Tasting Darkness

Chapter 43 It was a little after midnight before | finally got the courage to unlock the door leading into the hall. Surprisingly, they had once again left it unlocked. The key w as still in it, but it hadn‘t been turned, trappinginside. The majority of the night | spent listening to Kalen argue and fight with them over me.

| tried my best to ignore it and not eavesdrop but hearing the hatred spewing from my lips and listing to them warnaway from Kalen bothered me. Though | was a little shocked overhearing Kalen defend Kalen andbecause he was furious finding Kalen in the shower with me. « Something went down in there, and | hoped Kalen was alright, and if any of them did get hurt, | prayed it was Darius. The asshole needed to know what pain felt like. | would love to be the one to deliver every blow he has shown to me. He sure knows how to ruin someone, that is for sure.

Slipping into the hall, | made my way down to the cells, careful as | opened the door so it didn’t creak before making my way down the steps. Ryze peeked his little head up excitedly before tilting it from side to side as he looked at me. Ryze, | swear, could see into my soul. As soon as | sat down, he bumped his head against my cheek, making a low cawing sound, and I got th e feeling he could sense | was upset.

“I can't stay for long, but | saved you ssandwich,” | whispered to him before kissing the top of his beak. | held the sandwich out to him, but he nudged my hand toward me, pushing it away. | tried again, but he did the sthing.

“You don’t want it?’ | asked him. He must be missing eating meat. | needed to see if | could catch sfield mice. | sighed a breath of relief when he plucked the sandwich triangle from my hand, but instead of eating it, he stood pressing the old stale sandwich and his beak to my mouth. I laughed, watching as he tried to stuff the stale sandwich in my mouth and feed m e. | shook my head, and he puffed out his feathers before plopping down in his make-shift nest. His snake-like tongue licked the back of my hand, and I picked up the dropped sandwich and placed it beside him.

“I have to get back in case they notice,” | tell Ryze patting his back. Feathers were starting to sprout along his back, and his broken wing still looked terrible. | chewed my lip, thinking of If | could just siphon a little bit of power, | could at least heal his broken wing. Then we could get out of here sooner, or at the very least he could. That thought saddened me, he was all | had here, but it would be selfish ofto keep him down here, and | was already a prisoner. | wouldn‘t do that to Ryze.

Reluctantly | got and left, sneaking back into the castle foyer. | started climbing the steps when | paused mid- way, looking back at the door leading to the cells.

My eyes moved to the wards, and | quickly glanced up to the other levels to see if anyone was around. When | saw no one, | moved toward the doors. Darius‘s energy oozed off them, powerful and dangerous. Placing my hand on the doorknob, I didn‘t get blown backward or incinerated so | gripped it. Just enough to heal Ryze, that was it. Maybe Darius wouldn‘t notice if | was careful not to take too much. Like who in their right mind would attack a castle belonging to Darius Wraith and contained over 600 demons, you would have to be suicidal to try that.

| felt my hand heat up as | felt for his energy, and | was about t 0 absorb it when a hand went across my mouth and nose, stifling the scream of fright that tried to leave me.

| was ripped backward and away from the door by someone. | tried to breathe but the hand prevented it as | struggled. And it only took a few seconds to recognize it was Darius.

“You see, the wards, when touched, alertof intruders but also those who try to escape Aleera. You wouldn‘t be stupid enough to try, would you?” | swallowed and shook my head.

“But then again if you weren't trying to escape, why were you at the door?” he growled, shovingaway. | stagger and barely correct my footing before hitting the floor.

My heart was racing so fast | could hear it, feel my own pulse in my neck.

“You want to have a good reason to be done here, and what you were doing trying to leave,” | went to tell him | wasn’t trying to leave, but if | said | was siphoning magic, he would probably killand if | told why he would kill Ryze.

“So let's hear it,” Darius snapped at me. | chewed my lip. No matter what | say, it would getor Ryze killed.

“Answer or am | right? You were trying to leave?” Darius asked.

| say nothing. Sometimes silence is better than words. | was doomed either way, so | was surprised at his followin “Get back upstairs,” he snarled, motioning with his hand toward them. | hesitated before running up them like my ass noticed Darius walking up behind me, so | moved faster, hoping to get to my room so | could lock him out.

Walking down the dimly lit corridor to my room, | gripped the door handle to open my door when Darius’s voice stopped me.

“Next door,” he said and my brows furrowed. | stepped back, ensuring it was the right door, and it was definitely my room. Twisting the handle, | pushed the door open only to walk directly into Darius. My heart nearly leaped out of my chest as he appeared out of thin air. Dari! the glare he gave me.

“I said the next door,” he snarled, stepping out of my room toward me. | glanced back down the corridor where he was befor bedroom door.

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