Dark Promise by Talia Jager (ready to read books TXT) 📕

Chapter Twenty-One

We came to a huge, ancient tree. Its enormous roots were spread like a blanket over the ground. I had to be careful not to trip.

“This is the end of our territory,” Kallan told me.

“Are you leaving me here?” I asked in a panic. I wasn’t sure where to go from here, and I didn’t want to go alone. Truth was, I wasn’t ready to let him go yet.

He turned and looked into my eyes. “I told you that you will always be safe with me. I will make sure you make it all the way home.”

I nodded and whispered, “Thank you.”

One corner of his mouth turned up. “Come on, then.”

“So, this is light faery territory?” I asked as we walked. The forest looked different, the colors were more pastels, and the sun seemed brighter, if that were possible.

“It’s more of a neutral ground.”

“Will anything happen to you if you’re found out of your own territory?”

“Not as long as it’s neutral land.”

“You can never go to the light faery side?” This was all so confusing to me.

“Well, technically if I were invited, I could enter the light world, but I would not be welcomed.”

“You really hate each other that much?”

“Yes,” he said simply. “But Rylie, you really must stop thinking of us as ‘them.’ You’re one of us. A faery.”

“But I’m a light faery. Why don’t you hate me?” I asked stubbornly, stopping abruptly. If I was going to go back to my real life, then I wanted all of my questions answered.

Kallan sighed, rubbing his brow. “I don’t know. Maybe because you didn’t grow up with the light, or maybe because I’m just so damn attracted to you that I don’t care where you came from.”

My heart skipped a beat.

“Anything else you want to know?” Kallan started walking again, and I tried to keep up.

“What’ll happen to me if I do marry you?”

“What do you mean?” he asked, his brow furrowed.

“Will I become a dark faery?”

He laughed. “No. You’ll always be light.”

“So my wings won’t change?”

He shook his head. “Nope. They’ll always be the beautiful color they are now.”

I was secretly dancing inside that he thought my wings were beautiful. “Why do our wings flutter when we see each other?”

“It means we’re physically attracted to one another.” He clenched his jaw and kept walking.

That was pretty much what I thought, but having it confirmed made it seem real. I wondered if his wings fluttered often at other faeries. I was surprised to feel slightly jealous at the thought.

I blushed. “What if we had children?” I slowed my pace and waited for his answer.

His head jerked up, and he looked over at me. “Children?”

“Just curious,” I said, looking away. “Would they be dark or light?”

“I’m not sure. I guess they would be a mixture. You have to understand that not all dark faeries are bad.”

“I can only think of one that isn’t,” I muttered. “Would I be able to come and go into light faery territory as I pleased?”

“Yes.”

“What about the human world? Could I come and go there as well?”

“You wouldn’t need to.” He bristled.

“But I might want to. Visit my parents or friends.”

He sighed. “That’s not how it’s done.”

“Well, maybe it should be,” I countered.

He stepped over a fallen tree and took my arm to help me over. I let him. “I’m sure something could be arranged,” he conceded with a smile.

“What about humans? Can they come here?”

He paused before replying, “Yes, but it’s rare.”

There was a strong wind and a burst of vivid color as Azura appeared before us. I stared, shocked.

“Oleander!” she cried out. “We’ve been searching for you! Are you okay?” Her forehead wrinkled as she looked between Kallan and me.

As relieved as I felt to see her, I was glad she wasn’t trying to hug or kiss me. I still didn’t have those kinds of feelings for her.

She reached out and grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards her. “I won’t hesitate to hurt you if you try to take her away again,” she threatened Kallan.

“Azura, Kallan is a friend. He’s okay.”

“He’s the son of the evil one. He cannot be trusted.”

“Not only did he stand up to his father to save my life today, but he’s taking me home. I trust him.” I didn’t know how much to tell her. “Please, let me go.”

“Are you okay? Physically?”

“Yes.”

She dropped my wrist, but her eyes didn’t leave Kallan. “I will take you the rest of the way.”

“You can come with us if you want,” I told her while smiling at Kallan.

Kallan stifled a laugh. “Let’s go.”

We walked on silently, Azura in front of us. “Your human father has been patrolling the area constantly,” she told us. “He loves you very much.”

“I know he does. What did they tell everyone about my disappearance?” I asked curiously.

“Nothing.”

“Why not? I went missing!”

“You’ve only been gone a few days in human time.”

“What?” My mouth dropped open.

I glanced over at Kallan, and he shrugged. “I told you. Our time is different.”

“You could have been more specific.”

Azura turned to face us. “I knew you had been captured by the dark faeries. That’s not exactly the type of thing you run and tell the police. I told your family this, as well as the fact that they’d never be able to find you. But they insisted on searching. They haven’t stopped.”

Tears welled in my eyes. I couldn’t wait to see my parents, but this time difference was confusing. I thought I had been gone a lot longer than a few days—weeks, even.

Kallan’s pace slowed. “We’re almost there,” he muttered with a pained look on his face. It was dusk now, and I could make out some familiar lights between the trees.

“My house!” I exclaimed, wanting to break out into a run. I refrained as I caught the expression on Kallan’s face. He didn’t show much emotion, so to see him looking so sad sent a stabbing pain through my heart. “Azura, can I have a minute?”

She looked surprised, but nodded and walked ahead a little.

“I’m sorry.” I touched his hand. “This is where I belong. I hope you understand.”

Kallan’s eyes were unfathomable. He reached up and unclasped the necklace of shiny black stones around his neck. As he moved to place it around my neck, I stepped back, shocked.

“No way,” I told him. “Your mother gave you that!”

“Hematite,” he said, as if I hadn’t even spoken. He closed the distance between us and snapped it around my neck. “It repels negativity. It will protect you.”

I didn’t need protecting, but I wasn’t going to argue. I touched a cool, shiny stone. The necklace was heavy, but it was comfortable. “Thank you.”

“I’ll be back on your eighteenth birthday,” he told me softly. He stepped close, and I felt a breeze as his gorgeous wings flapped absently behind him. “My father won’t let it go. You have to realize that.”

Ignoring his comment, I said, “Thank you for helping me. I’ll never forget it.”

He looked over at Azura, and then back at me. He reached up and gently brushed my wings with his hands, sending a shiver down my back. Gasping at the feeling, I closed my eyes. When I opened them, he had disappeared