Hidden Darkness (Hidden Saga Book 4) by Amy Patrick Page A

River, the sign at the city limits had read. I was supposed to check in every few days with Mother and hadn’t spoken to her since we’d arrived in Mississippi. I was actually eager to talk to her for a change—I had something I needed to say.
    She answered the phone on the first ring. “Where have you been? Why haven’t you called? How is it going so far with the Light King?”
                  “Hello Mother,” I answered, pulling into a grocery store lot and parking my car. “I’m fine, thanks for asking.”
                  “Oh Ava, why must you always be so combative? Of course I care how you are. But the fact that you’re calling tells me your trip went fine. What I’m concerned about is the reason you’re there.”
                  “Yeah… about that…” The words drifted as I chickened out. I had imagined myself boldly telling her of my decision, but years of conditioning kicked in, and the declaration faded on my tongue.
                  “What? You haven’t been able to spend time with him yet?” 
                  I rolled down my car window. The sounds of traffic from the nearby street and a shopping cart rattling across the lot drifted in with a rush of heated air. Though it was fall, the weather here was still steamy. I rolled the window up again and turned up the air conditioner.
                  “No. I have.”
                  “What then? Your glamour isn’t working?”
                  I got a quick mental image of Lad’s face, followed by a sharp blast of gut-churning guilt. “No. It works on him. I’ve seen the proof.”
                  An exasperated sigh came through the line. “Just tell me what’s going on. I surely hope you’re not going to say Culley’s been a problem. He’s supposed to be helping you, not distracting you.”
                  “It’s not Culley.” I hesitated, sitting up straighter in my seat, fighting through the fear. “It’s me. I’m not sure I can do it.”
                  “Have some confidence,” she scolded. “You’ve already said your glamour works on him.”
                  “No. I mean, I’m not sure I want to do it anymore. Not after actually meeting him and his betrothed. It doesn’t feel… right.” 
                  The silence on the other end of the connection was worse than a thousand explosions. Thora Morten never shouted, never even raised her voice. When she did speak again, her calm, measured tone was filled with a malice so deadly, I got goosebumps.
                  “You ungrateful little brat.” The pause was so long I wondered if she was even going to continue, but unfortunately, she did. “You know how much we need this. Your performance in this task will ensure our survival or seal our doom. I am dependent on Audun’s good graces. If he learns of your treason, he’ll send us both away—penniless.”
                  That was true. Audun wasn’t known for his generosity or forgiving nature. From what Culley had said, he could barely spare a concern for his own child. He wouldn’t hesitate to throw us out if I failed to complete my assignment. But how could I? 
    “I don’t mean to be disloyal. I just want to do the right thing. Now that I’m here and I’ve seen it, I don’t think the Light Court means us any harm. I don’t think destroying the peace pact is necessary.”
    “What is necessary is loyalty to your family, to your mother —who has sacrificed everything for you,” she hissed. “How will I survive without the support of the Dark Court? Hmmm? What would you have me do—sell my body to the humans? You’re lucky your glamour isn’t sexual glamour. It’s utterly useless when your bond-mate has died. I can’t marry again unless I marry a human man and glamour him every day all day long to keep him away from my bed and