See How She Awakens (The Chronicles of Izzy #4)(28)

“You are not alone in this, Izzy. Never forget that. When the darkness begins to take hold, reach out. It is a heavy burden to carry alone, and it isn’t one that you must. Don’t be stubborn on this one. The world does not solely rest upon your shoulders. If it does, then we are all doomed.” With a half-smile Molly began to fade. “Don’t forget, you’re a badass of epic proportions.”

“I’m going to save you, Molly!” I promised as she faded completely.





My eyes shot open as reality crashed back in, bringing Aberto into focus. The darkness melted away with each breath, a strange peace settling in my bones. For the first time since I’d left the void, I felt strong. No longer would I be stumbling through the dark blind and directionless. Molly had given me what I needed to move forward, but first I had to learn to fight the darkness, and I knew just the Old One to help.

“Kiss me.” I looked Aberto dead in the eyes, waiting for him to deny my request.

Instead, he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to mine.

“No, not like that. Do it like you mean it, like this is the last chance you will ever have to kiss me,” I challenged.

Before I could take another breath, his lips devoured mine. He pulled me flush against his hard body as his hands knotted in my hair, holding me in place. Electricity zipped between us as he consumed me. I’d never been kissed like this in my life, and I was sure I’d never feel like this again. I fell into it, whole heartedly embracing every ounce of passion. It wasn’t long before the darkness surfaced.

You are a disgrace. Kennan is still fresh in the grave. How can you say you loved him?

Still the kiss went on, every ounce of repressed desire, every moment of longing I’d seen in Aberto’s eyes was thrown into this moment. I pulled him closer, shutting the darkness out, and pulling Aberto in. I’d been fighting my attraction to him for so long it had become inherent, but now I fought a war of a different kind. I fought to release all of the unspoken emotions, the unbidden longing.

But it wouldn’t work. No matter how much I wanted the darkness to take hold, I’d come to terms with my life with Kennan. I knew I loved him, and he’d loved me. Kissing Aberto didn’t change that. We’d have to find another way to make the darkness take hold.

Breaking the kiss, I stared into Aberto’s eyes; his eyes seeking answers in my own as he struggled to even his breathing.

“Well, that didn’t work,” I mumbled, disentangling myself from Aberto.

“I found it worked quite well,” Aberto replied, raising one brow.

“That isn’t what I meant.” I struggled not to smile as Aberto did his best to regain composure.

“Care to explain what that was about?”

“I saw Molly, she gave me some serious stuff to think about. I want to work on this whole conquering the darkness within thing,” I mumbled, trying to steady myself.

“So, the first place you chose to start was there?” Aberto seemed a bit perturbed, and I could understand it, but it had worked before.

“It worked the last time we tried it.” I looked down at my feet as Aberto moved towards me, closing the distance I’d put between us.

His finger tilted my chin up, forcing me to look him in the eyes. “The next time you kiss me, you will want to do it for the sake of kissing me.” His eyes locked with mine as my stomach dropped. There was a promise in his eyes, one I was nowhere close to being ready to see.

“Do you have any other ideas?” I squeaked.

“I do. Let us get some air.” Aberto stepped away from me and through the door before I could even ask what he thought we could try.

Outside, the sun shone down hot upon the desert. The air wasn’t the same as my beloved southern heat. It didn’t have the whole wet-blanket-smacking-you-in-the-face-the-minute-you-stepped-outside sort of feel. This air felt thin. The heat was not a palpable thing. This must be what everyone kept calling a dry heat. I could see the appeal.

“Where are we going this time?” I asked, following him like a bedraggled puppy.

“Here will do.” Aberto closed the distance between us, raising his hands to either side of my head.

I hadn’t even recovered from my first attempt at summoning the darkness when visions exploded behind my eyes. Memories that felt real, but weren’t my own. With each vision, the darkness inside of me woke a little more. It fed off of the pain and suffering Aberto was forcing me to see. These were his memories. Countless years of loss, of pain, all drained into my mind. The darkness expanded, consuming the sorrow as though it were a delicious meal.

“Stop,” I begged Aberto, the sorrow becoming unbearable. Still he pressed on. No longer did I see the acts; all I was given were emotions. Gut wrenching, heartbreaking, unbearable pain clouded my vision until I snapped and the darkness took hold.

“More, Old One. I delight in the pain, the misery of your failures.” My voice was no longer my own. Something was different, though. I felt the darkness as it controlled me, using my body as some sort of strange puppet. I could feel it as it took hold of my mind and my mouth, but I was still there. I supposed I’d taken the place of the darkness within me. Buried deep. I had no clue how to regain control, but I’d be damned if I didn’t try.

“Izzy, fight. Regain control of your being.” Aberto didn’t talk to the darkness, ignored its very presence, which seemed to anger it.