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.

the window seeing the biggest of my flock flying

the wind, as loud as a hurricane, blows past the windows as he fl***ps his giant

were saying?” I ask

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. But stick

the bathroom door opens and Tobias and Lycus hop out. Lycus is covered in bite marks, and it was

going

notice after your little stunt,” Darius tells him, and he groans, stalking toward 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 let me siphon his power until I returned. Yet

me fiercely, and the longer we were cleaning out the grocery stores of mince, rice, and spam, the hotter

in one of the freezers just to cool down when a set of arms

why I feel so hot then. Yet could it have worse timing? This couldn’t have come about an hour

need to get out of here,” Darius calls to him. Kalen

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

looks down at my ruined pants. Why oh why did I

the store. Kalen doesn’t hesitate, tossing his hands up and opening a portal before shoving me toward it. Panicked,

a hooded figure walk across the aisle

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

but it bounces off the

“Aleera,” she breathes.

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

it flared off like a beacon, so strong, so beautiful,” she whispers, cupping my face in her hands. I push her hands away, and she glances down the aisle behind her. I was in too much shock to do anything other than stare

form a coherent thought; I was

a power seeker,” my mother tells me, and I

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 the back

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

have to go, quick while Darius is distracted,” she says, but

plague, “I tell her, and she tilts her head to the side, watching

and shakes her head. “I knew they got in your head Aleera didn’t think you would be silly enough to believe

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

your father and 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 when he went

that was the name

eventually, and we had to kill him, but then

Ryze?”

You named her Ryze?” she asks and I nod

little Phoenix, Ryze is Spark’s daughter, she was unbonded,” my mother tells me.

is Spark, Sweetie. My Spark, or he was before,” she smiles

followed me. He still recognized me, just not my