Free Darkness Fair (The Dark Cycle Book 2) by Rachel A. Marks Page B

think I don’t understand how intense things can be? I just need a freaking place to sleep for a little while.”
    “It’s not as if you can’t afford a room at the Hyatt. You came here to be close to him .”
    “It’s not like that,” I say, feeling like he’s accusing me of a crime or something.
    “Aidan isn’t on the market, Rebecca.”
    Guilt turns to defensive anger. “I don’t deserve the third degree, Connor ,” I say, mimicking his derisive tone.
    He pauses at that and his posture changes, a little less aggressive. “Look, I’m sure you’re a nice kid and all, but—”
    “I’m not a kid ,” I say, probably with a little more heat than I need to. It’s all so infuriating and mortifying. “I’m perfectly capable of minding my own business and staying out of the way. I’m sixteen, not six, so kiss my butt.”
    He releases a small puff of laughter and his hands go up in surrender. “I get the message. You’re older than the hills and wise as an owl.”
    I want to throw something at his smug face. Who does he think he is, talking to me like this? I’m here, asking for help, and he’s acting like I’m trying to break up the couple of the year. As if he has a say in who I can like or who can like me. What a total a-hole.
    And, for the life of me, I have no sassy comeback to throw at him. Which just infuriates me more.
    His smile fades a little and he moves like he’s going to leave, heading for the door. When he’s right beside me he pauses, only an inch away, and whispers, “I know you could probably have any guy you want. But you’re not going to get this one.”
    He says it like an apology. But I hear it like needles in my heart.
    He moves to the door and before he slips out, he says over his shoulder, “And don’t think he’ll be happy that you’ve come back.”

ELEVEN
    Aidan
    I have to sit through two cases on Judge Judy before the two women let me off the couch to leave. I finally convince them that I’m fine, I was just dizzy from not eating, which made me trip and hit my head or something, I don’t know. I’m so confused and distracted by everything that Eric said, I just babble until they stop clucking like flustered hens.
    And to keep them from calling 911 or their conciergedoctor, I eat two PB&Js and drink a glass of lemonade, a glass of milk, and then somehow manage to get down three Oreos.
    I’m pretty sure I’ll hurl if I move too much.
    Apparently, I was only “passed out” for a few seconds. But I was with Eric for much longer than that. He talked about a whole lot of stuff he didn’t actually explain . Ava’s father is coming and he’s a badass dominion angel of some kind. And he’s pissed. All that was pretty clear. What wasn’t clear was why Ava’s dad is suddenly interested in saving his daughter who he abandoned to Darkness. He’s creating a very large problem by leaving ranks, though. Now parts of the spirit world are breaking into chaos because of it. And as things begin to crumble, everything twisted and nasty on the other side of Sheol is beginning to peek through.
    “Read the journal,” Eric kept saying in answer to my questions about my new role. And also in answer to my questions about how I can save my sister.
    After the fourth time he said it, I pretty much yelled at him that I had been reading the damn journal but I couldn’t find any real information on anything except my new body. He just looked at me stoically and said I wasn’t reading it right and that the most vital thing I needed to know for now was in the first under-passage—whatever that means. Then he touched my head and sent me back to my body before I could ask him anything else.
    He’s been standing behind my great-grandmother’s chair ever since, his body still and his features grave. He said he’s going to protect the house and the souls inside, mark it to warn any other spirits away—including other angels—until I can get the land warded. The demons are apparently