Page 134 of Rising Out of the Darkness
Flash.
Now I was dancing with my mom in her garden, her copper hair waving around her like the flames of a fire. Our laughter was so loud, it was like I was there now.
Flash.
I sat on the roof of my home. Darkness surrounded me, but the stars provided me comfort and peace.
Flash.
I watched my mother and father dance together. This moment was the first time that I fully understood the meaning of romantic love. The way they looked lost in the depths of each other’s eyes made me yearn to have someone look at me that way one day.
When they caught me watching, their smiles reached their ears as they pulled me into their arms. I’d never felt safer than I had at that moment.
Flash.
The next images flew by my eyes fast, but not too fast for me to feel the impact of each of them. Every person I’d ever loved, cared for, shared a laugh with passed before me. So many familiar faces, even a few new ones. Like a playfully smirking Liam as he splashed me with water, or a mischievous laugh from Clara as we clinked our wine glasses together.
Flash.
The last image was too hard to see, and I fought to lift my eyelids. Searching my mind, I tried to will other memories into existence, but it didn’t budge.
Declan’s emerald eyes gleamed against the moonlight. It was the memory of the night we defeated the beasts. The night our dynamis had intertwined. It was the night that he was given a glimpse of respect…forgiveness, from the city he loved so deeply.
Bright eyes locked onto mine, their hold so strong I couldn’t break away. They were full of gratitude, euphoria, relief…love. With each stride he took towards me, I felt a tug pull deep withinmy chest. That same feeling I’d felt when our eyes first met. The same ache I felt every time I was around him. It wrapped around me and pulled tight.
Everything went quiet in my mind, and I surrendered to the warmth and fell to my knees. Thoroughly spent, I took in the astounding sight that surrounded me. Tears fell from my eyes, cooling my heated skin.
Darkness engulfed the entire ballroom. The only lights illuminating the room now were millions of tiny, golden spheres of light.
Shining stars in a sea of darkness.
An ethereal image of what I looked like broken apart and scattered across the floor.
They pulsed within the darkness, almost in tune with my heartbeat. As I rose to my feet, I spread my arms and twirled between the tiny stars I’d created.
It reminded me of the first vision I’d seen during my Ascension, except I was awake. This was real, tangible, something I’d created from nothing. I held one of the golden spheres in my palms, and a smile grew on my lips.
“You’re astounding, love.” Warm knuckles brushed against the side of my cheek, sending shivers down my spine.
Lifting my chin, I was met with the darkened eyes of the man in front of me, void of almost all their verdant green but reflecting the golden light of my stars within them.
“Wildfire, you’re glowing.”
Sheepishly, I shrugged off his words, as it had become somewhat of a regular occurrence these past few days.
“Look down,” he whispered, as his throat bobbed. When I looked down, my breath hitched at the sight.
Every freckle on my body was consumed in a warm golden glow. Every. Single. One.
The mark of my dynamis also hummed with light as well. Instantly, my hands rose to my cheeks and I wondered if I glowed there as well.
“Yes, Wildfire. You’re glowing there too.” Declan’s chest rose and fell with rapid breaths.
I lowered my trembling hands to my pants, squeezing the fabric between my fingers. My heart thrummed against my chest, and I could feel the familiar ache tug inside it as I took two steps back.
Strong arms pulled me back, one wrapped around my waist, the other caressing my back. There was barely any space separating the two of us now.
My lips trembled, and I shook my head. This couldn’t happen again, no matter how much I wanted to let him back in. I didn’t think I was strong enough to survive another tear in my heart.
