Read Seduced by Darkness for Free Online
Authors: Alex Lux
with the Twilight Queen was… worrisome. You will be a pawn if you grow stronger."
"I don't care. I'm going after the Beast, with or without your help."
Beleth didn't reply and hope sank in my chest but I walked away, determined to end this no matter what I had to do.
A cool hand stopped me. "I will train you."
I turned to look at the man who was my father. "Thank you. I'm ready."
"You're not ready. But I will train you. And then we will face the Beast together."
E IGHT
Dear Absence
S AM
By his dear absence. Let me go with him.
— William Shakespeare, Othello
"I WANT TO COME with you."
Drake smiled, kissed me and slung a backpack over his shoulders. "Who will take care of Ana?"
I frowned, knowing he was right. I could leave her with Luke and Lucy, but with everything going on, I couldn't be away from her that long. "Can't you train here?"
"No. Beleth said we need to be somewhere so remote no one will notice the flying."
I arched an eyebrow. "The flying?"
He shrugged, but I could see the excitement in his eyes. "It's a Nephilim thing."
"Do I have to ring a bell for you to get your wings?" I teased, referencing the classic movie It's A Wonderful Life .
"No, you have to kiss me."
So I did, deeply, passionately, wishing we could go back to that night we let go of our inhibitions, but Ana toddled into the living room and squealed, "Daddy's going to fly!" and so we pulled away from each other, grinning.
I bent down to pick up our child, who patted my cheeks. "Mommy is sad, but I'll be here to make her happy."
I kissed her pudgy face and smiled. "You do make me happy, my little muffin. Now say goodbye to Daddy. He's going to learn how to be an angel."
She leapt into his arms and kissed him, then wrapped her little arms around his neck. "Daddy’s already an angel."
She pulled back and grinned. "Daddy, will you take me flying? I want to fly too!"
He laughed. "We'll see."
Beleth showed up at the door and stood like a dark statue made of ebony. Ana looked at him, wide-eyed. "That man has lots of pain," she whispered.
Beleth's lips twitched, and I could tell he heard her even without reading his mind.
I'd been trying to stay out of Drake's mind, but his thoughts floated to me and I knew he was worried about losing control around us, about hurting us. As much as I hated him leaving I hoped this training would give him the confidence to control his powers and know we were safe with him.
We'd already gone through too much in the past with his powers for this to come between us again. I couldn't deal with that; I refused to deal with that.
After Drake left, I took Ana for a walk to find Luke and Lucy and the four of us sat by the lake throwing stones into the water and watching them ripple over the smooth surface.
"Remember when we'd do this back at Rent-A-Kid?" I asked.
Luke grinned. "Back when life was simple."
"Ha! Our lives have never been simple," said Lucy as she threw a stone.
"Back when your hair was long," I said, tweaking her short brown bob.
Lucy pulled Ana onto her lap and gave her a smooth stone, showing her how to throw it. "But we didn't have this little angel with us then, did we?"
It had felt normal for a moment, throwing stones with my two best friends. But when I looked at Ana I remembered something I'd been trying to forget.
She had Nephilim blood in her, just like Drake.
N INE
To Be Most Happy
R OSE
If it were now to die,
'Twere now to be most happy, for I fear
— William Shakespeare, Othello
DEREK HEALED. I held his hand as his body stitched itself back together with the magic from his Druid roots and Shifter genes.
I couldn't stay mad at him, not with this. Not with what we'd just seen. As soon as he could walk on his own, we left the infirmary and went outside.
The cool air chilled my skin, making bumps appear on my bare arms. Derek draped his arm over my shoulders and held me close to him. I clung to his torn shirt,
"I don't care. I'm going after the Beast, with or without your help."
Beleth didn't reply and hope sank in my chest but I walked away, determined to end this no matter what I had to do.
A cool hand stopped me. "I will train you."
I turned to look at the man who was my father. "Thank you. I'm ready."
"You're not ready. But I will train you. And then we will face the Beast together."
E IGHT
Dear Absence
S AM
By his dear absence. Let me go with him.
— William Shakespeare, Othello
"I WANT TO COME with you."
Drake smiled, kissed me and slung a backpack over his shoulders. "Who will take care of Ana?"
I frowned, knowing he was right. I could leave her with Luke and Lucy, but with everything going on, I couldn't be away from her that long. "Can't you train here?"
"No. Beleth said we need to be somewhere so remote no one will notice the flying."
I arched an eyebrow. "The flying?"
He shrugged, but I could see the excitement in his eyes. "It's a Nephilim thing."
"Do I have to ring a bell for you to get your wings?" I teased, referencing the classic movie It's A Wonderful Life .
"No, you have to kiss me."
So I did, deeply, passionately, wishing we could go back to that night we let go of our inhibitions, but Ana toddled into the living room and squealed, "Daddy's going to fly!" and so we pulled away from each other, grinning.
I bent down to pick up our child, who patted my cheeks. "Mommy is sad, but I'll be here to make her happy."
I kissed her pudgy face and smiled. "You do make me happy, my little muffin. Now say goodbye to Daddy. He's going to learn how to be an angel."
She leapt into his arms and kissed him, then wrapped her little arms around his neck. "Daddy’s already an angel."
She pulled back and grinned. "Daddy, will you take me flying? I want to fly too!"
He laughed. "We'll see."
Beleth showed up at the door and stood like a dark statue made of ebony. Ana looked at him, wide-eyed. "That man has lots of pain," she whispered.
Beleth's lips twitched, and I could tell he heard her even without reading his mind.
I'd been trying to stay out of Drake's mind, but his thoughts floated to me and I knew he was worried about losing control around us, about hurting us. As much as I hated him leaving I hoped this training would give him the confidence to control his powers and know we were safe with him.
We'd already gone through too much in the past with his powers for this to come between us again. I couldn't deal with that; I refused to deal with that.
After Drake left, I took Ana for a walk to find Luke and Lucy and the four of us sat by the lake throwing stones into the water and watching them ripple over the smooth surface.
"Remember when we'd do this back at Rent-A-Kid?" I asked.
Luke grinned. "Back when life was simple."
"Ha! Our lives have never been simple," said Lucy as she threw a stone.
"Back when your hair was long," I said, tweaking her short brown bob.
Lucy pulled Ana onto her lap and gave her a smooth stone, showing her how to throw it. "But we didn't have this little angel with us then, did we?"
It had felt normal for a moment, throwing stones with my two best friends. But when I looked at Ana I remembered something I'd been trying to forget.
She had Nephilim blood in her, just like Drake.
N INE
To Be Most Happy
R OSE
If it were now to die,
'Twere now to be most happy, for I fear
— William Shakespeare, Othello
DEREK HEALED. I held his hand as his body stitched itself back together with the magic from his Druid roots and Shifter genes.
I couldn't stay mad at him, not with this. Not with what we'd just seen. As soon as he could walk on his own, we left the infirmary and went outside.
The cool air chilled my skin, making bumps appear on my bare arms. Derek draped his arm over my shoulders and held me close to him. I clung to his torn shirt,
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