Ascend from Darkness

 

Surrounded by Light and filled with Darkness. Can Layla control both in order to save everyone she loves? Or will they control her first?

With everyone in the hands of evil once more, Layla must travel through the Spirit World, home to the Spirit Demons, in order to get to them. There is just one problem. The Spirit Demons have rules. Without a body, Layla cannot leave, and she cannot save the others from their deaths.

Layla is not a Spirit Demon, however, and does not have to listen to their rules. She sets off to search for the one place where Darkness resides in the world of Light. Only then can she leave the Spirit World.

There is a price. No one pure at heart can near the Darkness, and there is only one thing she can do to stay in control. She has to turn to the darkness inside of her, and she must control it before she can enter the Shadow Realm—full of cold hearted and dangerous Shadow Demons, far stronger than she. Layla has to fight her most ancient enemy yet and must face her past in order to defeat him and free the others from their fate.

Will the war between Layla and her dark past ever end?

 The humans were surrounding me, and everyone behind me. They had their guns raised, pointing with trained eyes. Even though I was stronger, faster, I didn’t try to move. One of the humans had already used his gun and he had killed. I still felt the body at my feet.

  I didn’t look at him. It would only make me mad and I didn’t want to be the one with a hole in my chest, dead on the ground.
  I couldn’t let that happen. I had to think it through.
  “You are a high price to bargain with,” Mr. Khilorh spoke, pulling me from my own thoughts. I looked at him, but kept myself where I stood. I wanted to kill him more than anyone else.
  “You know the price—all of them, everyone, and you go free.”
  I didn’t speak, didn’t open my mouth to tell the others to shut up when they all shouted out in outrage. I would never do that, never give up the ones I loved to save my own skin. Never, never, never…
  The humans around us stirred, their fingers hovering over their triggers, ready to shoot down anyone who even took a step towards them. They were scared, even though they had killed someone. I could smell their fear, fear over what we were, fear that, if we went at them at the same time, a lot of them would die—not all of them, but most. They were scared that they were going to be the ones that we would take down.
  All of them, everyone, and you go free.
  I looked down at the body on the ground, already the blood had spread in a wide circle, and I was standing in it. I looked into his face, feeling the anger wash away the sadness. I couldn’t let anything else happen. I wouldn’t end up like my Father, dead on the ground.
  “You have a deal.” Though I didn’t speak loudly, barely a whisper even, everyone heard me. They all quieted, unable to believe what they had heard.
  Mr. Khilorh began to laugh.
  My eyes began to blur, fear sank to the pit of my stomach, and although I saw Mr. Khilorh in front of me, saw the humans and their guns, I saw Shade. He stepped close as I looked into his eyes, seeing the heat swirling within. He kissed me…
  Nikalye hugged me, keeping me safe, taking the pain away…
  Doxiak healed me, warmed me with his touch…
  Akila laughed, hugging me as she did so, her hair tickling my nose as she whispered in my ear, telling me everything was going to be okay…
  Shayla giggled in my arms, reaching up to grab my finger, her violet and silver eyes looking at me with knowledge…
  The Shadow Demon laughed, the sound echoing around me, making the images in front of me ripple and fade…
  No!
 I fought against the illusion of Mr. Khilorh and his humans, raising my spear to take down the laughing demon. Someone stepped in my way, raising his own spear and stopping me from my attack. None of the Shadow Demons had moved. Not even the ancient one.
 I looked at my attacker in shock, unable to believe what I was seeing. She smiled at me, flashing fangs, her hair whipping around her face.
 “Hello, Layla.” her voice echoed slightly, making my skin crawl.
 Akila?