Dark Light (The Dark Light Series) (43 page)

“I’ll be ready! Thanks, Dad,” I say before heading back to my room. 

My family and friends are all I have. I have to fix the fissures that threaten to tear us apart while I still have the chance. I grab my cell phone and scroll down for Jared’s number. After a few rings, it goes straight to voicemail but I hang up before it prompts me to leave a message. 

Since I have a couple hours to spare and couldn’t possibly read another word about globular clusters or moon phases, I decide to turn up the music and start organizing the things I’d like to take to the new apartment. I grew up in this room; it’s been my sanctuary since I was 14 years old. Six years of bittersweet memories. I couldn’t possibly strip it bare of all the joy, pain, frustration, laughter, fear, and love that fill it. It’s not like I will be gone forever, and it would destroy Donna if I emptied it and didn’t leave at least an inkling of her daughter in here. 

Assessing my closet, I realize that I need to go through it and discard old, outdated clothing. Many items are from high school, and though it was only a couple years ago, I’m not exactly going to be reverting to my old Goth days or the skater look complete with huge, wide-leg jeans. I begin to get nostalgic pulling the items from the hangers and tossing them into a pile for Goodwill. 

High school wasn’t exactly pleasant for me, but it was a necessary experience that helped shape who I am today. I can’t believe I wore most of the apparel, and have a good laugh at my lack of fashion sense. I can only imagine what Morgan would say if she saw me in the tasteless frocks. She didn’t move to the Springs until right before Senior year when I had finally found my fashion footing. If she had met me just a year earlier, we probably would not have been friends, supernatural bond or not.

After I deplete almost half of my wardrobe, I get to work on my childhood collection of stuffed animals propped up on a little wooden bench. These will not be thrown away. At least Donna can come in here and reminisce on the days when I was a normal, non-threatening little girl. However, I do want to take a few to the new apartment, just to feel some kind of connection to my old life. 

I pick up an old rust-colored teddy bear. Jared gave it to me after winning it at one of the county fairs some years back. He was always so skilled at carnival games. He could knock down empty tin cans with rubber balls and pop balloons with darts like nobody’s business. And I was always there cheering him on. I wonder if we’ll ever be like that again. Chances are Aurora now occupies that place in his life, though I doubt she’d be caught dead at one of our usual haunts.

I notice what appears to be a slip of paper hidden behind my little display of furry friends. I knock a few stuffed animals out of the way, and reach my hand behind the bench to fetch it. I can tell from the thickness of the paper that it’s actually a photograph. Once recovered, I look down at it cheerfully, expecting it to be an old picture of me and my friends. However, five totally different faces stare back at me from the aged photograph. They are all gloriously youthful, jovial and beautiful. 

To the far left, I recognize what looks to be a young Chris. He looked so handsome, strong and carefree. Even back then his brown hair was clean cut, yet I can see a hint boyish charm in his gleaming smile. His face is turned towards a slim, gorgeous blonde. Donna. It’s strange how much she hasn’t changed over the years. In the photo her hair is longer, and her skin is luminescent, almost like porcelain. Chris is looking at her lovingly and it appears that she is laughing, her eyes closed and head tilted back just a bit. She’s happy, and I can almost feel her loving spirit exuding from the picture.

Next to Donna is the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen. Her long chocolate brown hair falls in deep waves down her back and her skin is the color of fresh cream. She is smiling brightly and her startling golden eyes hold immense ardor as she cradles her round, bulging belly. A large, masculine hand also embraces her pregnant stomach, the hand of the striking, caramel-colored man standing next to her. He, too, is smiling, and I can’t help but be in awe at his exquisite beauty. His thick, black hair stands in tiny coils and his full lips are fenced by a neat goatee. His most attractive feature is the contrast of his hauntingly light eyes against his copper skin. I’ve never seen the combination before and it’s breathtaking. The dazzling couple is obviously in love. And they seem overjoyed at the prospect of welcoming a new baby into their lives. 

Their faces remind me of someone. They remind me of myself. The almond shape of the woman’s golden eyes. Her heart-shaped face. Her long wavy tresses. The man’s button nose. His dark hair. This is Natalia and Alexander. My parents- the Dark Hunter of the Light Enchanters and the Dark One from the Shadow. It’s hard for me to believe that I was conceived by such amazingly beautiful people. Their looks are otherworldly, astonishing, causing me to gasp in admiration.

I wish I could cherish this moment and enjoy seeing the faces of my birth parents for the first time. But their overwhelming beauty and their obvious affection for each other and their unborn daughter is overshadowed by another staggering discovery in the picture. Standing next to my father, Alex, stands a tall, sculpted figure displaying a seductive half-smile. Olive skin, hair the color of onyx, and smoldering ice blue irises. He appears to be in his mid-twenties, full of youthful exuberance and delicious danger. Seeing him here makes my heart pound with alarming fervor, and my breathing becomes ragged and shallow. 

The alluring man in the photograph is no stranger to me. I know him well, just as he knows every inch of me inside and out. 

Dorian. 

My Dorian.

And it all becomes crystal clear. What Dorian has been trying to relay to me all along. What I have been trying like hell to run from since my twentieth birthday, still trying to hold on to just a shred of normalcy. He knows who I am. He knows I’m the Dark Light. And the beautiful dream boasting colorful images of love, contentment and a future with the alluring man I so desperately love disintegrates right before my eyes, morphing into a horrifying, bloodcurdling nightmare. 

S.L. Jennings is a wife and mother of three. Her husband is a member of the United States Air Force and they live overseas in Germany. While Dark Light is her very first full-length novel, she has always had an unshakeable love for writing short stories, poetry and music since childhood.  She hopes to continue to share her passion for writing and entertaining with The Dark Light series. 

For updates and info on The Dark Light series, S.L. Jennings and future projects, visit The Dark Light Series Facebook page. 

Deciding to write a full length novel was probably the craziest decision I’ve ever made. And while I’d like to believe I am somewhat put together, I know I’ve had my fair share of harebrained schemes and spontaneous ventures. However, creating The Dark Light series was probably the first thing that ever made sense. And there were a few influential people that stuck it out with me that never gave up no matter how ridiculous I sounded. And without these amazing people Dark Light would still be stuck in my crazy head and keeping me up at night.

My husband has been my rock. Through late nights, endless ramblings and countless glasses of wine, he has always been my biggest supporter. Thank you for letting me be who I am, though it has taken a few years to figure that out. And holding my hand throughout my journey.

I have some ridiculously amazing friends who let me talk incessantly about Gabriella and Dorian, as if they were real people. Because they knew that they were real to me. Thank you, ladies, for your constant support, patience, and genuine friendship. Extra special thanks to Daniela Taylor of Daniela Taylor Photography for all your motivation, dedication and hard work. Not to mention amazing talent. There’s no way I could have done this without you. Shout out to Jessica Clark, the cover model for Dark Light for being so gorgeous, inside and out.

Thank you to my awesome team of beta readers who provided me with great feedback, advice, and lots of encouragement. You made me believe that I could actually do this. Your belief in this project means the world. Special thanks to Shenae Pruitt for all the inspiring chats and helping me weave through all the ins and outs of the literary world.

Shout out to Jess Afshar at Mimi and Chichi for all the style inspiration and promotion, as well as Chris Newberry at The Sweeter the Juice for his wonderful friendship and support. 

Immense thanks to all the fans and readers that took a chance on a literary unknown. Your support is so awesome. 

Most importantly, thank you God, for giving me an overactive imagination, an insane passion for writing, and the ability to share my story with the world.

And to all my friends, family members, and supporters that I may have missed, know that you were all instrumental in the development of Dark Light. Thank you for being an inspiration.

xoxo,

S