Read Rising Darkness (A Rylee Adamson Novel, Book 9) for Free Online Page A

hands.
    “What did you forget?”
    He cleared his throat. “Ah, it was silly, I don’t want to say.”
    “No, you can tell me.”
    He blushed. “Just an old thing my mom used to do. When you go on a trip, you say the name of the one you love before you leave your house. You have to say, ‘This person is my home, no matter how far I go’ so you will always have a place to come home to, even if it isn’t here.”
    A funny, warm kind of heat curled up in me. “Whose name did you say?”
    He wouldn’t look at me. “Does it matter?”
    I grinned. “No, I guess not.”
    I shouldn’t have been happy leaving behind all my family and those I loved. But I kind of was. A part of me wanted to escape all that I’d seen and the ties to everything that had happened in the past.
    Especially with Liam and Rylee.
    This was the only way.
    “So are you going to tell me where we’re going?” he asked, his fingers brushing mine as we walked. Getting out was easy, no one would stop us from leaving the triage center. There weren’t even any guards. Too many had died, and those left were dying.
    “Does it matter?” I wrapped my fingers around his and gave them a gentle squeeze. He squeezed back.
    “No, I guess not.”
    We both laughed at the silliness of repeating ourselves.
    I was afraid to tell him, though, if I was being honest with myself. Milly had told me a long time ago where she would pick me up, when I was ready to be with her. Ready to fully train. She could only do so much for me in my dreams. So I knew where I was going, I just didn’t want to think about it.
    The streets were eerily quiet, even for the middle of the night, everyone hiding in their homes or just plain dead. Frank tightened his fingers on mine and he pulled me to the right, ducking us both into an alley. Before I could ask him what he was doing, he put a hand over my mouth then pointed with his chin. I looked out of the shadows, and my blood chilled.
    Three people hulked down the street. They looked normal, but the red glow in their eyes said it all. Demon ridden. I wanted to say we’d go after them, we’d be able to stop them, but Frank held me tightly. And the feel of his arms around me was nice.
    He whispered in my ear. “They’re going after Rylee, I bet. I think we should try and stop them. Or at least warn her.”
    I twisted in his arms, anger surging through me. “No. She’s a demon slayer, let her do her job. She doesn’t need us.”
    Frank’s eyes met mine and I saw the uncertainty in them. So I kissed him. Frank softened against me, his hands coming up to cup my face, and for just a moment I forgot where we were. Then he was talking again and I had to force my brain to catch up.
    “What?”
    “I said, they’re gone.” He gave me a crooked smile. “Any time you want to distract me, feel free.”
    I blushed, and even though he couldn’t see the burning in my cheeks in the dark, I still looked away. “Let’s go, we have a long walk.”
    He peered out of the alley, checking both ways before standing straight and holding his hand out to me. I took it, and he didn’t let go. My heart fluttered. Will would always be the one I had a crush on, he still made me weak in the knees. And maybe even Doran a little bit too. But Frank was sweet and kind and he really liked me. “I’m glad you came with me.”
    He stopped and gave me a big grin. “Me too. An adventure together.”
    A ways down the street, Frank found a car with the keys in it, and gas in the tank. It started smoothly and the engine was very quiet which was good. Not that anyone would be looking for us yet, but better to be on the safe side.
    Frank sat in the driver’s seat. “Okay, now you have to give me some direction, if I’m driving.”
    “We’re headed to the country. Take a right here.” I pointed out the window, sweat gathering in the hollow at the base of my spine the closer we got to our destination. Frank might not notice right away where we were going, but