Page 51 of Poison Sun

The touch, so similar yet chillingly different, snaps me back to reality.

I have to fight this.

And so, I cling to my memory with Damien, letting it fill me with light, using it to push back against the Shadow Lord’s darkness.

“No,” I say again, this time with more force as I step out of his grasp. “I don’t want you. I want Damien—not you.”

The Shadow Lord’s expression darkens, anger flashing across his hauntingly beautiful features. “You think you’re strong because of him?” he hisses, the seductive charm gone, replaced by something far more sinister. “He can’t protect you from everything. Not from me, and especially not from the darkness that swirls in your veins, calling me to you each night.”

“The potion.” I suck in a sharp breath, which only seems to excite the Shadow Lord more.

“You drank it.” He gazes down at me, like he can see into my soul. “That was your choice. You might not realize it yet, but you want this. You want me. You wouldn’t have done it if you didn’t.”

“I don’t want you. I never will.” I hold out my arms, palms toward him, and call on my sun magic.

There’s nothing. Only an empty well.

It’s impossible to reach my light in his world of darkness.

He stares at me, and I can almost see the wheels turning in his mind, calculating his next move.

Then, without warning, he laughs. It’s haunting, and chilling, and dangerously melodic at the same time.

“Very well, Amber,” he says, but from the glint in his eyes, I know this isn’t over. “Cherish your time with the vampire king. Yet, when boredom strikes and you realize you're meant for greater things, know I'll be here, lurking in the shadows of your mind.”

“I’m not safe here,” I realize.

“Wrong,” he says. “With me, you’re always safe.”

With that, he fades away, dissolving into the darkness until I’m falling through mist, alone once again.

Morgan

The morning light filters through the hostel’s dining room window, casting a soft glow on the table between me and Blaze, making his eyes shine brighter as he sips his coffee.

I grab the last muffin from the plate, taking a piece for myself and sliding the rest across to him.

He places the cup down, smirking as he accepts the offering. “You sure you don’t want more of that?” he asks.

I roll my eyes, playing along. “Just making sure you’re well-fed before we leave. Wouldn’t want you fainting on me midway through our quest.”

He chuckles, taking a bite and savoring it. “The Valley of the Vanished,” he says, gazing out the window before returning his attention to me. “I don’t know if it could get more ominous than that.”

“Sure it could.” I sip my tea, contemplating the possibilities. “The Valley of Nightmares. The Valley of Death. The Valley of Echoing Despair…”

His laughter lingers in the air, lightening the mood. “When you put it like that, our little adventure sounds like a relaxing vacation.”

Our conversation shifts to the practical as we finish our breakfast, leave the hostel, and stop by some stores to buy a few things we’ll need on our journey. The sun is high by the time we’re ready to leave, and once outside the town, we adjust our packs and set a steady pace toward the mountains.

The path is well-trodden at first. But eventually, civilization’s marks fade, and the wild starts to reclaim its territory.

As we navigate through the increasingly rugged terrain, Blaze breaks the silence that’s settled between us.

“You know, it would be a whole lot easier if you could just fire travel us directly to that quill,” he says. “Imagine the time we’d save.”

“You know I can’t bring someone with me,” I remind him, hopping over a fallen tree trunk. “I only know one person who can.”

Hazel.

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