Pure Destiny (PureDark Ones #12) - Aja James Page 0,99

humble mud hut on the outskirts of an old village. And by old, he meant old. A village from ancient times.

A small garden with vegetables and a few tufts of wildflowers. In the back corner, a chicken coup.

The effervescent laughter of a little girl, mingled with the low, deep chuckles of a man.

A shadow that passed over the lone window of the hut, its wood shutters strapped open on this sunny day.

Benji ventured closer. He had to see.

What did that shadow look like? Why did it beckon him?

And then, as if it heard his thoughts, the shadow finally coalesced into a recognizable form. The unmistakable shape of a woman, leaning partly out of the window.

Long, silken black hair and pale, exquisitely rendered face.

She was a stranger to Benji, and yet she was not. He didn’t think he’d ever seen her before, because he would have recalled if he had—she was unforgettable. Yet, somehow, he recognized her all the same.

The tips of her full lips pulled up in a winsome smile. Again, somehow he knew that it was so rare, he felt like he was looking upon a shooting star. It beckoned him closer.

Come to me…

Benji couldn’t help it. He followed that smile, those dark, beautiful eyes and familiar voice, into the shadows of the forest.

There was such unfathomable darkness in her gaze. He wasn’t afraid of it. He wanted to embrace it.

But then, something came over him, wrapped him tight in suffocating mustiness—

As darkness embraced him first.

*** *** *** ***

They decided that Dalair, Tal, Eli and Rhys would go after the boy while the others figured out how to get the still unconscious soldiers and Sophia back to the Pure and Dark Ones’ bases for further observation. Dalair himself would pilot one helicopter, thereby saving the human pilots from risking their mortal lives on a high-risk mission, and also allowing four warriors to ride instead of three.

Dalair cradled Sophia’s body against his chest and held her close for a few moments, his lips against her hair, eyes closed in a prayer to the Goddess for her safety.

He hoped she would not awaken to find him gone. He hoped he would return to her side sooner than that. For, even though it seemed that she’d managed to keep the Destroyer back this time, it had been a close call.

Dalair remembered vividly the sight of the Darkness overwhelming Sophia’s consciousness. Though he wasn’t there to witness the aftermath of the havoc she wreaked upon ancient Persia and Egypt, he read about the devastation in history books. Stories varied as to what could have swept through the lands, both supernatural and natural. But deep inside, he knew the real cause.

It was risky to separate from her when she might not be fully stable, but Dalair knew in his bones that he had to do everything in his power to save the boy he’d been ordered to abduct. Whether or not he’d been mind-controlled, he was responsible for Benji’s plight. He had to reverse it. If the Master wanted him so badly, Dalair didn’t need a reason to keep him from the Hydra’s clutches.

The boy was important. He must be saved.

At the same time, though the surest way to keep Sophia “balanced” was for Dalair to be with her, they couldn’t live in fear of separation. He couldn’t be her crutch, shackled forever to her side. He was a warrior; he had a role to fulfill just like her.

He was the Paladin.

With that thought, he handed her up to Cloud’s waiting arms as the Valiant stood in the helicopter to receive her. The two human pilots, Cloud and Sophia would take the second helicopter back to the Shield immediately, so that her condition could be assessed by Rain. Valerius and Ryu would stay with the fallen soldiers and wait for extraction. A team was already on the way.

Assembled in the first helicopter, Dalair, Tal, Eli and Rhys discussed the plan of attack, or rather, rescue, as Dalair maneuvered the aircraft into flight. For this was a very different mission than the one the Pure and Dark Ones executed before, which resulted in Medusa’s demise.

The focus would be Benjamin. Whatever it took to bring him safely back, away from the new Master’s clutches. Though they didn’t know precisely why the boy was targeted for abduction, they could only imagine the vile machinations of the Hydra’s mind.

The makeup of this team was decided upon after some deliberation. Though Dalair loathed to leave Sophia’s care to others,