Page 98 of Rising Out of the Darkness (Divine Guardians Duology #1)

Elena

“ W ake, Elena! Wake!”

My lashes fluttered as I tried to open my eyes. I struggled to pull myself from my nightmares, just like I had done for the past twenty-three years of my life.

However, something was vastly different about this nightmare.

No images played inside my mind, just an endless void of black.

Everything felt light, and no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t feel the weight of my limbs.

It was like my mind was present, but my body wasn’t.

Panic began to swell in my mind, just as a flash of light swirled in front of me.

A tiny golden orb of light fluttered before me. As it danced around, my eyes followed, and as it moved forward, I followed. With each forward movement, the orb grew, becoming more radiant against the void. I continued to follow the orb as it guided me out of the darkness.

The golden glow eventually grew so big that it was larger than me. It no longer made any more movements, and even though I still struggled to feel my body, a prickling awareness urged me to continue forward. Giving in to the pull, I walked into the light.

A rush of heat flooded my body, and the sudden weight of my limbs almost took my breath away. The beat of my heart echoed inside my ears, at the same moment a tug pulled against it. A bond… our bond. Declan .

“Love, open your eyes.”

Emotions flooded my body as I opened my heavy lids. I was met with the most hypnotizing view. Chestnut tendrils of hair fell across an enchanting pair of verdant eyes. A shiver rushed down my spine. I could feel a warm palm wrapped around my shoulder, and another cupping my cheek.

Alive.

We were alive. Raw emotion spilled out of me, trickling down my cheeks, as Declan swiped the tears away with his thumb.

Leaning forward, he pressed a kiss to my lips.

The brush of his lips against mine acted like dynamis inside my soul, rousing me into full awareness.

When he pulled back, my eyes were finally able to roam over the environment we now found ourselves in.

Petals brushed my legs as I realized I was lying in a field of endless wildflowers. It felt like Ehora, but more… ethereal.

Pink clouds spotted the blue sky above us, and a warm breeze whistled between the branches of the pine trees surrounding us. A violet haze filtered over everything. Soft material brushed against my fingertips as I glanced down to see my attire had changed to a flowy white dress.

Declan’s attire had changed as well. He wore black fitted pants and a black shirt that clung to his arms and the muscles of his chest, unlike the normal flow of a tunic. I was wide-eyed and my mouth slightly agape. He engulfed the sides of my face with his palms, forcing my gaze back to meet him.

“Ready to meet the gods?”

“Wh-what?” One stuttered word was all I was able to muster.

“Come along, you two.” A familiar voice fluttered across the breeze.

My entire body stilled as the voice that pulled me out of every nightmare suddenly had a physical form attached to it, one that I’d seen once before, during my Ascension ceremony. The inside of my mouth became dry as I breathlessly forced the words out. “You’re her.”

A smile spread across her face as wisps of her long, white-blonde hair fluttered in the wind.

With a breathy laugh she spoke. “Yes, I’m she.

” She motioned for us to follow her. Declan wrapped his strong arms around me, pulled me onto my feet and steadied me as I wobbled.

“Let’s go, you two. We don’t have much time together, and we have entirely too much to tell you both before you return.

” She turned around and continued walking into the woods.

Before we return?

Declan interlaced his fingers in mine, giving them a squeeze of reassurance. Together, we walked hand in hand to whoever awaited us on the other side.

T he sight before me was nothing that I expected.

We had followed the goddess through the forest and into another small clearing where we approached what looked like stone ruins of some sort.

A small group of others dressed like Declan and I were sprinkled about the ruins.

Some were clad in black like Dec, others in white like me.

So many questions swirled within me as we approached the group, and the goddess motioned for us to take a seat on one of the crumbled stones.

All at once, I felt the heaviness of several eyes on us. I shifted uncomfortably on the stone. Declan rubbed a soothing hand across my thigh.

“Breathe, love. You’re safe.” His deep voice brushed against the walls of my mind. The rising anxiousness fluttered away.

A knowing smile twitched against the goddess’ lips.

Four beings approached from behind, flanking the goddess on both sides.

When we’d first approached the stone ruins, my awareness of the sights around me was still adjusting.

Now that they were only standing a few feet away from us, there was no doubt the beings in front of us were not Elysian.

Declan squeezed my thigh, a quiet acknowledgment that the sight before us was shocking to him as well.

The group of beings stood before us giving us equally assessing stares.

The man closest to the goddess towered above me and Declan by almost a full foot.

His arms were folded across his chest, making his muscles more clearly defined.

Short onyx hair adorned the top of his head, and thick black claw mark tattoos covered the side of his face and neck, matching his black slacks and shirt draped around him.

When his violet eyes caught my gaze, he nodded in greeting.

Next to him was a much smaller woman with long, aquamarine hair that stood out against the black of her clothing. She pulled her hair back behind her ear, and I tried to make sense of what I saw. What looked like iridescent fish scales illuminated her rosy cheeks.

When my gaze met her molten amber eyes, she blinked, and both Declan and I jumped where we sat. Her lashes didn’t move, only a white film slid back and forth over her eyes. My lips parted as an amused snort fled from her. Realizing my rudeness, I slammed my mouth shut.

“Stop messing with them, Nixie.” Another woman snickered from the opposite side of the goddess.

My eyes roamed over the points of her white furry ears, down to the feline-shaped citrine irises that were staring right back at me.

She elbowed the chuckling man beside her, whose large, pointed ears peeked out through his long white-blonde hair.

“Shhhh. Valdarin, they don’t remember who you are. ”

Remember?

The hitch in my breath brought all eyes back on me, including Declan’s. I laced my fingers within his, to force my mind to think of that instead of the overwhelming nerves brewing.

“ Wildfire, look at me.” Declan’s low, soothing voice pulled my gaze towards him. “ I’m here, we’re together. As overwhelming as this all is, you’re not alone, love. ”

“You know, it’s rude to have an entire conversation inside your heads while we sit here and watch,” the tall being with claw tattoos grumbled. The woman with the aquamarine hair—Nixie, I thought? —elbowed him hard enough to make him grunt with displeasure.

“Don’t mind Arthur. Even after all our time together, he still has problems…socializing.” Nixie walked towards us with her hand extended. “I, on the other hand, find the whole mind-talking gift romantic. Hi, I’m Nixie.”

When our palms met, an overwhelming rush of familiarity prickled throughout my body.

It was as if we had done this before. Declan must have had the same feeling, because his eyes widened when she shook his hand.

A grin spread across her lips as she returned to her spot.

That was when the goddess finally spoke.

“And it’s time you know I’m no goddess. My name is Alyth, and behind me are just a few of the Divine. We are the ones you are most familiar with, so we wanted to be here when you returned.”

“The Divine?” Declan’s brows rose.

He was concerned with their title, but I was more anxious about her insinuation that we already knew these people standing before us. A million flutters rippled inside my stomach.

“We could all stand here and try to explain what is going on right now, but it wouldn’t have the same impact as it would if you just told yourselves.”

She approached us both, the others following behind. They circled around us, and she placed her hands on our shoulders, guiding us to face one another. The others placed their palms on us as well.

Declan had yet to let go of my hand. “Eyes on me, love.”

“As Divine Guardians, we can unveil your mind. We can help you regain your truths. This is very similar to your Ascension on Ehora. Just relax and let your souls do the guiding. Ready?” Alyth asked, and we both nodded, not once breaking our gazes. “Here we go.”