Tasting Darkness

Read Tasting Darkness [Tempting Darkness] By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 34 – Aleera POV

I almost stumbled back as the full realization of what I had just said hit me. I understood it, but knowing it and believing it were two different things. One does not want to believe they were raised by monsters. Because if they were monsters, what would they make me?

My mother? She’d been the source of everything that had terrorized us for so long, or was I missing some vital piece of information. I had uncovered so many secrets, yet not nearly enough to have a clear picture.

She’d been the one that had ruined everything for us before we even got to begin yet no matter what something felt off. Too many secrets and too many lies. I wondered when It would come full circle, when the lies would pile too high and it would break down the walls and spill only truth.

“No,” Darius whispered. He shook his head. There was no hesitation in him.” Don’t blame yourself, Aleera. You couldn’t have known,” Darius tells me, feeling my tumultuous guilt. Darius opens up a portal leading back to our room. Reluctantly I step through it to find Kalen getting dressed.

“I was wondering where you two went,” he says; I swallowed, picking up on Darius ‘nervousness behind me.

“Everything okay?” Kalen asks me, and I nod, moving toward Ryze, where he is perched on the windowsill. I scratch his tummy feathers.

“Where are you going?” Darius asks Kalen.

Kalen seemed to be in a very excitable mood today. I couldn’t help but notice the change through the bond.

“Into town, we need more Phoenix food,”

“Not by yourself, you’re not,” Darius tells him. Kalen smiles at him as he does up his shoelace.

“With you and Aleera, of course,” he says, tying the other shoelace.

“I am not sure about Aleera going into town, Kalen, maybe you both stay here, and I will go. It is safer that way,” Darius says.

“Safer by yourself? Have you forgotten what she is? The safest place is beside her, and god help you if you are against her,” Kalen chuckles, and I smirk.

“Really?” Darius says, eyeing me c***kily.

“Yep, if she wants to, she would cook your a*s, and you know it,” Kalen says, nudging him. I fold my arms and stare at him.

“Hear that your a*s is toast,” I tell him. Darius chuckles, shaking his head.

“Don’t get too c**ky. Everything you have done is ruled by emotion. You may have infinite power, Aleera, but that doesn’t mean you know how to use it,” I roll my eyes at him, turning back to Ryze.

“I know how to do one thing,” I tell him.” And what is that?” Darius whispers, making me jump when I find he is suddenly behind me.

“I can control the phoenixes. If I can’t fry vou they will for me.” Darius laughs and

you, they will for me,” Darius laughs and looks down at the crates of birds.

and peer out the window seeing the biggest of my flock flying up high in the sky with the

a mighty screech before the wind, as loud as a hurricane, blows past the windows as he

saying?” I

I love your oversized flaming pigeons,” he laughs, shooing my phoenix away. He fl***ps his wings a few times, hovering in the same spot

can come.

out. Lycus is covered in bite marks, and

going

further notice after your little stunt,” Darius tells him, and he groans, stalking toward the closet to retrieve his clothes. Tobias kisses my cheek as

backpacks and using the portals. I had hardly any magic when I left, but Tobias was staying behind with Lycus, to let me siphon his power until I returned. Yet his power

cleaning out the

down when a set of arms wrapped around my

he whispers in my ear, making me look down. That explains why I feel so hot then. Yet could it have worse timing?

out of here,” Darius calls to him. Kalen looks up

going to shred soon. We need to get her home before any power hunters pick up

looks down at

his hands up and opening a portal before shoving me toward it. Panicked, I look toward the front as Kalen

me when I see a hooded figure walk across the

Cursing, I shove Kalen through the portal,

toss up my hands, blasting them with power, but it bounces off the shield and smashes into the roof, blowing a hole in the ceiling and cutting out

“Aleera,” she breathes.

staring at a woman I thought was dead all these years to learn

her hands. I push her hands away, and she

unable to form a coherent thought; I was too shocked at actually seeing with my

my mother tells

got much time. I’m not sure what Darius has told you,” she says, grabbing my arm. She glances around nervously. I look at her hand on my wrist as

We couldn’t leave them there in

is distracted,” she says, but I pull out of

know dad is responsible for the plague, “I tell her, and she tilts

in your head Aleera didn’t think you would be silly

and dad tried to kill me,” I tell her, and she seems outraged at my

we used to follow him and hope he would pick up on your

I ask knowing that was the name of my mother’s phoenix. She nods

years, you know how Phoenixes are with Dark Fae, he always turned on me eventually, and we had to kill him, but then he went missing and I saw him protecting you, we

Phoenix, Ryze?” I ask

You named her Ryze?” she

Spark’s daughter, she was unbonded,”

biggest one of your flock, that is Spark, Sweetie. My Spark, or he was

followed me. He still recognized me,