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

We reached the top floor. I came to a halt as a giant pane of glass blocked most of my path. I stared at it for a minute. Remi let out a sigh and leaned against the hallway wall.


I squinted and leaned closer to the glass. "I think I see the sword. It's blurry and really small, but I think that's it." I peered at the dark pointed shape in the center of the glass. I inched around the pane to examine the rest of the room. Large spherical lenses sat on pedestals with wheels. On their sides were tally marks. In the floor coming straight away from the glass was a groove where it looked like the pedestals locked into place.


I remembered this from optics class. I knew exactly what to do. I started to push the convex lens that had three tally marks on it.


"Just stay there." I said. "Let me know how the images changes when I push this into place."


Chapter 26: Lenses