Out of Darkness Read online

  “This way!” he shouted.

  We flew out into the fresh air. The parking garage buckled behind us, sending up clouds of rubble. We landed on the grass nearby. I fell to my knees with Ava in my arms.

  “Ava, Ava, talk to me.”

  Her head lolled back. There were bruises around her eyes and dried blood from a split along her lip. I could see tear tracks in the dirt that covered her cheeks. Her beautiful gray wings hung limp in my arms, dusty from the debris. A sob tore from my throat. “Ava, answer me,” I begged.

  A raindrop fell on my head. I looked past the Galdoni who surrounded me to the clouds beyond. The sunrise was obscured behind them.

  I pulled Ava close and rose.

  “Reece, what are you doing?” Kale asked.

  “The sun,” I replied. “She needs to see the sun.”

  I pushed my wings down, but they weren’t strong enough to help me rise into the air with Ava in my arms. Gentle hands cupped my elbows. As if following an unspoken agreement, Kale and Saro lifted their wings. They carried me up to the clouds. Goliath and Lem followed, protecting us in case any of Steel’s Galdoni decided to attack.

  I could see the sunlight fighting to get through to the world below. The thought of the warm, healing light filled me with strength. “I’m alright,” I told Saro and Kale. I lifted my wings. They ached, but I barely felt them. I rose through the last of the clouds. The darkness fell away, and we were basked in sunlight.

  “Ava,” I whispered.

  It was beautiful. The clouds rolled like ocean waves blanketed in gold and edged in soft hues of rose. The sun felt like the warmest blanket around my shoulders. I turned slowly so that Ava could feel the sunlight on her face.

  “Ava,” I said again.

  My heart skipped a beat when her head lifted. “Reece?” she whispered without opening her eyes.

  “I’m here,” I replied. Tears slid down her cheeks. I held her close. “You’re safe, Ava. Samuelson is gone forever. He will never bother you again; I promise.”

  Her eyes opened and she looked at me. Her sea green eyes filled with sunlight. “I love you,” she said softly.

  My heart skipped a beat. “I love you, Ava, my angel. You are everything to me, and I almost lost you. Never again,” I vowed. “You’re safe and I won’t ever let anything hurt you again.”

  “I’ll fight them like you taught me,” she said, her voice growing stronger.

  I smiled down at her. “Ordinary school girl by day, fierce, feisty Galdoni by night. If anyone’s Superman, it’s you,” I said.

  She lifted a hand to my cheek. I turned my face into her palm and closed my eyes, letting myself feel that she was alright, that she was safe, that I had saved her.

  “Reece.” I opened my eyes with a smile at the soft way she said my name.

  Her warm smile made my heart pound. “You’ll always be my Superman,” she said quietly.

  I held her close. The warmth of the sun reminded us that a new day had dawned. The possibilities were endless, and the world was spread out beneath our wings.

  “Should we go see Dr. Ray?” Kale asked from behind me.

  Ava and I looked at each other. Her smile touched her eyes. “Definitely,” I replied.

  Even Superman deserves a break once in a while.

  ***

  If you loved this book, please review it online so that so that others can find it as well! Keep an eye out for book 4 which will be here soon!

  About the Author

  Cheree Alsop is the mother of a beautiful, talented daughter and amazing twin sons who fill every day with joy and laughter. She is married to her best friend, Michael, the light of her life and her soulmate who shares her dreams and inspires her by reading the first drafts and adding depth to the stories. Cheree is currently working as an independent author and mother. She enjoys reading, riding her motorcycle on warm nights, and playing with her twins while planning her next book. She is also a bass player for their rock band, Alien Landslide.

  Cheree and Michael live in Utah where they rock out, enjoy the outdoors, plan great adventures, and never stop dreaming.

  Check out Cheree’s other books at www.chereealsop.com

  A Quick Thank You

  I just want to say thank you to the many people who helped make this book possible. Thank you to my husband for patiently reading each draft, for finding plot holes, and for adding depth to scenes and helping them come alive. I couldn’t do this without you!

  Thank you to my children, my beautiful daughter Myree and my twin sons Ashton and Aiden. Your adventures, laughter, and love fill every corner of my life. I love every moment I’m with you. You are truly amazing and can accomplish anything you put your mind to. Thank you for your patience while I write, and for only destroying one computer in the process (the result of a sippy cup disaster). I hope someday you will lose yourself within these pages and fall in love with the world of your mother’s imagination.

  Thank you to those who have read drafts and given me valuable feedback, as well as catching as many typos as possible (and I apologize for those mistakes that still managed to sneak their way through). Thank you to Sue Player for your editing and your feedback. Thank you to Andrew Hair for designing the beautiful cover; it always comes back far more amazing than I ever could have imagined.

  Thank you to my family for being patient with my runaway imagination and lapses into the world of fiction. I love you!

  Thank you most of all to my readers. I am so grateful for your time, for your reviews, and for the emails I receive. I used to escape into books when I was younger and I always wanted to give the same escape back to others. I hope you found Galdoni 3: Out of Darkness and the Galdoni Series enjoyable and heartfelt. This was written for you.

  With love, Cheree.

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  ALSO BY CHEREE ALSOP

  PRAISE FOR CHEREE ALSOP

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  About the Author

  A Quick Thank You