Prologue
Diablos
It was one of those nights. Stars shone brightly in the night sky, painting a breathtakingly beautiful scenery. One where darkness didn’t reign, one where there was light despite the grip of the shadows. And here I was, falling deeper into the darker shades, desperately trying to hold onto the light.
If my life could be described in colors, I would say it was black, red, and golden. Black was at the core, the persistent background that could never be changed. Red was swirling in my mind, my thoughts consumed by crimson, dripping with blood. Gold was my love for my family and their love for me.
These were my colors.
Yet I couldn’t deny the ache in my chest. What was I even yearning for? Was it to see the beauty in the dark hues, and in myself? To know what it was like to live a life filled with different colors? Just for once, to experience what it was like to live without the pain that was always haunting me?
A dark chuckle slipped through my lips. Damn, it was a night of unreachable reveries.
My eyes wandered over every single one of the little dots in the night canopy. Some shone brighter, while others were just a tiny flicker, barely visible but still there. The stars were genuinely magnificent and held the power to soothe my soul. Somehow, they calmed my busy mind and showed me there was always a flicker of brightness through the darkness.
As I got lost in my thoughts and the skyline, time slipped through my fingers, and the sky gradually changed. The sunrise was almost on the horizon. Hints of pink and yellow were visible in the distance. Yet, here I was, wide awake, afraid to go to bed because the voices in my head were too loud, haunting me even when I closed my eyes.
It hit me then why I loved the stars and craved the sanctuary they offered. The night felt like a part of me. I reached for it, and my soul recognized the darkness. The stars made me questionwhether I, too, had some light inside. Like some faraway burning orb of flames, it existed, yet it was too far out of reach for me to glimpse and feel.
I knew the truth was simple.
The stars were bound to the night, and I was bound to the darkness inside. My life was one of mere subsistence, stuck between an altered mind and a confined heart.
As the sun broke on the horizon, I moved to my bed and closed my eyes. Darkness reigned again. This time, it was without the stars to light up the voids inside the abyss of who I was.
Chapter one
Diablos
Another day, another boundless search for an escape.
I didn’t sleep much last night, but the day was here, and it wouldn’t wait for me. I hurriedly changed into the first clean clothes I found. Grabbing my Kindle and backpack, I made my way to the kitchen. The house was quiet, and I was grateful for that. I preferred to spend my mornings alone.
I was itching to escape the prison of my mind, so I opened my Kindle to read. Reading was my sweetest escape. I especially loved losing myself in love stories. I was currently reading a contemporary age-gap romance. What could I say? From time to time, I loved my books a bit taboo.
I made some coffee, added coconut milk, and groaned at the divine taste. Coffee would be my support and the elixir that keptme awake today. Grabbing my cup and Kindle, I moved to the couch close to the open window overlooking the garden in our backyard. The delightful fragrance of the flowers drifted in on the summer breeze, and I closed my eyes for a second, trying to ground myself to the present.
Our garden was full of daylilies, orange and striking red cockscomb, honeysuckle, orange star flowers, and others I didn’t know the name of. I was not fond of flowers in general. So how did I know the names? Well, my father was obsessed with this garden and always talked about it. Personally, my favorite one was cockscomb. It had nothing to do with its name.Absolutely nothing.
I had a few more minutes to waste, so I returned my attention to my book. I was halfway through, and it was getting intense. Of course, I was interrupted when I got to the most exciting part. Why did this always happen?
I heard footsteps coming from the hall and stiffened. I knew who was coming before I even sawhim.
Dagon entered and immediately focused his stern gaze on me. Of everyone, it had to be him, didn’t it? The air was palpable with tension. We hadn’t exchanged a single word so far. Then again, words weren’t necessary for the storm between us to charge the air with animosity.
Dagon was wearing his typical attire: a black T-shirt and black jeans. I swear this guy didn’t know any other colors besides black. His hair is dark curls, unruly and thick, the kind that never quite obeyed a comb. It gave this moody asshole an even better bad-boy vibe. One strand almost reached his eyes, like even his hair refused to behave, and an unexpected desire flowed through my body to reach out and brush it away. He has beard now, something he didn't use to have in the past. I won't admit out loud that it suits him.
With his dark hair and smoky gray eyes, Dagon looked like a predator ready to strike anyone in his path. His distinct gloomy aura enveloped the space between us, and as always, that antsy, unsettling feeling crept in the moment we shared space. He still had this kind of effect on me. I wished he didn’t.
“Are you reading more of your crazy books?” His gaze traveled from my Kindle to my eyes.
I would never give him the satisfaction of seeing how his words affected me. I plastered on an easygoing smile and answered with the same cold voice he gave me, or at least I tried to.
“Yes. But the only crazy one here is you.” The moment the words fled from my lips, I winced. Fuck. I hated using the word crazy, and usually, I didn’t. This proved Dagon brought out the worst of me.
“Oh, little brother, didn’t know you could joke,” he retorted.
“Why are you here?”
