Tasting Darkness

Book 2 chapter 4 I could hear Darius barking orders at his men and running drills . Walking around the side of the out building , I spot in the center of the field . I come up behind him . Darius looks over his shoulder at me . His arms are folded across his chest as he turned his attention back to his men and glared out at them . Demons appeared to fearful , nervously glancing at the castle roof . I look to the roof to see what they kept staring at only to find hundreds of Phoenixes standing on the rooftop watching the demons like they were prey and were waiting to pick them off one by one .

I gasp at the sight of them when Darius moves toward me . He jams his fingers in my ribs , making me jump . ” You should be resting , ” he growled , tugging me toward him while I gaped at the roof . I was stunned . I had never seen so many in one place at one time . ” How ? I … why are they here ? ” I ask , shaking my head . ” Why do you think ? ” Darius says , nudging me . I shake my head , and Ryze fly’s down from the roof , perching on my shoulder . Darius ruffles his feathers , and 1 arch an eyebrow at him watching as he pet him . ” What , he is growing on me , ” Darius says while Ryze rubs his beak against my face before nipping at my hair . ” What do they want ? ” I asked Ryze . He looks at me . ” Alira , ” he tries to speak before looking at the rooftop . I turn my gaze back to the roof . Some were positively lethal , giants , and I was seriously worried about the roof caving in from the weight of them .

The recruits freak out when a huge one takes flight , moving high in the air and Darius growls . ” Get a fucking grip of yourselves , ” He booms at them . I laugh as he shakes his head , waving them off the field . I watch the huge pheonix fly around , circling the field . The Phoenix lands on the grass about a hundred meters away when I realize he has caught something . The shriek of whatever it he caught makes my heart flutter in my chest , and I swallow as the phoenix rips it apart before tossing his head back and swallowing it down . ” Marvelous creatures , but fuck they’re savages , “

a damn turkey , ” Darius warns him , and he caws but stops , instead playing with his hair . ” Where are Kalen and Lycus ? ” ” Classes , ” Darius says , and I nod . ” Kalen is doing classes now ? ” I asked . ” No , he is just with Lycus . He doesn’t teach , not

fine by me I hated being around them . We see Tobias in the corridor as we head back upstairs . He glances at us before turning back to

clear as I hopped in the shower to get ready for class . Something was going on between Darius and Tobias . They were hiding something . Even Kalen and Lycus seemed suspicious about whatever it was . They barely spoke , or when they did , the tone was never friendly . I rinse my hair out , listening to them argue . Lycus opens the shower door

out whatever is going on , ” Lycus tells him . I purse my lips hoping he was right . Darius had been sleeping in my old room the last two days , and I hated how my bond called out to him , Tobias was miserable . And we were hardly getting any sleep with Kalen constantly getting up in the night searching for him . Yet , they remained tight – lipped whenever Lycus , Kalen , or myself were around , speaking in riddles and