The Darkest Touch

Wanted her.

Was this the prophecy her mother had spoken of in her diary? That she would one day take that final step into darkness?

Her mother feared that evil would consume her.

As Isabelle watched, mesmerized by the swirling blue light within the diamond, feeling its strength merge with hers, she was afraid her mother was right.

Because while the light absorbed into her, she was engulfed by darkness.

And she liked it.

Angelique paced the tiny room, wondering if this was going to be her prison, anticipating the moment demons would walk through the door and. .

And what? Kill her? Use her and Isabelle to make the black diamond spring to life? She didn’t think that was why she was there. She had a suspicion, and she didn’t like it.

She wrapped her arms around her middle and resumed her pacing, trying to stay focused, to imagine the possibilities of rescue by the Realm of Light. They were going to find her. They weren’t going to just leave her here in this. .

Wherever here was. She remembered walking out of the church, the black diamond in the bag on her shoulder. Then demons attacked, and she backed up to give Ryder room to fight. In an instant, demons surrounded her with their icy hands, pulling her with them until everything went dark.

Then nothing else until she woke in this cold, barren room with no windows and no freaking door. How did she even get in here? She wished she knew something, had contact at least with Isabelle.

But that wasn’t going to happen. Her sister wasn’t here. Whatever building this was, Izzy wasn’t here. She felt it, knew it to be true.

And the darkness in her sister was growing.

The black diamond had roared to life again.

The sudden realization shocked her, raising goose bumps on her already chilled skin.

Isabelle was with the black diamond. Her sister had touched it, had brought it to life.

How did Angelique know this? How could she feel her sister, and more important, the black diamond?

Because she’d laid her hands on it in the cave when it was alive and glowing? Had that made her somehow. . part of it?

She shuddered at the thought. There was evil in that thing. She remembered how it felt to lay her hands on it, the seductive sense of power it held. She hadn’t wanted to let go; she was both enraptured and horrified by the gem. Thank God Ryder had been there to pull her away from it.

But had she been somehow linked to it? Or was her link to Isabelle, and that’s how she knew?

Because this was way more than simply a feeling. She could almost see her sister, her eyes wide with a sense of power and madness as she laid her hands over the black diamond. And whatever force lived within the black diamond was trying to embed itself within Isabelle, sharing its power with her.

Please, Isabelle. Fight it. Don’t give in.

Angelique leaned against the wall and sank to the floor, wishing she could summon the same powers she’d used against that demon who’d tried to kill Ryder. Where was all that strength now? She’d pounded and pushed against the wall for hours, with no success.

Had that whole manifestation of demon power been a onetime thing? A blood rush of her father’s genetics that she had no control over? It would be nice if she could figure out how to harness it and use it when she wanted to.

Like now would be a good time.

She needed to get out of here and find Isabelle. Before it was too late for her sister.

They were graced with a moonless night and a thick cover of clouds overhead. It was about damn time luck was on their side.

“Ready to storm the castle?” Punk raised his weapon and waggled his brows.

Ryder nodded, anxious to just get in there, kill some demons, and get Angelique out. They all had their assignments, knew what to do. His fingers clenched and relaxed on the trigger while he waited for Michael and Lou to give them the go-ahead.

He preferred working alone. If it had been up to him, they’d be in there by now. But he was also realistic enough to know that this demon hunt wasn’t a one-man operation. Not if you wanted to come out of it alive.

“Thermal imagery points to at least forty demons in there,” Lou said, his features showing what the rest of them felt.

The situation was grim. There was an area under the castle heavily occupied with demons. They assumed that’s where the women were being held, but Lou hadn’t been able to pick them up on the scanners. It didn’t mean they weren’t in there, just probably being held in a room that was either too thick or too cold. Either would prevent their scanning equipment from picking up their images.

Ryder had gotten what he needed to know, though. The layout of the castle, and where the bulk of the demons were located. Sure enough, they were aboveground.

Really strange for subterranean dwellers.

“We take out the ones above floors first,” Michael instructed. “Then we head downstairs. No one goes down there until I give the signal. Understood?”