Page 143 of The Darkest Hour

“Now. . .we’re the most dangerous beings on this island.”

He nodded. “Remember that. Feel the strength of those words in your chest.”

And then to my shock, he kissed me.

Our mouths met in a clash of urgency and desperation. His lips were hard and insistent against mine, and I responded in kind, winding one arm around his neck and drawing him closer.

There was no time for softness or sentiment; each moment we spent here was one that could reveal our presence to a possible enemy—one that could lead to our downfall.

When he finally tore himself away from me, his eyes were dark and full of a savage intensity that left me breathless. “Let's go.”

I cleared my throat. “Okay.”

The Chateau of Nightmares

Onyx

We approached the chateau with careful steps with our weapons up.

It was eerily quiet; even the usual sounds of nature seemed muted.

Once again, the whole island was holding its breath and watching us.

It was hard to simply walk by the garden and not grab something to eat. There were rows of onions with their green stalks rising tall, radishes peeking out like little red and white bulbs, and even a few potato plants. And it didn’t stop there, earlier, I’d missed all the fruit trees on the side with pears, peaches, and apples hanging heavy on their leafy arms.

But we had a task at hand.

Our eating would have to wait.

As we moved closer to the chateau, the sense of unease grew, like a dark cloud hovering above us.

Havoc led the way.

We approached the door hesitantly, as though fearing that it might vanish any moment like a mirage.

Fear gnawed at my insides, but with Havoc by my side, I knew we could face whatever lay ahead.

We approached the huge gold door, and I exchanged a final glance with Havoc.

He held that knife up, appearing deadlier than ever before and then gave me a small nod, reassuring me without words.

I knocked, pretty much pounding my fist against the surface.

And then we waited.

The seconds seemed to stretch into eternity, each tick of the clock an eerie echo in the silence.

After a minute, I loudly knocked again.

Havoc lifted his nose in the air and sniffed. “No new smell. If someone were coming, there would have been a shift in scents.”

“Okay. I have the boots so I’ll open the door.”

Havoc winked. “My thoughts exactly.”

We both stepped back.

And with all my force, I raised my foot in the air and then slammed it hard against the door. The hinges squeaked in protest.

---