“You foresaw your death?” I whispered. She’d seen me kill her.

  “A long time ago.”

  That meant I had no say in what was happening to me. I didn’t like it. Only I had control over my future, but was it just an illusion? All of this—the runes, keeping Jackson hostage, helping Markzoth lure me into his lair—it was all designed to get me to come back here on my own, yet another manipulation.

  “Family,” she said, pressing something small and hard into my hand. “Keep.”

  “What?” My voice was soft as I closed my fingers around the unknown gift. “I don’t understand. I—” I sensed the Darkness rising out of the runes and into the druidess, and I cried out, “Stop!”

  But it was too late. The energy she’d unleashed rushed towards me at an alarming speed and I threw up my hands. My Light shone before me, reflecting the attack with ease. It bounced into the wall, shattering off a woody arm of wisteria.

  The druidess cried out in glee and clapped her hands together.

  “Jackson, get behind me,” I snarled, glaring at the druidess. He scurried across the room, putting distance between him and his captor.

  The druidess held up her hands again and called on the runes. There were no words or incantations, but I felt it all around her. Intent.

  “Don’t make me do it,” I pleaded. “You’re the last of your kind. We could learn so much from each other. Don’t waste your life.”

  “It is already done,” she replied. “Strike, purple girl.”

  Power rushed for me once more and I deflected it, tears welling in my eyes. The blow glanced off my forearms and slammed into the old woman. She fell onto the floor in a heap, her shimmering eyes staring at the wisteria hanging from the ceiling.

  Standing over her, I unsheathed my arondight blade. Violet sparks lit up the tangle of greenery, making the house glow as if the plants had taken a radioactive turn for the worse.

  “It’s you.” Her eyes widened and a strange smile pulled at her lips. “So beautiful…”

  A white plume of smoke poured out of her mouth and billowed into the air. I didn’t have the heart to thrust my blade through her essence, but I didn’t have to. The while plume dissipated, hovering in the centre of the room like heavy fog on a hard winter’s morning.

  Then…

  She was gone.

  Jackson peered over my shoulder, his eyes wide. “Was she—”

  “No,” I said. “She was a druidess, remember? They live a long time.”

  “She’s dead, then?”

  I nodded. “It was her choice. Her time.”

  Looking down at my palm, I found a small silver coin. What the druidess thought I could do with that, I didn’t know. There were strange symbols cast into the metal that meant nothing to me. Slipping it into my pocket, I sheathed my arondight blade and gave the druidess one last look.

  “Let’s get out of here,” I said after a moment.

  Outside, the air shimmered. The fog had thickened, reflecting a rainbow of colours—the druidess’s parting gift to Seven Dials.

  “Do you think she really knew your parents?” Jackson asked as we made our way across the courtyard.

  “Lies,” I replied, the coin heavy in my pocket. “They were all lies.”

  “Are you sure?”

  I grunted, not wanting to talk about it. “Did she hurt you?”

  He shook his head. “She made me drink tea.”

  “Tea? Not some herbal concoction? That stuff can hold some real power, Jackson.”

  “Na.” He shrugged. “It was Twinings English Breakfast.”

  Wilder was right about her just being a lonely old woman, which made me feel worse about ending her life. It was what she wanted, though, and she’d gone to a lot of trouble to orchestrate it, but it wasn’t comforting. I just wanted Jackson to have the freedom he deserved.

  “Where to now?”

  “The Sanctum,” I replied. “Greer has rolled out the welcome wagon for you, but—”

  “She doesn’t know about…” He nodded towards the druidess’s house.

  “No. And I think we’d better leave it that way.” The shadows were creeping back in now that the druidess’s magic had vanished.

  “Cool. Times are tough. I get it.” A rumble echoed through the courtyard and Jackson frowned. “What now?”

  I knew before I even looked. “The house.”

  We turned and watched as the narrow building groaned and shook. The skincare shop and the vegan bakery pressed in from either side, squashing the ramshackle cottage with immense force, cracking and splintering the wooden frame. Finally, the two shop fronts collided with a dull boom. The sound echoed through my bones as we watched the city swallow the last of the druidess’s home whole.

  When it was gone, I turned, walking towards Seven Dials. I shoved my hands into my pockets, the coin pressed firmly in my clenched fist.

  It was time to take another path, one that would hopefully lead to my parents and ultimately, Arondight.

  Seven obscure passages. Seven different roads. A place for the less fortunate to find their fate.

  Scarlett’s adventure continues with DARK ABANDON, the third book in the thrilling Arondight Codex!

  A high school do-over.

  A plot to take out a whole generation of Naturals.

  And Scarlett Ravenwood is in the thick of it… again.

  Thank you for reading Dark Illusion!

  If you enjoyed this eBook, please consider leaving a review.

  OTHER BOOKS IN THE ARONDIGHT CODEX

  by Nicole R. Taylor

  Dark Descent #1

  Dark Illusion #2

  Dark Abandon #3

  Dark Genesis #4

  Dark Crucible #5

  Want more novels just like this one? Check out Nicole’s other series:

  THE WITCH HUNTER SAGA - Vampires and witches collide in this thrilling Urban Fantasy adventure. You’ve never met vampires quite like these…

  THE CRESCENT WITCH CHRONICLES - Witches, shapeshifters, and ancient myth, collide in this colourful Irish flavoured series! Come on an adventure fraught with danger and forbidden romance… and the ultimate battle to save magic before it's gone forever.

  Find out more at: NicoleRTaylorWrites.com

  ABOUT NICOLE

  Nicole R. Taylor is the author of the bestselling Urban Fantasy series, The Witch Hunter Saga.

  She writes about vampires with complexes, insane witches, super heroes, post-apocalyptic warriors and samurai sword wielding women…all from a desk in a country town near Melbourne, Australia.

  Follow Nicole Online:

  Website: www.nicolertaylorwrites.com

  Twitter: twitter.com/nicole_noir

  Facebook: facebook.com/nrtaylorwrites

  Newsletter: www.nicolertaylorwrites.com/newsletter

  Email: nicole.this.is@gmail.com

  NICOLE’S VIP NEWSLETTER

  If you would like to keep up with all the news from Nicole, including exciting new book releases, sales, cover reveals, pre-orders and more, please signup with your email address by tapping the link below.

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  *or visit: nicolertaylorwrites.com/newsletter

  Dark Abandon (The Arondight Codex - Book Three)

  A high school do-over.

  A plot to take out a whole generation of Naturals.

  And Scarlett Ravenwood is in the thick of it… again.

  Scarlett Ravenwood never though she’d end up in the centre of a supernatural apocalypse, least of all going back to high school.

  After tapping into the drop of Arondight she holds inside her, she knows she’s in over her head. Unable to control her Light, she’s sent to the Academy where the next generation of Naturals are being trained, but something sinister is lurking underneath the surface. The headmaster believes one of the students is possessed… they just don’t know who.

  Going undercover, it’s up to Scarlett and Wilder to root out the cause of the unrest and thwart the Dark’s latest attempt at tipping the balance, before a whole generation is wiped out.

  With the next generation of Naturals in mortal danger, can Scarlett unravel the mystery surrounding her forgotten past in time to save them from the demon horde?

  Find out in Dark Abandon, the third novel in The Arondight Codex, an Urban Fantasy series full of adventure, mystery, and romance, woven with the spirit of heroic Arthurian legend.

  DARK ABANDON is out March 22nd, 2019!

 

 

  Nicole R Taylor, Dark Illusion

 

 

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