Page 83 of Rising Out of the Darkness (Divine Guardians Duology #1)

Elena

B efore we even made it out of the door, we were bombarded by a group of captains and one panicked Eloise.

“Clara’s gone. We’ve searched everywhere.” Nayla spoke as Killian paced across the floor, threading his fingers through his hair.

“Hells, do you think—?” My wide eyes locked on Nayla. The hand that covered her face was enough of an answer.

“Tell me.” Declan approached the two of us.

“We took Clara to heal the small farm community beyond the w-wall.” My voice quivered, as the weight of her disappearance lay heavy on my shoulders. “On our way back, we ran into a group of Nightshades.”

“Hells!” he shouted, joining Killian in his pacing. “If my father or Alastor discovered this—” His chest rose and fell rapidly. “We need to find her quickly.”

Shoving us all out of the door, he gave orders us to stay in pairs. Nayla and Eloise would round up those in the Rebellion inside the walls, then start their journey towards Oria. They argued at first, but Declan shot them down by making a promise to find Clara.

“You two take the east wing of the castle.” Liam and Killian nodded as Declan delivered their orders. “Lena and I will take the west, and if we need to we’ll make our way down to the dungeon.”

That was the last place I wanted to be. I shivered at the thought.

With quick embraces, we parted ways. Grabbing Killian’s biceps, I pulled him next to me. “We’ll find her, brother, I promise.”

His eyes glossed over as he tugged me into his chest. I’d been an only child my entire life, but it just felt right in that moment to tell him that he was more than just a friend to me.

They all were.

Over this past month I’d become so close to these Elysians, I considered them like family, and I wanted him to know he could trust me to find Clara.

“Thank you,” he whispered against my forehead, and then released me to catch up with Liam, who had paused ahead to give us a moment.

“I love your compassionate soul,” He spoke tenderly as his thumb brushed against my cheek. “Let’s find my cousin.”

W e’d searched everywhere, and my pulse had become erratic. Declan was doing his best to hide his fear, but the veins strained against his neck. I was about to say something to soothe him when a familiar voice halted my entire body.

The sound wafted through the crack in the door in front of us. Declan placed a finger over his mouth, motioning for me to stay silent as we eased towards the opening. When he peered through the door, his brows furrowed at what he saw, and he held up his fingers to signal just two were in the room.

Will’s voice drifted through once more. “So, they want me to join you?”

“Yeah, kid. We need someone like you in our ranks.”

The last voice made the blood leave my body, leaving me consumed by both fear and rage. As I thought about our last encounter, all I could think about was barging inside and finishing the job.

Worried about my pale face and rapid breaths, Declan shoved me far enough away from the door that he could whisper to me. “H-he… the m-man …”

Grasping my face between his palms, he rubbed both thumbs against my cheeks as if trying to coax the blood back into them.

“It’s him,” I growled.

“Who, love?”

“The man who m-m-murdered my mother.” My nails dug into the flesh of my palm as I spoke through gritted teeth. “The Nightshade who tried to kill me and the girls a week ago.”

His features shifted, and the hallway began to darken as his shadows ripped free from his body.

“That man is a part of the Rebellion, Lena. Brand has been our spy providing us with intel about the mole.” A deep snarl echoed inside my head alongside his words. His lips hadn’t moved the entire time.

“Did you just speak to me in my mind?”

His fingers brushed over my closed mouth. I had just done the same. The bond.

“I need to go back in there, Declan. I can’t let him see the light of another day.”

“Me either.”

“Clara?”

“We’ll find her, love.”

He took my hand, and we made our way back towards the door.

“ Ready?” Declan’s lips curled into a sinister grin as his shadows swirled around me, tangling with…my own.

“Let’s spill some blood, my love.”