Nightmare raised a brow. “Where is it?”
“We are lucky the demons are idiots. They spoke freely about its location, but they, too, are having trouble reaching it,” Darkness said.
“Tell me, brother. Perhaps I can get it,” Nightmare said, taking a step forward.
Darkness shook his head. “You need more rest.”
“Where is it?” Nightmare asked, his voice rough with determination.
“It’s in the human world,” Darkness said, wringing his hands together.
“The human world?” Nightmare squinted as if he assumed he had misheard.
Darkness nodded once as he turned to me. “It’s in a white house in the middle of nowhere. An impossible fortress guarded by warriors and various unbreakable spells.”
Nightmare combed his fingers through his hair. “How do you know that… about the spells?”
“I’ve been there before,” Darkness said, holding my gaze.
“Noah’s house?” I asked, bringing my hand to my mouth. “The artifact is at Noah’s?”
“Seems so,” Darkness said, covering a short but sharp cough as a shiver shook his body.
I swallowed hard. “It might not be there any longer. Noah joined The Army of Light right before we came to find you.”
“As soon as I have regained some of my strength, I will try again to break through the protection spells,” Darkness said, straightening his spine as if he’d only just noticed he’d been slouching.
I shook my head. “No. I’ll do it. It makes the most sense.”
“It’s too risky for you,” Darkness said, placing his palms on his thighs.
“I can get inside. The spells don’t stop me,” I said, ignoring the tension in my jaw. “They know me. They won’t question it, even with Noah gone.” I shifted my eyes away from Darkness. “Noah wants me to wait for him.”
“No,” Darkness said, shaking his head. “I forbid it.”
My brows squished together. “Um, what?”
Nightmare’s gaze darted back and forth between Darkness and me, tension heavy in the room. “I have a few matters I must attend to. I will be in touch soon, brother.”
Darkness grunted, his weight shifting as Nightmare vanished from our sight. “I will not allow you to go there alone when you cannot control the medallion bound to your wrist.”
“I don’t need the medallion to get inside Noah’s house,” I retorted, my words grinding between clenched teeth.
Darkness’s rage boiled over. He stomped his foot with such force the entire house trembled. My eyes fixated on the walls, poised to flee if the structure started to crumble from the strain.
“It is not worth the risk!” he roared.
A cynical laugh erupted from deep inside, echoing in the nearly empty room. “You’re joking, right? You don’t give a damn what happens to me. All you care about is the medallion.”
Darkness was on his feet. With a sudden surge, his vigor returned, and he effortlessly hoisted me with a single hand from the chair, somewhat roughly crashing my body against the unforgiving wall.
My eyes exploded open as my breaths ripped through me. Shock moved through my veins like a lightning bolt, leaving me momentarily paralyzed.
“Who said I didn’t care, hm?” Darkness growled, his deep voice vibrating through my bones
“No one needed to say it,” I replied, my voice barely finding my lips.
Shadows filled the room as he stared into my eyes. “It would kill me if anything happened to you.”
Tension hung heavy between us, like a storm on the verge of breaking. Our hearts beat in unison in the thick silence as we stared into each other’s eyes.
His hand, cool and gentle, reached for my trembling face, brushing a strand of hair away as he leaned closer. “Perhaps I care too much.”
I couldn’t think.
I didn’t know what to say.
“I have only ever hated the idea of losing you,” Darkness said, stroking my cheek.
“You must be ill,” I said, clearing my throat as I slipped to the side to put space between us.
Darkness didn’t turn to me. He placed both shaky palms on the wall, his shoulders loosening as they rounded forward.
“Mmm,” he moaned as his legs trembled beneath him. Vulnerability washed over him as he turned his head slightly. “I need rest. Help me upstairs.”
It looked as though it had pained him to ask for help. His pride held him captive as he wouldn’t even look at me as I approached.
“Of course,” I said, wrapping my arms around his middle.
