Page 136 of Walking in Darkness

“And what the hell did we come to? I don’t understand what’s happening.”

My throat was thick as I hurried to explain, “The Kruen have broken through the realms. They’re here, which we believe makes them much stronger than when they’re only feeding wickedness from above. There’s a man ... Ambrose ... He used to be a Laven, but he betrayed his Nol and earned immortality through Kreed. He’s been ruling in Faydor but has also been walking on Earth, and now, he wants to rule here.”

“And why arewehere?” The words trembled from his lips.

Pax stood, rising up to his full height, hands curled into fists. “To stop it.”

“Stop it?” Skepticism creased the man’s brow.

“Yeah, we’re going to stop him. End this piece of shit now. End them all,” Pax gritted.

Pax moved to the trunk. “We need to move. Get closer and make a plan.” He thumped the metal. “Can you open the trunk, Dani?”

“Yeah.” She shifted around, still on her knees as she reached in and pushed the button to release it. The trunk popped open, and Pax started taking out the bags we had piled inside and dropping them onto the ground.

I rose, too, a frenzy pulsing through me as I realized what was happening, the sensation urging me to move.

Valeen had sent an army. We weren’t alone.

Her voice drifted through my mind.

“Rise up, dear Valient. You are the chosen. You must lead.”

You must lead.

I wasn’t alone.

I was only meant to lead. To stand and to guide. Another vessel in the midst of this war.

A charge I was going to fully give myself over to.

My hands shook as I moved to Pax, who’d bent over and unzipped one of the duffels, though he straightened when he felt me come to stand beside him.

He slipped his hand onto my cheek. His palm burned with our connection as he stared across at me. Every brutal edge of his face seemed to sharpen, his words coarse as he forced them from his tongue. “You have the power to do this, Aria. We wouldn’t be here if you didn’t. None of these people would be.”

“Wehave the power,” I said, emphasis lining my voice. “All of us. Together.”

Those eyes flashed—pure, burning flames—and he threw himself forward and captured my mouth, his lips desperate as they pressed against mine.

And I swore, for one fleeting second, the darkness was swept away as he poured everything into this one singular moment.

Every oath.

Every promise.

All his love.

Then he cleared his throat and peeled himself back, though he clung to my arms as he gritted out, “Let’s go get this motherfucker.”

Dani, Timothy, Pax, and I all looked at each other for a moment. Taking one heartbeat for this family. A glance of eternal love and loyalty we would forever carry for one another.

Timothy finally dipped his chin and rumbled, “Let’s go.”

We each grabbed a bag and slung the straps of the heavy duffels over our shoulders, and we began to trudge through the high grass in the direction of the crack that hovered over the town.

The Laven man stuck close to us as we weaved across the field.

A throng of others had amassed.