Forging Darkness (Fallen Legacies #2) - Julie Hall Page 0,1

I blink at the set of numbers scribbled across the small square and glance at the girl with a raised eyebrow.

“In case you need anything while you’re here, you can reach me on this number.” Pink stains her high cheekbones as she tucks her long brown hair behind an ear.

Interesting. This one is braver than I guessed. Most people consider lions majestic, but not many would seek to tangle with one.

I cock my head and stare into her watered-down blue eyes. Blue is the right color, but the shade I’m partial to is the midnight version—dark enough to appear black at night and rich as the deep ocean in the light of day.

The corners of the girl’s mouth lift in a tentative smile as I continue to observe her. Perhaps I’m confusing bravery with stupidity.

“This is my personal cell number,” she emphasizes unnecessarily.

The chuckle I release is dry and rusty. I shake my head, turning my back on the stupidly brave girl, and stride away.

Doesn’t she know the devil comes disguised in a pretty package?

Chapter One

Moist air caresses my neck, and the bed shakes rhythmically with each heavy heave from the large animal behind me. My tank top is plastered to my skin, and my cheek rests on something damp.

Turning my head, I’m face-to-face with a black and white Great Dane snuggled up against me. Its hind legs stretch over my hip and waist, and its tongue lolls on my pillow. A drool stain the size of the massive dog’s head spreads across the pillowcase.

Nasty.

I’m gonna kill Tinkle. The idiot likes to shift into large animals and cuddle with me at night.

My pillow buzzes. I reach underneath it and grab my cell—the first phone I’ve ever had. Aside from the occasional group text, and the random gifs Sterling likes to send me, I hardly ever use it. It’s basically a glorified alarm clock.

The screen lights up with one word: Unknown.

My heart starts to beat double-time. This is the fifth unknown call this month. Most of them have come through in the early morning or middle of the night. When I answer, I’m only ever met with silence—total serial killer stuff—but my gut tells me who is on the other line.

Maneuvering out from under the dog sprawled across my comforter, I pad to the bathroom, making sure Ash is still asleep. She’s a lump under the covers, slowly inflating and deflating with her even breaths. Only a few clusters of ringlets peek out from under her blankets.

Shutting the door as gently as possible, I scurry to the far end of the small room, anxious to answer the call before my voicemail picks up.

I hit the green button on the screen and hold it to my ear for several ticks before saying anything.

“Hello?” The word passes my lips as barely more than a whisper.

As usual, I’m greeted by silence.

My stomach bottoms out in disappointment.

Is he ever going to talk to me? If not, why does he even bother calling?

I slide down the wall until my butt settles on the chilled tiled floor, pulling my knees to my chest.

“Steel?”

I know it’s him. I haven’t told anyone about these calls, mostly because there’s nothing to tell since he never talks. Also, I don’t want to explain how I know it’s him. With every call, there’s a tug on my heart that only ever happens when he’s around.

Audible breathing on the other end of the line should probably be creepy, but it’s not. It’s a connection to Steel I’m desperate to hang on to. The last two months he’s been gone have been . . . hard.

I’ll only admit it to myself, and under duress I’ll deny it to my dying breath, but I miss him.

The frustrating part is that I can’t put my finger on what exactly I miss. Steel was a grade-A jerk to me ninety-five percent of the time. He pushed me and aggravated me and didn’t let me get away with anything. He never took it easy when we trained, and the tender moments we shared were few and far between. But since he left, I feel the hollowness inside more acutely. I’m over trying to figure out why.

My grip on the phone goes white-knuckle as the silence continues.

“If you’re not going to talk to me, please check in with your family. They’re worried sick about you.”

His parents and siblings haven’t heard from him since the day he rode off. The youngest twins seem to be taking Steel’s absence the hardest.