“Since when do you care?”
“Since now!” She clenched her fists, her eyes going completely white, while Alex stood, he never could help himself when there was a chance to bicker or fight.
“Cease,” I whispered as the air in front of his face crystallized, the world spun in slow motion as I made my way over to Stephanie just as she lifted her hands into the air to blast him with what would be a painful blow of icicles.”
I caught the icicles mid air, one of them missed my hand hitting me in the side. With a wince, I fell to my knees as time began again, and the ice crashed against the ground.
“Cassius!” Stephanie was immediately at my side. “I’m so sorry, I don’t know what came over me, I just… he was making me angry and—”
“Learn how to control it,” Ethan snapped, his eyes green with rage. “Council member or not, I would not hesitate to remove your head from your body if you harm Genesis.” Fangs elongated out of his mouth as he let out a loud growl. Mason protectively covered Genesis with his body, while Alex paled, his thoughts nothing but confusion and hurt.
“It’s not you,” I said.
“She’s getting worse,” came his answer back to me. “Fix it.”
“I can’t.”
Silence.
Admitting that this was a battle she could only fight on her own, one that she had no training for, one that I could not win for her.
“Stephanie.” I held out my hand. “Upstairs.”
She placed her hand in mine, offering an apologetic glance at everyone as we slowly put more distance between the council members and her.
“I’m dangerous,” she said once I closed the door to her bedroom.
“Yes.”
“I could have killed him.”
“Harmed… not killed. Big difference.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.”
“That wasn’t me trying to make you feel better.” I cupped her cheek and kissed her mouth softly. “This is.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “I’ve loved you for a lifetime.”
“And I you.”
“I’m afraid.”
“Don’t feed the fear with irrational thoughts. They have no place in our lives, and the more you think upon them, the bigger Darkness gets. Insecurity will always be a part of you, just like emotions, jealousy, anger, it’s all there, but as a Dark One, you can harness the power, push them away, long enough to regain control of yourself. You must, otherwise…”
“That’s the scary part…” She muttered. “The otherwise. The but. The if.”
“Think upon this,” I kissed her again and again, showering her face with kisses, spreading the love I felt for her as far and as wide as was possible, kissing every inch of her face, until I thought I’d go insane with dizzying desire to take her. “Think on us.”
Stephanie
I IMAGINED THAT YEARS from now, centuries even, I’d still think his kiss was paradise, the greatest touch, the press of his fingertips against my skin. To love Cassius was to be wrapped up in rightness.
But that was now.
When he was near.
When I was touching him—the fear was gone. Everything ceased to exist but him. Clarity filled my head and I realized yet again how right he was, about everything.