Fading Into Darkness: The Under Series Book 2

by Dakota Lake

  “What's wrong with your bedroom? You could open your balcony doors?”

  “There was a bee. I think it was stalking me.”

  “Stalking you,” he laughed. “For what? Some of that famous Ruby blood nectar to take back to his realm of blood bees. Cups, bees are harmless.”

  “Well you didn't see him, he had it in for me. I left the door open so he should leave soon.” Kenzie bent over and re-tied his laces. Today he was wearing his Joker Converse hi-tops that he'd matched with a cute little Lego Joker watch, that was probably meant for children but Kenzie had small wrists so he could fit anything on them.

  “Hey, do you think I could borrow a watch?”

  He leaned back up. “What for?”

  “To keep track of time. Obviously.” I said laughing.

  Kenzie looked over at the large grandfather clock that was closest to us.

  “Isn't that what the gazillion clocks are for?” he asked smiling.

  “Well yeah but....um....never mind.” I hadn't thought that through entirely.

  “Ruby I'm joking. Here take this one.” he said undoing his watch.

  “I can't take that one. It's one of your favourites.”

  “It's cool. I have other watches.”

  “But I don't want to break it.”

  “You won't. Not unless you stand on it.” he joked already strapping it on my wrist. I looked at the watch then at the large clock nearest me.

  “It's running ten minutes fast.”

  “I have a bad habit of being late.” he said already altering the time on the watch for me to display the correct time.

  “Thanks.”

  “So you wanna go downstairs and wait for dinner?” he asked.

  “Yes, let me just drop these books off in my room. Can you grab my bedding?”

  “Yeah no probs. Oh did you find anything interesting in that book?”

  I looked at him wondering what he was talking about. Had he seen my hidden notebook behind the geometry book?

  “That dream book.” he reminded me.

  “Oh that. Actually yes it was really helpful. I found the section on dream linking really interesting.” “Really. So you and Senka have been doing it naked in your dreams without even being in the same room. Less mess I guess.” he giggled.

  “Oh my goodness will you shut up.” I said shoving him through my bedroom door. “You have a warped mind sometimes.”

  “So not Senka then. Please tell me you're not dream linking with Wilson.” he said grinning as he crashed onto my bed with the bedding.

  “Ooo gross! No!”

  “So who's got you all worked up tossing and turning at night Cups?”

  “No one. I sleep just fine.”

  “Not in here.” he said.

  “Huh?”

  “Em came looking for you the other night at mine. I guessed you were with Senka so I covered for you. He got in a right old paddy when I wouldn't let him in to see you.”

  “He really needs to get some new friends.”

  “I know right. It's really awkward the way he lurks around us. Don't get me wrong Em's a great guy, but he's a lurker.”

  I couldn't help but laugh. “Don't be so mean.”

  “So have you really been dream linking with someone?”

  “Maybe. So what if I have?” He shrugged. “You gonna run off and tell Cam?” I asked casually wondering what his response would be.

  He sat up and looked at me from under his cap. Shook his head.

  “I don't tell Cam everything, that's Em's job. Cam doesn't need to know everything.” I slowly nodded. I wanted to tell Kenzie. A part of me just wanted to come clean and tell him everything. But a small part of me held back. The 'what if' part of me. What if he did tell Cam? “Come on Cups,” He stood up and took my hand. “Stop thinking so much you're going to hurt yourself.” he joked noticing I was lost in my own thoughts again.

  That evening Cam didn't attend dinner so I sat with Kenzie at his table. I went to bed as usual. Senka was at work and Kenzie had gone off with Roman, so I'd been left alone in my room over thinking tomorrow. Thinking of all the worse case scenarios of what could happen when I took the elevator tomorrow. What if I walked straight into Emmett's bedroom? He would definitely tell Cam. What if I bumped into one of the guys, would they tell Cam? Was it a large training room up there with sweaty guys working out and wrestling each other onto mats? What if the elevator opened straight into the room? Come to think of it though, Jack didn't look like he'd gone upstairs to train or work out, yesterday he had been dressed in smart jeans and a button up shirt. He looked as though he was going somewhere nice. So many questions....

  I checked the time on the watch 11.47pm. Emmett would be here soon. Not unless Vivienne had spoken to him. I couldn't imagine what she would say to him to get him to listen to her instead of Cam. If Cam had given him a direct order then he would do it, Vivienne wouldn't have much say in the matter. I placed the watch on my nightstand, turned the light off and snuggled myself under the covers creating a cocoon, so Emmett wouldn't be able to see me. I waited and waited, until I was completely bored out of my mind hiding in the dark. I popped my head back out and switched the light back on 12.17am. Maybe he wasn't coming tonight? I was tired and didn't think I could keep my eyes open for much longer. I could always go up to Senka's room but something about sleeping in his bed felt wrong. I felt guilty just thinking about it and I didn't know why. I closed my eyes and strained my ears listening to any noises outside my bedroom door but I soon forgot what I was supposed to be doing and fell asleep.

  When I woke up I was lying on the ground outside. Dark clouds floated above my head and I could feel the odd spot of rain on my face as the wind whipped my hair around. I sat up and looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings. There was a dirt track leading off into the woods and I could see a tree stump with an axe sticking out of it. I turned my head further and noticed a wood cabin behind me. I stood up and brushed my nightdress down, it was the one I'd taken the scissors to and cut the sleeves and length off. Narmi had finally retuned it to my dresser.

  I walked over to the porch, I was barefoot so I was careful where I stepped. I walked up the steps hesitantly. Where am I? The last thing I remembered was trying not to fall asleep. That obviously hadn't worked. Either I was dreaming or someone else was and I was in their dream. I hadn't been thinking about Mack when I closed my eyes I was too tired.

  The cabin door flew open and Mack stepped out.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked amused.

  “I don't know? Last I remember I was trying not to fall asleep. Are we dreaming?” “Guess so, I was resting. Didn't think I'd run into to you though.”

  “So this must be your dream. Cause none of this looks familiar to me.”

  “It is and you're trespassing.” He smiled walking passed me, as he did he ran a finger down my arm to my hand, leaving behind a trail of tingles.

  He leaned back against the porch railing gripping the edge of it. He was wearing a holey short sleeve black T-shirt that clung to his defined muscle. Dirty looking cargo shorts again and boots. His hair looked longer today but still looked as though it had been styled up for that messy effect. But I doubt he had hair gel in Hell or wherever it was he was living at the moment. I still didn't like to think about it.

  “So we're dream linking like how we did before?” I asked, just to confirm I wasn't going crazy again.

  He nodded. “Good old fashioned dream linking, before you realised you could disable me and access my mind anytime you want.” he smirked.

  “Well if it makes you feel any better I'm not doing this on purpose. I wasn't even trying to get into your dreams. I didn't even know you were asleep.” I said a little flustered and blushing. “Even unconscious you can't get enough of me.” he said smiling having noticed my face turning red.

  “What is this place?” I asked to distract myself from turning into a bright red tomato. “It's the cabin.”

  “Wait not the ca
bin I was living in with my brother?”

  “That's the one.”

  “Really? Why are you dreaming about this place?”

  “I don't know. Maybe because I built it. Brings back happy memories.”

  “You built it. Seriously?” I said running my hand along the railing.

  Moving myself closer to Mack, I wasn't even aware I was doing it until my fingers touched his hand. I quickly pulled my hand back. He looked at me questioningly tapping his fingers on the back of the railing. A wolfish smile appeared on his lips and I couldn't bring myself to look away from his lips. Then I remembered kissing those lips, I wanted to kiss them right now. I looked higher to find he was watching me carefully as he slowly leaned towards me.

  “How long did it take to build?” I blurted out before he came any closer.

  He straightened back up and I moved back slightly without it being too obvious. “Well we weren't in a hurry when we were building it, I think it took us about three months.” “We?”

  “Micah helped, a little.”

  “Micah. Micah, I still can't put a face to that name.” I blew out a frustrated breath. “Still no memory?”

  “Nope. But I think I've found someone that's going to help me find a way out. He's been helpful, surprisingly.”

  “Ruby that's great. Can you definitely trust this person?”

  “I think so. I hope so.”

  The sky darkened and a cold gust of wind whipped around my legs blowing my nightdress all over the place. I grabbed the front and held it down the best I could.

  “We should go inside.”

  “No I want to stay out here a while longer. I'm not used to seeing such normal looking trees and plants. I like it.”

  He started pulling his T-shirt over his head.

  “No, Mack I'm fine really.”

  “You're just saying that. Put it on.”

  “No you should keep it on. Last time I took it back with me.” I said as he handed me his T-shirt. “Oh yeah, and I want that back. It was one of my favourites.”

  “Really? Cause Narmi confiscated it and I don't think it's coming back.”

  He laughed “I was joking. Now put it on.”

  I slid his T-shirt on over my nightdress. It didn't cover much more but it was an extra layer nonetheless. My eyes drifted to Mack's bare chest. I wanted to reach over and touch it. I squeezed both my hands into balls and crossed my arms.

  “Who's Narmi?” he asked.

  “My handmaid.”

  “You have a handmaid?”

  “Yes, but I don't boss her around or anything. She makes my bed and brings me breakfast and just recently she keeps my secrets as well.”

  I turned around and leaned over the railing, Mack spun around and leaned over next to me. “I wish I could remember you.”

  “I wish you could remember me too.”

  “So your real name is Jessie but I call you Mack?” He nodded. “Because you were secretly staking me and needed an undercover name.”

  “Yes. But it wasn't like that. I was keeping an eye on you. It's not like I hid in the bushes and watched you. I only occasionally watched you from a far.”

  “Only occasionally?” I smiled looking sideways at him.

  “Tell me about the first time we met?”

  “Technically it was in a shopping mall. You dropped your earbuds and I picked them up and gave them back to you. That was probably a year before we officially met when you moved to Heaven's Point.”

  “So you were secretly spying on me. Wait a minute what were you doing spying on me a year before. I thought we met after I moved to Heaven's Point?”

  “We did. But I already knew about you.” he grinned and shook his head chuckling. “What?”

  “I didn't want to tell you this?”

  “Why not?”

  “Cause I don't want you to think I'm some creep spying on teenage girls.”

  “I won't. I mean I don't. Come on you have to tell me.”

  “Okay, so after your brother left home he ended up homeless and Micah found him in a train station on his travels.”

  “Travels?”

  “We move around sometimes. We kind of have to as we don't age, we can't stay in one place too long. It's why we built the cabin, hidden out of the way so no one would ask questions. But we always come back to Heaven's Point it's sort of like home to us, it's the point where we fell when we came down. So back to the train station. Micah bought Seth back here and helped him get back on his feet. Seth didn't know he was a Nephilim, it took him quite a while to adjust. So when Seth left home he left all his stuff behind and there was this one thing he left behind that he wanted. But he didn't want to go back home at the time, so I went back for him. It was about three months after he had left.”

  “What was it he wanted?” I asked curiously.

  “Don't laugh,”

  “Okay,”

  “He wanted his soft toy back.” he said trying not to laugh himself.

  “What was it?”

  “A tatty old stuffed dog with long ears.”

  “I thought you were going to say something like money or I dunno a watch or something more boyish. Really he wanted his stuffed dog?”

  “Yes he really wanted his stuffed dog. But when I got there all his stuff had been packed away and his room had already been emptied.”

  “You mean when you broke in?”

  “I didn't break in I had Seth's door key. I made sure I went into the house after everyone had left. Your mom left really early for work then you left for school, I didn't really get a good look at you though you had your hood up when you left. Then your stepfather left probably off to some bar. So I went in and was looking around when I heard the front door slam. You being the dutiful daughter you were had decided not to go to school. My guess was you waited for your stepfather to leave and came straight back home. You had your earbuds in and music blaring out, it was so loud I could hear it upstairs.”

  “Your hearing is not that good?”

  “I'm afraid it is. Hearing like a dog and vision like a hawk and pretty good night vision.” “You can see in the dark?”

  “Sort of. It just doesn't seem as dark to us. Hey you have pretty good senses as well better than humans.”

  “Yeah but you have night vision. I'm jealous. But back to the story.”

  “So I was upstairs listening to this awful noise you kids call music,”

  “Hey,” I said nudging his elbow.

  “So you went up to your room.” he continued.

  “And....” I said eagerly waiting for him to go on.

  “And I peeked in on you. You were younger and your hair was practically bleached white with these patches of blue streaks.”

  “It sounds terrible.”

  “It was,” he laughed. “You never saw me you were too busy painting your nails black.” “And that's the first time you saw me?”

  “Yep not unless you count leaving the house in the morning but I couldn't really see your face.” “Okay so that explains how you first saw me. Now explain what you were doing in the shopping mall a year before I moved to Heaven's Point? You told me Seth was gone nearly three years. So somewhere in between you going back to my house and me moving to Heaven's Point you came back. Why?”

  “Why do you think?” He half smiled which made my tummy do a double flip. “After I went back to Heaven's Point all I could do was think about you. I don't why, I didn't know anything about you but I couldn't stop thinking about you. I think it was the terrible singing that drew me in.” “Oi!” I swatted him.

  “I tried to forget about you, believe me I tried. But I dunno, I couldn't. I eventually went back out of curiosity. Then things changed,” He stopped talking for a moment and I could feel his eyes on me. “I kept going back over the years to see how you were getting on. I knew you were different like Seth, your ability.”

  “How did you know?” I asked.

  “Sometimes when I watched you, you'd be with other people. You'd laugh
or smile even when no one was talking. It was really obvious. Seth never knew I kept going back to Cali to check on you. I was waiting for him to tell you about everything but he kept putting it off. Then Micah had one of his future visions of you having a car accident which is why Seth bought you back to Heaven's Point. But I sort of told Micah he had to bring you back to Heaven's Point no matter what. I wasn't going to risk anything happening to you. I got an awesome tan from all the trips there though.” “Cali?”

  “California.” he smiled.

  “I should probably know that if I grew up there.”

  “You'll remember soon enough just keep Emmett and his candles away.”

  “Crap,” I smacked my head.

  “What is it?”

  “I knew there was a reason I was trying not to fall asleep. Oh well, I can't do anything about it now. He's probably already been and gone and left a candle. Did you ever find it?” I asked. “Find what?”

  “Seth's stuffed dog?”

  “Yes. You'd bear napped him and put him on your bed with your teddies.”

  “Mack,” I said standing up straight and turning to him.

  “Yes Ruby,” he said mimicking my standing position except he towered above me. He wasn't as tall as Senka though, Senka somehow made everyone else look short. He looked down at me and stuck his hands in his pockets.

  “If your name is really Jessie shouldn't I call you that instead?”

  He shrugged. “Mack was just a name I used to get close to you but I don't mind what you call me. You could call me monkey and I'd probably respond to you.”

  “I think you look like a Jessie.”

  “Is that what you want to call me?” he asked smiling.

  “Maybe. Would that be okay?”

  “Yes. I'd like that.” He smiled and lowered his head closer to mine until his forehead was touching mine. His hands came out of his pockets and found their way into my hair holding the sides of my head. I slowly looked up at him, our noses touched and his lips found mine. He held onto me and my hands found their way to his stomach moving over the hard ridges of muscle and up his chest. His hands dropped down to my waist and he pulled me closer to him and I willingly let him. He kiss became hungrier and the rational part of my mind had already started telling me this probably wasn't a good idea. But I ignored it and let his lips explore mine and I kissed him back with as much force. His tongue dipped into my mouth and I met his with mine. He groaned and his hands came up to my face. He pulled back and looked at me, I was breathing heavily and so was he. I shivered from the cold air and a gust of wind blew rain onto my bare arm. The rain had started to fall harder but I had been too busy with Jessie to notice.