Page 154 of His Darkest Desire

And that sense of being surrounded by destiny’s threads, of being guided by them, only strengthened when her father turned the car onto a road she’d only seen once but would never forget. Even though so much had been obscured by the rain that night, she recognized it immediately.

She felt this place.

As they rolled down the dirt road, Kinsley sat up straighter and stared out the window. Her eyes darted back and forth, scanning the trees, seeking even the faintest light in the darkness.

Static crackled across the car stereo. Kinsley’s heart raced, and she grasped the door handle, ready to throw it open at the faintest flash of blue.

“Every time we come down this road,” her father muttered as he changed the radio station, only to be met with static at a slightly higher pitch.

“Eyes forward, Aiden,” Emily scolded.

The radio fell suddenly silent, and Aunt Cece said, “There. Simple as switching it off, isn’t it?”

Aiden grunted. “Must be a weird dead zone here or something.”

They reached the bend in the road where Kinsley had crashed. She knew the spot, even though it was dark and no evidence remained of her car having gone off road.

Yet no wisps showed themselves. There were no spirits drifting through the night, no eyes watching from the shadows.

Kinsley’s heart sank, dragging her down with it. She let her head fall back, and it lolled as the car trundled over the little bumps and irregularities in the road. That alternate world was behind her now. She felt it receding even as its call to her grew stronger.

She returned her hands to her belly and closed her eyes.

Vex loves me. He freed me because he loves me.

But no matter his reasons, it still hurt that he hadn’t given her the choice.

I would have chosen you, Vex. I would have stayed.

When the car came to a stop, she didn’t open her eyes. Not until her father said, “We’re here, Kins. Want me to help you inside?”

Kinsley glanced out the window and beheld the cottage for the first time with her own eyes. It had looked so quaint and enchanting in the pictures. Had looked so magical, so perfect. Something about the listing had been…right.

But it had never been this cottage beckoning her soul. It had been the nearby woods; it had been a nearby world.

“No, it’s okay,” Kinsley said, reaching for the door handle.

She climbed out of the car and closed the door behind her. As she stood there, clutching the sides of her dad’s coat closed around her, she looked toward the forest. Once more she searched for a glimpse of blue between the dark trunks.

There was still nothing.

Tears pricked her eyes.

“Kinsley?” Cecelia inquired.

Kinsley looked at her aunt, who now stood in front of the cottage, holding the door open.

Aiden wrapped an arm around Kinsley’s shoulders. “Come on, baby girl. Let’s get inside.”

Emily followed as they entered the cottage. Cecelia flicked on the light. Just like in the pictures on the listing, the place was fully furnished, old-fashioned and charming. It had seemed perfect those months ago. There was a faint musty, woodsy smell, though it wasn’t unpleasant. Once, it might have even been a little comforting.

There were blankets and pillows on the sofa and chair, mugs on the side tables, and suitcases propped against the wall.

“You’ve been staying here?” Kinsley asked.

“We came here as soon as we found out about the accident,” Emily said. “It was close to where you went missing, and the owners have been very kind about all of it. Gordon and Lucy even helped in the search.”

Kinsley turned and looked at her family, really looked at them. Her heart clenched. Her parents looked more haggard than she’d ever seen then, her mother thinner, paler, her father sporting a few more gray hairs than she’d remembered. There were dark circles beneath their eyes.

---