Tasting Darkness

Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 33 - “We need them. Aleera sent them back to us for a reason. She meant for them to help us. If we can get them to open a portal, and get the recruits here.” “We still won't have enough power,” Lycus grumbles. “We will if we convince her Phoenixes to charge us,” | argue. “I can break this veil, but | need magic!” | growl at them, scooping up a rock. | tossed it in the air, catching it, looking for the giant f*ker.

Ryze hissed at me, Tobias and Lycus both backed up simultaneously as Ryze opened her wings. Spotting Spark flying into the center, hovering as he commanded his flock, | took aim before throwing the rock, blasting it with what power | did have, to push it high enough to reach him. However, Spark moved, and it missed him. The bird didn’t even notice the sk*pping rock. Seconds later, talons tore into my back.

Ryze squ*wked in rage, thinking | was attacking her father. | swatted her, holding my hand out as she tumbled off my back, and | am thrown forward as she jolted me. “F***k!” Tobias hissed. He waved his arms and rushed at her when she went to pounce onagain. “Bl**dy bird.” | snapped. | point to Spark, only to find him peering down at his daughter. Ryze screeched, the sound makingclutch my ears.

Tobias waved his arms, warding her off, trying to calm her down. “Settle girl.” Tobias cooed and she huffs while Tobias calms her. Not that it mattered, her screeching drew the attention of her father.

He stared down at us before tucking his wings to his body and dived straight toward us, using his body like a torpedo. Spark was going at a speed faster than lightning, it was hard to focus on him.

His body pulled up just feet from the ground as he landed, impressively, on his feet with his wings outstretched. | backed up as he hissed at me, and Tobias turned. Ryze was one thing, but Spark was no juvenile Phoenix.

Spark stalkedand | held my hands up. “We aren't hurting her, just trying to get your attention!” | yelled at the beast of a bird, Ryze hopped away to his side while Spark cawed loudly, and | cursed when he dropped his head and charged atwith wide open beak and wings open.

Yet before he reached me, Kalen tossed himself betweenand the bird. His hands were outstretched, glowing black with the shadows. Spark reared back, and he snapped at Kalen’s trembling hand, his fear writhed through the bond and | gripped his hips, readying myself to toss him aside if needed.

“Easy, Kalen,” | growled. Kalen took a hesitant step toward Spark, his shadows slivering up his arms and dancing between his fingers. ” We don’t want to hurt her.” Kalen tells Spark. Spark snapped his beak mere inches from Kalen’s hand again, and he sucked in a desperate breath.” Aleera!” Kalen yelled furiously at him. Her nseemed to get his attention. Spark c**ked his head to the side and Ryze nipped at her father’s tail feathers, his wing batting her back, telling her to move away from us.

“Aleera!” Tobias repeated Kalen’s words. Spark turned his head as Tobias stepped forward. He held up his wrist.

“We need magic!” Tobias stressed to him, tapping his wrist. Spark shook out his feathers backing up before nudging Ryze, and they took off.

Kalen snarled, and reached down before | could stop him and smashed Spark in between his shoulder blades with a rock. His wings opened instantly, and the bird pivoted, rearing up. | yanked Kalen back, only for him to turn and shove me.

“He'll listen,” Kalen insisted, just as Spark charged at him. Instead of turning away, Kalen ran at him too. Tobias screamed, darting after Kalen. Spark tackled Kalen, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Beside me, Lycus shifted, prepared to take on the massive Phoenix. Spark screeched, scratching at Kalen’s face with his razor sharp claws. Kalen rolled away and Spark tried to stab him with his beak. Kalen grabbed the bird by the beak, and the Phoenix jolted as the shadows touched him. He tried to blast Kalen back with his own power, but Kalen gripped the feathers on either side of his head.

Spark stiffened and stopped his attack entirely. “Aleera!” Kalen screamed in the bird's face. Spark rustled his feathers, his eyes glowing, and the animal backed away.

Tobias was at Kalen’s side instantly, dragging him up while Lycus’ growled, stalking the Phoenix in his wolf form as the creature backed up before he took flight.

“Well, great, that worked, and | lost another set of pants!” Lycus huffed when he shifts back. “F**king d*mn near sh*t my f**king pants too,” he growled.

| shook my head, trying to think of something else. Tobias was dusting Kalen off with his hand, scolding him for being stup*d. The sky darkened as a storm appeared out of nowhere, and the Phoenixes flew into the wind.

Spark’s mighty roar filled the sky and in unison, the Phoenixes sang to his chorus, power zapped and sparked between them when they all suddenly dived and swooped toward us.

“Hold your ground,” Kalen snapped at me, and my attention darted to him to find his eyes had turned TTM white.

Whatever he did to Spark, Spark was allowing him to manipulate them, his eyes returned to normal when | was blasted with a surge of electricity, and magic by Spark then Ryze. The force makingstumble back only to be blasted with another jolt.

The birds took turns hitting us and powering us up. Magic surged through my veins by the tthey were done.

Tobias instantly opened a portal to Astrid, and Lycus shifted and ran through it to alert our men.

“Turns out | can manipulate a Phoenix,” Kalen chuckled, as my fingers tingle, power flowed in my veins as | feel through the bond an echo of Aleera sharing hers. | flexed, testing its strength as it twisted and transformed inside me, bleeding into my essence, before | looked up at the veil with new determination.

Our men filed out taking their stances moving around the shield ready to fight for their Queen. Rubbing my hands together, the tendrils of darkness slipped from my fingertips just as Spark roared above me, and once again the Phoenixes blasted the shield at the st| did.

The moment the veil flickers turning solid briefly veil flickers, turning solid briefly, our men didn’t hesitate to touch it, blasting it with their own power. ) | unleash smore of the magic and start absorbing the shield.

| took on its energy, recycling it by sending it straight back into the veil.

It cr¥cks under the pressure before shattering like a glass when the pressure bectoo much and it erupts, we are hit with its shockwave, yet my feet remain planted on the ground as the veil between realms disintegrated.

The sky pixelated as it burst, revealing something | never thought | would lav eves on again.

Aleera’s old lay eyes on again. Aleera’s old house, and hundreds of startled power-hunters. We broke the veils between realms and | smirked at their horrified faces, cracking my neck, Lycus shifted, the Phoenixes dove.

Tobias wandered back over to me. “Now let's f**k sh*t up!” He laughed.