Cassius
I BLOCKED MY THOUGHTS from her. The last thing she needed was to be aware of my concern. Bringing her to the Demon was twofold. I needed information, and next to the wolves they were the best trackers we had, besides, there was no loyalty within their ranks.
Someone would talk.
Because they were constantly fighting for dominance, control. And when that person did talk, I hoped it would be loud enough for me to hear.
I also wanted to see if the Demon could sense the dark swirling within her, I was too close to the situation. Funny, I suddenly cared too much about our joint futures, our destinies that I was also blinded from hers.
The minute we mated.
Her future was lost to me.
Every time I touched her, I heard Darkness whispering.
She wasn’t even aware that Darkness was speaking, but like a slow storm it was building, brewing, and I could do nothing but hope that in the end, I would be strong enough to bring her away from the temptation that every immortal being who possessed Angel blood was given—to be like a god.
It was a lie.
Darkness twisted its lies in such a way, that the air didn’t taste bitter, but clear for the first time, because not every lie spoken, was done outright, yet woven with tiny bits and pieces of truth.
I shuddered and returned my thoughts to the Demons.
My money was on Timber, but I refused to visit him until Stephanie had more control of her powers.
She might be stronger.
But Timber was evil, and the Darkness in her would recognize his evil, and want to unite with it. Regardless of who was standing next to her, regardless of who I was to her, she’d be tempted, because we’re always tempted when we don’t understand things.
I had never told her the road would be easy.
I wished it were.
“What does he mean?” Stephanie asked once we were in the parking lot near the water at Pike Place Market. So normal, to walk with her hand in hand as we maneuvered our way through fish throwing and people selling flowers.
The flowers leaned toward us as we walked by, sensing the lifeblood flowing through our veins.
The wind picked up as insects paused whatever they were doing and watched. Curiously waiting to see if we would bring about the destruction we were so known for—or if we truly were just walking by the flowers.
Nature held its breath.
And I held Stephanie’s hand.
Her fingertips pressed against mine. It was really all I needed, but like a sick reminder of the direction of her thoughts, I sensed the Darkness in her, wrapping its black tendrils around her neck, choking her.
Whispering to her.
Give in, give in, give in.
It had taken me years to recognize that the voice was like the devil that sat on my shoulder. Most of the time it was right.
Most of the time it told me to destroy every human I saw.
It told me to drink their blood.
To snap their necks.
It told me I was a god.
It told me I should be worshipped.
And most days, I didn’t believe it.
But at my weakest—I did want those things. I wanted to destroy life… because life didn’t respect life.
Life was a fantasy, and the road to paradise was ridden with people who didn’t deserve to be traveling it in the first place. It would be my given right, to exterminate them.
And then, the light inside me, reminded me, you are just like them. Undeserving, at times very weak, and cursed. Yet, you are allowed to live.
Why not them?
People passed in front of us. I stopped Stephanie and pointed at the couple as the man fell to his knee and proposed to his girlfriend.
“What do you see?” I asked.
She sighed happily, squeezing my hand tightly. “Love.”
“Look closer,” I instructed.
Frowning, she stared harder. “I don’t know what you want me to see.”
“Call the Darkness, but do not touch.”
“How do I call it?”
“It’s you.” I nodded, allowing my eyes to go black as I stared at the couple again, through what I knew would be my own shades of darkness. The couple that looked so happy, that appeared so perfect.
Was far from it.
The woman was worried for her safety. But he was so happy, the man proposing, that this was it, she thought, he was going to stop beating her. He was going to stop, because he loved her.
The man smiled brightly, his thoughts were of killing her… finally, he breathed a sigh of relief… she’ll be mine and nobody else’s, I’ll kill her before I let her touch anyone else. Mine. Mine. Mine.
As they embraced, bruises spread across her arms, her teeth fell out, blood spewed from her mouth, and the man began strangling her, and then, wrapped something around her neck, only to shoot himself in the head after.
With a startled gasp, Stephanie clung to me.
I pushed the darkness away, ignoring the tug to look further, and hugged her tighter instead.
“It’s getting worse!” She looked around at the people walking by, bumping into us, with each bump she was given a vision of the horror of their lives, of what they were capable of. “Stop! It needs to stop!”
“Shhh.” I held her as tight as I could and linked my thoughts to hers, pressing the darkness away. But it pressed back. Stronger than I’d realized. I tried again only to have it laugh in my face. “Cling to the happy… the light.”
“There is no happy,” she sobbed. “Everything is dark.”
“I’m light,” I whispered in her ear. “Look at me.”
She opened her eyes and then slowly, the black slid away from her irises, returning them to a milky white and then bright blue. “What just happened?”
“That…” I led her away from the crowd. “Is Darkness. It’s why it’s so tempting. Why let that couple live… when their certain future is doom?”