Page 91 of Rising Out of the Darkness (Divine Guardians Duology #1)
Elena
“ W e’ve done it!” Clara’s breaths rang out as we both heaved from exhaustion.
“Seems like we need to bring back training if you two are that breathless after that short jog.” Nayla smirked at the sight of us.
“What have you done?” A sweet voice fluttered from the other side of Nayla. Her younger sister came into view and extended her hand meekly towards me. “I’m Zara. It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”
“You as well,” I said, collecting my breath as I shook her hand. “We’re glad you came to join us.”
“Me too.” Her eyes misted as she looked at Nayla, who wrapped her arm over her shoulders.
“So, what did you both do?”
“We think we’ve made an elixir to stop the suppression of our dynamis.” Clara rose to stand beside me. “Now we just need someone to test it.”
“I’ll do it.” Zara extended her hand again.
“No!” Two voices rang out in unison.
One was Nayla’s, and the other was from Liam, who now stood behind her. Killian and Declan now towered behind us, and Declan pulled me into his warmth.
“Hello, my love,” he whispered against my hair.
“Yes,” Zara said firmly. “It’s my life, Nayla, and I’m tired of not making any decisions or having any say in it. Just like I didn’t have any say when you left.” Nayla’s shoulders dropped, and Zara gathered her hands into her own. “Let me be useful. I want to have a choice for once.”
Liam glanced at Nayla, who turned to me and Clara. “Is it safe? Is there any way something could go wrong?”
“I’ve been taking a slightly different version for my curse, and though it hasn’t worked, I haven’t had any side effects,” Declan said. “She should be safe.”
“Alright, Zara, if this is what you’d truly like to do, I’ll allow it.” Nayla said, pulling her sister into her side.
Zara’s grin grew as bright as the midday sun.
E veryone followed us to the clearing just beyond the city. Declan readied his shadow dynamis just in case we needed a shield. Clara handed Zara the elixir, and we all took a step back as she ingested it.
At first, everything seemed normal. Until a blast of air radiated from all around Zara, so powerful it knocked her to her knees and tossed us all back.
Thanks to Declan’s shadows, we all landed softly. Jumping to our feet, Clara and I ran over to help Zara back up.
“How are you feeling?” Clara sounded flustered and full of worry. I helped the other two up on their feet.
“This might sound a little insane, but I feel a little more whole, stable even.” Zara admitted with a laugh. “A lot less wobbly, I suppose?”
“Less…wobbly?” Clara’s eyebrows rose.
“Well, I’ve always been a bit of a?—”
“Baby deer?” Nayla snickered as she approached us.
“Yes, that’s a fair comparison.” Zara laughed. “It’s hard to explain, but I somehow feel more solid, secure, balanced. Like nothing can make me falter.”
Clara pursed her lips, looking over to meet my eyes. I shrugged my shoulders. Clara instructed Zara to test out her dynamis to see if there was any difference.
Zara lifted her hands and the ground beneath us quaked and cracked. Multiple pieces of ground shifted into the sky before she released them and they crashed to the ground.
It left me with goosebumps. My mind whirled with so much excitement that I hadn’t even noticed Declan inching closer beside me. He placed his hand on the small of my back as he spoke into my mind. “ Congratulations, love .”
His smile warmed my insides as he pulled me into his chest. “ You’ve both done an incredible job, and now we have another way to fight back against Alastor and my father. ”
“ We wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without your mother’s genius mind. She found all the ingredients and made the first elixir. Queen Lenora basically handed us the keys, we just opened the door. ”
He nodded. “ True, but you didn’t find the recipe, just the ingredients. You and Clara aren’t giving yourselves enough credit. What you accomplished is spectacular. ” As his lips brushed the top of my head, my body melted into him.
Fallon called out to him from behind and Declan pulled away. I was all too aware of the cold his absence left behind.
I’d fallen so hard for him I didn’t think I’d ever reach the bottom.
“ L ove, you’re drooling again.” His lips twitched with amusement as we lay in bed.
I shoved him playfully in the shoulder. “You in those glasses, reading a book while bathed in the soft glow of candlelight, has you looking like a late evening snack. My apologies for being slightly ravenous.” His lips curled up into a sly grin.
I pulled the vial from the side table and placed it in his palm. His grin faltered.
“I’m sorry. After today, with Nayla’s sister…I was just excited to try this one.” I reached to take it back.
Fingers closed around the vial as he tenderly rubbed his thumb against my cheek. “I—I just hate watching the disappointment in your eyes every time it doesn’t work.”
“Declan, this”—I rubbed the reddened curse mark behind his neck— “will never get in the way of me loving you.”
He popped the cork off the vial then tilted the contents inside. His nose wrinkled in disgust from the taste as we waited for any effect.
I moved his head forward and ran my fingers over the mark that still lingered, but I couldn’t help the haze that began to cloud my eyes.
He took off his glasses and set his book aside, then motioned for me to come lie across his chest. As I sniffled against his warmth, he used his dynamis to snuff out the candlelight.
“Are you scared?” he mumbled into my hair.
“I’m not afraid of you, Declan, I’m just worried he’s going to take you away from me.”
“I’ll never let that happen, I promise. Get some rest, love.”
With his shadows, he snuffed out the candlelight. I found his lips in the darkness and pressed a kiss on top of them, then allowed my exhausted body to fall asleep wrapped in the safety of his arms.