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Ava couldn’t speak Her eyes locked with Jaron’s as i, as if seen through eyes that took in every shadow and color in preternatural detail The pictures flickering like an old filh her first steps Splashing in a wading pool in front of a tiny house in Santa Monica Riding a horse at Carl’s ranch

Darkness

Then ih the spice e Drinking tea with Malachi Their kiss on the island

Malachi

Utter black Pain Despair

She clutched Malachi’s hand tighter, gasping when the next iolden gaze, laughing as butterflies swirled around her A boy, staring back at her with his father’s eyes An ink-black jaguar curled around the children protectively as a wolf and a tiger paced behind The tiger bent to the girl, opening his reat beast closed his jaw around the girl’s nape gently as she continued to sreat circle rose in the sky, like a sun twisted with gold and silver Higher and higher it rose, until the sun faded away to stars, ain concert to a growing song

Darkness

Ava felt Malachi’s arms around her Heard Jaron’s whisper in her e, but in her own

I show you what has been What will be And what could be Do not fear the darkness

Her eyes ca into Malachi’s as he looked down on her Sheher in his lap, sitting in a chair in the doctor’s office

"Ava?"

She couldn’t speak for a moment, still lost in the eyes of the boy as heraway the dark hair that had fallen across his face

"I will not fear the darkness," she whispered Turning her head, she looked at Jaron again, but the radiance had grown dihtening "Who are you?"

"You ask the wrong question, child"

"Who aht the wave of nausea that swept over her The instinctive fear that hummed in her blood

"A better question, but one I have already answered"

"No, you haven’t" She frohen she saw the angel’s lip curl slightly at the corner