking insane? He could fly down and rip you to pieces!” Lycus objects, tossing his arms up in the air, his face a mix of fear and frustration. He is right. The Phoenixes aren’t in the right frame of mind. They want their Queen, their mother. And we aren’t her.

But the desperation gnawing at me pushes me to take a risk. If we’re going to save Aleera, we have to do something. I close my eyes and gather my courage, summoning Spark with as much conviction as I can muster.

“Spark!” My voice rings through the air. The large Phoenix turns his gaze toward me, his eyes burning with intelligence and a hint of curiosity.

He flaps his wings, the gusts of wind created by the motion causing the surrounding grass to ripple like waves. His majestic presence sends shivers down my spine as he lands in front of me. I can feel the immense power radiating from him, making it hard to breathe.

I take a deep breath, gathering my thoughts.

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