drawn to his touch, Aidan’s eyelids flew open to unleash the brilliance of his soul and burn a path through the deep, emerald depths of Persephone’s eyes straight into the dark pit within.
Persephone had no chance in hell to react in time…no barriers to keep him out. And though she’d closed her eyes as soon as she’d realized her mistake, Aidan knew the ‘damage’ was done. His soul had once more flooded hers.
He could only hope the mere moments had sufficed to make a change…that some of his light had been able to plant its own seed and help her find her way back to herself.
He wouldn’t know for quite a while, though… these things took time. And he wouldn’t stop trying to give her his light…he would try every chance he got.
Persephon e― or the power inside of her ― seemed to be thinking along the same lines, for an instant later Aidan found himself thrown across the room by a pulsating wave of power she had unleashed on him in retaliation.
As he lay flat on his back, unable to move for several painful heartbeats, he realized just how dangerous the task before him was going to be.
She might not display emotions or even be capable of feeling anything akin to anger or rage, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t unleash her terrible power onto anyone who got in Darkness’s way.
And Darkness definitely wouldn’t want its creature flooded with the force of light or messed with in any other way. Which made Persephone all the more dangerous. Because whatever Darkness deemed an assault on its dominion over her would instigate the next attack.
Aidan believed this instance had merely been a warning…a taste of what would befall him or anyone else who dared mess with Persephone’s current state of consciousness.
And though it was true that Darkness would not want to lose its only means of fulfilling the curse by killing or damaging the crucial vessel, this time around there was more than one candidate for the job. Aidan was not the only one with the ability to fulfill the destiny Darkness longed for. And the same was to be said for Aaron. That meant neither of them was safe.
If Persephone chose to, and if she had the ability to control her enormous power and direct it at one of them, that would leave her in the favorable position of no longer having a ‘third wheel’ to come between her and whomever survived.
Bearing this in mind, Aaron and Aidan would have to proceed with extreme caution.
Over the next couple of days, the men kept their distance from Persephone. Aidan continued to watch her throughout the night, leaving it to Malcolm and Aaron to do so during the day while he slept.
Other than that, they did not interfere and, instead, waited to see if there was any discernible change in Persephone’s behavior. But as the days progressed, none of them noticed any difference ― at least not judging by outward appearances.
Malcolm felt it was time his ‘lost’ son came to understand his family’s ways and started to teach Aaron how to use magic. And though he had some difficulties at first, Aaron’s abilities progressed with each passing day.
In the meantime, Malcolm, Aaron, and Aidan had decided on a course of action. They needed to make Persephone feel again. And the best way of getting a response was to get her out of the castle so that she could experience something new, see more of the world and specifically the beauty of Ireland.
Thus, they decided that Aidan and Aaron would take her on a small trip…a few weeks’ drive along the coast line, staying in bed and breakfasts along the way. It was bound do them all some good.
At least in theory…
Chapter 4 * Tides
M y eyes were closed. I was seated in the back of Aidan’s convertible, Aaron beside me, as the three of us continued our drive along the Antrim Coast Road. For several days now we’d been following this
Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley