Descending Darkness(88)

“That’s an understatement,” he mumbles.

“And I’m sorry about that, but if that’s any indication of what the future is to hold, it’s only going to get worse. I need you with me too.” I look around the room, “I need all of you guys. When Jane was here, she called you all my little Avenger’s team, and I think it’s time for us to assemble.”



Colton

“I don’t like this,” I tell Liam as I watch Ryanne talk with Tom about what to do next. She’s standing behind a chair at the kitchen table while Tom is sitting.

“It’s what she’s meant to do, Colton.”

“I know. I know. That doesn’t mean I have to like it,” I complain as I get up and walk toward my soulmate. She smiles at me but continues talking to Tom.

“Since we’ve been away for a while, it’ll be hard to find anyone specific. I have my connections, but at the moment, I’m not sure who to trust. I think our first option should be James. We need to see if he’s helping his brother.” Wrapping my arms around her petite waist, I instantly shoot down that idea.

“Colton, we have to know if he’s willing to help us when the time comes,” Ryanne whispers up to me.

“He attacked you the last time he was here. He broke your wrist!”

“But I got away. I’m stronger now than I was then. I fought Phillip who is basically the same size as James. I have you and Liam to help if anything happens. It’ll be fine. We need to know. His strength could be very helpful.”

“I don’t trust him, and I never have. What if it’s a trap?”

Ryanne turns around in my arms so she’s facing me. Because I’m standing right behind her, she’s literally pressed up against me. Tilting her head back, she looks up at me. “It’s a risk we have to take. We’ve overcome death, Colton. Literally. Are you telling me you’re afraid of a big guy with a wittle strength?” she teases and innocently bats her eyelashes at me.

If that’s how it’s going to be…“Do you realize where my hands are right now?” I ask her, while moving my fingers on her waist. She giggles and leans closer to me, trying to get away from my fingers. I’m in the perfect position to tickle her, but I refrain. I look over my head at Tom, who’s casually walking toward the door with a small smile on his face. If I turn around, I know that everyone in the living room will be watching us, but I don’t care. I turn so that I cover Ryanne from their watchful eyes.

I press my lips under her ear and wait for her reaction. She shivers under my touch and leans into me. She basically melts whenever I do this. “Promise me that you’re not going to go on some crazy superhero mission. Promise me you’re going to behave.”

“Mmhhhmmm,” she mumbles as I move my lips down to her neck.

“Promise me.”

She shivers again. “I-I promise.”



“Are you sure this is a good thing?” I ask Tom as I help throw some luggage into the trunk of the car. We’re getting ready to head out to find James. I’m still not so sure about James’s involvement in all of this, but Ryanne and Tom are pretty persistent on going to him first and working our way from there.

“I don’t know, but she’s right. It has to be done. Quit worrying so much, Colton. We’re all here to protect her. She’ll be fine. You’ve seen her in a fight; she’s much more prepared than when we first started training her. She’s doing what has to be done. The only way that we’re going to ever be able to live normal lives again is if we stop all this. If we take a stand. If we fight. Ryanne understands that.”

Dropping the last piece of luggage in the trunk, Tom places a hand on my shoulder and gives it a reassuring squeeze. “The mage part of you needs to override the soulmate side. You’ve trained your whole life for this moment. Since you discovered that she was the one, you’ve known that this is what she was going to have to do. She just accepted it faster than everyone else.”

“That’s easier said than done, Tom,” I tell him.

“I know, but what about any of this has been easy?”





Chapter Twenty-Six




“Tom, where is the original prophecy?”

“No one knows for sure. Claire was the only person that I knew who had ever seen it. It was written down in Latin but has since been translated. However, I’ve never seen a document version of it nor do I know where any are. What I know has been passed down orally from generation to generation,” Tom explains while keeping his eyes on the road ahead.

Since there are too many of us to fit in one vehicle, I’m currently sitting in Colton’s lap. Tom thinks it will be safer for me to remain near him just in case. Natalie is sitting in the back between Liam and Kyril. Emma is sitting up front near David. Conner and Larkin are sitting on the floor awkwardly between the seats. It is going to be a long, unsafe trip.