Soul of Darkness (3 page)

A
idan’s eyes might have been closed, but he’d been conscious throughout Malcolm and Aaron’s talk…and he’d heard every single word!

Moments before he’d overheard them talking, he’d come to and wondered where he was and what had happened. He’d been unable to remember anything after his failed attempt at saving them both from drowning. He and Persephone had been completely surrounded by water. There’d been no way out…and he hadn’t been able to open the portal. He’d been at a loss to explain how he was even alive.

Then, he’d suddenly heard his brother and father talking about what had happened and decided not to let on that he was conscious. He’d been certain they wouldn’t have spoken so openly had they known he was awake. And he really needed answers, needed to know what kind of miracle had saved his life.

Had he known what he was about to hear, he would have done anything to keep himself in the dark. The truth was excruciatingly hard to bear.

She had sacrificed herself…the purity of her soul…for him.

How could she have done that?

It made no sense!

Though his father thought Persephone must have been in love with him, Aidan could not believe it.

Sure, there had been moments when he’d thought there was some kind of understanding between them…moments when they’d been really close…emotionally.

But he’d thought she was in love with his brother and, therefore, couldn’t care about him in such a way. He’d thought she was merely glad to have him around because she felt safer in his presence.

He’d saved her life more than once, after all. It hadn’t been that far-fetched to come to the conclusion that she might, first and foremost, seek his company to ensure her own protection.

But not once had she let on that she felt something for him, well, other than physical attraction. Could he have somehow missed it? Had she given any indication of actually having feelings for him? Aidan didn’t know what to believe anymore.

The fact of the matter was: Despite her earlier allusions to the blackness within her tainted sou
l―
which had obviously been a considerable source of distress to he
r―
she’d willingly let herself be overcome by darkness…to save his life.

Those were the irrefutable facts.

Who sacrificed their soul for someone they didn’t care about? Would he sacrifice something as valuable as his soul for someone he didn’t truly love, Aidan asked himself.

The answer was very simple: he would not. But for someone he loved? In a heartbeat…and without the slightest regret! That was the power of love.

Was that what she’d done? Had she loved him without his realizing it? Could she even have fallen in love with him in the brief time they had known each other?

Hadn’t he done exactly the same?

They might have only met a short while ago, but they’d gotten closer in a small amount of time than other people did throughout half a lifetime. They’d seen into each other’s souls.

With all barriers dow
n―
their essences naked and stripped of protectio
n―
there had been nothing either of them could have held back. Each of them had been able to see with perfect clarity
exactly
  who the other was. That was more than normal couples ever got to experience.

Aidan’s heart ached for Persephone…for the beautiful soul she had lost to save his life.

The weight of her sacrifice seemed to suggest that she had indeed loved him…did she still feel that way? Or was her heart forever frozen now?

If so, Aidan would never forgive himself.

She had relied on him. It had been his duty to protect her…not the other way around. And when she had needed him the most, he’d failed her…and now she might be lost forever. And it was entirely his fault!

Had he only been stronger…

Had he practiced magic more often…

Aidan couldn’t accept that she was lost. She must still be in there somewhere. The woman he cared about…had fallen in love with…must still exist.

He had no choice but to believe that the beautiful light he’d beheld was somewhere inside her waiting to be reunited with the rest of her now darkened soul…that he could chase the darkness away and restore her essence.

If it cost him his very last breath, Aidan would do anything within his power to get her back…to redeem the woman who had given him everything…had given him life! Not for one second would he believe she was truly gone.

Because if he did…if he gave up on her…he might as well have died in that tunnel!

Chapter 2 * Cold Heat

T
he dying sun sent deep-red rays of light over the landscape when my ears picked up the faintest creaking sounds of a door being opened. Someone had just entered my bedroom.

I did not turn around.

It was Aidan. I could sense his presence ever so clearly. It seemed our connection had gotten even stronger since I had brought him back. I remembered that this was his room as well.

His death didn’t seem to have left any deep psychological scars, at least as far as I could sense. On the whole, he seemed to be the man I had known before. I should have felt glad to see him, happy that he was alive, back on his feet, and appeared to be okay.

I didn’t.

His presence and emotional state registered on my mind.

But I felt nothing.

I remembered I had given my soul to resurrect him…because he had meant something to me. Not so anymore. He was nothing to me now but the man who shared my room.

I followed the sounds of his footsteps as they approached the window seat I’d been perched on for the last couple of hours without moving.

“Beautiful sunset,” I heard a voice behind me say. Was I supposed to say something? Did he expect me to reply?

I decided not to.

Why bother? It didn’t matter.

He
  didn’t matter.

As he stepped up to the window seat, picked up my legs, and sat down with them resting on his lap, he was in my direct line of vision. I remembered how I’d felt about him before. How I’d thought how beautiful he was…how his deep blue eyes had made me want to lose myself in their depths.

But looking at him now, it seemed as though I were gazing through a milky white glass which shrouded the color and light of the object at its center. Aidan’s eyes appeared dull, his skin gray. He didn’t look the way he used to.

I saw him…but I didn’t
see
him.

“Persephone,” Aidan said softly, “I wanted to thank you…for saving me.”

At first, I just looked at him and didn’t answer. But he had gotten his facts wrong, so I decided to respond, if only to correct him.

“I did not
save
  you. You were dead. I resurrected you,” I said matter-of-factly, no emotion whatsoever in my voice as I simply stated what had happened.

None of it affected me, after all.

After watching Aidan long enough to see him swallow the lump in his throat while scrutinizing me with a slightly distressed look on his face, I decided to return my gaze to the landscape outside my window, dismissing him as I turned my head.

“Persephone,” Aidan whispered softly.

I ignored him.

Suddenly, I felt my body being moved as he pulled me onto his lap and held me there. It didn’t even occur to me to fight him…I didn’t care.

As he held my head in place and looked straight into my eyes, I could feel his gaze trying to burn a path directly into my soul.

Close your eyes!
the dark voice inside my head ordered.

I obeyed without question, shutting my eyes…shutting out Aidan…before he once again tried to flood me with his soul’s light.

“Look at me,” Aidan tried to persuade me, his tone calm and enticing.

His voice did not move me…his gentleness could not reach me.

“Look at me,” he repeated, the softness now gone from his expression; left was the raw undertone mirroring the distress he undoubtedly felt.

It’s his fault that you’re like this. He was too weak to protect you,
Darkness said.

I didn’t respond to Darkness’s words…neither agreed nor disagreed outright. But secretly I thought Darkness might actually have a point.

“I’m so sorry I failed you,” Aidan suddenly whispered in my ear, his voice breaking slightly.

“If I hadn’t, you’d still be with me. Please come back…come back to me.”

It was no use.

I was stone cold…

And nothing he could say would melt the ice around my heart.

I could feel him pulling me into his embrace, could taste his lips on mine; he held me even closer, hugging me tightly, his fingers digging into my arms in his desperation to make me respond. I let him do whatever he wanted without trying to stop him. Why should I? It didn’t faze me.

Play along,
Darkness said,
and make him want you.

Why?
I asked this time. Not because I intended to disobey, but because I didn’t fully understand my assignment.

Get him to lie with you…fulfill your destiny.
This is your chance. You’re alone; no one will interrupt you. Make him crave you.

Seduce him!

A
idan shuddered inside from the waves of cold he could feel emanating from Persephone. Even though she had shut her eyes and wouldn’t let him in, the nearness to her sufficed to get a clear overall reading of her emotional stat
e―
which was nonexistent!

Where there should have been emotions, there was nothing but a black, empty pit void of anything even remotely resembling feelings.

Though Aidan had promised himself he would not just give up, but would continue to believe that the Persephone he knew and…loved…was still somewhere inside of her, he had to admit that he hadn’t expected her to be quite as emotionally dead as she now appeared.

He was shocked to find her so cold.

And he could only hope and pray that she wasn’t too far gone for him to get her back!

Whatever he must do to get through to her, he would do it…but it wouldn’t be now. He was too shaken by her behavior to do anything. Furthermore, he didn’t even know
where
to start.

He desperately needed to talk to his father. Maybe Malcolm could help him…perhaps he had the necessary insight Aidan momentarily lacked.

He was about to hoist Persephone off of his lap and leave, when she suddenly surprised him. Her hands clawing at his body, she pulled him close.

Her lips were suddenly on his.

Aidan was too surprised to react immediately. By the time his brain had processed what was happening, her tongue had entered his mouth, doing things to him that made it nearly impossible for him to keep his cool.

He found himself responding to her, kissing her back.

Her hands found the bottom of his T-shirt and tugged it over his head. As Aidan held his breath, her fingers trailed down his naked torso, brushed over his nipples, and moved lower to leisurely trace the muscles of his abdomen, which twitched nervously under her touch.

Aidan was on fire…and completely lost to her, the ability of rational thinking utterly eluding him.

Persephone’s hands worked on the black leather pants of his uniform, slowly undoing the button and zipper.

Aidan slipped one arm underneath Persephone’s knees, seized her around the waist, and lifted her into his arms as he got to his feet. Then, he carried her to her bed and laid her down.