Descending Darkness

By Kaitlyn Hoyt

A magical prophecy, scorching secrets, and descending darkness.

Ryanne’s had enough. Though only eighteen, she has the pressure of an ancient prophecy and the weight of an entire magical race pressed upon her shoulders. Because of that, she’s been surrounded by fighting and death for months.

Watching Dravin plunge a dagger into Colton’s side, put everything into perspective for Ryanne She changed her vision, but in the end it didn’t matter. He still died and there was nothing she could do but watch.

With the help of her new family, Ryanne has escaped the compound and is now more determined than ever to stop Dravin. He has found a way to extract magic from mages and he wants her magic.

As he begins recruiting more Gadramicks, Ryanne sets out to find more mages and form alliances because a battle is coming. Starting with a large mage with a hidden secret, Ryanne searches for the answers and strength she needs to move forward.

As Dravin and Ryanne both become stronger, everyone is starting to realize that the end is coming. Mages are rising and Dravin’s the only one with a plan. With darkness lurking at every corner, Ryanne is the only one that can bring any illumination during this time if only she can accept her role in this prophecy.

Descending Darkness is the third installment in the four-part Prophesized Series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kaitlyn Hoyt
• Release date: Aug 16, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301626465

Kaitlyn Hoyt

Kaitlyn Hoyt is the name. Currently a student at Ball State University, she’s aspiring to be a self-published author, while continuing her dream of becoming a wildlife biologist. She loves weird and random moments in life. They keep things interesting. Vegetarian. Proud tree-hugger. Lover of comic book movies. Avid reader. She has an unhealthy love for the soothing music of Josh Groban. Give her anything with pretzels, peanut butter and/or chocolate and she’ll be your best friend. She currently has four books planned in The Prophesized Series and a possible companion novel. In addition to The Prophesized Series, she’s working on the untitled first book in the Guardians of the Chosen series and an untitled contemporary romance.

Book preview

COLTON IS GONE. HE’S DEAD.

How could I have let this happen?

I lean forward and sob into his chest. It’s completely still…totally unmoving. This can’t be real. Logan tries to heal him one last time, but nothing happens. This can’t be happening right now. I look behind me and see a room of unconscious people. They are lying on the ground, looking as lifeless as he does, but in their case, I know looks can be deceiving.

I turn back and look at those standing around me. David and Tom are silently standing in the corner. David’s lips are set in a straight line, and he is shaking his head while Tom pats his shoulder. His brother is gone. To lose both Colton and Claire in such close proximity to each other…Neither one of them are looking at Colton. Logan still has silent tears streaming down his face. Liam looks to be on the verge of tears as well. Bragden is consoling his brother while Larkin stands near the door, making sure no one comes in.

I was supposed to change this…it wasn’t supposed to happen this way. I lean forward and rest my head on his chest again. He’s supposed to be here for me. He’s supposed to be yelling at me for doing something stupid or laughing at my poor attempt at humor. How could you leave me like this? I pound against his chest. You weren’t supposed to leave me! You promised to wait for me! I bunch my fingers in his shirt and cry harder. The fabric beneath me is soaked with my tears. Someone reaches behind me and starts rubbing my back. It isn’t reassuring at all. In fact, it makes me sadder. You’re supposed to be here.

Ryanne, we need to go. They’re going to wake up soon, Logan says. We have to get out of here.

Without lifting my head, I whisper hoarsely, I’m not leaving him.

Ryanne…

I’m not leaving him! I yell and choke on another sob. I push myself up and move toward his head. Leaning down, I whisper into his ear, "I love you, Colton. Please come back to me. I need you. I lean my forehead against his and push my thoughts toward him. I need you here." I keep repeating those lines in my mind. I know that my magic won’t work in here, but I want to make sure he knows that. He has to hear me.

I move back and look down at him. I need to see those green eyes looking at me in amusement again. I need to hear him speak to me. I need to hear his laugh. My lip starts quivering when nothing happens. I sit up and look around the room again. Everyone is watching me with Colton. I don’t want to leave. I love these guys, but it seems pointless to fight without Colton there beside me. We had our disagreements, but there’d always been something pulling me toward him. Without him, I don’t want to fight Dravin anymore. I want to curl up in a ball and cry myself senseless. I want it all to end.

I go over to his side and look down at the wound. I can’t believe that I couldn’t stop this. I remember what it felt like to get stabbed in the stomach. I remember the pain of the sword ripping through flesh and muscle. I vividly remember the coldness spreading through my body as my limbs gave out. I remember it all. Knowing that you’re going to die and having absolutely no way to stop it is a horrible feeling. Colton didn’t even know he got stabbed; he didn’t know he was dying. He was watching me die when Dravin stabbed him. I reach down to move his shirt, so it covers the wound. I don’t like seeing the evidence that he’s gone.

Ryanne, Logan tries to get my attention again, but I ignore him. If Colton doesn’t come with us, I’m not leaving this compound. I will not have another life on my conscience. I can’t handle that.

When my hand is near the still bleeding stab wound, it starts to vibrate. My magic doesn’t work in here…so what’s going on? I gasp and pull it away. My hand doesn’t look any different, so what was that? I look toward Logan; he’s the healer after all and may know what is happening. He starts nodding at me. I stare into his blue eyes for a few seconds confused as to what he’s trying to tell me. Wiping the tears off of his face, he motions for me to continue.

I reach out again and place both hands near the wound this time. Logan continues nodding, so I must be doing something right. The vibrations start again. The closer I get to the wound, the more violent they become. I almost pull away because it is starting to hurt when I notice some of the blood disappearing. I let out another cry and place my hands fully on Colton’s side. My hand is soaked in his blood in a matter of seconds, but I don’t care. Something is happening. David and Tom come over and bend down near me, but I don’t look at them. My eyes move from the wound on Colton’s side to his face. I don’t know what is happening right now, but based on everyone’s reactions, it must be a good thing.

I keep my eyes on Colton. My hands are throbbing, but I keep them on his side. It feels like all my magic is being pushed into my fingers. It’s similar to the electric shocks I get when I start to lose control, but I know this is different. I glance back down at the wound and find it a lot smaller than it had been. I gasp again and sit up on my knees putting more pressure on the area.

I keep glancing between my hands and Colton’s face. Besides the wound being smaller, there are still no other noticeable differences. He’s completely still and isn’t breathing. His heart still won’t beat. I push down harder. I look up at Logan, who is checking vital signs. With a heartbreaking sigh, he moves away from Colton. Shaking his head, he looks up at me. My heart breaks all over again at the sadness in his eyes.

The vibrations in my hands start to lessen as the magic leaves me. I’m leaning all of my body weight into Colton’s side begging him to come back. I keep the pressure on the previous wound spot until my hand stops vibrating. The magic is gone. He is still gone. I pound on his chest again. The wound is closed, but he is still gone. Dang it, Colton! I lean down and rest my head on his chest again. I don’t want to leave him. I can’t.

I close my eyes and let the tears start flowing again. He is gone. He left me. Ryanne, Logan starts again. I shake my head.

I’m not leaving him. I refuse to leave him here. I hit him again and cry into this shirt. There is nothing else I can do. Dravin killed him. I know that if I had my magic right now, I’d probably need Liam to knock me out. My emotions are too strong at the moment.

Thump.

I freeze. Did I actually hear that?

Thump.

I jump back and stare down at him. He still looks the same. I lean my head against his chest where his heart is. Thump. Thump. It is slow and faint, but it is there.

His heart’s beating, I whisper.

Larkin who is standing at the door says, Guys, we really should be leaving. They’re starting to wake up. I look behind everyone. He’s right. The two men that I knocked out before Liam and Colton came into the cell are starting to stir. Soon, they’ll all be awake. Ryanne, you have to get off of him, Liam says. I instantly start shaking my head. I’m not going to leave him here. There’s no way that’s going to happen. "We need to carry him out of here. We need to go now."

Liam helps pull me up while Bragden and Tom bend down and support Colton’s weight between the two of them. Colton’s head falls forward limply and I choke on another cry. I can feel the silent tears still falling down my face. Liam keeps an arm around my waist as he pulls me out of the room. My eyes connect with Larkin as we pass him. He doesn’t have his usual cocky countenance. In its place is a sad, caring expression. He nods at me.

Liam ushers me into the hallway with Bragden and Tom following after us. David and Logan take up the rear. Liam turns left once we get out of the cell and starts pulling me down another hallway. I’m not sure how, but he seems to know exactly where to go. The blinding lights above me are starting to hurt my eyes. He turns right and then stops. The arm around my waist disappears as Liam rushes forward to fight off some of the Gadramicks blocking us. When the walls in the hallway start to tilt, I close my eyes and back up hoping to lean against the wall. I hear the sound of punches being thrown, and someone rushes past me. I trust the guys around me to protect me. I can’t fight right now anyway. Grunting resonates through the hall and then it gets quiet again. Come on, Ryanne, I hear David say while someone grabs my hand. I let him blindly pull me along.

Opening my eyes, I glance behind me at Bragden and Tom. Colton is still limp between the two of them. They are fully carrying him down the hall. I stifle another cry as I feel a cool breeze. I stop and look around me. Where is that breeze coming from? Blinking the tears out of my eyes, I see that I am standing outside…surrounded by trees. Larkin runs up to me and tries to grab my hand. I shake my head and point to Colton. Larkin needs to get Colton out of here first. Agreeing with me, Liam tells him to go. Larkin walks over to Bragden and Tom and reaches for Colton. They let go of him, and Larkin transports away.

Walking over to the closest tree, I lean against it and try to catch my breath. Moving too much hurts my stomach, but I don’t want to mention it to anyone. I know that Liam knows. He keeps glancing at me. Everything starts to spin around me. The events of the day are weighing me down. I grab my head, slide down the tree trunk, and sit on the ground. I can hear the footsteps around me as I succumb to the darkness.

Is she going to be okay? I really need her to wake up, so I can heal her. I can’t believe they got to her. I never want to hear her scream like that again. She accepted it. I grab my head and concentrate on pushing their thoughts back. I see each individual’s strand and gather them together; creating a bundle of thoughts. I push them into my mental box and turn the lock, shutting them in.

Opening my eyes, I look around me. Everyone is looking at me. I sit up and then cry out as pain moves through my stomach. I lift my shirt up slightly and cringe at the large dark bruise covering the entire length of my abdomen. It is the exact shape of an arm. Logan rushes over to me, grabs my arms, and starts healing me. I feel the dizziness fade away, the swelling in my face goes down, the aches in my arms and legs dissipate, and finally the pain in my stomach disappears.

Logan opens his eyes and looks up at me. My face feels stiff from all the tears that I’ve shed. I reach up and rub my eyes. I look behind Logan and see Emma standing with David. Emma keeps looking to her right and then back at me. I follow her gaze and gasp when I see the man sitting in the chair watching me.

I jump off the couch and stare at him, mouth hanging open. Turning so that I am facing him, I take a couple steps backward and start shaking my head. This isn’t possible. I can feel the tears well up in my eyes again. He slowly stands and walks over to me. I cover my mouth with my right hand, not caring about the dried blood on it. My tears fall over the hand streaking through the blood.

How? I finally choke out when he stops in front of me. I saw you…die. I felt your heart stop beating. You were gone. I start sobbing again. He reaches out and pulls me against him.

You healed me. I start shaking my head. This isn’t real. I’m imagining it. I saw Colton die. He was dead. "You healed me, Ryanne."

I fist my hands in his shirt, letting it dry my tears. His chest moves beneath my fingers. He’s alive and breathing. Colton really is alive. That’s not possible.

It is possible for… he stops talking. I take a step away from him and look into his eyes. His gorgeous green eyes are looking back down at me. Colton is looking at me…because he’s alive. What is he trying to tell me?

For? I ask.

Colton opens his mouth to reply at the same time as I feel the familiar pull of my visions. I close my eyes and lean forward as I am pulled in again. I feel his arms wrap around me as my body goes limp.

RYANNE SLUMPS FORWARD, GOING limp in my arms. NO! Emma yells. I glance over at her as she stomps her foot on the ground. Ugh, she always has the worst timing. She had to pick now to go into a vision.

I bend down and pick up Ryanne and carry her over to the couch. I don’t let her go though; I still need to prove to myself that this is real. I reach out and brush her hair away from her face. Then, I slowly wipe the tears from her face. I need to clean the blood off of her hands. My blood off her hands. As if Liam can read my mind, he hands me a wet washcloth. I grab her small hand in mine and wipe it clean of any proof of what happened earlier.

I died. In my mind, I saw Dravin killing Ryanne when in reality, it was me who was killed. Yet, the scene felt so real. It was horrible, and something Ryanne has experienced multiple times. I don’t know how she got over it. I keep replaying it over and over in my mind.

Colton, when she saw you die… Liam is shaking his head. His eyes are getting glossy. He looks away and clears his throat, trying to regain composure.

Logan says, When we rushed into the room, she was fighting against Adam. His grip was literally crushing her, but she didn’t stop. When she realized that you were dead, she screamed the most awful scream I’ve ever heard. It was full of so much pain… He’s having issues keeping his emotions at bay too. I’ve never seen Logan cry before. She refused to leave you. She kept pounding on your chest. She yelled at us when we told her we had to go. He looks down at Ryanne, who is still in a vision. We could tell from her expression that she was going to give up, Colton.

She can’t do that. Ever. It doesn’t matter if I am alive or not. She needs to keep fighting. She needs to push forward. She is the only hope any of us have against Dravin. She is stronger than him and even he knows it. That’s why he is trying so hard to stop her. That’s why he needs her magic because without it, he doesn’t stand a chance.

You should have heard her little speech before you guys showed up. She called Dravin a freaking crazy psychotic lunatic, I say slowly and turn toward Liam to make sure I said that correctly. He nods, the amusement clear in his eyes. Only Ryanne… Then, she turned to Adam and told him that she wouldn’t hesitate to kick him again if he touched her. You should have seen the look on his face.

Liam laughs quietly. It was priceless.

Ryanne gasps and jumps off of my lap. We have to go. We all just stare at her. Now! Dravin knows where we are. The enchantment is down, and I don’t have the strength right now to put it back up. He’s incredibly mad, and we need to go.

How long do we have? Tom asks.

Thirty minutes. An hour tops. Everyone gets up and starts to head upstairs to gather their belongings. We are the last two in the living room. She is still looking at me like she doesn’t believe I am really here. I can understand that, but I don’t like the scared look in her eyes.

Ryanne, I start, we need to talk. Before I can get anything else out, she stops me. Her hazel eyes glisten as tears threaten to fall again. My heart breaks when she starts shaking her head and backs away from me.

Not right now, Colton. I need to make sure we get out of here safely before I dwell on everything that just happened. She sniffs her nose and slowly walks up the stairs.

My eyes follow her upstairs before I head up there as well. Hopefully, I’ll have time to tell her later. Once she calms down and we are safe, I’ll tell her. She needs to know. I can tell that the time is finally right.

TWENTY MINUTES LATER, we are all waiting in the kitchen. Tom, Bragden, and Larkin are helping pack the car, while Emma and Ryanne walk through the house making sure that we have grabbed everything we need. We’ll be able to buy stuff when we get to our new location. I am sitting down in a chair in the kitchen with Liam. Sudden movements hurt my side. It’ll take a couple hours for my mage healing to kick in and finish the job.

Ryanne and Emma come into the room with empty hands. We’d apparently packed everything. Ryanne pulls a chair up and sits down at the table, next to Liam. Her wet hair falls forward, hiding her face as she rests her head on the table. Emma and Liam both look over at me and glance back at Ryanne. I shake my head. She doesn’t know yet. I haven’t had a chance to tell her.

Soon.

Okay, the car’s packed and ready to go, Tom announces. Ryanne pushes herself away from the table and silently walks out of the room.

She’s just shocked by everything. She thought you were dead, Colton. I wouldn’t know how to act either if I watched you die, Emma says as she stands up and leaves the room after Ryanne. I stand up and grab the small green pet carrier with Olive in it and follow the girls out.

This is going to be an interesting ride.

THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE car is a lot more tense than usual. I’m sitting in the back between Liam and Emma, but no one says anything. The car is silent. Everyone keeps glancing between Colton and me. I still can’t believe he is alive. He is sitting in front of me…alive. Breathing. He is here.

I feel like I’ve been pushed through a sandstorm in the middle of the desert during a heat wave. My body is exhausted. During the last…day? Has it really only been a day? I’ve been through a roller-coaster of emotions. Thinking back, I remember how we all acted in the kitchen on Colton’s birthday. Emma and I laughed, sang, and danced. We were having fun. Then there was the forest. I was comfortable walking through the forest with Colton. He made me smile. He made me feel safe. For that short period of time, I forgot about the mess I was in. I was just Ryanne, and he was just a boy I liked. He was just Colton. Then, we saw Adam and Natasha, and it all came crashing back down.

I’m supposed to be this prophecy girl. I’m supposed to help end a supernatural war…with mages…against Dravin and the Gadramicks. I’m full of all this power that I don’t know what to do with. Everyone seems to be out to get me and those that I love. Dravin will do anything to get to me, and he did get to me.

A lot of people are depending on me. I feel like I’m drowning under the waves of pressure crashing into me. Because of the prophecy, I can barely go to sleep without getting attacked. For the past couple of nights, both Dravin and Adam have invaded my dreams. The only way I’ve figured out how to get out of them is by getting knocked out or knocking them out. It’s usually me that gets knocked out. Then, I wake up with the injuries. I’m afraid to sleep anymore. It feels like I can’t do anything without the risk of getting attacked.

When I got captured the second time, I didn’t know that Liam and Colton were there too. I thought that I had changed the vision. When I saw Colton being dragged into my cell, I panicked. I had changed something, but it wasn’t enough. He still ended up there. He still ended up dying…right in front of me. All my efforts had been for nothing.

But somehow, I healed him. Somehow, he is sitting in front of me. Somehow, he’s here. Alive. I don’t know how to wrap my mind around it. I want to run up to him and jump into his arms, but another part of me is afraid of doing anything that’ll put him in even more danger. I mean, he died. He died because Dravin wanted information. Will I be able to protect him if that happens again?

I don’t want to push him away anymore. I want him. Really bad. But I want him to live even more so. He keeps turning around and watching me. He’s holding the pet carrier with Olive in his lap. I want to pet Olive and have her comfort me, but I don’t want to talk. I don’t want to answer any questions, so I let her stay with him.

Do I want to be with Colton? Yes, I do. Ever since I first met him, I have felt a pull toward him. Sure, he’s incredibly good-looking, but there are so many other reasons. He helped me feel again. After my mom died, I shut myself off. I didn’t want to open up to anyone, because I was afraid of getting hurt. Ever since I met him in the bookstore, I’ve unlocked the door, and he pushed it open, cracking my walls in the process.

He can be stubborn, frustrating, and just about every adjective you can think of, but it shows that he cares. He doesn’t look at me as the prophecy girl and never has. He sees Ryanne. I’ve tried so many times to convince myself otherwise, but I can’t because I know the truth. He sees me for me and nothing more.

When I saw Dravin plunge that dagger into his side, it felt like I was the one who was stabbed. When I ran over to him and realized he was gone, it felt like part of me left with him. He broke down the wall and left me broken. I lost it. I don’t know if I can survive losing him again.

I keep picturing him lying there, blood pooling around his body onto the cold hard floor. His skin already looked so pale. Death works fast. I can feel the tears welling in the corners of my eyes. I’ve cried too much lately. I didn’t know it was possible to shed so many tears. I turn around and look out the back window. For some reason, I expect Dravin to show up behind us and find a way to take me back to that cell or to take Colton away from me again.

The only thing behind us is road. There are other cars following. Biting my lip, I turn back around. Colton’s watching me again. My gaze meets his momentarily before I look away. I honestly have no idea what to do right now.

Liam must have guessed my thoughts because he wraps an arm around my shoulder and pulls me toward him. I rest my head on his shoulder and let a few tears fall. Burying my face in his shirt, I let the movement of the car and the steady rise and fall of Liam’s chest lull me to sleep.

OPENING MY EYES, I look around. The high beam ceiling extends upwards to a point. The walls are painted a soft yellow. The lighting from the small lamp to my right casts long shadows throughout the room. A large brick fireplace extends up the length of the wall. Blinking, I sit up and look around. I am lying down on a large sectional couch. This navy blue fabric couch is large enough to fit all of us. I hear voices behind me. Turning around, I see everyone seated at a large wooden oval kitchen table. I rub my eyes with my large sweatshirt sleeves and fix my clothing.

I don’t know whose sweatshirt I am wearing, but I was cold this morning. Rummaging through the laundry room, I found it folded on top, so I threw it on. I pull the sweatshirt down. It almost completely covers my shorts. When my arms are straight, the sleeves hang past my hands, so I know that it’s one of the guys’.

Standing up, I drag my feet and walk into the kitchen. I am still tired, but my body is stiff which means I’ve probably been sleeping for a while. I run a hand through my hair as I enter the kitchen. I sit down in a chair next to Logan and stare down at the table. Squinting, I try to adjust to the bright lights above the table.

Someone elbows me in the sensitive area under my ribs. I jump back. Huh?

Logan, Liam, and Colton all laugh at me. Did you hear what I asked you?

Umm… I try to remember if I heard anyone ask me any questions, but I don’t remember anything. No.

How are you feeling? Logan asks me.

Oh. Fine, I guess. I’m just a little tired. Not sleeping much at night is starting to get to me. I yawn into the sleeve of the sweatshirt. Hey, whose sweatshirt is this?

Logan, Colton, and Liam all shrug. I lean forward on the table. I ask Bragden, David, and Larkin, who are sitting on the opposite end. It’s mine, Larkin says.

Oh, I’m borrowing your sweatshirt, I tell him with a smile.

Larkin starts laughing and replies, Thanks for the heads up.

I realized earlier that I don’t own any actual sweatshirts. I have t-shirts and shorts. That’s about it. So, if any of you are ever missing a sweatshirt, I probably took it. Just letting ya know. All the guys nod their heads, accepting my warning.

You could always borrow one of mine, Emma suggests.

Emma, you only wear pink sweatshirts. And if they’re not pink, they’re covered in pink. I’d rather wear one that’s way too big than be covered in pink.

Your loss. You’d look cute in pink.

You’d probably look cute in a banana suit, but I don’t see you wearing one.

Emma looks over to David and shakes her head, She’s impossible.

Crossing my arms on the table, I lean forward and rest my head against my forearms. I can’t believe how tired I still am. A few hours ago, I was in Dravin’s cell. Thank you guys for coming to rescue us, I mumble against my sleeves. I got your note Larkin.

That yellow piece of paper? Colton says.

Yeah, I’m assuming that someone working for Dravin isn’t totally loyal to him. I lift my head and look toward Larkin, who is nodding in agreement. He has friends inside the compound that could possibly help us from time to time. How did you know it was…oh, wait the mirror…?

Yeah, that was a two-way mirror. We could see you, but you couldn’t see us. We saw and heard everything, says Colton.

Everything?

Yeah, we heard your sarcastic retorts to Dravin. We saw each time one of them hit you or Dravin used his power on you. We heard you singing and doing those little flips. Why were you talking back to him, Ryanne? That could have been dangerous, Liam says.

"I don’t know. Last time he kidnapped me they’d try to get information out of me until I passed out from the pain or they knocked me out. I could barely move. This time, I could move around. They didn’t hurt me that much. So, I tried a different approach. I wanted to show Dravin that I wasn’t afraid of him. I wanted him to know that I’ll take whatever he dishes out, because I know he’s too much of a coward to face me when I can use my magic. I wanted him to know that I’m not going to cower in the corner from fear when I see him and that I’m not helpless. I can defend myself.

When I saw those men carry you guys in…I don’t know. I kind of flipped. I was so mad at him for involving others when it’s me that he wants. It makes me mad that he’s trying to use you guys against me. I panicked and started yelling at him, I laugh. What did I call him? A psychotic lunatic?

You called him a freaking crazy psychotic lunatic who is obsessed with power, Colton says.

And he is. And it felt really good to call him that. Just like it felt really good to kick Adam upside the head, even if he did slap me so hard that I saw stars. I wanted to make an impression. I’m not going to let them get away with hurting me anymore.

Oooh, angry Ryanne is hot, Larkin says and flashes his arrogant smile.

Since you’re letting me wear your sweatshirt, I’ll ignore that comment and not knock you out of your chair like I really want to, I let a piece of magic flow