Chapter 142

Aurora

He paused, drawing me to him like a magnet. It felt like the whole world flickered around us. But as much as my feet moved toward him, I turned my head, straining to see Dane. He couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t have left me. Not when I needed him. Not when I hadn’t even been brave enough to say that I loved him.

Tears leaked from my eyes. I felt something tug on my mind. It felt like Holden might be trying to speak to me, but…it was like a mouse tugging on a cobweb compared to the hold the man in front of me wielded.

“It’s you,” I said.

The smirk he flashed me should have been beautiful enough to stop my heart. But there was something…oily about it. Something cold and dark.

Chapter 142

“Yes,” he said.

“You’re the guardian?” I asked.

He laughed, as if I’d just told a very funny joke. “Darling, is that who you think I am?”

“It’s who you said you are.”

His expression turned thoughtful. “You’re right. Well. Of course, you believe me. As you should. You were created for me, after all.”

“Created?”

“Of course. A child of the most devoted servant of the moon goddess, raised in the dark. One of her chosen high priestesses turned to the dark. Light tainted with shadow, just like I asked.”

My heart beat once, twice, three times as I tried to understand what he was saying. High priestess of the moon goddess? My mother, her most devoted servant? That wasn’t what the Reeds had said. Celeste never wanted a child, so she sold her to us. We made a blood oath that I’d raise her.

I whirled on Esther Reed. “You said my mother sold me to you!”

Chapter 142

She smirked. “I made you believe whatever I had to. And trust me, Ann, it doesn’t matter how good or pure you were born. We twisted you. Warped you. You are exactly the monster I’ve always said you are. You couldn’t even save the man you loved. You tried to make some heroic sacrifice, and now there he is. Dead at your feet.”

I looked down to where Dane’s big body lay, motionless. Tears streamed from my eyes. I turned to the guardian.

“You said I could have him.”

The guardian made a sad face. “So sorry, love. I didn’t realize who he was at the time.”

No! My tears fell faster. In my mind’s eye, I saw them falling into a pool of silver, glowing with moonlight.

Please, if I ever was yours…if you ever loved me…

As if he could read my mind, the guardian grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him, then said, “Don’t try to speak to her. She’s at her weakest tonight. That’s why the ritual had to take place now.”

I tried to pull away, but his fingers grew crushingly tight. I cried out, but he only smiled. “You brought me here, Aurora. You can’t escape me. It’s time to give in to your darkness. It’s time to remember who you are.”

Chapter 142

His smile turned sympathetic. “It might take some time, but you’ll remember. Come with me.”

I clutched the pearl pendant that hung around my neck. No matter what he said, I wouldn’t stop praying. I called on the goddess. She’d always seemed to ignore me, but maybe…

There was a flash of something white and silver. It was embedded in the split stone the guardian had just stepped out of. I stared at it. Something about it whispered to me: Comfort. Wisdom. I am with you. Everything will be all right.

So many voices in my mind. I’d heard this one before, but it had been so faint. Now, it filled me with new strength. Strength I instinctively knew to hide from the man who had emerged from the stone. A man I was quickly realizing was more terrifying than Holden could ever wish to be.

I took my secret strength and poured it into the pearl pendant. Then, when the creature who held me looked to Waylon, I gave a sharp tug. The chain broke and fell into my hand.

Chapter 142

Quietly, I let my hand fall to my side. Then I dropped the pearl. Dane had fallen face down with his hands under his head so that his heart could bleed directly into the earth. I dropped the pearl into one of the shadowed crooks of Dane’s arms. I saw it come into contact with his skin.

Then the guardian turned his attention back to me. I stood still, hoping he wouldn’t notice the missing pendant. He didn’t. He only gazed intently into my eyes.

“Time to go, Aurora,” he said.

“Go…?”

Then he moved his arm. Though he wasn’t wearing any kind of cloak, a sweep of blackness suddenly appeared. He pulled it over my head.

I glanced down at Dane… I thought I saw his fingers twitch. His hand close around the pearl.

“Dane!”

But it was too late. Darkness closed over my head. Then I was gone.