Tasting Darkness

Chapter 25 

Lycus POV 

I truly believed Darius would have had to knock her out before she handed my magic back to me. Aleera gripped the front of m y shirt as I leaned over Kalen, trying to make him come back to the room with us. Tobias could usually compel him to follow before we would douse him in our magic to cleanse the darkness away, and he would finally release it to us. The medication helped him, but something had set him off. I hadn’t seen him like this since his last suicide attempt.

Darius caught her movement and gripped her throat. We all thought she would attack. Why wouldn’t she? This was her chance to escape us again. The furious look on Darius’s face as his hand wrapped around her throat told me if she did anything, he wouldn’t hesitate to snap her neck.

That would kill Kalen, but I knew Darius wouldn’t allow harm t o come to us, especially when we weren’t sure exactly what she was capable of. Aleera froze, and my eyes were locked onto her sapphire ones. Her hand trembled as she reached for my face; her fingers barely touched me but it was enough. She was our keeper, keeper of our souls and magic, so that small touch was enough to send my magic hurtling back into me with an alarming speed that stole the breath from my lungs and sent m e backward.

Although when she returned it to me, I felt it was different.

f

Something about it felt different, but that was soon forgotten when she smacked her lips against Kalen’s. A growl tore out of me when I saw her steal his magic. How could she take advantage of him while he was in this state? –

Within seconds, Darius tossed her and I moved forward, smacking into Kalen, who gasped. His eyes flew open, stunned before they flashed brighter, recognition returning, and the buzz of energy rippled across his skin and zapped me. She didn’t take it. She didn’t take his magic. Tobias also, realizing that gripped my shoulder as he stood up. Darius stalked towards Aleera, who was choking, choking on the darkness she had just taken from him.

Horror washed through the bond because she had no power to cleanse it from herself. It usually took all three of us to contain the shadows that tainted Kalen, yet even we struggled because it always came back no matter what..

She crawled to her hands and knees, clutching her throat with one hand as she wheezed. An agonized scream tore out her, and her eyes burned brightly before the color left and they turned white.

“Wait, he still has his magic. She didn’t take it, Darius,” I screamed as Darius grabbed her hair. Her eyes fluttered, and her face fell slack just as Darius looked over at us. I didn’t see

was shoved by his magic, forcing him to let her go. Darius smashed against the

to his knees at her side, gripping her face. Kalen wailed as he scrambled across the floor to her. He snatched

the vampiric-fae king. Tobias ignored him. His fingers pried her eyelids open, and all I saw was white as I walked over and kneeled beside her. Darius groaned as he got to

her, fucking help her,” Kalen wailed as he tried to force her to take his magic to cleanse the shadows that writhed beneath

to his feet just as Tobias sunk his teeth into her neck below her ear. Darius realizing he wasn’t marking

bite mark when he jerked away, unable to absorb any

begged, and I looked

move to help her. I knew h e struggled the most with her. Just as much as Tobias did, I truly believed he would never

hatred toward her, I did. But she was our keeper and even though I hadn’t forgiven her for what she did, I didn’t feel it was worthy of death. Darius killed his father for her and for us. Doing that turned him cold. He wasn’t always so bloodthirsty and emotionless. Darius would never admit it but I knew he loved her just as much as he hated her; he just liked to blame the bond. Honestly, we all did.

him, but h e

in his arms. We only had seconds left before she would be lost to us. Darius’s eyes softened as he watched Kalen. He knelt beside her, gently taking her

consequences cost all of us everything, not that Kalen and I actually had anything before our mates. Tobias and Darius, it cost them the most since they were both straight before she left us.

off to take it. A tear slipped down his cheek, this man never cried, or if he did, it was never in front of us, and that was when I realized he

eyes turn blue again. Darius stumbles back on his hands, gasping before he wipes his hand across his mouth and glares at her, but I saw the flicker of relief cross his features and zap through our bond before he masked it when her eyes fluttered and she sucked in a

in his arms, and she would probably remain like that for a few hours. We were usually comatose whenever we cleansed Kalen. Although glancing at Darius and Tobias, they appeared alright, even after taking it from her. Yet Aleera showed no visible signs that she was still holding onto

however, taken the most, was rippling with anger that usually came from taking the darkness. He rose to his feet before storming off, and I knew it was to stop from

me, sounding as breathless as he looked, and I nodded. Kalen was peppering her face with kisses while Aleera stared vacantly at the pointed

back to her room,”

have died, but

is alright

line. I hated how much Kalen cared for her, but she did just help Kalen and gave my power back. My brows furrowed, wondering why she would still help after everything we had done.