Darkness of Light by Stacey Marie Brown Read Free Book Online

same time. If his black hair and alluring smile didn’t bring me to my knees, the magnetic energy resonating off him did. It seized me and turned my senses into an overcharged battlefield. I was mesmerized, terrified, and aroused by him all at the same time. As he stepped closer, I jerked back. I stumbled over a rock and fell to the ground, scrapping my arm. My throat strained as I tried to choke out a cry. 
    His voice fluttered through my mind again. “I’m not trying to scare you, Ember. I came here for you.”
    I scrambled to my feet. “How do you know my name?” I realized I hadn’t thought about him knowing my name until now. “Who are you?”
    “You’ve been known to me since your birth,” his voice slid into my mind. “As for who I am, I am someone who’s been waiting for you for a long time.”
    “H-How are you doing that?” My voice was barely a whisper.
    “How am I doing what?” His words entered my head. From the smile, he knew exactly what I was talking about. Not that I noticed his deliciously beautiful lips.
    I kept my voice level and low. “Speaking in my head.”
    “That’s not important. What’s important right now is you.” He spoke out loud now, his voice captivating.
    “Me?” I asked. “Why me? What do you want with me? Who are you?”
    Without even seeing him move, he was now only inches from me. “I am Torin.” He said his name with honor and pride. Taking my hand, his lips brushed against my knuckles, sending butterflies to duke it out in my stomach. Okay Em, now you are letting your hallucinations name themselves and touch you. At eighteen, I still had imaginary friends. Hot ones, granted, but still . . .
    His hand came up and gently cupped my cheek. I felt protected and oddly safe. “This may be the last time I can appear to you like this. I must keep you safe for as long as possible.”
    “What? You’re not coming back?” Panic pitched my voice higher. Why did I care? He was just a figment of my imagination. But he felt so much more than that. He felt so comfortable, so familiar.
    “No mo chuisle , not like this. It is too dangerous. But keep your mind open for me.” He leaned down kissing my hand again. “Sweet dreams, Ember.” 
    With that parting kiss, he stepped back and disappeared into the forest. 
    I stood there, blinking. Then, like someone had flipped a switch, reality flooded back. Fear, confusion, and a sensation that felt like withdrawal rose and plummeted, colliding with everything inside me. My body shook. I felt emotional and raw. 
    I walked back to the house in a daze. As real as it felt, I knew my brain was inventing Torin. I had stayed at a mental hospital for several weeks after my mother had been murdered. The doctors there had said that minds are capable of unbelievable things. People who had gone through tragedy and wanted to escape from the harshness of reality would create entire worlds that would feel more real to them than the real world did. The doctors told me I was probably creating these people and creatures I saw to hide from the loss I felt from her death. That had to be what was happening. Torin could not be real. He couldn’t . . . 

Eight
    Kennedy and Ryan had called me a dozen times since the previous day. As much as I loved them, I didn’t feel like talking to anyone. I should have known they would not put up with my silence for long. They came over right after school, before Mark and I left for our appointment at Silverwood. 
    They hugged me and made me feel better as they went through all the emotions I had gone through—shock, anger, and even a little grief. They couldn’t believe what had happened and how I was being treated.
    “This is so not fair. You didn’t do anything. They don’t even have any proof. This can’t be legal,” Kennedy exclaimed. “We should fight against this. My mom could help out.”
    Kennedy’s mom had been a lawyer before she put her career on hold after Kennedy was adopted. Two years