Dark Promise (Darkhaven Saga #3) - Danielle Rose Page 0,32

would,” he says.

His words are like a knife to the heart. The vampires, my friends, refused to help her, even when I begged them to reconsider. Will, a stranger, is willing to trust that Liv deserves my help based on my word alone. He doesn’t know me—or her—but to prove he’s an ally and to earn my trust, he’s willing to throw caution to the wind and face the witches…again. Considering how our last encounter ended, I’m not so sure they’ll want my help now. If Will and I are going to find Liv, we’ll have to do it alone—without the help of the coven.

“How can our magic find her?” I ask.

“The elements make up our world, Ava. We harness that magic. It’s as simple as that. Well…it won’t be simple, but you understand what I’m saying.”

I nod. “I think so.”

“With your connection to Liv and my strength, I think we could easily perform a locater spell to find her.”

“But don’t you think the witches have done this already?” I ask.

He shrugs. “Maybe they’re not strong enough?”

“Maybe…”

I exhale slowly, considering Will’s offer. He’s willing to help me find Liv, but to do that, I’ll have to use my magic again. I have such an emotional relationship with my power. One minute, I love being a hybrid, and the next, I’m cursing this life. Can I be trusted to perform such a powerful spell? What if it goes awry?

“Sometimes this power feels like an extension of myself, but then it seems dark, evil,” I admit.

Will is silent for a moment. He frowns, his forehead creasing from his concern.

“I suppose, in a way, it’s both. We’re unnatural, Ava, and this magic is a physical representation of that. It is all parts of us—the good, the bad, and the evil. It’s what you do with that power, how you wield it. That’s what determines if it will be used for good or for evil.”

“When you put it that way, it’s similar to the problems every witch faces,” I say, thinking about my past. Sure, I fought to protect the humans of Darkhaven, but I didn’t have to. I could have succumbed to the desire to use my magic for personal gain. I had pure, raw energy at my fingertips. I could have used that any way I wished to.

“And every vampire. Any witch or vampire can choose to use his or her power for evil. That doesn’t make the source of her magic inherently bad.”

I shrug, considering his words. It’s not easy being this powerful and having little discipline. When is it going to be easier? Or will being a hybrid creature always be this hard? Like Will said, we’re unnatural. With one foot planted in both worlds, we experience everything. We have the same desires, the same fears, yet we wield the strength to strive for what we crave and abolish what we don’t.

“I envy your control,” I admit.

Will glances at me and smiles, but it never reaches his eyes. Hidden beneath his happy exterior is a darkness, a longing, an emptiness. Briefly, I see myself in his gaze, and the sight terrifies me.

“Be patient,” he says. “You’ll get there.”

“Time seems to be all we have now,” I say, understanding his deeper meaning.

Will nods, his gaze becoming lost in another time, another place. I wonder where he is right now, what he’s thinking about. How long has he been a hybrid? How long has he been alone? Is that why he yearns for a partner? Is that why he so desperately wants me to join his nomad lifestyle?

“One day, you’ll be sitting alone, reflecting on your life and all the things that have unfolded since you became a vampire. You’ll stare into that abyss, and the unknown future with a vast amount of time will feel…suffocating,” Will says.

I’m silent as I consider his words. Will’s eyes brighten when he looks at me.

“Don’t let it stop you from loving this life. You were given a gift, Ava. You’re special. Never forget that.”

I hear them in the distance. The distinct smack of feet against the frozen ground grows louder with each passing second. I freeze, worried the witches have returned to avenge their fallen.

Will finally halted his interrogation, and we’ve been walking back to the manor in silence. Now that we’re close, I’m far too exhausted and hungry to properly protect myself, and I can’t count on Will to do all the work for me. At least, not again.

We glance at each other, and