Change of Darkness (The Change Series Book 3) by Jacinta Jade (best new books to read txt) 📕

The realisation of where they were made Siray look around wildly, her furious scan halting when she identified someone half sitting, half slumped against the dirt wall at the other end. She tensed, her breathing becoming more rapid.

‘It’s okay, he’s unconscious,’ Baindan assured her quickly, tracking her gaze.

Siray forced herself to take a deep breath in, then released it in a shaky whoosh. ‘You?’ she rasped.

He nodded. ‘They rolled you in and threw me in after you. He,’—and here Baindan jerked his chin towards their unconscious companion—‘launched himself at us straightaway.’ Baindan shrugged. ‘He shouldn’t bother us for a span or two.’

Siray nodded, relaxing a little, but she grew alarmed again as her mind pulled up another image. She turned her head away from Baindan, pretending to look at her sleeve as she tugged it down. ‘Loce. Did … did he …?’ She couldn’t bring herself to ask the question.

‘Yes.’ Baindan’s voice was subdued, and Siray closed her eyes against the grief and despair rising within her. ‘I saw a pair of guards checking him over as they dragged us away,’ Baindan continued, his voice an echo of her own feelings. ‘They were laughing over his corpse before Herrin made them haul him away.’

Deep hatred filled Siray. Rowp, Deson, Jorgi, Loce. One by one, the Faction was taking her friends. Something in her gut twisted, and she turned back to Baindan, shifting position as she forced herself to her feet. She needed to see his face clearly. Look upon an ally and know she wasn’t alone. Know that there might be a shred of hope left.

With the sun now at her back, she raised her eyes to Baindan’s … and flinched. She could now see that one of his eyes was swollen, a dark bruise welling beneath, and also spied a bloody tear in his bottom lip, a track of dried blood leading from it down over his chin. Another bruise was still in the process of blossoming across his left cheek.

Horrified, she reached out a trembling hand, wanting to touch him, see if he was okay. ‘What did they do to you?’ she asked hoarsely.

Baindan shrugged. ‘They gave me a bit of a beating. Worth it, to land one on Herrin, though. Besides, it’s not that bad—I’ll take care of it later.’

Siray knew that meant he intended to Change into another form at some point, to speed up the healing process. But he never would have had to do so if she hadn’t been foolish enough to confront Herrin. She glanced down, ashamed and angry at herself over her lack of control.

But Baindan’s gentle hand on her chin guided her face back up to gaze at his face. His deep-grey eyes looked intently into hers, and she read the profession of his feelings for her. His desire, compassion, admiration, loyalty, friendship … and love. For there was no other word to describe the warmth, tenderness, and complete understanding written there. This male knew her—recognised and accepted both her strengths and weaknesses—and still worshipped her.

Siray’s heart seemed to leap in her chest as she stood there, unable to move, barely able to breathe. What was she waiting for? There might never be another chance like this to speak with him alone.

After closing her eyes for an instant as she gathered up her courage, Siray peered back steadily at Baindan as she felt his hands clasp hers. It took her a moment to be able to drop the guard she had kept in place over the last few days to mask her feelings, but she wanted him to see that she returned his affection. Wanted him to know that she had made her choice. And that she was ready to declare it.

She took a deep breath. ‘Baindan,’ she said throatily, ‘I need to tell you something.’ She paused, felt Baindan tense. Come on, you can do this, Siray urged herself. It’s not the same with Zale. Baindan is the one. She lifted her chin higher. ‘I’ve made my decision.’

Baindan’s face went still, yet a glimmer of hope began to shine through. He interlocked his fingers with hers.

That gesture gave Siray the final strength she needed. She exhaled swiftly and, determined to say the words before her wheezing voice gave out completely, said, ‘I want to be with—’

And just like that, her voice died away, as another thought entered her mind, triggered by the very sentence she had been about to speak. It was like a chain reaction of thoughts, like a wave set loose that gathered speed and strength, sweeping her mind along with it to the conclusion.

Baindan was here. With her. In the pit. Where only the strongest emerged.

The strongest … The image of the bloodied female climbing out of the pit the previous day hit Siray almost like a physical blow.

She felt her face pale. ‘No. Oh, no …’ She untangled her hands from Baindan’s, raising them to cover her face as if she could block out the horror of what she had just realised, almost staggering away from him as she tried to escape her own thoughts.

There was three of them in the pit. And only one could emerge.

Baindan’s voice was tight. ‘It’s okay, Siray. We’ll be okay.’

He already knew what it was she had only just realised. But had been ready to declare himself despite it.

She shook her head, still backing away from him. Not because she had any concerns about what he might do, but because the thought that they might be torn apart now, just when she had finally dared to envision the future they might have together, threatened to break her.

She could not bring herself to speak of it now.

Baindan quickly covered the small amount of ground between them, catching up Siray’s hands in his larger ones. ‘We’ll be okay,’ he repeated, his thumbs stroking over the back of her hands. ‘We’ll figure it out.’

Siray found herself breathing rapidly. The guards would never let them out of here. Not unless one of them killed