Dark Promise
Page 14
I’m falling, yanking myself free from her grasp. I’m on my knees, my lungs burning, tears streaming down my cheeks. My throat is coarse as I howl at the sun, begging for the moon. Chest heaving, I’m not able to catch my breath.
I feel hollow inside, trapped within my own skin. I am sure this is death.
Mamá is crouching beside me. Her lips are moving, so I know she is chanting. But I can’t hear her words over the crashing beats of my overworked heart. My head is spinning, my gut churning, and my mind is numbing to the sensations around me.
The world is falling silent. The wind is growing harsh against my skin. My legs feel paralyzed beneath me, and my skin that touches the frozen ground is numbing. The pain in my arm dulls, but the agony of what remains spreads through my body like a rapid brush fire. It seeps into every crevice of my body. From toe to crown and from fingertips to my very core, I am losing my sensations and my will to survive.
Slowly, I begin to connect and awaken again, but the world is different. It feels…boring, bland, and lifeless. I don’t hear the creatures, I don’t smell the forest, but I do feel the cold. It aches from my skin deep into my bones. It settles within me, and I begin to shake. Lip quivering, I see my breath as bursts of lacy steam puffs.
“With the success of this spell, the abominations will have no access to their dark abilities. They become one with their links from now until the end,” Abuela says.
My grandmother’s words loop in my mind, but only when Mamá steps away and the witches break their binds do I fully understand their meaning.
The witches smile and celebrate all around me, but I cannot focus. I’m too distracted by the empty, hollow pit of despair that encompasses my entire essence. Inside, I remain in shadows. The darkness that was once my vampire half is still there, but it is severed from me. Forever out of reach but so close, I experience the pain of loss over and over again. The vampire within me steadily breaks away, and I mourn her again and again.
I do nothing to save her. I don’t reach out and grab on to her hand. I don’t try to pull her back to me. I don’t scream for her return or try to mold her with the witch, with the thing that remains inside me.
Even though I want to, I don’t do these things because I’m staring at the sky, shielding my eyes from the sun, which cascades over my entire body, brightening my pale, luminescent skin.
I blink and it’s still there, shining down on me.
This is not a dream or a nightmare or a vision.
This is real life.
The spell awakened the witch by smothering the vampire, and now, I live once again.
In sunlight.
Acknowledgments
I’m eternally grateful that I am able to make writing a full-time career, and I know that wouldn’t be possible without the incredible support system I have. I love each and every one of you.
To Shawna — I think we met by fate and not a day goes by that I’m not grateful for your friendship. You’re the person I vent to when things get tough, and you’re never afraid to tell me when I’m being ridiculous. I appreciate your honesty and candor, and I love you and all your crazy crochet-slash-anime obsessions. Also, I miss your face.
To Heather and Robin — You’re the reason I even have a career. Those who work silently in the background are the most unappreciated and often go unnoticed, but not you two. I shout from the rooftops how much I adore you both. Thanks for always being there for me.
To my family — you show me unquestionable support, even when I say things like, “I want to quit my job and try writing full-time!” Publishing is a tough industry. At times, it’s soul-crushing, and I wouldn’t be able to wipe away the tears without you. I love you.
To my readers — I literally couldn’t do this job without you. A writer is nothing without a reader, and I never forget that. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
To my Waterhouse Press family — I am so proud to be part of this family. I can’t wait for everything that’s to come. Thank you for trusting me and welcoming me with open arms.
Special thanks to my editor, Scott, who is quite possibly the most patient man on this planet. 2019 wasn’t an easy year for me, but you were always there to offer support and encouragement. Thank you.
Continue the Darkhaven Saga with
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Also by Danielle Rose
Darkhaven Saga:
Dark Secret
Dark Magic
Dark Promise
Dark Spell
Dark Curse
* * *
Pieces of Me Duet:
Lies We Keep
Truth We Bear
* * *
For a full list of Danielle’s other titles,
visit her at
DRoseAuthor.com
About Danielle Rose
Dubbed a “triple threat” by readers, Danielle Rose dabbles in many genres, including urban fantasy, suspense, and romance. The USA Today bestselling author holds a master of fine arts in creative writing from the University of Southern Maine.
Danielle is a self-professed sufferer of ’philes and an Oxford comma enthusiast. She prefers solitude to crowds, animals to people, four seasons to hellfire, nature to cities, and traveling as often as she breathes.
For more information, please follow Danielle Rose at:
DRoseAuthor.com