InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Darkness Before Dawn ❯ Dealings ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

The fierce pounding of the wind driven rain against the darkened bedroom window pulled Kagome from her slumber. She turned bleary eyes to the side to check the time. Four twenty-two AM was the number revealed by the dim green light on her alarm clock. With a weary sigh, the groggy woman rose from the comfort of the large bed and padded across the plush carpet of her bedroom to the master bathroom.

Kagome flipped the light switch, wincing at the sudden brightness of the florescent lights. Once her vision had adjusted to the change she walked over to the vanity mirror to inspect her reflection.

Eyes rimmed red and puffy from crying: check.

Nose and cheeks splotchy, again from crying: check.

Hair in wild disarray from nightmares: hell yes.

Still wearing the same clothes from yesterday and just don't give a shit: most definitely.

Yep, same me, different day. Kagome returned to her darkened room to grab a change of clothes then headed back to the bathroom to shower. She turned the knobs to start the flow of water. As the water heated, Kagome stripped out of her rumpled outfit and brushed her teeth. When the bathroom had filled with billowing steam, the girl stepped into the glass enclosure and let the spray of hot water cascade over her body. Flashes of memories skipped along her mind.

A dark angel vocalizing her decent into darkness and a silvery savior that turned molten eyes in my direction...

Whispers of truth carried on smoke hazed, stagnant air in a dimly lit room that reached into my heart with his gruff tenor to offer some sort of salvation...

The savior stroking my hair as he tried to compel me to see the promise of his world...

The warm promise in his voice stirring a long forgotten hope within my soul...

Running from that treacherous emotion...returning to the dark rain of despair...

Kagome shook her head to dispel the images. Was any of it real? Or was it all just another nightmare that felt real?She had been having so many of those lately; dreams of times past, or visions of the future she and Shiro should have shared. Every single one had seemed like reality, until the darkness of her existence suffocated them once again. I am beginning to wonder if reality is even real anymore...

Kagome quickly finished her morning ablutions and exited the shower stall. Absorbed in her thoughts, she slipped into the soft flannel lounge pants and plain white cotton t-shirt, then plodded to the living room. Even in the deep shadows of night, no light was needed to guide her steps through the familiar room.

A long, plush white velour couch and matching chair were placed in the center of the room. Beside them sat a few black laquered end tables crafted from the finest oak supported porcelain vase-like lamps in the soft pastel jade color she so loved. Various plants and indoor trees stood in strategic positions throughout the living area --"to please the kami's energies as it flows gracefully through the room," her beloved Jii-chan had once told her. Along the walls were artistically arranged collages of framed pictures, each of which held a cherished memory forever frozen in their metallic frames. Yet to Kagome, all of these materials were just things that served as a backdrop to her world of shadows. None of it had meaning any longer.

Kagome's forlorn stride carried her past the large piano to the wall of glass at the far side of the room. She stood silently before the floor to cielingwindows and gazed out over the lights of Tokyo. This had become her favorite time of the day; the city was quiet, most of the buildings lights were extinguished and traffic moved sporadically on the streets far below her twentieth floor apartment. It was the time when neither moon nor sun adorned the velvety blackness of the horizon.

The violent downpour that had disturbed her earlier had eased to a gentle shower. Kagome let her eyelids lower as she felt his comforting presence surround her. Goose-flesh rose upon her pale skin as his loving arms circle her waist from behind. The line between delusion and sanity blurred slightly in the warped reality of Kagome's mind.

These silent moments were what she now lived for; when she was utterly alone in her apartment with only her thoughts and his memory to keep her company. Only then could the broken young woman delude herself that Shiro was not forever lost to her, that he had somehow survived the twisted wreckage of the decimated limousine after it had slid off the icy freeway. What should have been one of the happiest nights of her life-- the formal announcement of her album's release date-- had turned into the beginning of the waking nightmare her world had become.

Kagome shuddered slightly as Shiro's voice whispered through her mind. "Things are always darkest just before the dawn, my love..."

A solitary tear slid from the corner of her eye and slowly trailed down the desolate girl's cheek. Kagome wrapped trembling arms around her midsection in a feeble attempt to capture his spectre closer to her. How many times had they stood in this very spot together, just like this, as they spoke of their hopes and fears of the future? Yet that future had been denied them by the cruelty of fate. "Oh, Shiro," she lamented in a mournful whimper, "if you only knew how dark it could truly be!"

She felt Shiro's cheek tenderly rub against her temple in the initimate gesture of comfort he had always reserved especially for her. "Have faith, 'Gome, for the dawn will break for you soon..." came the solemn reply.

Kagome mentally leaned into the warmth of his rose-colored promise for just a moment, relishing in the way his love enveloped her like a cocoon. Shiro's adoration and devotion had transformed her from a shy, nervous high school graduate into an enchanting butterfly on the cusp of realizing her dream. But all dreams die in the stark light of day, or became twisted by the darkness that lurks just beyond the light.

She lifted a hand to wipe away the lone teardrop from her jaw as a deep sigh of regret escaped her. "I wish I could beleive that, anata." She moved stiffly away from the illusion of her lover's touch. Sorrowful eyes landed upon the softly gleaming cherry-varnished wood of the grand piano.

Bare feet moved silently over the soft jade hued carpeting toward the cushioned piano bench. Kagome lovingly caressed the instruments polished surface: it was the last gift Shiro had presented to her. She perched delicately on the plush seat and gently slid back the key cover to reveal the precious ivory and onyx lacquered treasure beneath it.

With the familiarity of a true artist, the woman's fingers began to gently stroke the keys. No particular melody came to mind, so the woman just let her fingers glide across the polished surfaces. Kagome gave her emotions full reign and allowed them to tear down the barriers around her heart. As she gazed out upon the city, the wellspring of sorrow errupted like a geyser and breathed meaning into the randomness of her key strokes. She let her soul set the rhythm and melody of the music-- let the emotions pour out of her to ride along it's ebb and flow. Her eyes drifted and she swayed with the power of her tortured thoughts as she felt the desolation within her heart surge through her blood.

On the other side of the room a figure stirred upon the couch. Sleepy eyes cracked open to try to figure out what woke him. At first bewildered by the unfamiliar surroundings, the man registered the haunting strains of the piano. Cautiously peeking around the end of the couch, his gaze locks on the sight of the distraught girl from the alley. He was transfixed by her hypnotic swaying. At fist the keystrokes seemed hesitant, as though she were loathe to continue, yet unable to stop the sorrow from coursing through to the next measure.

Softly, the notes carried through the room, rising and falling like ocean waves at low tide. The voice of a tortured seraphim gently melded with the mournful tone of the piano.

Playground school bell rings...again,

Rain clouds come to play...again.

Has no one told you she's not breathing?


Hello, I am your mind giving you someone to talk to.

Hello...

Without hesitation, Inuyasha flipped open his cell phone and speed-dialed his friend. When the gruff voice cursed him on the other end, he quietly and emphatically said, "Just shut up and listen to this," and held the phone out toward where the young woman played.

Tears trickled silently down Kagome's face as she poured her anguish into every syllable that fell from her lips. The sweeping notes of the piano soothed the scarred and battered soul within her. When she released the music of her heart, the world of darkness melted away. Music was the only way Kagome would allow herself to expel the darkness of her soul, or to come to terms with the downward spiral of her life. It was the only therapy that helped her express the plethera of emotions that followed the loss of not just her love, but also that of her career, her life, her very reason for existing.

If I smile and don't believe,

Soon I know I'll wake from this dream.

Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken!


Hello, I am the lie living for you so you can hide,

Don't cry...

Inuyasha sat frozen, held captive by the sorrow in the woman's voice. He saw her shoulders shake, could hear the sniffles as the emotional swell became too much for her already abused soul. The power of the music intensified gradually as her voice cried out the agony of her heart. The lyrics erupted in a melodic wail of woe that tore at his soul.

Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping,

Hello! I'm still here,

All that's left of yesterday...

The anguish of her tone was palpable as the woman's plea rang through the atmosphere: a veritable prayer that someone would come to rescue the lost girl trapped within the darkness. Inuyasha felt tears gather in his eyes as the music reached it's crescendo before falling gracefully back into it's softly penetrating flow. Her music is born of pain. I can feel the desperation of each note tearing at me...

As the final chords echoed off the walls, the girl's hands fell listlessly to her lap and her head lowered. The gentle sniffles had intensified to soft sobs, and Inuyasha could hear her keen softly as she fought for control. He briefly returned the phone to his ear to mutter, "Gotta go, call you later!"

"Wait! Inuya--" was the muffled response just as the phone was snapped shut.

The foreign sound exploded through the air like a gun shot. Kagome spun around, fear etched on her face. "Wh- who's there?" she shouted with false bravado. "Show yourself!"

"If I do, do you promise not to faint again?" A deep male voice inquired from the couch. When she didn't respond, Inuyasha slowly lifted his head and carefully peered over the edge of the furnishing. A sharp intake of breath and the motion of a hand that flew to her throat greeted him as he smiled sheepishly at the startled beauty. "Please don't scream! I'm not going to hurt you. Just let me gather my shit and I'll be outta your hair."

Kagome stared in wide-eyed shock at the unknown--and uninvited-- occupant of her home. "You are real!" was her whispered remark.

Confusion glazed his features. "Of course I am! I'm as real as it gets, baby!" he retorted with a cocky smirk. "Wait, just how do you think you got home, wench?"

The slight insult went unnoticed. "I..." Kagome began, then hesitated. "I thought you were a dream." Kagome lowered her eyes to hide her embarrassment.

Inuyasha vaulted over the back of the couch and moved to stand before her. He slowly folded his body into a crouched position and tilted his head questioningly at her. "Just what were you on last night, honey?"

"On?" she asked as her bewildered gaze locked with his eyes of intense gold.

"Yeah, you know, on. Coke? Acid? Ecstasy? All of the above?" Inuyasha expectantly waited for her answer, but when none was forthcoming, he merely sighed and stood. "You were pretty messed up when I found you in the alley behind Tiko's a few hours ago. I just thought someone must have slipped you some bad shit and you kinda lost it."

Rage seethed through Kagome's veins. "How DARE you? Just where do you get off judging people like that? I didn't ask for you to come along, or for you to help me! Yet here you are, in my apartment, making asinine assumptions about me and my lifestyle!" Kagome rocketed to her feet and shoved her face into his. Each angry word that spewed from her lips was punctuated with a finger jab into his chest. "Just because someone is curled into a ball crying her heart out in a dark alley on a rainy night does NOT mean she is wasted on drugs!"

"Whoa!" he cried as he threw his hands up in a placating symbol of surrender. "Hold on there, hun! I didn't mean to imply--"

"Oh but you did! If you hadn't, you would have never asked me such a stupid question! Just who the hell do you think you are?!" Kagome's breaths were released in short huffs as the anger bubbled and boiled through her.

Inuyasha graced her with his most disarming smile and held out his hand. "Taisho Inuyasha , my lady. Singer/songwriter extrodinaire!" When the startled girl didn't take his hand, he scooped hers into his palm and brought the knuckles to his lips. "I am very pleased to meet you."

Kagome jerked her hand away from him and maneuvered herself to stand on the opposite side of the piano. The spot where his lips had caressed her flesh tingled from the contact. She peered at him from under her bangs and watched him warily as she tried to anticipate his next move.

Inuyasha continued to smile amicably at the obviously leery woman and prompted, "Okay, hun, this is the part where you tell me your name. It's only polite."

The girls head snapped up in surprise. Is he serious? Or is the jerk just playing some twisted game with me?Hesitantly she replied, "Higurashi Kagome," and waited for the usual chaos that usually ensued with the revelation of her name.

"Nice to meet you, Higurashi-san." Without pretense, the man bowed politely to her.

"Wait, that's it?" she asked, astonished by his lack of reaction.

"Well, that's how it usually goes, isn't it?" he queried in confusion as he rose. A mischievous glint suddenly appeared in his eyes. "Or were you expecting something...more?" Inuyasha waggled his eyebrows as he grinned lecherously at her.

Kagome gaped at the silver-haired man with the most exotic amber eyes she ever recalled seeing. He really doesn't know who I am? Reluctant to believe the beautiful soul before her was totally ignorant of her identity, she decided to find out exactly what events led up to him sleeping in her living room. "Tell me how you got in here," she stated bluntly.

Inuyasha rocked back on his heels and gave her a contemplative look. "Well, after we were done with our set, Miroku--that's my drummer-- and I walked out the back door of Tiko's. He left for his car, and I started walking home. I needed some space to think about things. You see, I just fired my lead vocalist, and ended up putting myself in a tight spot." He moved to sit heavily on the piano bench to get a bit more comfortable. "Anyway," he continued on a sigh, "I was walking along, minding my own business, when this sound snags my attention. So I look down, and there you are all curled in on yourself, sobbing into your knees and soaked through to the bone. I asked if there was something I could do to help you, and you said no one could help..." He simply couldn't bring himself to finish what she had confessed to him.

Inuyasha glanced at her when she gasped softly. The girl had lost all color in her cheeks and her breathing shortened to small pants. Pretending he hadn’t noticed, he continued his recounting as he rose and strode closer to her position by the windows. The skittish woman backed a few steps away from him. "I made you look at me, and you totally freaked. You took off like a bat outta hell down the alley. When I finally caught you, you screamed like a banshee then passed out cold. I had Miroku dig your ID out of your purse and he drove us here." He gave Kagome another sheepish grin. "The doorman threatened to call the cops on us. I guess he thought we had doped you up and were gonna have our way with you."

"So what did you do to convince him to let you in?" she asked, apprehension heavy in her hushed tone.

Inuyasha chuckled. "Miroku told him some cock-and-bull story that we were all close friends from high school and you had a bit too much to drink. He escorted us up to your floor and Miroku fished your keys out of your pocket. I tucked you into bed, then told Miroku to head on home. I was only gonna stay long enough to make sure you were ok, and then bail." A smile twitched at the corner of his lips as he explained, "I guess my exhausted ass had other ideas! You have a really cozy couch!"

"So...nothing else happened?" she inquired skeptically.

Inuyasha reeled with indignation and cried out, "Hell no! I'm not the type of guy to take advantage of unconscious women, thank you very much!" When he saw her sag with relief, he calmed enough to add, "You were really wound up about something back there at Tiko's. Am I that frightening?"

"No...yes...it's not really what you look like that frightens me..." Kagome flushed with embarressment as her words trailed off. She waved a dismissive hand at him. "Listen, it's not important. Just forget it."

An awkward silence stretched between them for several moments before Inuyasha broke it with, "So...you really do have an amazing voice."

Kagome averted her gaze once again. "Thank you."

"Have you ever thought of singing professionally?"

Kagome laughed scornfully at his simple question. "Once upon a time, yes. I breifly entertained the thought of being a pop star..."

"Keh! That shit ain't music!" Inuyasha scoffed. "Just a bunch of fluff and nonsense put to pretty notes. There's no real emotion there!" He moved back to the piano bench and plopped down in front of it. "You have more soul in one eyelash than all the rest of those pansies have in that whole genre!" Long fingers plunked distractedly at the keys with no rhyme or reason. "I've never heard that song before..."

"Because I wrote it," Kagome confessed quietly. "I just toy with lyrics from time to time. It's my therapy."

"Hmm," was the only response he gave, storing the information away for later inspection. "So what happened?"

Kagome shot him a piercing look. "Excuse me?"

Inuyasha blatantly ignored the hostility in her tone. "Why did you give it up? I'm sure you could have gone straight to the top with those pipes."

"Oh." Kagome turned toward the windows to watch the horizon as the precious darkness was slowly chased away by the coming dawn. She was considering the best way to answer him without revealing too much of herself.

Inuyasha watched the play of emotions on her face through the reflection of the glass. He looked long and hard at the enigma that was this fragile woman. Slowly his creative mind crafted a vision of her true self. A raven haired angel with broken wings that surveys the world below with haunted eyes. She's all graceful curves, long, slender limbs, skin of purest ivory and a soul tortured by the very demons of hell. This is a woman above mortal men, yet fated to walk amongst us. She lives in a world of shadows, but longs to return to the light... The man was not unaffected as he drank in her ethereal beauty. He continued to slowly caress the keys of the piano.

Inuyasha's heart quickened slightly as she inhaled deeply. The simple action caused the thin fabric of her t-shirt to mould snugly to her breasts, innocently revealing the voluptuous curves to his hungry eyes.

Inuyasha quickly moved his gaze back to her face. The tears that shimmered like tiny diamonds on her ebony lashes awakened a latent urge of protectiveness within him. He longed to envelope her in his arms and never let her go. He wanted--no, needed-- to shelter this goddess of song from the darkness that threatened to destroy her. But in order to do that, he first needed to find the source of the shadows that lurked in her eyes. "So what happened?" he repeated as he slightly increased the intensity of his finger's movement over the keys.

"Life," she whispered mournfully. "All my dreams turned into nightmares in the space of a single heartbeat. They died a firey death, never to be reborn again."

His heart clenched at the bitterness of her words, yet refused to let the matter drop. "You know, that's kinda funny," he said in a distracted tone. When Kagome's astonished gaze swung to him, Inuyasha shrugged sightly and explained his statement while he settled the random notes into a serene melody. "My mother always used to say that the most profound things in our lives are our dreams. They give us purpose, a drive to continue on. Nightmares are merely tests of our conviction to make that dream our reality."

The notes sprang forth from the piano in a violent crescendo, like the crashing waves of high tide. Inuyasha leaned into the pounding motion of his fingers, using the strength of his upper body to drive more power into the music. He raised the volume of his voice to carry over the storm of sound raging through the chamber. "The dream and the nightmare clash in a battle for supremacy, each more determined than the other to emerge victorious. If the nightmare is defeated, the dream continues to grow and bloom in our hearts. But, if the dream is consumed in the fires of the nightmare, we are then given a choice. Do we let the nightmare become our reality?"

Kagome turned to look into the fiery eyes of the man at the piano. The conviction of his words were emphasized by the rush of notes that rang from the piano. The intensity of the music, along with the barely suppressed passion of his diatribe stirred her soul in much the same way as his harsh tenor had during his performance a few hours ago.

He stared intently at the trembling goddess and relished the effect his words and thunderous performance had on her. She feels the music in every breath she takes, then lets it pulse in every cell of her delectable body...just like I do.

Kindred spirits...

The tempo gentled as Inuyasha reigned in his passions, and let his fingers fall upon the keys like a gentle spring shower. He watched Kagome as the softer melody soothed her frayed nerves slightly and waited until he saw her release a soft sigh and the tense muscles of her shoulders eased slightly before he spoke again. "Or do we pray for the dream to rise like a phoenix from the ashes?" He slowly tapered the flow of the music to a gradual, peaceful conclusion and let the last high note ring long and clear through the room. With a deep breath, he stood and walked purposefully toward her.

Throughout the savior's discourse, Kagome felt that same whisper of truth his voice conjured tenuously wrap her in a blanket of hope. What was it about this unlikely hero that gripped her? She had spoken with him for a matter of moments, yet it felt as though they had been the closest of friends her whole life. His presence had integrated itself effortlessly into her guarded heart. Fear of the unknown grew exponentially within her as he rose from behind the piano.

Kagome's eyes widened when she realized his intent. With anxiety racing through her, the frightened woman took a step back, only to have her retreat halted by the cool pane of the glass behind her. She watched the play of the dawn's soft reds and yellows that now streamed through the window shift and catch in the rich mane of hair that swayed behind him.

Inuyasha's penetrating gaze trapped Kagome where she stood and sought answers for question that was never voiced. Will you choose the dream or the nightmare, Kagome?

Sunlight burst through the windows, blinding in its intensity. Shiro's voice caressed her memory as Kagome recalled his words, "...for the dawn will break for you soon..." Kagome shook her head to deny the illusory promise that echoed in her mind. Tears of confusion streamed from her eyes like rain.

Inuyasha reached out to cup her cheek and quell the struggle of her emotions. His thumb slowly caressed her cool flesh, wiping away the trails her tears left in their wake and crooned softly, "Step away from the shadows, Kagome..."

"I don't know how," she sobbed in defeat.

Inuyasha gave her a tender smile and whispered, "Let your music guide you. You have a truegift, Kagome. A gift that should be shared with the world!"

"No..." Kagome closed her eyes. It was the only defense she had left to block out his truth. "I can't! There is no music left! They all said --"

"Look at me!" he demanded. Inuyasha waited until her deep cinnamon gaze lifted to him once more. For one heartbeat he allowed himself to drown in the fathomless pools of sorrow. How easy would it be to immerse myself in her eyes, and remain there forever?...he wondered before his protective nature surfaced once again. "Whoever told you that was a fucking liar! Anyone who can pour her soul out the way you did..."

Inuyasha fought to control the emerging frustration as he searched for a way to convince this woman's tormented spirit that it had suffered for far too long. He took a calming breath, then another, before he continued. "The music hasn't abandoned you, Kagome, you just keep it locked away in your heart. Set it free and it will carry you back to your dream!"

"I- I can't!" Kagome cried in despair. "You can't possibly know..." She pushed violently against his chest in an attempt to break free from his truth. "You'll never understand! It hurts too much!"

Inuyasha stood his ground, not letting the emotionally charged woman move him. "That is the most beautiful kind of music," he told her vehemently. "Let the pain escape through your gift! Will it hurt? Oh God, yes! It will feel like your soul is being ripped from your body! But at the same time it can healyou! You have to release some of this pain, Kagome! If you don't, it will destroy you!" The savior wrapped his arms tightly around her quaking shoulders to still the violent tremors that wracked her petite frame. "And just maybe- if you are one of the lucky ones- your pain may help ease someone else's anguish!" Inuyasha held Kagome firmly against him, desperately trying to convey his faith in her gift, and perhaps show her he could become a trusted ally in her fight against the darkness. "Let me help you, Kagome. Sing with me, and we can heal together!"

"NO!" The panicked girl thrashed violently in order to escape him. Kagome finally succeeded in pushing Inuyasha away from her, then screamed in his face hysterically, "I can't go through all that again! I wouldn't be able to survive it without him!"

Inuyasha's jaw hung slack for a second at the anguished confession that was ripped from her. He didn't know who "him" was, but had a pretty good idea that "he" was the one who was dead, and that this poor woman had loved "him" beyond reason. Thoughts raced through his mind to form a new plan of attack. Rage usually works good in a situation like this... If I stoke Kagome's anger high enough, she will eventually break...maybe then I can get her to listen to reason...

A thunderous scowl appeared on his face as Inuyasha readied himself for battle. "Get a fucking grip, Kagome!" he shouted in her face, venom dripping from each word. "Will you listen to yourself?! He didn't give you this gift! He didn't give you the passion for music or the ability to sing like an angel!" The impassioned savior grabbed Kagome by the shoulders and gave her a hard shake, trying to rattle her brain into awareness. "You are the one with the gift! You are the one who worked your ass off to get where you are! If he believed so much in you--believed enough to support you -- do you honestly think he would want you to wallow in defeat?!"

CRACK!

The sound of her hand as it connected with vicious accuracy on his cheek resounded in the deafening silence. Kagome couldn't recall ever feeling such a rush of intense hatred, but the words-- and the venomous way they were delivered-- touched a raw nerve within her heart. It may have been her gift that the world received, but it was Shiro that paved the way, then propelled her with his love to carry that gift to them. Very few people knew the true reason she had risen so quickly through the ranks of the music world, but Kagome would never forget; nor would she be able to make that journey again without Shiro beside her. This man before her would never comprehend any of this!

Inuyasha blinked at her once, stunned -- and just a tiny bit impressed-- by the strength of the blow. He probed the tender impact site with his index finger and determined that it may just leave a mark. An amused chuckle escaped his lips at the thought.

Kagome stared at her throbbing hand in awe. I can't believe I did that! I've never hit a single living thing in my whole life!She raised eyes filled with trepidation to the victim of her violent outburst. Shock quickly replaced the wonderment in her eyes at the sound of his mirth. "What's so funny? I just slapped you!"

Inuyasha couldn't contain his laughter. "I was just wondering how I 'm going to explain this bruise to my lecherous drummer! He's usually the one on the receivingend of one of those attacks. Fucking perverted asshole..." He shook his head and approached the girl once more. She visibly stiffened as he drew closer so Inuyasha threw up his hands in surrender. "Okay,okay! Don't hurt me", he said with a smile. "Let's try starting over," was the suggestion offered to her. "Hi, my name's Taisho Inuyasha . I'm an idiot who fired my lead singer last night. I've got this big gig in a few weeks and I desperately need a female vocalist to head my struggling band. You have a great set of pipes that would harmonize perfectly with my half-assed attempts at singing. So whadda ya say, babe? Care to audition?"

Kagome pondered the man before her in silence. She found it absolutely amazing that in just a mere half an hour this stranger had invaded her life, managed to strip away every defense she had carefully erected, and asked her to step away from her world of shadows. Now he was trying to convince her to reach for a dream she had abandoned long ago.

The most disturbing thing about this whole bizarre encounter was the way her heart had leaped about in her chest at his proposition.