DARK FAÏZ Book 2: Nothing will ever be the same again

by Sandra L. Kiss

  "Perfect. I believe we can all go home. We'll reunite every weekend until we leave," Ray said before putting his hands back in his pockets.

  He nodded, then walked out of the loft with Asarys behind him. Before rushing into the elevator, she turned to us.

  "We'll call," she mumbled, mimicking the phone with her hand.

  Then the doors closed on her. Lexy started to open her mouth, but William cut her off immediately.

  "I'll bring her back. Thanks, Lexy."

  "All right. David, it's time for us to leave," she said, taking his arm.

  "We'll come see you tomorrow?" David asked me.

  "Yes, do that. Thank you for everything."

  My friend turned to me, obviously touched by the sincerity of my words. Part of me wanted to go with them, but the other part wanted to face the harsh reality of the moment.

  "Let's go?" asked William.

  My gaze lingered on the elevator doors, then I turned to the loft door, hesitant.

  "Wait for me downstairs, please," I said in a low voice. "I must speak to Faïz. We haven't seen each other since…"

  Words failed me to finish my sentence. The pain of my words revived a suffering too present. William, compassionate, gently stroked my cheek. I struggled not to snap then and there.

  When everyone had left the loft, I took a deep breath and turned to Faïz. He was standing in the middle of the room, staring at me with bitter despair in his eyes. He seemed to have been waiting for this moment, the one I had dreaded for days. I stepped closer to him and to my surprise, he didn't back away. At that moment, my heart exploded in my chest and my pulse resounded in my temples. His familiar scent brought me back to a time when I had touched happiness with my fingertips.

  "I can't, Zoe," he murmured painfully, his eyes looking into mine.

  I looked at him, worried.

  "You can't?"

  "Would you like me to tell you that it wasn't your fault? That no one could have prevented Victoria's murder? Or that you did what you could?"

  I shook my head vigorously, trying to find my words.

  "I… No… I'm not expecting anything."

  I was shocked, taken aback by these words that stabbed me like a blade heated with a tinplate. In an effort, I chased away my tears that threatened to escape.

  "I'm going to have to live with this until the end of my days," I managed to articulate painfully. "I suffer every minute a little more, but that's not what scares me. I don't care what can happen to me, Faïz. I fear that time has stopped for you, and I don’t want—no, I refuse that you carry the burden when it's mine to bear."

  It was with difficulty that I contained the emotion in my voice. Faïz's sparkling eyes seemed to scream all his despair.

  "I wish things were different, Zoe, but I can't fill the void I feel. Part of me went with her."

  "If only I could have taken her place. I would have given her my life. I know that nothing I can say or do can bring her back."

  A tear rolled down my cheek. Faïz took my face in his hands, which was enough to calm my fears and my infinite sadness. Unexpectedly, his lips crashed violently on my forehead. I then closed my eyes, overwhelmed by his great fragility, aware that I desperately needed him.

  "If you knew how much I hate myself for hating you so much," he whispered, jaw clenched.

  I released myself from his grip and hurriedly backed away, panicked by this reveal. He didn't try to hold me back.

  "Yes, Zoe, I will be angry with you until the end of my life. What did you think?"

  I stood there, frozen, frightened by his coldness. It took me several seconds to find my voice.

  "Nothing, I didn't think anything," I stammered, again in shock. "I realize that I also lost someone else today."

  My voice broke and I closed my eyes to gather my thoughts.

  "You better go," said Faïz, annoyed. "It may be time to stop making William wait."

  Still shocked, I didn't bother to pick up on his heavy sentence. I immediately turned around and ran to the elevator doors, heartbroken, without even saying goodbye.

  FAÏZ

  Closing his eyes with all his might, Faïz was unable to make the slightest movement, paralyzed by the last image he had of Zoe. He knew that he had just destroyed the little humanity that remained in him. Everything dear to him had finally left him. Suddenly, a violent shock sounded in the loft, which forced Faïz to open his eyes. He then saw William staring at him with such rage in his eyes. His still clenched fist didn’t seem to suffer from the violent blow he had just struck in the wall near the entrance.

  "What did you say to her?" roared William, furious.

  "The truth, nothing but the truth!"

  "I forbid you to torture her more than she's already torturing herself."

  William's threatening finger in Faïz's direction didn't seem to destabilize him. On the contrary, the two men confronted each other for a few seconds before Faïz finally advanced towards this guest whom he considered a little too intrusive.

  "Go join her! She's yours!" barked the young man, glaring at William.

  William couldn't bear anymore and gave his rival a violent right hook, which was enough to make Faïz fly to the other end of the room. He crashed into a piece of furniture which exploded into a thousand pieces. Standing up, the young man wiped his face with the back of his hand. A small trickle of blood came out of the corner of his mouth. He said, mad with rage,

  "Be careful. I could shred you to pieces in less than a second, Will."

  "Like Virgil? Or Ogres?"

  "They got what they deserved!" Faïz shouted, taking a quick step towards William.

  "No one can endorse what you did! And any person who agrees with you is nothing but a monster, too."

  "Get out of my house!" ordered Faïz, his face a few inches from William's. "Or I'm afraid I'll start a war with the Sylphs."

  3

  "Will you please do that?"

  My mind returned to the present moment and I realized that I hadn't been following the conversation between my friends. Asarys looked at me without hiding her annoyance. Outside on campus, most of the students around us were preparing to leave.

  "You want me to do what?"

  The long sighs of Lexy and David by my side didn't fail to make me uncomfortable.

  "I'm sorry," I confided in a low voice while looking towards the cafeteria.

  The end of the afternoon marked the beginning of the weekend for some. As for me, I would first have to finish my shift, which started any minute.

  "Zoe, you have been completely absent mentally this whole week. I know the recovery has been tough, but we're worried," Asarys admitted in a softer voice.

  In fact, that first week at university since Victoria's death had brought me back to that day of horror every day. Guilt didn't let me go, even for a second. Within the buildings, I felt all the curious and inquisitive eyes hanging over my back. This situation only made my discomfort worse.

  "So? What did you want me to do?"

  "Tonight, when you see William at the manor, give him these documents. It's important."

  My friend then handed me a large envelope and added, "that's what he needs for our visas."

  "My documents are there, too," said Lexy.

  I turned to David, who seemed embarrassed.

  "For my part, it's better that I stay here."

  "What do you mean?" I asked, alarmed.

  "William and Ray think I would be more useful in L.A. as a guide. There, you won't have all the technological means to carry out the mission. So, it's me who will have this responsibility."

  "I would have preferred that you come with us, but I know that you will be as essential here as in Eros."

  David tried to hide his concern with a smile, then checked the time on his watch. He made me understand, with a look, that it was time for the both of us to go to work. Asarys put a hand on my shoulder.

  "See you later. Try to call me tonight when you get back from the mansion.
"

  I replied to my friend with a little nod. I knew that with Lexy, they would both be dying to ask me a thousand and one questions, but they were holding back because of the difficult ordeal that I was currently experiencing.

  Working in the cafeteria was a real escape and gave me some peace of mind. The fast pace there left me little time to reflect on what my life had become. Convincing Lily and Charles was not an easy task. For them, it was an unnecessary overwork that I imposed on myself. In addition, they were very concerned for my safety. Each trip I took was subject to long discussions where I had to methodically advance each argument in order to convince them not to force me to go with a chaperone.

  "Shit," David swore between his teeth.

  Taking an order at that moment, I couldn't help but look at the space for a moment, the entrance to the refectory. It was then that I saw Rachelle walk out the door with her band of vipers.

  "Leave it, I'll take care of it," said my friend, dropping the inventory work he was doing behind me.

  "No!"

  He looked at me as if I had gone mad.

  "But they're going to kill you! You aren't able to face them, Zoe. Don't mess around," insisted my friend in a low voice.

  "I'll be fine, I assure you."

  David lowered his head, clenching his fist in front of him. He hesitated to add something but changed his mind immediately. Then, he pointed his finger at me before adding,

  "All right, but I'm right next door if things go wrong. Okay?"

  Rachelle presented herself as usual with a haughty air. Her face, as pretty as usual, exasperated me terribly. She seemed to gloat on the inside to see me being just the shadow of myself. Her purple velvet headband almost made me roll my eyes.

  "Almond milk with a touch of chocolate," ordered this harpy with a contemptuous look.

  The other mean girls placed their orders in an equally unpleasant tone. While I hastened to prepare their drinks for them, so that they could leave as quickly as possible, the small redhead positioned next to Rachelle addressed her loudly.

  "So? You promised to tell us about your night with Faïz!"

  Hearing these words, it wasn't without difficulty that I managed to catch the goblet which almost escaped from my hands. Small snickers fired in all directions before my clumsiness. This group of stupid bohemians seemed satisfied with the bomb that their friend had just thrown. At that moment, I felt the ground giving way under my feet and a burn gradually invaded every artery in my body. It was out of the question that I let appear even a hint of fragility listening to this reflection. It was neither the place, and even less the time, to put on a show with these vixens. If she and Faïz had reunited and had decided to continue their romance, it would surely not be me who would come to make a splash. Rachelle could keep him. It didn't matter to me to know the nature of their relationship.

  "Next!" I shouted when their order was served.

  Rachelle paused before taking her drink. She addressed me with a sinister smile.

  "You know, Zoe, that it would never have worked between you two. It must have taken a toll on his family for Faïz to lose the people who were dear to him."

  "We're going to run out of cups for room service," David said quickly, holding me by the shoulders.

  His intrusion came at the right time because the inner rage that animated me threatened to explode. Rachelle could talk about Faïz as long as she liked, but not Victoria. I refused to let her use her as an excuse to reach me. Without a word, I sped into the storeroom with a quick step, throwing my apron to the ground. Inside the cramped room, I leaned my head against cartons of milk on a shelf and let an ocean of tears flow in silence.

  I felt like I'd left the Seventh Earth mansion a long time ago, like being there was taking me to another time. The dark night with an almost nonexistent moon plunged the place into an unreal and heavy setting. I looked at the top of the building from the ground and hesitated for a moment to walk up to it. Suddenly my phone rang. It was again a call from Asarys. I knew she was worried about me. Knowing David, my hookup with Rachelle had already been reported to her. I hung up and put the device in my jacket without bothering to answer my friend, then I finally decided to go through the clearing to enter the house.

  "I missed you," said William sincerely, taking me in his arms.

  I regretted our last chat at the bottom of Faïz’s loft. After almost hysterically refusing to take me back to Elora, William tried to hold me back to convince me to get into his car. It was with spite that he finally let me go. The long bus ride helped calm me down.

  "Are you okay?" he asked me softly, his face buried in my hair.

  I shook my head from side to side for the only answer. His embrace tightened as if he had the power to heal me. Even if it wasn't possible, a peace still invaded me, a feeling that I thought had disappeared. In my turn, I took William in my arms, allowing my body to relax in order to let go for a few moments.

  "Don't stay in the entrance."

  It was then that I opened my jacket to give him the envelope containing the documents that Lexy and Asarys had entrusted to me. William quickly consulted them while walking. Flashes of Victoria's birthday party came back to me as we neared the entrance to the living room. The vertigo took me and a growing ball suddenly appeared in the hollow of my belly. As we entered the door, I saw a young woman sitting in one of the armchairs in the room. She seemed to be waiting for us.

  "Zoe, meet my sister, Kayla. She just came from Detroit."

  "Pleased to meet you," I stammered, surprised by this unexpected meeting while advancing towards her.

  "Fascinating," murmured Kayla, staring at me intently. "A non-egregore on Earth, a soul created by the divine source itself. Pleased to meet you, Goddess."

  "No," I said immediately, embarrassed, waving my hands in front of me. "Simply Zoe. You… Are you a Sylph, too?"

  "A Sylphid, but I don't like the name. Children's stories have a lot to do with it."

  Kayla smirked, which lit up her face with captivating beauty. She towered over me by a good ten centimeters. Her long hair, Venetian blonde and styled in a half-ponytail, exposed her face, bringing out her aquiline nose. Her almond-shaped blue eyes reminded me of lynx eyes, outlined with a perfect line of eyeliner. She was dressed in a tight black vinyl top that revealed her wasp waist. Her stature and refined gestures alone occupied the space of this room. I was surprised to find that she continued to stare at me, as if captivated by what I was. However, she had no reason to envy me. Quite the contrary. Suddenly, her gaze went back and forth between William and me.

  "I understand better why my brother annoys me about your eyes, I admit I have never seen this color before."

  "Kayla!" William cut her off, clapping his hands in order to bring his sister back to her senses. "We have to settle urgent things this evening."

  "Please, it's not every day that we meet the woman blessed by the first songs of men, the most heavenly and precious creation of our Mother Goddess, and moreover, endowed with an exceptional capacity."

  "Zoe is a mortal in this life and you will end up making her more uncomfortable than anything else if you keep talking to her like that."

  "William is right, I am absolutely nothing exceptional. In my eyes, you are much more so than me."

  "Am I to understand that my brother has already shown you one of these few little tricks?"

  William cleared his throat to try to close this topic of conversation, then he leaned towards me.

  "You must be hungry. Do you want to eat here or have dinner outside?" he asked.

  "To tell you the truth, neither. I had a good snack during work, and I don't intend to linger here."

  "Ah, I see," replied William, disappointed.

  He looked down and the expression on his face touched me more than I wanted.

  "On the other hand, I wouldn't say no to a coffee. And why not stay for a while, so that I can get to know your sister a little more?" I caught myself saying.

  T
he relief and joy I saw at that moment in his eyes was enough to rub off on me. I gave him a sincere smile in return. The first in ages. As for Kayla, she seemed to thank me with a knowing glance.

  I didn't know what time it was. The three of us had spoken most of the evening. Kayla had told me about her life in Detroit, which was hard to combine with her busy schedule because of her job in the stock market. Unlike her two brothers, she refused to work for the government.

  "I read your article in So Home News magazine. You did a really good job. You should continue on this path, " she encouraged me.

  At that moment, shreds of memories invaded my mind. My suite at the Plaza, the gala evening…and Faïz.

  "Zoe, are you okay?" William asked, worried.

  Quickly, my mind returned to the present moment. I closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose, then said,

  "Yes, it's just that I'm tired. To return to the article, I managed to get all my next internships with them."

  "That's great!" Kayla exclaimed, looking at William.

  "I'm happy for you," he said, giving me a broad smile before standing up.

  "Are you leaving us?" his sister asked.

  "I have to take care of these documents," he said, waving the envelope I had given him when I arrived.

  As soon as he was out of the room, Kayla moved closer to me, settling on another chair.

  "So? How does it work?" she asked, excited, taking care to watch the entrance to the living room.

  "Uh… What?"

  "Do you see the future when you touch a person? Do you read minds? Do you revive the dead?"

  Confused by her questions, I stared at Kayla with my eyes wide. She was waiting for an answer which, I feared, would not satisfy her.

  "No. I can't do anything."

  Kayla, shocked, shook her head as if to collect her thoughts.

  "I don't understand. If that's true, why is your soul so coveted? To take it would be to steal the power of the divine source."