Awaken: Book 1 in The Dark Paradise Chronicles

by Isadora Brown

  “Oh Andie,” he murmured.

  The way he said her name.

  And then he placed his lips on hers, a ghost of a kiss, like the flapping of butterfly wings against her skin.

  The way he kissed her.

  It was over too soon and she knew what had to be done. Her sleep had refreshed her mind, and while she knew that her entire heart would break into so many pieces it would be impossible to put back together, she also knew it was the right decision. And she hated that she knew it.

  “Jack.” She opened her eyes, needing to see him. “I know. I know who you are.”

  He returned her stare with a level gaze and she knew he knew what she meant. She didn’t have to explain. Which was good because the more time she spent speaking, the greater chance she would cry, and to be quite frank, she was too exhausted to cry.

  That didn’t mean the next words out of her mouth were any easier. In fact, they were be the hardest words she’d ever had to say.

  “This isn’t going to work.” She paused for a moment, letting her words sink in. “Whatever this is. It doesn’t even matter that you can’t love me, that you’re my boss, or that you’re from a whole different class than I am. You’re the Black Wing. Do you realize—”

  “I don’t care about all of that,” he said, his soft-spoken voice firm while his eyes were pleading. “Do you really think I can’t love you? Andie, I—”

  “Don’t,” she said, her eyes already filling with tears. “Don’t make this any harder than it has to be.”

  He clenched his jaw and leaned back in his chair. Andie sat up, forcing her eyes to remain in his. “I won’t let anything happen to you,” he told her. “I haven’t. You’re safe with me.”

  “I’m not worried about me,” she told him earnestly. “I’m worried about you. What would happen if somebody found out that you, Jack Phillip, were the Black Wing? They would use me to get to you.”

  “Andie,” he said, sighing through his nose. “No one knows. No one will know. You don’t have to leave.”

  “I’m not going to be the reason that anything happens to you,” she told him. Her vision blurred but she didn’t care. “If something bad happened to you, I would … I could never forgive myself.” She tried to blink away her tears but failed. “What if you were ever in a position where you had to choose between me and the population of Onyx?”

  “I would think of something.” His hands gripped the chair’s armrests so tightly his knuckles turned white.

  Andie slid out of bed and walked over to him. Noticing his hands, she reached out and covered them with her own, hoping to soothe him. “What I’m trying to tell you is that I never want you to make that choice,” she said, her voice gentle and shaky. “I’m going to leave tonight when you’re gone. I’ll be staying with Carey for the time being, and if it’s all right with you, I’ll keep the internship for the rest of the semester and find a new one in the spring.” She swallowed as tears fell from her face.

  Jack stood and pulled his hands from her so he could cup her face and tilt her chin up. The flecks of gold in his eyes burned, the most emotion in his irises she had ever seen. “I don’t want you to go.” There was a plea in his voice, something she never thought she would hear.

  That was the moment her heart shattered, hearing someone so strong and confident sound so broken. She wanted to fix it, to take him in her arms and tell him it would be all right, the way he had done so many times for her.

  When his thumb brushed against her lips, she couldn’t stop herself from pressing them against it, a chaste kiss, her last one for him. When her words came out, they steeled her resolve. “I love you,” she said, her voice as clear as the sky. “And that’s why I have to leave.” She crawled over to the edge of the bed and kissed his cheek for a moment too long before sliding off the bed and walking to her bathroom. She refused to say goodbye; not looking back at him as he finally walked out of her room was the hardest thing she ever had to do.

  38

  Keirah

  It had been three months since Keirah first met Noir. It had been a month since she had last seen him, made love to him, and told him that she loved him. The hospital staff had been friendly, if a bit distant, and quite professional, though she could easily read the questions in their eyes. One of the nurses even had the audacity to ask her why he would want to save her when he didn’t care about anybody. Keirah didn’t answer, unsure about the truth as well. It did comfort her to know that he actually brought her to the hospital. When she’d regained consciousness, her mother told her everything, from how she was saved to her fight with Andie, and how Andie wasn’t living at home anymore. Keirah got Andie’s side of the story at night when Andie would visit. There was something about her; her pale green eyes looked blue and Keirah had a feeling it had nothing to do with Judith. Andie wasn’t talking and Keirah didn’t push. She, too, had secrets she wasn’t yet willing to share.

  Like the fact that she was thrilled to know Noir hadn’t been caught. Like the fact that she didn’t know what to think when he didn’t come back for her. She couldn’t dwell on that, not when she was back home, safe and sound, and he was out there, free and chaotic like a wildfire. It was for the best that they were apart. She didn’t want him to risk his life for her anymore. She didn’t want to be the reason why he was in prison, or worse.

  Commissioner Jarrett had come to visit her once she was doing better. It had been about a week into her stay at the hospital, and he apologized profusely about letting her down and assured her such a thing would never happen again. When she was ready to return to her internship, he had a special place for her at the Underwood Mental Institution so her grade in her business class wouldn’t be affected negatively. He questioned her about the attack, and she answered honestly, making sure to emphasize the fact that it was Kane who was responsible for her injuries, not Noir. She told him she couldn’t remember where she was kept for her captivity with Noir either. When he finished, he apologized, making guilt seep through Keirah’s bloodstream and reminding her that her room was even more guarded than before to prevent her from being taken again. Keirah liked to think that maybe, while Noir wanted to come for her, he couldn’t.

  It was two more weeks before she was allowed to leave. Andie brought her books and homework, and her mother brought her sketchpad and pencils. It was nice to have her mother back, even if Judith was treating Andie poorly. She knew she’d have to fix this somehow; Andie couldn’t live with Carey for an indefinite amount of time. Maybe by Christmas they could be a family again.

  Maybe not. Maybe it was a blessing Keirah was out on her own.

  A couple of days before Christmas, her mother and two police escorts took her back to the apartment, and after doing a thorough sweep of the premises, left. Judith wanted to cook, but Keirah wanted nothing more than to take her first real shower since she was back and sleep in her bed.

  When she stepped in her room for the first time since she had been gone, she paused. It felt odd to look at the once-familiar setting. She felt foreign, completely out of her element. This didn’t feel like home anymore. Every item was in its place, untouched. It almost disappointed her. She hated to admit it, but she thought that maybe Noir would have left some sort of clue that he was still thinking of her. But there was nothing.

  Sighing, Keirah decided that in lieu of a shower, she wanted nothing more than a long, hot bath. After she ran the water, she removed her clothes—disappointed the hospital wouldn’t let her keep Noir’s shirt, which she had been wearing when she was brought in. She glanced at herself in the mirror, glad to see there were almost no trace of the bruises, the cuts were almost gone, and the swelling had all but disappeared. Her ribs had healed but they were still sore, and she made a mental note to sleep on her left side tonight. Finally, her eyes rested on Noir’s scar. She traced it with her fingertip, the only tangible thing she had left of him. With that, she stepped into the tub.

  Her mother was fast asleep when she finally got out. Once
she was in her pajamas, she slid into bed and felt all the tension in her muscles dissipate for the first time in a month.

  Rain began to fall outside and she slowly felt herself began to drift off. She was nearly asleep when an arm curled around her waist and pulled her against a firm chest. Keirah felt her heart ache; this had to be a dream. Noir couldn’t possibly be holding her. As she turned, making sure to keep his arm in place, her hopeful brown eyes were met with familiar amber orbs she would never forget.

  Keirah reached up and traced his scar with her fingertip. She watched as he closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. “Are you real?” she whispered. “Are you really here?”

  “I could never leave you, my love,” he told her in a whisper, the same mysterious smile she had grown to love touching his lips. “You are mine.”

  It was such a simple statement, yet it filled Keirah’s heart with such happiness she couldn’t keep a brilliant smile from beaming onto her face. “And you are mine,” she returned.

  Noir nodded, tilting his head down so the tip of his nose brushed hers. “I am yours,” he murmured in agreement before placing a tender kiss on her forehead. Everything was right in her world when she was in his arms.

  Epilogue

  Lucas Burr stood in his pristine office overlooking the Onyx skyline. It was a sleek black night. He should be home, eating a meal the cook fixed up for the family. He was craving steak right now; he always did when he was furious about something.

  His crystal blue eyes scanned the front page of The Onyx Times once more before he couldn’t take it anymore and shredded the paper with his hands. Shreds of newspaper settled on his desk like soot-colored snow.

  This was not working.

  How was he supposed to accumulate souls for his army when they believed in something? And not just anything either, but something good?

  He knew the Black Wing was sent by God to guard the city of Onyx. He knew the city of Onyx was one of the easiest cities to corrupt. Yet, with the Black Wing’s presence here, his tactics weren’t working. It didn’t matter that he had not one, but two Excoms, terrorizing the city. It didn’t matter that innocent people were being killed, kidnapped, raped, tortured, and a slew of other unmentionable actions. Nothing mattered. Not with the Black Wing here.

  He turned suddenly, to face his wall-size window. The clear night was cold, he knew, but the view with the twinkling lights was beautiful and soothing. A slow smirk crawled over his face before he started to laugh, slowly at first, until he couldn’t contain himself any longer.

  How did he not see it before? Why go after the people of Onyx when there were millions of them? Why not go after the beacon of hope itself?

  Why not rid Onyx of the Black Wing?

  Find out what happens next in The Dark Paradise Chronicles by securing your copy of Book 2 today! 1-click here!

  Did You Like Awaken?

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  Catalyst

  Want to find out what happens next in the Dark Paradise Chronicles? 1-Click Book 2 here.

  Acknowledgments

  First and foremost, to my readers.

  Theresa, for your amazing edits and making this story the best it can be. Thank you for pushing me to make this better.

  Lori Grundy, your graphic designing literally leaves me in awe. I’m in disbelief at your talent. Thank you.

  To my brother, who gave me the plot bunny

  My family - Frank, Kylee, Madisyn, Jacob, and Josh. Your love is the best thing that ever happened to me.

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