Page 60 of To Vanquish Darkness

Could he feel this?

Theo’s hand settled on the crook of her elbow as he dropped his head. Of course he could. Her face grew hot. She closed her eyes as her pulse grew frantic.

“It’s been so long,” Theo whispered against her skin, so soft she wasn’t sure she’d heard the words.

Then his grip tightened, his whole body tensed, and something flared within her. A sharp burst that flashed behind her eyes. She sucked air through her teeth and grasped his upper arm with her opposite hand as Theo's fangs broke her flesh.

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1836 NORTHERN NORMANDY, FRANCE

She drew a shuddering breath as she clung to him, the sting quickly fading into a flood of warmth. The world seemed to flip on its head as raw heat rolled through her like honey.

Theo was everywhere. Pressed against every inch of her body, caging her in as he drank. Amalie's eyes fluttered closed, a soft moan escaping her lips as Theo pulled blood from her veins. This wasn’t pain. It wasn’t gentle, but itwasn’t pain. It was a heady rush that buried all rational thought.

She was color and light. Warmth and ache.

Theo pressed her harder into the wall, his fangs piercing deeper. She wanted to cry out, but clamped her mouth shut.

Amalie teetered on the brink of madness as images flickered to life. Memories? Fantasy? She couldn't tell the difference. She saw her eyes on a different face. Theo’s eyes, so close she found flecks of gold hidden in their depths.

There it was again.

That buzz of warmth. The shimmering thread of light tied to her spine. It seemed to grow taught and stretch out into the world. And then shadow moved through her like ink spilled on a manuscript. She forced herself to breathe as her knees went weak, and Theo tightened his grip on her waist. Her head tiltedback as she lost all sense of grounding. Pictures formed with more intensity, more focus?—

"Amalie!" The sharpness of her mother’s voice broke through the haze, and Amalie froze against the heavy wooden door. It was a small sanctuary tucked within the north turret, its tall windows framed by ivy and overlooking the sprawling gardens below. Amalie hadn't dared sneak in before, though she was regularly drawn there. That day, she'd battled her curiosity and lost.

Inside, the air felt different. Dust motes danced in shafts of sunlight. Books were piled on shelves, their leather spines cracked and faded. A heavy oak table dominated the center, cluttered with odd trinkets.

There, her mother hunched over an ancient tome, her expression stern. "What have I told you about following me up those stairs?"

Amalie's cheeks heated. "I can climb them now."

Her mother raised an eyebrow. "I can see that."

"Can I read with you?" Amalie asked, taking a step inside, heart racing.

Her mother sighed, then beckoned for her to sit on the stool next to her. Amalie ran forward, nearly knocking into the corner of the table. Her mother grabbed her waist, lifting her, and Amalie immediately began to scan the pages in front of them.

"What is that?" She pointed at a man with long, pointed teeth.

"Silly stories. Isn't he strange looking?"

Amalie giggled. "Yes." She wanted to impress her mother with her maturity, though the picture made her pulse quicken. "A little scary," she admitted.

Her mother nodded, pulling a jewelry box toward her and allowing her to peek inside. "That's why I study here. Some things aren't meant for your eyes and ears."

Amalie played with a locket on the end of a chain, trying to figure out how to open it. "What if the silly stories are real?"

Her mother tsked. "We mustn’t let fear take root." She leaned over the table, pointing at the necklace. "That will be yours someday." Amalie's eyes lit up. "It was my mother's once . . ."

The room shifted and she was standing in a wood. Ancient trees stretched around her as she crouched, readying herself.

“You’re not protecting yourself,” a man growled, and she landed hard in the dirt. Her feet swept out from under her.

Amalie scrambled back up, assuming a defensive position. “You can’t use your advantage,” she hissed.

With a flash of smoke, the man appeared in front of her. “Do you think you’ll be fighting humans?” Theo’s eyes drilled into her. “If you’d start taking my advice, you’d be able to see it coming.”

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