Page 41 of In Between Darkness

“Why can’t you just keep yourself out of trouble?” he says, his jaw working as he looks me up and down.

“I just wanna know what you know.” I shrug my shoulders and close the gap between us.

“Have you ever stopped to think about why I haven’t told you?” He grits his teeth, but I can still feel his breath hot on mine. “If you sip the truth, blindly thinking it’s a remedy, it may turn out to be poison.” His riddle makes me question myself.

“W-what ifI’mthe poison?” I stammer, the words falling out of me before I can even register their meaning.

“You’re not poison. Trust me. I’ve seen poison, and you’re not it.” His face turns harsher as his eyes drift off into another place for a moment before snapping back into the present, though a glint of his tragic past remains in the depths of his dark eyes.

“How did you know I was dream walking?” I feel his hand over my mouth, stifling my words.

“Shhh!” He pushes me back into the tunnel. “You are playing a dangerous game.”

His body is pressed up against mine in the narrow corridor.

“I need to know how to control it. I’m scared to fall asleep,” I say. He studies me, embers of concern sparking on his face.

“Take this.” His hand fumbles in his pocket and transfers something into my palm. “Humblebee vine. Sleep with it under your pillow.”

I close my fingers around the vine and shove it into my pocket.

“How do you know this?” I whisper.

“I just know, okay. Now, can you stop with the questions.” He matches my whisper, but somehow, he sounds sterner.

“Just one more-”

His hand presses against my mouth again.

“That wasn’t a question, Asha. I can’t tell you anything more.”

He takes his hand away from my mouth and drags his thumb slowly down my bottom lip; my eyes get lost in his. I feel my hands make their way up his firm chest and the heavy beats of his heart thump against my palm.

“You can’t do this to me,” he says, taking a step back. “You have to go, Asha.”

“Do what to you?” I step towards him and feign innocence. He rests his hands on my shoulders to keep me at arm’s length.

“You know exactly what you’re doing,” He whispers, leaning closer to me, his breath soft like silk on my neck. My body aches for him. I tilt my neck to embrace his hot breath and run my fingers through his hair. It’s satin-soft and tickles the skin between my fingers.

“Then why don’t you push me away?” My voice trembles, barely a whisper as his hands cascade down my body, slidingover my breasts. I submit to the sensation and let out a small moan, making him smirk.

“Because I know you will just keep coming back.” He bites his lip and whispers softly into my eardrum. “Stalker.”

He leans close to me and caresses my face, his lips inches from mine. Our eyes interlock, and he licks his lips, his thumb cradling my chin. The sound of footsteps returning to the archives causes Ryder to step away from me.

“You need to go, Asha.” His words are soft but have purpose. A wave of confusion floods my senses as he disappears back through the door. His footsteps retreat, and I am left in the darkness alone with my thoughts.

Chapter Fifteen

It’s been a few days since my encounter with Ryder. I still get butterflies when I think about him. It’s been hard staying away. The humblebee vine works, so no more seeing Ryder in my dreams. I should be happy, right? I have been trying to make sense of the missing Moon people. No one at Sun has mentioned it yet. I wonder if they even know. The sudden sound of books smashing against the wall pulls me out of my thoughts.

“Sorry about that.” Nala looks embarrassed at the dent caved in the wall next to me.

“Still struggling to control your Gifts I see.” I chuckle, helping her pick up the books she was levitating.

“It’s a real ball ache; you get these Gifts and feel all shiny and new until you accidentally stab yourself in the leg with a pen.” She sits down next to me on the viewing benches in the second courtyard, her hand emphasising the plaster stuck midway up her thigh.

“No one expects you to be a master overnight. That’s why we go to this school, so they can teach us how to use them,” I reply, shuffling back in my seat.