Synergy (See #3)(19)

I glanced at my side to see that Madison had figured it out, too; three men were at her feet, but more were appearing around us.

I couldn’t help myself. The black smoke made me think of my dream, and instantly my dream came to life. There was an ancient city around us, a stone road, and ash raining down like snow.

I didn’t have time to change my thoughts; another man was attacking me. I reached inside him as he reached for my neck with his hands. The man forced my mouth open, then began to breathe in. I didn’t know how he was doing it, but I was becoming weaker, and light was escaping through my mouth. Even though I could focus on the cold rock inside of him, I couldn’t pull it out. Then I felt a hand on mine inside this man. Panic caused me to close my mouth and push away from the man. It was entirely too easy to do so, even in The Realm. The man fell to the ground instantly, and when he did, I knew why it was so easy: Silas was behind him. He’d killed him.

Silas had his back to me and was pulling the darkness out of everyone who came near me. Madison was at my side, so was Aden. I looked around frantically to find Draven. He was fighting these men with Grayson at his side.

It didn’t take long for Draven and the others to figure out how to kill them. They were faster at it than us; maybe because they were stronger, maybe because they were dark so there was no light that could be pulled from them.

“We have to stop this! How many are there?!” Madison yelled.

I looked past her and saw the image of Bianca on top of the distant building. I was sure she was causing this. With one thought, I left the security of Silas’ side and appeared in front of her. I didn’t wait for her speak. I pushed her to ground, and with all my strength, the building collapsed. The ash stopped falling from the sky, and the stone city was gone.

“STOP IT!” I yelled.

Before I could think of a way to kill her, to reach into her, someone pulled me off her. I couldn’t see who it was, but I knew it was one of the dark men because I could feel his ice-cold body against mine. I focused on warmth, and the butterflies appeared around me. Before Bianca could step forward, Draven appeared in front of her. He pushed her back with nothing but a thought, then turned to help me, but before he could reach me Bianca turned into a man, one that was twice as big as Draven. He pinned Draven’s arms behind him.

“Look at her,” the man said in a cold whisper to Draven. “You know you want her. You want that light. You want to taste it. You want to feel the power inside of you. Take it. One thought. Just take it, and all of your troubles will fade.”

Draven struggled against the man as hunger engulfed his eyes. The man nodded toward me, and five butterflies drifted toward Draven.

“Just have a little taste. Just one. What’s the harm?” the man whispered.

I was more furious than terrified. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought those emotions were making me weaker. I felt ice seeping into my body. I stared into Draven’s eyes as I moved my head from side to side. I saw the desire there, I saw how much he wanted to, I saw him fight with himself. The large man holding him reached for one of the butterflies and pushed it into Draven’s chest. Draven screamed out in agony as if my light were poison to him, then he turned into a child. The small image made the man lose his grip on him. Once Draven was free, he turned back into himself and reached forward to pull the darkness out of the man, out of Bianca, but she vanished.

I screamed his name as I felt the ice seeping further into me. Before Draven could reach my side, the man who was holding me fell to the ground. I had no idea who had stopped him. I couldn’t turn to look; I was too weak. My knees buckled, and I fell forward. Strong arms stopped me before I could fall farther. I looked up to see Silas holding me. He leaned in and let his lips touch mine -- not in a kiss; he was pushing life through me again. In The Realm, it didn’t take as long for it work, and the glow that had appeared before was three times as bright.

Silas looked down at me. “Twice in one day. If you want to spend time with me, find another way to get my attention.”

I immediately felt guilty and looked for Draven. He was standing feet from me, staring with cold, angry eyes laced with hunger. I stood as fast as I could. Grayson and Aden appeared at Draven’s side, and Madison appeared at mine.

Silas gripped my arm and hers. “Wake.”

Instantly, I was back at my house with Madison. The only problem was, we weren’t the only ones that came back. The devil’s trap had captured something that I could have gone my entire life without seeing again.





Chapter Five


Madison and I were pushed out of the devil’s trap by the massive ash wings of the evil angel. It roared, and my entire house vibrated.

“This is real?! Are we back?!” Madison screamed.

I saw Monroe standing in the center of the room and knew that we were. Wind began to circle around us. My father’s guitar erupted, then he appeared in front of us. Madison and I stepped back quickly. I could feel the evil around me; the air was paralyzed with it. The angel charged forward, and when it did its beautiful face turned beastly; it looked like the demon I knew it was. The flames from the candles erupted and reached at least five feet in the air. Lamps, tables, and vases crashed to the floor with the vibration of this roar. My father’s image held its calm composure as he stared into the demon’s eyes. The demon went to roar again, but then something caught its attention: Monroe.