Author Bio:
Ava Altair grew up reading fantasy and science fiction novels. She graduated from Florida Tech with a BS in Science Education – Physics and a minor in Computational Mathematics. She taught as an AP Physics teacher for five years in Florida. She now lives in Oregon, teaching horseback riding lessons and managing the stables.

Kira Hatfield, the unluckiest woman in the world, is about to get dropped into the realm of the strange and weird. While running from her fear of the dark, Kira literally trips over her best friend’s murder, except it’s not a person, it’s the darkness itself. Kira battles between what she saw and her perception of reality. Slowly, the world around her starts to change pulling her deeper into this unseen world. She finds out she has two guardians that have saved her life many times, one a demon and one an angel. Tensions rise as her guardians fight over her, but everything is not as it seems. Together they help her realize her true nature while she finds a way to save her best friend.

Darkness

I walked back to the bathroom, careful to hide my sleeve. My mind spun. Was this all I needed? Was I finished? Had it really been that easy? Once I reached the bathroom, I checked all the stall doors then hid in the one at the end.


Immediately the room darkened and the shadow man appeared. He stood in front of me in the wheelchair assessable stall.The bright ember buzzed around his head.


"I got it. Mother's blood." I held out my sleeve. "And father's blood." I produced the vial from my pocket and presented them to him. "Now what?"


He grimaced. "So, I hate to say this, but that's not your father's blood."


I looked down at the vial. "Did he give me cow's blood?"


"Oh, no. It's his blood. He's just not your father."


I narrowed my eyes at him. "Excuse me?"


"Yeah, he's not your father. I've been there since you were conceived."


Chapter 22: Family