Page 96 of Walking in Darkness

A clash suddenly broke out.

A rush of footsteps and a clattering of spirits.

Chaos as Timothy and Dani emerged from the shadows just as Pax raced toward the man who had edged me backward. He slammed the butt of his gun across the back of his head. The man roared, but he didn’t fall—he only spun and flung his knife toward Pax.

Pax used his gun as a shield, battling him back.

Grunts and shoves and punches thudded and echoed, and I slowly turned, my muscles mush and my mind hindered.

Timothy fought with two of the men, each warring for dominance.

But it was Dani, standing off to the side of the clearing, who sent an alarm hurling through me.

She was trying to draw one of the men toward her.

The blade of the knife she held glinted beneath the strikes of lightning, and I could see it trembling in her hand. Could see what she was willing to sacrifice. Could see the depravity in the glimmer of the man’s aura as he turned toward her, his voice twisted and not his own as he wheezed, “You’re one of them. It’s time to meet your end.”

From above, the voices chanted their agreement.

“End her. End her. End them all.”

Frantic, I gathered what strength I had left and forced myself to run. To do something. To stop this.

I hurtled across the space, my bare feet sinking into the damp dirt. Spindly roots that jutted up from the ground and the weight of my limbs fought to hold me back, but I pushed through as I searched for the light inside. For the energy to amass once again.

But I couldn’t conjure it. Couldn’t invoke it.

The only thing I could do was slam into the man from the side, throwing my full weight at him as I rammed my shoulder into his ribs.

Distracted by his debased thirst, he was unprepared for the impact, and it knocked him to the side. He skidded on his boots, and one heavy sole caught on an exposed root and toppled him to the ground.

“You’re dead, bitches. Both of you,” he grunted as he started to climb back to standing, then immediately dropped back down. But how long he would remain there, I didn’t know.

I grabbed Dani’s hand, begging, “You have to get out of here.”

“I’m not going anywhere without you. Without all of you. We’re in this together,” she argued. A lash of worry cut into her brow when she took me in, her entire face pinching in concern. “Are you hurt? Did they hurt you?”

I blinked through the sluggishness.

“Drained,” I wheezed, panting into the disordered air.

“Oh God,” she mumbled. She curled her arm around my waist to support me. “Okay, okay, we’ve got this,” she promised.

I leaned against her, inhaling deep, massive breaths into my deflated lungs.

A spark of energy lit—the barest flame, but it was there.

“Aria, get to the car! Both of you get to the fucking car!” Pax shouted as he fought with one man. Another was on the ground, groaning beside him.

Timothy still warred with the other two, though I could feel him faltering.

Failing.

His own exhaustion from the type of battle he was not accustomed to slowing him down.

I thought Dani could feel it before I could. The peril that Timothy was in. Because she suddenly drew in a haggard breath, whispering, “No,” before she released me and bolted forward, screaming as she ran.

She didn’t slow or hesitate when she drove her blade deep into the thigh of one of the men who was overtaking her Nol.