Ascending Darkness

by J. L. Weil

  Because there were still a few sets of eyes on me, I refrained from sticking my fingers in my ears to drown out the voice. I doubted it would help. Forcing myself to draw in several deep breaths, I attempted to curb the panic attack rising in my chest.

  If I wasn’t sick then it had to be stress. I needed sleep. Lots and lots of hard Z’s.

  Nothing you do will stop death.

  Enough. My palms slammed on the desk, and I once again found the class staring at me. Heat painted my cheeks. “Sorry,” I mouthed and returned to stare at the blank page of notebook paper in front of me.

  Death becomes you, the voice hissed, causing a shiver to ripple through me.

  That wasn’t ominous.

  Who was the voice? And what did they want with me? Did it have anything to do with the dead birds?

  I didn’t want death to become me. I didn’t want this at all. None of it.

  Gigi was out for the night, and Mom was watching TV on the couch when I got home after night class. Still shaken from what happened in Awakening Lab, I popped my head in to let her know I was home and headed upstairs to my room. Tonight was a bubble bath and a pound of chocolate kind of night.

  My mind was already on the tub and the bath bomb I’d splurged on a few weeks ago as I walked through my bedroom door. I slipped my fingers under my hoodie and whipped it off. Tossing it aside, I unbuttoned my jeans and found a pair of sparkling eyes staring at me from the corner of my room.

  I yelped, equal parts fear and shock coursing through me.

  Holy fuck.

  Someone was sitting in my room—in the dark—like a total serial killer. My powers instinctually activated, going into defense mode. I didn’t know what this dark figure wanted, but if he had come to kill me, he was going to have a fight on his hands. My brain automatically assumed it was a guy, but my stalker could very well have been female. It was hard to tell in the dark.

  No way that’s Brooklyn. Is it?

  If anyone suffered from an obsession with me, my money was on my nymph nemesis. I’d hate to say that ten times fast.

  Throwing out my hand, I summoned the closest metal object I could find in my room—a nail file from my desk—and sent it sailing toward the mysterious perp with glowing violet eyes.

  Wait.

  Is that flecks of gold I see in them?

  There was only one person with eyes like that.

  “Torent?” my voice squeaked in the dark. At the last second, I stopped the nail file flying across my room just short of gouging Torent’s eyeball.

  “Do you think you can drop the pointy object before you accidentally scar my handsome face?” The texture of his voice was silky as night and wicked.

  A whoosh of air left my lungs, and I set the nail file on the dresser. “It would serve you right for scaring the shit out of me. How did you get in here?”

  He stood up, and a beam of moonlight streaked over the left side of his cheek. I caught a hint of a smirk on his lips. “Haven’t you learned? Locks can’t keep me out.”

  Shutting the door to the hallway, I pressed my back into it.

  “Okay. That still doesn’t explain why you snuck into my bedroom,” I hissed, attempting to keep my voice low so as not to alert Mom anything was amiss. I had a boy in my room. Not just any boy. A hot demon I couldn’t seem to keep my hands off.

  This was bad. Like epically bad.

  A muscle feathered in his cheek. “You didn’t answer my text, and I got worried, so I came to check on you.”

  Damn demon. “You almost lost an eyeball.”

  He lifted a brow, eyeing the nail file on the dresser. “I noticed.”

  “As you can see, I’m fine. You should leave.” Quick, before I do something reckless like kiss you.

  His long legs easily crossed the room, and the smell that was uniquely Torent reached my nose. Why does he have to smell so good?

  “Do you have a problem with being in the same room as me?” he asked.

  Uh, I could barely breathe the same air as him without wanting to tackle him and kiss him to death.

  “Torent, you shouldn’t be here. It’s dangerous to be near me. If anything happened to you . . .” My voice trailed off, emotion clogging my throat.

  I blinked, and he was suddenly in front of me. “I might not be immortal, but demons don’t die easily.”

  Now that he was here, I wanted him to stay more than I wanted that bubble bath. I chewed on the inside of my lip, wrestling with myself. What happened in class tonight came back to haunt me. Death. The stench of it lingered on me like cigarette smoke. One of the reasons I had craved a bath. I wanted to rid myself of the dirty feeling it left stained on my skin.

  Torent’s finger slipped under my chin, and he peered into my eyes. It was as if he could reach my soul. “What happened?” he demanded.

  A smart guy would have already run far away from me, but not Torent. He headed straight for the heart of danger and would face the greatest of evils to protect those he cared about. I was one of those people. My whole body radiated like the center of a star, casting points of light to every finger and toe.

  Overwhelmed with an outpouring of emotion that strongly resembled love, I opened my mouth to tell him—

  Then my bedroom window shattered.

  Glass sprayed all over the room, and a streak of black sliced through the air. Torent’s reflexes kicked in, tucking me against his body as he dropped down to the ground, shielding me from the raining glass. The sound was ear piercing, causing my whole body to wince. When the dust settled, a large mangled crow lay on my floor, covered in a pool of glass fragments.

  God damn. How many birds was this curse going to kill before I figured out how to break it? There was no way I was going to let what my father did take me down too. I would find a way to end this torment.

  “Mallory!” My name belted from downstairs, followed by rapid footsteps. My mom was coming, and we were less than a minute away from being busted.

  Lifting my head, I met Torent’s luminous gaze. “Hide,” I ordered him, pushing at his chest.

  He didn’t immediately move, to my frustration. “You owe me a thanks, crash car.”

  “I’ll give you a million thanks, just get in the closet.” His grin was going to make me regret those words, but he disappeared into the shadows just as my bedroom door whipped open.

  I carefully got to my feet and brushed the glass off me. Argh. It was in my hair. Torent was sliding the closet door softly closed.

  Mom stood in the threshold, her eyes sweeping over the disarray of my room with horror before finding me. “What happened? Oh, my God. Are you hurt?”

  She rushed over, running her fingers over my face looking for cuts.

  “I’m fine,” I assured softly.

  Her eyes once again roamed over the catastrophe that was my room, landing on the dead bird. It was simple math to put two and two together.

  “Did he fly through your window?” she asked, incredulity lacing her tone.

  “I was about to take a bath, and he came crashing through the window. I didn’t know birds had that kind of strength.”

  Her lips pinched together. “They don’t normally.” Relaxing her features, she rubbed her hands up and down my arms to comfort me . . . or herself. I wasn’t sure which. “The important thing is you’re okay. I’ll help you clean up the glass and secure the window until we can call someone tomorrow to fix it.”

  I nodded, feeling numb. The curse was progressing, and I didn’t know what to do about it.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked, noticing the odd expression that had crept onto my face.

  I couldn’t very well tell her Torent had shielded me. Doing everything in my power to not look at the closet, I replied, “I’m still a bit shaken up.”

  She nodded and left to grab supplies. A cold gust of wind hurtled through what was left of the jagged window. I turned to the closet, spotting the glowing violet eyes.

  “Don’t move,” I told him. “And don’
t think about going through my stuff.”

  A husky chuckle came through the crack as if he had been caught red-handed. I should have shoved him out the broken window before Mom came back, but I didn’t want him to leave, so in the closet he stayed.

  I swept up the pieces of glass. Mom disposed of the bird, wrinkling her nose in the process and both of us trying to not squeal like little girls. Knowing Torent, it was either torture or entertaining watching Mom and me handle the cleanup. It was probably grating on his hero soul to be unable to swoop in and save the day. That was what he was good at.

  Together we covered the window with plastic and sealed it up with tape. It wasn’t pretty but would do for the night. Mom brought up a space heater from the basement to make sure I didn’t freeze to death. I was grateful Gigi was out tonight with her “bridge club”—a cover for the little old ladies of Havenwood Falls to get together and gossip.

  The door clicked shut behind Mom twenty minutes later, and I spun around. Torent emerged from the closet dressed in all black. He had ditched his hoodie, leaving the cotton T-shirt stretching across his chest. I was relieved he hadn’t come out with a thong on his head. It was mortifying enough knowing he had been eavesdropping on Mom and me.

  My eyes darted over his face like a mermaid yearning for the sea, but it was the sight of something red on the side of his neck that had me crossing to him.

  “You’re bleeding,” I whispered, lifting to inspect the damage. It was only a nick, most of the blood dried.

  He hissed through his teeth, reaching for my hand. “Don’t poke at it.”

  My lips twitched, and I tried to hide my amusement. “Sorry.”

  Encircling my wrist, he brought my hand to his chest, covering it with one of his own. “The curse is escalating.”

  Tell me something I don’t know. My grin slipped off my face. “All the more reason for you to not be here. You should keep your distance.”

  He walked over to my bed and fluffed a pillow, then dropped down on top of it, making himself comfortable. The mattress bounced under his weight. “Not going to happen. I plan on sticking close just in case anything else weird happens.”

  “By close, you mean you’re planning on spending the night? In my room? With me?” Way to not sound lame, Mallory.

  He grinned and patted the bed.

  This was insane, and yet I was calmer. I should be freaking the eff out, but having Torent near made me worry a little less.

  “What are you doing?” I inquired, though it was crystal clear what he was up to.

  Sprawled on his back, he laced his fingers under his head in a sign he had no intention of leaving. “What does it look like?”

  I stood in the center of the room like a lost puppy. “Like you’re taking up more than half of my bed.”

  What did he expect? For me to climb in beside him?

  Those lips formed a grin. “Isn’t it past your bedtime? You’ve had kind of a rough day.”

  “Is that so?” How could any single guy look so good lying in a soft pink bed?

  Long lashes framed his eyes, drawing my attention to his face. “Mallory, come here.”

  A shiver skipped over my skin.

  “I need to use the bathroom,” I announced, feeling my cheeks brighten in color. Smooth, Mal. I turned and hightailed it to the safety of my adjoining bathroom to shower, change, and brush my teeth. Close quarters with Torent called for fresh breath, and I doubted he would appreciate the glass in my hair. Not that I was anticipating anything to happen between us, but I was a girl who liked to be prepared for all possibilities.

  Again I found myself fidgeting and staring at the floor. What was wrong with me? I stood in the doorway, telling myself I had nothing to be nervous about. This was just Torent.

  His eyes glided over me in an unhurried perusal. “I’m not going to attack you like an animal.”

  My heart tripped up in my chest as my feet padded slowly over the floor. Was I seriously getting in bed with a demon? I climbed in, keeping my gaze glued to his, and rested my cheek on the pillow. I turned on my side.

  “You don’t need to stay. I’m fine,” I insisted, but I really did want him to stay for purely selfish reasons.

  “I’m staying. I don’t want any more surprises.”

  That made two of us. I’d met my quota for the day. My heart couldn’t take more. Then again, I wasn’t sure my heart could take sleeping alongside Torent Stark. Sex and all things naughty should have been the furthest thing from my mind, but he smelled so good.

  Torent mistook my nervousness. “We’re going to figure out how to defeat this curse.”

  “I don’t know where to start. What if I end up like him?” I glanced away, staring at where our feet lay at the end of the bed.

  His knuckles brushed along my cheek, drawing my eyes back to him. “Our parents don’t define us, crash car. We make our own fate. We’re all capable of darkness, but that doesn’t mean we’re evil. You’re many things, but malicious is not one of them. Don’t doubt who you are.”

  That was the thing. I didn’t know who I was anymore.

  Chapter 10

  “I don’t want to talk about the curse anymore. Tell me about your family. I want to know more about what it’s like being a demon.” A distraction was what I needed, and Torent provided the perfect outlet to get my mind off the curse.

  He opened an arm. “Get comfortable, crash car. This is going to take all night.”

  “Perfect,” I replied dryly, but curled up against him, laying my damp head in the nook of his arm. Sleep was out of reach for me tonight. The splintering of glass still echoed in my ears.

  His fingers slipped over my hand relaxing on his chest. “If you want a distraction . . .” The suggestion in his voice made my belly flutter. It was as if he could read my mind.

  I lifted my head slightly to peer down at him with a ghost of a smile on my lips. “As tempting as it is, and believe me I’m seriously tempted, it’s not a good idea. I don’t trust myself.”

  Shifting his head on the pillow, he kept our fingers laced together. Seconds later, my ceiling was painted with pink, purple, and teal sparkling lights dancing. “I’m here to protect you, not the other way around.”

  “And why can’t I be the hero for once?” I asked blandly.

  “Because I’m not the one with a death curse.”

  I nudged him in the side. “Hey. I thought we weren’t going to talk about the curse.”

  “Right,” he agreed, turning his gaze upward to watch the colors frolic and twinkle. “Well, my family is insane, volatile, treacherous, and amazing,” he added, grinning. I could hear how much he cared for them. “And those are just my brothers.”

  “What about your parents?” I inquired, curious about the people who had created such a perfect male. I pressed my chin on his chest so I could stare at his face. Splashes of colored light reflected over his skin.

  “My father is larger than life with a laugh that booms across a crowded room. And my mom is petite, but don’t let her size fool you. She isn’t a woman to mess with.”

  “I can’t wait to meet your family,” I said, sort of kidding.

  He laughed. “They are going to love you.”

  A pack of menacing demons . . . I wondered what they would think of their youngest son dating a nymph.

  “Do you always pursue girls this hard?” I asked the question that had been on my mind for weeks.

  His eyes deepened in color. “Never.”

  I believed him. “Then why me?”

  “Does there need to be a reason?” he countered.

  He wasn’t getting out of it that easily. I sincerely wanted to know what it was that made me different from every other girl. I wasn’t special or prettier. I was just me, and I was curious how he saw me. I gave him a pointed look, the lines in my face set.

  His leaned forward so our noses were only inches apart. “You’re more beautiful than any enchanted meadow. You’re stubborn but filled with goodness. You care
more about other people than yourself. And no one has ever made me feel the way I do when we’re together.”

  Sweet hell. His words caused a chain reaction to go off inside me as if my veins were filled with millions of starlights. How did I respond to an admission like that? Thank you didn’t seem to cut it.

  “You’re nothing like I first thought.” He was so much more.

  “And what exactly was your first impression of me, other than I was extraordinarily good looking?”

  I snorted. “You just proved my initial thought—that you were arrogant.” But I had been wrong.

  We talked for hours until I was barely able to keep my eyes open and the day was finally catching up to me. I dozed off. It was a miracle, considering I’d spent a creepy amount of time staring at Torent while he slept. He looked nothing like a demon and everything like an angel.

  I was on the edge of consciousness, but not fully ready to give up sleep. My body was burning like the sun, and I couldn’t figure out why. Did I have a fever? Had someone cranked the heat? No. It wasn’t that kind of heat, not the sweat-drenching-over-my-skin-heat.

  This was internal and made me tremble. With shallow, uneven breaths, my eyes fluttered open, and I tilted my head to the side, leaning into the dreamy sensation. It was only then I realized it was Torent’s lips causing my hormones to go haywire.

  His mouth was restless, rushing down my neck and over a bare shoulder. The T-shirt I had worn to bed had slipped off to the side, giving him all the access he desired. It was as if it was vital for him to taste all of me. My brain foggy from the sudden onslaught of sensations rocking through my body, I couldn’t tell if this was a dream or very real.

  I wanted it to be real.

  “Mallory,” my name tumbled from his lips, low and vibrant like an enchanting prayer. I felt worshiped. “Mallory?” he whispered again, but this time in question—he was asking permission.

  I didn’t know whose mouth found whose, but our lips met. The kiss started out sweet and exploratory, but it didn’t stay that way for long. As he took my mouth deeper, our tongues twined, the cool metal of his piercing teasing me. It only took that one kiss for me to make a decision. I wanted this. I wanted Torent. What about the hex? a voice echoed in my head. The blood hex would continue weaving itself in my veins, growing stronger, to the point it might progress from plants and birds to those I cared about.