Read Online Desire: #4 Brightest Kind of Darkness by P.T. Michelle - Free Book Online Page A

several deep breaths. At the same time I realize David’s fighting the demon inside him, my brain identifies the awful smell: burning flesh. The raven yin-yang symbol on my ring meant to protect me from demon possession (of the Furia or Inferi variety) must be pressing against his wrist.
    A rumble of rage erupts from the Furia right before his attention swings back to mine, full of cruel and lethal intent. While the knife twitches torturously against my neck, I flatten my free hand on David’s chest and stare into his eyes. “Fight him, David!”
    My palm begins to tingle with heat, and then the demon thrashes his head back and forth, shrieking like excruciating pain is flooding through him.
    Horror briefly tears across Mr. Dixon’s face, and the sight makes me think of Drystan. The terror he must’ve felt being trapped inside, a puppet to evil’s every whim.
    That the demon dared to mention my mother’s name spikes my protective nature. Rage flares like a rumbling volcano, traveling from my belly up my chest, and then past the lump in my throat. I’m so outraged, I’m able to distance my mind from the pain the knife’s inflicting. Spreading my fingers on his chest, I dig into his flesh and grit out with every ounce of will I’ve got, “Get out of him now!”
    A flash of glaring white light shoots out of several points from David’s body at the same time my expanding chest and burning lungs suddenly collapse inward in a painful exhalation. I gasp for air as my arms and legs turn to jelly, and my whole body starts to tremor. The second the light fades, David and I both stumble back, and the knife in his hand clatters to the floor.
    I take a deep, shuddering breath, then exhale my relief. I’m so drained and shaken by whatever-the-heck just happened, I have to grab the edge of the counter to keep from collapsing. Cool air hitting the blood on my neck brings both chill bumps and sharp pain, reminding me I’m hurt. I quickly grab a dishtowel to staunch my wound, while my teacher slowly shakes his head, blinking his way back to consciousness.
    “Nara?” He glances around, completely confused. “When did I get here?” Wincing, he rubs his forehead. “Why is my head pounding?”
    I somehow tuned out Houdini while the demon and I battled wills and my life was hanging in the balance, but now my dog’s ferocious growls are all I hear. David tenses at the sound, and he takes in the broken glass and knife on the floor. He swings his gaze back to me, and his eyes widen at the trickle of blood on my chest.
    “God, are you okay?” He takes a step toward me, hand raised to help. Then he pauses, unsure what to do. “What happened?”
    Before I can answer, the front door flies open. Houdini and Ethan rush in. Houdini’s fur is raised and his teeth are bared as he snarls and jerks his head around, looking for me. Ethan’s stance is deadly, his eyes as black as sin when they lock with mine.
    The moment they both bolt for the kitchen, I quickly step in front of Mr. Dixon and call out, “Broken glass!” to Ethan, then address my dog, commanding, “ Stay , Houdini.”
    When Ethan grabs Houdini’s collar to keep him back, I nod my thanks and speak to him in a calm, but firm tone, “Mr. Dixon just had a blackout episode, but he’s okay now.”
    “What?” Ethan’s staring at me like I’ve lost my mind. He directs my dog to sit, but Ethan’s stance remains battle-ready, his eyes darting suspiciously to Mr. Dixon behind me. “Let me talk to him, Nara.”
    “He’s good, Ethan. Trust me.”
    “I—I don’t even know what’s going on. Or how I got here.” Mr. Dixon blows out an unsteady breath, then gestures toward my neck. “Or why you’re bleeding, Nara. Please tell me I didn’t do that?”
    “No.” I turn to him. “It was an accident. It happened when you blacked out. We’d just finished hiding Mom’s present in the garage and then came back into the kitchen when you started stumbling all over the