Page 76 of Walking in Darkness

“What do you mean, ‘too late’? What is going on?” Except I thought she must have anticipated it, with the chill I felt sweep through her.

Or maybe all of us could feel the threat that loomed. Dark clouds that churned and spun. But I swore I could feel the tiniest speck of light in the center of the storm.

Hidden and trying to burst free.

I gathered myself enough to pull back so I could look down at my friend’s cherubic face. She had a giant scar slashed at an angle across the left side of her forehead, wore wire-rimmed glasses, and had her makeup done in a way that made her look like she might be a professional.

She was stunning and beautiful, and God ...

Emotion gripped me, and I grabbed her by the cheeks, unable to stop myself from touching her.

Needing to feel the palpable, undeniable truth that we’d made it on time.

“I saw you ...” My words were thick. “In Ambrose’s mind last night while I was in Faydor. He came here ... to this house ... in the middle of the day.”

Her pallid skin, which was covered in nearly as many tattoos as Pax’s, blanched further, and she nodded in understanding. “I guess he’s coming for all of us, isn’t he? We all know something has changed, even though I’d hoped somehow, in the middle of it, we’d all be safe.”

She breathed out a shaky sigh. “I’ve kept my doors triple-locked and the alarm on day and night. I wasn’t about to come outside. I nearly lost it when I heard the banging on my door, thinking it was the end. That I was trapped. But then I heard your voice, and I peeked out ...”

Her tongue stroked out to wet her lips. “For a second, I thought I must be being deceived into thinking it was you. But it is ... You’re here.”

“I’m here.”

“Ah ... I see how it is. Already forgetting about me.” Pax’s voice was close to teasing, and I let her go and shifted around to look at him at the same time that Dani pushed out a tinkling laugh. Her gray eyes washed over him where he stood at the top of the steps, keeping guard.

They stared at each other for a beat.

Affection and disbelief clear.

For so long, each of us had been on our own. Never thinking we would meet another of our kind.

Forbidden to even think about it.

Isolated and alone.

And here we were, standing out in the light of day.

Together.

A moment later, a smirk hitched the edge of her mouth. “God, Pax, you’re freaking terrifying. What are you trying to do, scare people out of listening to the voices in their heads?”

He was still foreboding in Tearsith and Faydor, but none of his tattoos or scars were visible there. I’d been struck by his intensity the first time I’d seen him, too.

I choked on a laugh, and Pax scuffed out a chuckle as he roughed a tattooed hand through that shock of white hair.

“Flattered.” Sarcasm rolled off his tongue.

She widened appraising eyes. “You should be. Because you, my friend, are handsome as hell. No wonder our Aria here would shake in her boots every time you walked into Tearsith.”

“I wasn’t that obvious,” I defended myself. There was no stopping the smile that played across my mouth. The joy I felt at being here, at seeing her face in the waking world for the first time.

Dani sent me a withering look, mischief lining her voice. “Oh, please. It was written all over you both. I’m surprised we didn’t catch you trying to sneak off past the boundaries or behind a tree, your pants down for all to see. The number of times I’ve had to skip over and intervene before anyone else noticed Aria getting all hot and bothered was kind of ridiculous.”

Softness flooded her as her gaze drifted between us. “But I’m glad to know we don’t have to do that anymore.” Lines furrowed her brow as the severity came rushing back. “Do you really believe it? That we’re safer together?”

She scanned the area as if she were searching for the danger that swelled in the distance.

“We think so ... or at least, as Nols, we’re stronger together.”