Page 75 of His Darkest Desire
Pages of hope.
And now, Kinsley wanted to fill the remaining pages with wonder.
Shifting aside the items in her tote, she picked up a stack of colored paper from the bottom. She flipped through it until she found a couple sheets of black, which she glued into the journal as a base. Next, she tore a leaf-printed paper into strips, distressed the edges of the strips with brown ink, and added them onto the black.
Soothed by the sounds of nature, she lost herself in the art. She added little stickers of mushrooms and ivy, and even glued a bit of moss from the log onto the page.
And then came the wisps. With great care and attention to detail, she sketched her little friends, depicting their forms as though they were flying around the pages. Then she painted them; blue paint and white highlights, with a hint of gray mixed in to make Shade a little darker than the other two. After a moment’s consideration, she added a sprinkle of blue holographic glitter to each wisp, granting the images a bit of sparkle.
But there was something missing. The black remained a little too expansive, a little too empty. Her hand was already reaching for her red paint when she realized what belonged there. Leaning over the journal, she added Vex’s crimson eyes at the center of the spread, one on each page, glowing in the darkness.
Normally, red eyes glowing in the dark would’ve been a terrifying sight. Yet this was comforting. It made her feel safe, made her feel…seen.
With a silver marker, she wrote in flowing script—There is always magic to be found in the darkness.
The wisps drifted closer, studying the journal. Kinsley blinked and lifted her head. She’d been so focused on her work that she’d forgotten she wasn’t alone.
“What do you think?” she asked.
Shade stroked an arm of over the dimmest wisp of the three. “You painted this one.”
Kinsley smiled. “I painted all three of you.”
“These ones are honored.” Shade bowed their head, the gesture mimicked by the other wisps.
“These ones offer thanks,” Flare said.
“This one is lovely,” said Echo, twirling in the air over their painting.
Kinsley chuckled. “I’m so happy you all love it.”
She extended her hand into the sunlight shining on the blanket next to her. Warmth bathed her skin. Frowning, she glanced skyward.
The sun had already crept past its midday zenith, leaving the wisps even more faded than before, and a thin fog had begun gathering in the shady parts of the forest despite the sunshine.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t realize how long I was working on it.”
“You need not apologize,” Shade said gently. “These ones were enrapt watching you create.”
“You don’t think Vex will mind that we’ve been out this long?”
Flare’s ghostfire swelled. “If the magus desired a swift return, he should have escorted you himself.”
“He might also have stated such beforehand,” said Echo.
“Either way, we should probably get back.” Kinsley smiled down at the journal. “Should I show him this?”
Echo shrank slightly. “The magus may be envious.”
“Why would he be envious?”
“You have depicted these ones with such beauty. He will be unable to deny that it surpasses his own.”
“It is not for these ones to guess how the magus will react,” said Shade, “but this one believes he will appreciate your work.”
Kinsley lightly touched one of the painted wisps to make sure it was dry before closing the journal. “Let’s go show him then. He’s likely still cooped up in his stuffy lab.”
Returning the journal to the case, she closed the lid, latched it, and stood, shaking her skirt back into place. She bent and picked up the tote.