“Say what?” he asks, arching a brow, pretending like there isn’t an unspoken argument brewing between us.
“Whatever you’re holding back,” I say. “Get it off your chest.”
“I’m concerned,” he says plainly.
“About?” I ask, frustration growing. If he’s the one who wants to talk, why do I feel like I am forcing him to speak?
Malik glances at the black onyx crystal, and I feel the stone heat against my skin. It sizzles on contact, but I am certain Malik hasn’t noticed the change. Still, the stone reacts, understanding Malik to be a threat to its existence. It only calms when his gaze settles on mine again.
“I’m fine,” I repeat.
“You’re not,” he argues. “And the fact that you continue trying to convince us that you are only concerns me more.”
I huff sharply, expelling the breath from my lungs until they spasm. I enjoy the pain. It’s better than talking about my feelings with Malik.
“I don’t know what you want me to say, Malik. I am fine.”
“Ava, that stone is influencing you. Little by little, day by day, we see less of you and more of…it.”
“It?” I ask, even though I understand his meaning.
“The entity,” he says firmly. “The stone is losing its control over it, and whatever the witches created is seeping into you. I’m afraid you aren’t strong enough to fight it.”
“That’s funny,” I say. “The last time I checked, I’m the only hybrid in this nest. I think that makes me pretty damn powerful, Malik.”
I don’t hide my annoyance, and the threat of my tone lingers. At this, Malik stands abruptly, closing the space between us. I stand tall even though he towers over me, but I refuse to show weakness.
“Ava, we know something is amiss,” Malik says. “You have been acting strangely ever since you took control of that amulet. The longer you deny it, the more difficult it will be to save you.”
“And let me guess… When it comes down to saving them or me, you’ll choose them,” I say. “I’ve heard this threat before, Malik.”
“I don’t want to hurt you, Ava.”
“But you will if you have to,” I say.
He nods, never speaking the words aloud. I suppose I don’t need him to. I’m used to being the sacrifice.
“I understand,” I say. “If there is one thing we both agree on, it’s protecting what matters when we feel threatened.”
Malik frowns, furrowing his brows, and briefly, I worry he won’t understand my veiled threat.
I step forward and angle my head back so he can see me fully, so he can understand I am not threatened by him. Malik and I are standing so close we share the same air, the same breath. He remains unyielding, eyes hard, while I chuckle, the sound rumbling from my chest.
“I will destroy that amulet, Ava.”
“Not if it destroys you first,” I whisper.
Malik takes several steps back, never averting his gaze. His hands are balled into fists at his sides. His muscles strain, jaw clenched, and I can practically taste the anger radiating from him. It tastes like seared flesh. I lick my lips.
“Do you see now?” he says. “Do you see how it is influencing her?”
I frown, but before I can respond, the door to the butler’s pantry flings open, and Jasik strides into the kitchen. He is tall, like his brother, and leanly built. His jacket is covered in soot, and he smells like ash. I scrunch my nose at the scent wafting closer.
“You may have fooled your sire, Ava, but you do not fool me,” Malik says. “He believes you still mourn the witches and that the death of your mother is the reason for your actions. I know better.”
“She just needs time,” Jasik says.
“We cannot risk our lives,” Malik hisses, his frustration getting the best of him. “It’s not safe here, not when the amulet is under her protection.”
“I can help her,” Jasik argues.
“There isn’t time,” Malik says. “It is becoming too powerful. We must destroy it before it becomes too great even for us.”
“Ava,” Jasik says, ignoring his brother and stepping closer. He holds out his hand, offering it to me. “Come with me. I have something I want to show you.”
My gaze flutters between the two vampires and the offering before me, and I opt for the easiest exit, taking Jasik’s hand. When his palm glides against mine, the world seems to silence. The rapid beats of Malik’s heart no longer echo in my mind. The buzzing at my clavicle no longer burns against my skin. Instead, all I feel is a tingling sensation in my palm and the heat pulsating from Jasik’s body as I close the space between us.
“I have something for you,” he whispers, tucking loose strands of hair behind my ear. “It’s outside.”
In the backyard, he leads me away from the manor and closer to the cemetery. His grip on my hand tightens as I suck in a loud breath. I try not to think about the souls gone and the bodies buried. I try not to think about the days that have passed since I last visited them.
As we approach, I notice something new. A headstone directly beside Will’s. Carved from the same stone that memorializes those we lost that night, the tombstone is etched with my mother’s name: Tatiana López.
A sleek box is nestled on the ground in front of the stone. I withdraw from Jasik’s grasp and kneel before it, letting my body sink into the earth. I hold my breath as I run my hand over the familiar box, the wood cool to the touch. Jasik crouches beside me, hand resting on my back. He rubs softly as he speaks.
“I gathered your mother’s ashes, and I placed them in this box,” he says.
“We used to keep stones in it,” I whisper. “After charging them under the full moon, we would place them in this for safekeeping.”
“It was outside. I think…” He pauses before adding, “I think that’s why it wasn’t destroyed.”
I nod, sniffling as I grab on to it. It is surprisingly light, even though it houses her cremains. I cradle it to my chest, gripping the wood tightly. My mother was a powerful, formidable witch. Under her roof, I spent so many years fearful—afraid to disappoint her, afraid to upset her, afraid she wouldn’t accept me, afraid I would never see her again. Now, I fear for her soul. Where is she? Did her misdeeds overshadow all the good she did? Will she spend an eternity paying for those mistakes?
“I know how much it hurts to lose your family, Ava,” Jasik says. “And I know this doesn’t make up for everything that happened, but I do hope it will help lessen the pain—maybe ease the burden.”
I glance up at my sire, vision blurred by my tears. Jasik smiles at me, but it never reaches his eyes. Those two swirling, crimson pools stare back at me, and within them, I see his fear.
Chapter Two
I think about my nestmates as I trek through the forest, intent on patrolling the woods. After Jasik’s heartfelt gesture, I needed space. He may believe in me, but the others certainly don’t. The stench of fear drove me away, and as I hike through the brush, I have little desire to return.
The farther I am from the manor—and our annoying new houseguest—the better I feel. The tension in my head eases, and the world becomes clearer. But the better I feel physically, the worse I feel emotionally. I can’t stop thinking about my nightmares, about the mysterious man who keeps warning me about the amulet’s dark power, and about the witch who refuses to leave Darkhaven. True coincidences rarely occur in Darkhaven, yet I am drowning in them now.