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 I lean forward and peer out the window seeing the biggest of my flock flying up high in the

as a hurricane,

saying?”

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

come. But

hop out. Lycus is covered in bite marks, and it was obvious what they

what’s going

are housebound until further notice after your little stunt,” Darius tells him, and he groans, stalking toward the closet to

on edge when we headed into town for the first twenty minutes. We didn’t bother with the car this time, instead taking backpacks and using the portals. I had hardly any magic when I left, but Tobias was staying behind with Lycus, to

me fiercely, and the longer we were cleaning out the

I was tempted to stick my head in one of the freezers just to cool down when a set of arms wrapped around my waist. I peer over my shoulder, his bare skin

explains why I feel so

watch Aleera. We need to get out of here,” Darius calls to him. Kalen looks up from the

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

coming to a stop by my side. He looks down at

her out of here!” Darius snarls suddenly from somewhere at the front of the store. Kalen doesn’t hesitate, tossing his hands up and

tells me when I see a hooded figure walk across the aisle we were instim

were just in. Cursing, I shove Kalen through the portal,

but it bounces off the shield and smashes into the roof, blowing a hole in the ceiling and cutting out the lights. Yet as I peered through the

“Aleera,” she breathes.

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

so beautiful,” she whispers, cupping my face in her hands. I push her

Waylen?” I was unable to form a coherent thought; I was too shocked at actually seeing with my own that she

power seeker,” my mother tells me, and

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 she tugs me toward

“No, as soon as they said there was a Harmony-Fae. We couldn’t leave them there in his hands; I

Darius is distracted,” she says, but I

tell her, and she

her head. “I knew they got in your head Aleera didn’t think you would be

to kill me,” I tell her, and she seems outraged

blocked us from getting to you. I looked for you for years, but they put some cloaking spells on you. Not even Spark could find you, we used to follow him and hope he would pick up on your magic

that was the name of my mother’s phoenix. She nods her

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

Phoenix, Ryze?”

little one? You named her Ryze?”

was unbonded,” my

Spark, Sweetie. My Spark, or he was before,”

they weren’t good times, but he always followed me. He still recognized me, just not my magic,