Darkness Deceives - Katie May Page 0,6

looking gorgeous as usual as she rubs her hands down a sleek leather skirt before fluffing her hair. She turns casually around in her dorm room, chatting with Aggie—who is doing unmentionable things—and Layla. Layla seems anxious, fiddling with a hole in her sweatshirt and chewing on her lip.

Hadley waves goodbye to her friends, then practically jogs through campus to a tree house I’ve never seen before. But she seems to know the way like she’s been there a hundred times. The night sky illuminates her face through the trees. She looks normal, like the Hadley I’ve come to care about much more than just a mentor should. She means something to me, something I’ve never felt with anyone else before.

She climbs up a rusted ladder and pushes through a door under the tree house, heaving herself inside. The vision flickers for a moment, then I find myself hovering around the front wall, looking in on the entire house. Hadley’s mouth moves as if she’s talking, then she walks to the kitchen at the back of the tree house.

A man stands there with his back to me. He has chin-length, dark hair that is meticulously styled. He seems older than us, early thirties I’d say. He’s muscular and dressed in a simple black shirt that somehow would put any I’ve ever worn to shame. An apron is tied around his tapered waist. He wipes his hands on it, then turns to see Hadley.

A smile cleaves his face, but I find no joy there. I don’t recognize the man, but seeing him elicits a reaction inside me.

Fear.

Evil.

Power.

Hadley walks over to him, and he spreads his arms to offer her an embrace. Hadley seems reluctant, but he pulls her to his chest anyway and wraps his much larger frame around her tiny one. Hadley struggles, and my heart clenches. She doesn’t want to be with this man. But then why did she meet him in the first place?

So many unanswered questions filter through my mind as the nameless man threads his long fingers into her sandy-colored hair and tugs her head back. He searches her eyes and says something as she pushes against his chest. Then he brings his face down to hers, attempting to kiss her.

I’ll fucking kill him.

I’ll rip this asshole apart.

She twists her head to the side, denying him, and I celebrate briefly as his jaw works in frustration.

Then he glances up and looks at me.

My blood runs cold.

I’ve never had someone in my vision see me before. But he does.

His dark eyes flash, and a malicious smile pulls at his lips, baring bright white teeth. He winks at me then grips Hadley by the shoulders and tosses her body through the air. I flinch as she crashes into the wall, knocking down the picture that was hanging there moments ago.

My eyes shift back to the man, who remains unmoved, his sinister eyes staring at me, an ominous threat resonating from them. Then he points to me before feigning slitting his throat.

The universal sign for kill.

My mouth runs dry as the scene fades. And as I’m pulled from the vision, I finally hear a sound.

His sinister cackling.

A guttural cry releases from my burning throat, and a tear leaks from my eye. The overwhelming emotion is choking me. I don’t cry for anyone. Not when our stepfather beat us. Not when my brothers and I…

I don’t fucking cry.

And yet, seeing that man toss Hadley around like a lion playing with his prey elicits an emotion so strong, I can’t even hope to stop the rogue tear, now dried on my cheek, as I race through the sky.

Who is that man? And how did he get here? I search my memories, but I’m positive I’ve never seen him with Hadley before, which means…

Fuck, I have no idea.

“Come on!” I shout to Brax behind me before I dive into the trees, tucking my wings against my sides. Branches scratch my face as I descend, but I don’t even flinch. The physical pain is nothing compared to the agony in my heart. In fact, the pain almost feels good, reminding me of what I’m fighting for.

Hadley.

The way her smile tugs at my heart. How her touch lights my skin on fire. She elicits something inside of me, something I didn’t think I’d ever find in the Afterlife, a feeling I’m still struggling to admit to myself, even though my heart knows the truth.

I don’t stop until a tree house looms in front of