Isle of the Forgotten (Darkness #2)

Chapter 1

Abeautifully vicious voice taunts me, day and night.

The voice whispers of threats. Of temptations to give in.

I’m tired—tired of running and tired of hiding. But I’m stuck in my worst nightmare, and there is no way out without him. I’m waiting desperately for him to find me.

Kalix wants me, and she’s patient in the darkness—listening and waiting for her turn to take over. Time passes differently here—wherever here is—and every second I remain stuck in this misery, I feel myself slipping. Wanting the bitter taste of madness to stain the very depths of my soul.

Anything that distracts me from what lurks in the obscurity of my personal hell.

I think I’m dreaming—I must be—but this feels too real.

Silas hasn’t called my name, but I wait and listen—just like Kalix—for my chance to escape.

Except, I’m running out of time.

With each passing moment, it gets harder to ignore her offers. I hear screams in the distance, just as desperate as mine to be freed, but I can’t make out who they belong to.

I’m slipping.

I’m fading into the darkness of my own mind, and I’m lost—so very lost. Barely a whisper leaves my dry throat, and I crumble.

Silas.

Help.

The trees hum in my presence, as if they are on my side, helping me remain hidden from the Great Wiitch.

She has stalked me since I escaped her grasp, which feels like weeks ago.

The breeze calls to me but never whispers the word I so desperately need to hear—my name from the lips of the person I love.

My kingdom burns around me again, an awful reminder of what my future will look like if I can’t stop this. If we can’t stop Carobon.

I crouch behind a tree to take a moment's break, my lungs burning from the falling ash and the lack of rest I’ve allowed myself.

My legs are covered in scratches from the sharp brush, and hot blood drips down my legs.

Creatures move around me—nearly invisible, except for the faintest glimmer of light when they approach, like a subtle distortion of reality.

A slithering sound disrupts the silence every now and then, chilling me to the bone.

If I stay still for too long, Kalix or the invisible creatures will find me, so I propel my aching body forward.

My feet ache against the uneven feel of the sharp rocks as I move over the rough earth, desperate to find anything to conceal me for a second’s break.

A murder of crows follows me nearly everywhere, and the beating of their wings fills the space like battle drums.

“Briar, my darling,” an angelic voice whispers, traveling over the breeze. “I won’t hurt you, my child.”

I cover my ears, refusing to listen to her lies.

“Why do you fear the one who can bring you greatness?”

With each passing day, resisting the call to join her gets harder. She promises that my suffering will end, but I have to be strong. I have to get home without giving in to temptation.

But I’m struggling. My chest feels like it’s fractured, my eyes are bloodshot, and I can feel myself fading.

The breeze calls once more, a gurgled whisper in the darkness pushing me to continue—to move forward—even though each step feels as if it’s my last. A patch of trees moves in the wind, and I squint my eyes, my eyelids slowly blinking away the grit.

It can’t be.

I’m dreaming, and this is just a cruel illusion she has cast once more.

Everything here is a cruel daydream.

A figure stands in the tightly overgrown trees.

No cloak hangs over its body. No freakishly long arms hang by its side.

It’s tall and moves with a familiar, strong grace.

The figure before me appears almost translucent, like it’s not quite here.

Each pounding step echoes in my ears as the figure races closer, its body growing larger as the distance between us closes.

I take a step back, afraid of what or who charges my way, when the breeze halts—the calm before the storm.

A strong gust of icy wind snaps my hair in all directions, blinding me for a moment, and my gut twists, like roots beneath a large tree.

Unable to move, I slam my eyes closed when I hear it.

The voice.

His voice.

“Briar.”

A tall figure emerges from the darkness before me, like a hurricane of madness.

I blink through the constant stinging that pains my dry eyes and try to focus.

The ash filling the gloomy sky makes it nearly impossible to see far in the distance.

I wipe my eyes and cover my ears, trying to ignore the call I’m hearing.

It’s not real, anyway. Kalix has done this countless times—projecting things that aren’t real.

The voice continues, and each scream sounds more desperate than the last.

The wind continues to swirl, causing the ash to blind me again. The figure grows closer, and instead of fear, a calmness floods my system that I can’t explain.

Maybe this is my body finally accepting defeat.

“Briar.”

The desperate sound hits my ears once more, and I lift my head higher in an attempt to see what’s coming.

My mouth parts, and through the ash and pain, I see a strong male body rushing toward me, like a storm moving across the black sea.

The rough ground doesn’t slow him, and he charges toward me with a warrior’s grace.

Oh Gods.

Silas’s strong body moves toward me, unlike how I left him—broken and mangled. He rushes forward—unharmed and determined—as if he’s been searching for me. A black fire smolders behind his piercing green eyes, capable of turning a city to ruin.

“Briar!” he screams, trying to gain my attention again through the darkness.

I wipe at my eyes, unable to believe what I’m seeing, and tears pour from my eyes like falling rain.

It’s a trick.

It’s Kalix messing with me once more. I attempt to stand to run in the opposite direction, and my legs give out under me. The ground rips at my knees—like claws tearing at my flesh—and fear encases me like a panicked fog.

Another shout fills the air with desperation, and I listen to the voice.

I feel his presence pull at me like a flare in the blackened night, and my soul blazes with a desperate yearning to reach his.

I push with everything that I have left and stand on shaky legs, feeling the blood trickle down my legs.

I grasp the tree behind me, the rough bark scratching my palms, and prop my shoulder against it, grateful for its sturdiness.

“I’m… here.” My voice is hoarse and barely audible through the ripping winds.

“I’m here.”

The shouts from Silas attract unwanted attention, and I notice black roots—similar to those that adorn my hands—begin to stir beneath the brush. Kalix edges closer with every second I linger, and fear bubbles in my body like boiling water.

Silas pauses, his piercing green eyes scanning the grey surroundings as I lift my arm. My muscles scream against the motion, but I bite my lip—almost immediately tasting blood from my cracked lips.

Black and crimson clouds begin to roll over the sky, and a hurricane of crows swoop down looking for me. Their black wings slap against the air, deafening all other sound around me for a moment. A shadowy haze fills the sky, dimming all light around me and letting darkness threaten to take over.

I lift my arm higher, attempting to take a step away from the tree shielding me from plain sight.

My leg trembles under my weight, but I grind my teeth and take another step.

There is only one person I need—only one person I have to find.

Another sob leaves my lips as I watch Silas look for me. A panic I’ve never seen takes over his expression, and a tear rolls down my cheek.

“I’m here.”

He pauses briefly, closing his eyes as if focusing all his energy on me.

A powerful breeze swirls around him, and I watch, still unsure if this is real.

His chest heaves quickly, and I see his hands trembling as they try to relax at his sides.

He lowers his chin, then suddenly opens his eyes, revealing the brightest green I’ve ever seen.

I almost gasp, but step closer. His intense stare slowly sweeps across the wasteland, leaving my jaw slack.

Silas’s eyes meet mine.

A flood of emotion sweeps across his handsome face.

He dips his head and charges toward me, continuing to shout my name—as if awakening every dark creature in this realm is of no concern to him.

With the fury I feel radiating from his body, I understand that I shouldn’t be worried, either. But in this nightmare of a world, I am.

Very worried.

His body moves swiftly across the ashy ground. His arms pump against his body, and he shifts in small bouts closer to me—like he’s only got a little magic left before completely fizzling out. My hands begin to tremble.

He’s here.

He found me.

I step forward, feeling almost too heavy to move. A distant feminine scream pulls me back to reality, and I nearly run back to the tree to hide, just like I've been doing for what feels like weeks.

I have seconds to reach Silas before the Great Wiitch finds us both, and although my heart pounds against my ribs, I make up my mind to take another step. My unsteady legs somehow propel me forward, and adrenaline hits my stomach like bricks.

Silas.

Our connection tugs at me to continue forward, because if I stop, I know I’ll be caught. I take off at a dead sprint in his direction.

Kalix’s wicked voice booms through the damp air. “He’s found you, Briar. Your tether between worlds.” She laughs wildly. “What happens next time when he can’t find you? What will you do?”

Kalix pauses, letting the words sink into my horrified body.

That won’t happen.

This won’t happen again.

“My poor girl; he will fail you. He will leave one day. You’ll see. You think you are found, but you will always be lost—so fucking lost—just as I am.”

My steps quicken, ignoring her words, and I move my sore arms to push myself faster. My hair moves behind me, flying through the air, and tears coat my face. He’s here and nearly within my reach.