Dark World

by Concerita Tortorici

  Kai was now convinced there was a vamp on a killing spree somewhere out in the city. He wasn't sure of its next target, but he knew it wasn't going to be his sister. No matter how good Ruby was at defending herself, she was no match for this Vamp. He darted out of the bathroom with his phone in his hand, dialing his sister's number. When he was met with her voicemail, he hung up and tried again.

  It was on his third call that he hung up before he could hear her greeting. Lowering his phone, his mind wandered back to his past. To their childhood. To that one night, Ruby was having a fit at their aunt's place. He had never seen vampire eyes like that. As he stood in the alleyway behind the bar, Kai felt his fear creeping upon him. What if she was the cause of this? What if she had snapped and gone on a killing spree? His hands shook as his mind traveled back in time.

  He had just finished another training session and sat on the ground catching his breath. He felt more powerful than ever and was ready to tackle his next mission when his aunt came strolling in. Naomi Blackwell was the second, well third-best hunter in the Blackwell family -next to his parents. She was slightly taller than Alice and had short grey hair, which she's had since birth.

  Kai had always respected her and looked up to her. However, seeing Naomi there worried him. She usually never went into the training room if he was there. Rising to his feet, Kai greeted his aunt. There was something about the way she stood there with her gaze, never leaving him. He grew more curious the moment Naomi stood in a ready position. Her left arm was stretched out, and her hand motioned for him to come to her.

  Kai had trained with his aunt countless times. Since his father's passing, Naomi took it upon herself to continue his teachings. He smiled and ran toward her. This time the outcome would be different. This time, Naomi would be the one on the ground. Given that Kai was still only a young adult, and Naomi was a little better than him, his confidence didn't change. This time, he was determined to win.

  Their fight lasted a little while. Kai knew his aunt was going easy on him but didn't care. He was enjoying the time with her. He threw a fist at her only to have her catch it and toss him to the ground.

  «You'll never win if you keep getting distracted,» Naomi declared, «you need to focus, or else you'll wind up dead.»

  «I know, I know,» Kai groaned, «I was just so into it. I thought for sure I would win.»

  «And that's where you lose,» Naomi replied, «if you keep letting your mind play tricks on you and let it trick you into believing you've already won, your opponent will find your weakness.»

  «Yes, aunty,» Kai replied, «were you holding back?»

  Judging by his aunt's surprised expression, Kai was right. She was holding back. And she still beat him. Letting out a breath, Kai wondered why she would have held back. Something must be up. He stood there, waiting for an answer.

  «You love your sister, right?» Naomi asked.

  «What does Ruby have to do with it?» Kai asked, «she's not here. She's not the reason...»

  «Do you love your sister!» Naomi barked, «answer me.»

  «Sure. She's my sister.» Kai replied.

  «Would you do anything for her?» she asked, «to save her?»

  «What are you talking about?» Kai asked.

  His heart raced in his chest with Naomi's questions. He felt dread lurking behind each question. Her quiet and demanding tone made it worse for him. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear anymore, let alone answer them any more. Fear clung to him when his aunt turned away from him. It was as like her next question would break her if she asked. Still, he didn't understand her reasoning for questioning him.

  «Answer the question,» Naomi demanded, «I need to know if you'd do anything to save her.»

  «You know I would,» Kai replied, «I love Ruby. She's my sister. As her older brother, it's my duty to protect her from everything and anything. But why are you asking me this?»

  «There may come a time,» Naomi began her voice shaking with sadness, «when you'll have to protect her from herself.»

  «What do you mean?» Kai asked, afraid to hear her answer.

  «Kai,» Naomi said softly, «you remember what happened when you were a child, and that vampire attacked you and your family. Your father went to a vampire for help with Ruby. There may come a time when she turns. And you'll be faced with a tough decision. I need to know you can do it. I need to know you'll everything you can to help her. Even if it ultimately means ending her life.»

  To this day, Kai held onto those words, hoping that it wouldn't come to that. However, after Ruby left, Kai had grown more worried about her. And now, as he stood there trying to reach her, his darkest fear was slowly turning into reality. He had repeated to himself that he would do whatever was needed to save his sister. Even if it meant killing her. However, he wasn't convinced.

  Though Ruby hated him for leaving her in his shadow, he still loved her. He had done that simply to keep her out of the spotlight. A dumb mistake on his part. By doing that, he had pushed her away and let her leave without going after until years later. And now, he might have to do the one thing he knew he couldn't do.

  «Damnit,» Kai yelled and picked up his phone.

  His fingers moved quickly to find her number. Pressing her contact, he listened to the rings. When her voicemail came up, he hung up and ran toward her house. If anything happened to her, if anyone hurt her, there would be hell to pay.

  He rushed to her house to find the lights out. She must have still been out with whatever-his-name-was. Cursing, Kai had no choice to sit there and wait for her to come home. He sat on the steps to her house and watched the quiet street before him. As time drug on, Kai found himself trying to stay awake. It proved difficult what with all of the silence around him.

  «Kai?»

  He had just closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened his eyes, the sky was grey and the rain had started to fall. He looked up to see Nikky wearing a blue raincoat over her work uniform. Her hair was damp, but not from the rain, and put up in a ponytail. She looked adorable standing there staring at him with her head slightly tilted to the side. He smiled as he rose from the step. He wasn't sure how early it was, or why she was at Ruby's, but he was thankful for the company.

  «What are you doing outside, Ruby's?» she asked.

  «I was waiting for her,» Kai replied.

  «She didn't go home?» she asked, «That little devil. I bet she stayed with him.»

  Kai felt his stomach drop. Ruby stayed with whoever he was. His ill-feeling was soon diminished with a sudden rage that took hold of him. How could she?

  «I know where her spare key is,» Nikky said as she walked past him up the stairs, «why don't we go inside and I'll make you a nice cup of coffee.»

  «Fine,» Kai replied and followed her inside.

  As Kai waited for Nikky to bring his coffee, he took a seat in the living room. Ruby didn't have much, but what she did have was friends who loved her. Leaning back in his chair, perhaps he let his mind get the better of him. However, in the back of his mind, he remembered the incident with the wine bottle. She was getting stronger. She was probably still having nightmares. Pulling his phone out from his pocket, he dialed her number.

  You've reached Ruby, I'm either busy and can't come to the phone, or I have it turned off for personal reasons. Either way, you know what to do.

  «Damnit Ruby, answer your phone,» Kai yelled as he hung up.

  «Still, no answer?» Nikky asked as she walked over with two coffee cups, «I'm sure she'll be home later.»

  «Thanks,» Kai said as he took one of the cups from her, «shouldn't you be at work?»

  «In a few hours,» Nikky replied, «I wanted to see if Ruby was home before going in.»

  «Ah,» Kai replied, «you just wanted to hear about her night, is that it?»

  «You caught me,» Nikky said.

  Her small giggles made him smile. Nikky was different than most of the girls he had been with. She was bubbly and warm-hearted. Her smile seemed t
o light up the dim room they were in. For a second, Kai thought how nice it would be to settle down and start a family. He could grow to like moments like this. Moments where the stillness didn't bother him. Where he felt relaxed and without a care in the world. He wouldn't have to worry about any night creature running around.

  «Ah, there she is,» Nikky said as she pointed out the window, «and that must be...»

  Kai seemed to tune out the last word Nikky had said the moment he laid his eyes on them. Ruby stood in front of a young good looking man. His chiseled features had been etched in his mind since he was small, and there was no mistaking that firey colored hair. Kai rose from his seat after his mind began piecing together the pieces. That man that Ruby smiled with, that she locked lips with that the vampire who had saved her when she was a child.

  Kai could feel his body shaking with fear and anger. Why? Why was he there with her? Why was she so close to him? What was his endgame? Kai watched helplessly as Ruby spoke with him softly about something. He wanted to rush out there and pull his sister away from him in fear of what Joshua would do to her. But his body refused to move. He screamed at himself for being so afraid to step out there. Cursed at himself for not knowing who she was seeing in the beginning.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nikky rush to the door to greet Ruby. Just like those moments in the movie where people begin to move in slow motion, Kai was witnessing it in reality. Nikky seemed to move at a snail's pace to the door. As her body inched further away from him, Kai wanted to scream out to her to stop. That she had no idea what that man was capable of. But there he stayed. Motionless. Afraid.

  «Ruby,» Nikky called, «what are you doing? Get your tiny ass inside right now, or you'll catch your death of cold — you to mister. You get your butt inside too. You'll get sick.»

  «It's all right,» Joshua said.

  Kai winced at the sultry sound of Joshua's voice. It was calm and alluring, just like it had been back then.

  «I'll leave her with you,» Joshua said, «I'll see you later Ruby,»

  «Joshua,» Ruby called, «thank you.»

  Kai watched from the living room as Joshua walked away from the stairs stopping at the window. Kai felt his breath shorten as Joshua turned and held his gaze. Joshua's gaze pierced through his and sent shivers down his spine. And the gentle smile that Joshua showed him made it worse. Kai didn't like the uneasy feeling he felt after Joshua left and began to dread seeing his sister.

  12

  «That ass hole»

  Ruby could tell Nikky was excited to see her. The glow in her eyes when she saw Joshua begged her to tell her everything that had happened. And she would. Everything except the blackout episode. Nikky didn't need to hear about that. Turning back to the closed door, Ruby half expected Joshua to come barging through the door. But, when she saw the fiberglass door shut tightly behind her, she knew that wasn't going to happen. Joshua probably had other plans that needed to be taken care of. Gazing down to her soaked clothes, she let out a breath. She needed a warm shower and a change of clothes.

  «Sorry about your clothes,» Ruby said softly, «I didn't think it'd rain this much.»

  «Don't be,» Nikky said with a smile on her face, «that's why you have a dryer. Now, go warm up with a nice hot shower. When you finish, I want to hear everything.»

  «Shouldn't you be going to work?» Ruby asked.

  «I guess,» Nikky groaned. «You better come and visit then.»

  «I will,» Ruby said.

  «Okay,» Nikky said, «see you later. See you later, Kai.»

  As Nikky darted out the door, Ruby stood there, dripping and thinking about what she said before she left. Thinking nothing of it, Ruby headed for her room, only to stop at the entrance to the living room. She thought she had seen Kai standing there glaring at her. To her disbelief, he was. She stood for a moment debating whether she should argue with him or not. She chose not to and headed up to her room.

  Ruby let out a soft breath as the water rushed over her. The heat that fell over her was inviting and comforting. There was nothing like a hot shower after standing in the rain for a few hours. As she began washing her hair, she thought back to Joshua's apartment. The nightmare she had must have triggered whatever it was that followed. Placing her hand on her chest, she felt a sharp pain. One that reminded her of the pain she had felt at Joshua's.

  Shaking her head, she tried to think of something else. With the memory still fresh in her mind, it was hard for her to focus on anything besides that. Finishing her shower, she got out and wrapped a towel around herself. Her mind felt trapped in an unending maze of questions. With little answers, Ruby was beginning to wonder if she'd ever know the truth.

  «Ruby,» Kai called.

  «What?» Ruby barked.

  For a moment, she had forgotten Kai was still in her house. Perhaps she should have told him to leave. Besides, what could he possibly want now? Maybe he wanted to lecture her on how late she had stayed out. Or maybe he wanted to tell her that she shouldn't sleep with strangers. As if he even cared. Wiping a small spot on the mirror, Ruby gazed at herself. She was hoping she'd see someone other than a tired 28-year-old. At least it wasn't that black eyes girl from before. Shaking her head, Ruby hoped she'd never see her again.

  «Ruby, can we talk?» Kai asked.

  For once, Kai sounded sincere. Like he actually wanted to talk and not argue. She waited for a moment. Wondering if she should or not. It wasn't like they had the best of relationships. Now was probably the worst time for him to try and make amends. After everything, he had put her through. All those years living in his shadow. No one acknowledging her or her skills.

  «Please,» Kai begged.

  «What could you possibly want to say to me?» Ruby barked as she opened the door, «are you going to yell at me for staying out so late? Or that I shouldn't have slept with someone I just met? Well, guess what, Kai, You're not Dad. You don't have a say in what I can and cannot do. I'm old enough...»

  Ruby paused when she saw Kai's soft expression. He looked truly frightened like he had seen a ghost. Perhaps, her anger was misplaced. Taking a breath, Ruby calmed herself.

  «I'm sorry,» She said, «what do you want to talk about? Would you mind if I got dressed while you did? I don't want to stay in a towel all day.»

  «Sure,» Kai replied.

  She couldn't believe how agreeable he was being. This wasn't like Kai. Actually, it was. Only it was like when he was a child. That look on Kai's face. Those wide eyes that looked like they would overflow with tears at any second. His soft tone was exactly like when he was a kid, and when he would ask her to play with him. That was until he started his training. Then he turned into a total ass.

  Still, it was nice to see Kai act like that. Like he was worried about her. She smiled as she passed him and headed into her room. Going to her closet, she pulled out her shoji screen - a three-panel wall made of paper used to divide a room. She placed it just outside her closet so she could drape her towel over it and look for a suitable outfit to wear. When she had everything set up, she called out to her brother to join her.

  Hearing his footsteps enter her room carefully, she wondered if he really did have something on his mind. He was unusually quiet, which made her all the more worried. Kai wasn't this quiet unless there was something bothering him. The question was, what?

  «Is everything all right?» she asked, breaking the heavy silence that hung over them.

  «No,» Kai whispered, «not really.»

  «It's not like you to beat around the bush,» Ruby said, «what's wrong?»

  «Ruby, you know I care about you, right?» Kai began, «I may not show it. But I do.»

  «You do have a strange way of showing it,» Ruby said as she tossed out a shirt.

  «And you know I'm only looking out for you?» Kai said.

  His voice sounded unsure and shaky. Like the next thing, he would say would really hurt him. Ruby walked around the shoji and gazed at him. He sat on the foot of her
bed, face buried in his hands. He looked like he was trying to find the right words to say. Ruby walked toward him and knelt down in front of him.

  «Listen,» she started, «I know you care. But you have to realize that I'm a grown woman now. I don't need my big brother's protection anymore. Not with people or with creatures. I can handle myself. So you don't have to worry.»

  «You don't get it,» Kai said, «I'm the only one capable of protecting you. You have no idea what's out there.»

  There it was — that over-bearing, over-protective personality of his. Ruby stood up and glared at him. He was the one who wasn't listening. He was the one who didn't get it. The more she stood there glaring at him, the more she felt her anger grow.

  «Listen here,» she barked, «I don't need your protection. I never did. If you don't remember all those years of training, I was far better than you. So thanks, but no thanks.»

  «NO!» Kai shouted, «You don't understand...»

  «Then make me,» Ruby yelled, «tell me what I don't understand. Tell me why you're the only one who's capable of protecting me. You saw him, didn't you? Joshua. He can protect me. I don't need you.»

  «Enough!» Kai barked, «Joshua won't protect you. What's he going to do? Is he going to charm them to death with his killer good looks? God. You can't even tell what he is...Can you? And you call yourself a hunter.»

  That was it — the last straw. Kai could say whatever he wanted about her. But to say that about Joshua. She stood there, fuming with anger, and ready to blow. She could see that Kai knew that as he stepped back and fell back onto the bed. She could feel her blood boiling in her veins. He had no right to say that. No right to say his name like that. She wanted him gone. Taking a step toward him, she took a breath.

  «Leave,» she demanded.

  «No,» Kai said.