House of Darken (Secret Keepers #1)(89)

He focused on me. “Don’t move from this spot. Daniel … he needs a little help right now. But … don’t move, okay? Can you do as you’re told for once?”

I huffed, crossing my arms, rubbing them to create some warmth. It wasn’t cold here, despite the snow, but a chill still ran along my body. “Just go,” I finally snapped. Bossy dude thinks he just has to give me an order and I’ll obey. I had been more than happy to stay in this spot, but the moment he ordered me to, well … I immediately wanted to move.

“Stubborn little human,” Lexen said with a grin, before turning away and slowly approaching Daniel. I narrowed my eyes on him, trying to drill a hole through those broad shoulders. Why did I not have the ability to shoot lasers from my eyes? Why?

That would be such a useful skill.

White drifted past my eyes, and I was startled to realize it had started to snow. Within seconds the snow was thick, blizzard-like, even though no breeze disturbed me. I lost sight of the boys, and despite Lexen telling – ordering – me not to move, I took a few steps closer to where I’d seen them last.

“Lex?” I called out, blinking rapidly to see clearer.

No reply. Well, not at first, but then I heard a faint whisper. I walked closer again, sure that I should basically be running into them now. Only they were gone. “Lexen!” I called louder.

The reply came from the last voice I’d ever expected to hear again.

“M&M … baby … it’s Dad.”

I ground to a halt, examining the man standing across from me. Chris Walters looked exactly like he had the last time I saw him: tall, strong, dark inky-black hair that was just starting to get a few grays at the temples; eyes two shades lighter than my cobalt, with one or two laugh lines around them.

“Dad?” He was the only one to call me M&M, my favorite candy and a play on my name. Apparently, when I was two, I snuck into his office and stole a bag and managed to eat a bunch before my parents found me. I’d always had a sweet tooth.

“I’ve been waiting for you to get here. We have so much to tell you.” He took another step closer, the white snow swirling between us, but somehow not blocking my line of sight to him at all.

Hot tears were sliding down my cheeks, silently falling. “You’re dead, Dad. You and Mom … there was a fire.”

He held out his hand. On his face was that kind smile he pulled out when I was worried about something. The sort of smile that happened in the eyes as well as the lips. “I’m so sorry we left you. If there had been any choice, we would have chosen differently.”

My tears were falling so fast and furiously now that I was starting to choke on them, unable to breathe. “This is not real, this is not real,” I started to chant to myself, but I couldn’t turn away. I just stood there, breathing in the sight of someone I loved more than life. Someone I had been missing with every part of my body and soul for months.

“Do you want to see your mom?” he asked me. “I can take you to her. We’ve made our home here in the afterworld. You can stay with us…”

Yes! I screamed loudly in my head. Yes, God, please. I want them back.

My feet were moving, stepping toward him, closer and closer. Snow mingling with tears was a weird sensation. Especially without the cold that would normally chill the water on my face. My dad waved me on, a brilliant smile lighting up his face.

“Just a few more steps, sweetheart.”

I hesitated, something bothering me. “What’s wrong?” Dad asked.

“I … don’t know. Just … where did you say Mom was?”

She was always with Dad. They were nauseatingly in love, one of those couples where you had to leave the room when they were in it together. Especially when you were their kid. It was gross, for sure, but it also made me believe strongly in love. In finding the one.

They had been each others’ ones. So why was Dad standing here alone?

“Where … is Mom?” I repeated slowly.

That benign smile slowly faded away; his eyes took on a slanted groove of disapproval. I gasped as light swirled across his skin, and then the rich caramel skin tone, dark hair, and blue eyes faded away too. Standing there now was Laous, dressed head to toe in black. “Almost had you,” he said jovially. “The land of desires is a difficult one for Daelighters to resist, and impossible for humans. Apparently since you are something between the two, you can fight the pull of desire.”

I turned tail and ran as fast as I could in the opposite direction. “Lexen! Daniel!” I screamed.

For a brief moment I’d forgotten about them. Seeing my dad again … it was a torture I would wish on no one. It had been amazing and absolutely devastating. My heart was crushing in my chest as I tried to run and breathe through all the snot and tears I had going on. The branch piercing my shoulder felt like a pinprick of pain compared to the sledgehammer to the chest I just got.

“Help,” I cried out, coughing as my tears overwhelmed me. In the same moment I tripped, plunging forward to the hard ground. White might have coated the surface, but it was not soft like fresh snow. Kind of felt like I’d just face-planted onto an asphalt road, and I didn’t even care.

Rough hands flipped me onto my back and I stared up into a face so dark with anger that it almost wasn’t recognizable as Laous.