The Dark King

by C. J. Abedi

“Thanks. So do you. I mean, you look good, too.”

  He was dressed impressively well but a bit more casually than Devilyn, in navy pants and a navy blazer with a light blue dress shirt and navy bow tie. He was ruggedly handsome and his blue eyes sparkled.

  “Did you just get here?” Rowan asked.

  “Caroline, are you coming?” Tatiana interrupted. “If not, I’m going to go and find the guys.”

  “I’ll catch up with you in a bit.” I didn’t mind the prospect of a little bit of space from her.

  “Okay, make sure you find me.”

  I nodded as she walked away, not missing the irritated glance she shot in Rowan’s direction.

  “I will.”

  Rowan gave an equal look of displeasure right back at her, but he quickly masked his annoyance and turned to me and smiled.

  “So when did you get here?” I asked

  “I’ve been here for about a half hour.”

  I nodded and asked the only thing that came to mind.

  “Have you danced with anyone yet?”

  “No, I was actually waiting to dance with the prettiest girl in this school.” Rowan gave me a boyishly charming grin. “I was waiting for you.”

  And just like that, I was blushing again.

  “Hey, I don’t mean to embarrass you.”

  I shook my head nervously. “No, I’m not embarrassed at all.” A lie, of course, but he didn’t need to know that. “Do you want to go and find Teddy and the rest of the guys?”

  “Yeah, let’s go. But you will dance with me at some point tonight, Caroline?”

  “Be careful what you wish for. I’m not much of a dancer.”

  “I’ll be the judge of that,” he whispered in my ear as he placed his hand on my back and guided me through the crowd.

  The sensation of his touch ran up my spine and throughout my whole body. It felt good, but it didn’t feel the same as when Devilyn had touched me. It felt nice, but it didn’t feel right. I smiled up at him and hoped that he didn’t notice that I was slightly uncomfortable as I began scanning the room.

  I may have told Rowan that I was searching for Teddy, but that was a complete lie. I was looking for Devilyn, holding on to the hope that maybe Tatiana was telling me the truth and that maybe something incredible would happen tonight to prove it.

  The music had shifted gears and Drake’s “Hold On, We’re Going Home” was now blasting. We walked through the center of the crowded dance floor as many of my fellow classmates said hi or gave a high five to Rowan. Once we made it to the other side of the room, there was still no sign of Devilyn, so I stopped and turned around to face Rowan.

  “Maybe we should get something to drink?”

  “It actually looks like Devilyn has gotten a drink himself.”

  I turned back and with a single glance all my hopes were dashed. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

  I had no idea she would be here, but there she was. Standing in front of him, smiling up at him, and taking a sip of his drink as he smiled down at her.

  She was beautiful. Drop-dead, traffic-stopping, gorgeous. She possessed the same type of beauty that Devilyn, Tatiana, and even Rowan had, almost too perfect to be real. Her black hair was wild and sexy around her heart-shaped face, and her dark eyes were almost identical to Devilyn’s. Her rosebud lips were puckered out in a pouty way that I was sure came naturally and probably drove men crazy. She was laying it on thick as she looked up at him, smiling as she ran her hands down his lapel. He brushed a strand of her hair away from her face and ran the back of his hand down her arm.

  It was all I needed to see.

  The inadequacy I felt in that moment was completely overwhelming.

  Suffocating.

  There was no greater feeling than that of inferiority.

  But I had nowhere to hide and I couldn’t continue standing there, staring at him like some forlorn teenager, so I turned to Rowan and said what I never imagined I ever would.

  “I think we should dance.”

  D

  I couldn’t move. I watched her slowly, seductively grab his hand and lead him to the dance floor. I couldn’t take my eyes off of them, not even for a second. She chose Rowan. Just like I planned. I knew this moment would come. It was what I needed her to do. What I thought I wanted. But it felt so wrong. I stood before Katya as she began to lead me to the dance floor, burying her face in my neck, taking complete advantage of the moment. No doubt fully aware of all that was going on around us. Bringing me as close as possible to her body.

  I asked for this. I directed her down this path. Fate had played no role, not in anything that happened tonight. I alone was the master of ceremonies, but everything about it felt so incredibly wrong.

  My mind was racing as I looked down at Katya, and I tried to ignore her desperate attempt at intimacy. I couldn’t imagine what was going through Caroline’s head.

  In that moment I slowly spun Katya around and my eyes locked with Caroline’s. There she was, looking right at me, and then at Katya, as a myriad of emotions played across her face. Emotions she did her best to hide. But they were all there.

  Pain.

  Betrayal.

  Disappointment.

  And finally, acceptance.

  I knew exactly what she was going through, because I was living it as well. Every decision I made when it came to her was always the wrong one. In the crowded room full of pretty girls, in the arms of an equally beautiful girl, she was all that I could see. All that I would ever need to see. And yet I continued to play this game with her heart, teasing it, tugging at it, and then ripping the rug right out from under her. After tonight, she would no doubt hate me, and I wouldn’t blame her, because I was beginning to hate myself.

  “Is something the matter, Devilyn?” Katya said as she pulled back a few inches to look up at me.

  “No. Nothing,” I replied with a half-smile. “I’m fine.”

  Katya gave me a sexy smile.

  “Do you like my dress? You didn’t comment on it yet.”

  I tried very desperately not to roll my eyes. Katya had the same taste in clothing as my sister. Everyone had to see everything she had. Nothing left to the imagination. No mystery—everything out in there in the open for anyone to take.

  “It’s nice. You look beautiful,” I replied, knowing that it was true, even though she held absolutely no appeal for me.

  “Thank you.” She was giddy. “To be honest, I’m so overwhelmed by all of this. The high school dance experience is not what I expected at all.”

  She was like a child tasting candy for the first time. The mortals had always intrigued the Fae, be they Light or Dark. A forbidden sin, but their draw was intoxicating.

  “Eventually you’ll get used to it. But yes, it is a lot to take in.”

  I looked back over at Caroline as she touched Rowan’s arm and whispered something to him. I wanted to die; the pain was so unbearable. My eyes narrowed when he whispered back to her with a smile. He placed his hand on the small of her back and said something else as she nodded. My entire body tensed up. The darkness inside began to stir; the monster inside was minutes from showing himself. I closed my eyes, trying desperately to calm myself.

  The song slowly came to an end as another one quickly started up again.

  “I think I’m ready for a break.”

  Katya nodded in agreement, and I was thankfully given a rest from having to hold her close. I couldn’t bear it anymore. When I looked over to where Caroline and Rowan had been dancing, they were gone, and I was suddenly gripped with an insane feeling of jealousy.

  I scanned the room and they were nowhere to be found. Where could they be?

  I walked over to Tatiana and Teddy, who were immersed in what seemed to be a deep conversation until Teddy looked up and glanced from me to Katya. Disappointment crossed his face, but a second later it was gone.

  “I’m Katya,” she said to him.

  “Teddy,” he replied. “Nice to meet you.”

  K
atya looked at Tatiana evenly as the two girls checked each other out. “Nice to see you.”

  Tatiana smiled tightly and nodded. I turned and continued to look around the room. I couldn’t see them anywhere.

  “Where did Caroline go?” I practically demanded of Teddy, who raised a knowing brow at me.

  “I have no idea. I left her awhile ago with Rowan,” Tatiana replied as my gaze pinned hers.

  “You were the one who left her with Rowan?”

  “Yes.” Tatiana gave me an innocent smile. “He said he had been looking everywhere for her, so I thought I should give the two some privacy.”

  My jaw clenched.

  I couldn’t hide any of my emotions. I knew I was being transparent, but luckily, Katya was too busy staring around at the students in the auditorium to bother noticing how irritated I was.

  “Will you entertain Katya for me for a bit, Tatiana?” My tone didn’t leave room for disagreement. “I’ll be right back.”

  Tatiana gave me a knowing smile and patted the seat next to her. “Sure. Katya, why don’t you come sit next to me. The view of the room is better from over here.”

  Katya immediately did as she was told and, from the look of it, couldn’t have been happier.

  I left them in a hurry, moving through the crowd with purpose, searching for that condescending, smug, blond—

  “Devilyn.” Rowan grabbed my arm.

  I was so furious and wound up, I was sure my eyes were giving me away.

  “You’re in a hurry. Are you looking for something? Or someone?”

  My eyes narrowed.

  “Don’t play games with me, Rowan. Where is she?”

  “I think it’s in everyone’s interest if you act like a man and step aside, Devilyn. Let her be with someone who will cherish her and protect her. Just as she deserves.”

  There was a crowd of people around us, dancing, enjoying their evening, likely oblivious to the wrath that was about to be directed his way. I didn’t care about making a scene. I didn’t care about any of it. I wanted to kill him. But I calmed myself, choosing instead to grab ahold of his shirt and pull him close.

  “Tread carefully, Rowan. I don’t have time for your games or your smug comments.”

  “And I don’t appreciate your tone or your aggression,” Rowan replied coolly. “Watch yourself. You’re walking a fine line.”

  “Are you threatening me?”

  “I’m warning you,” Rowan said as he yanked out of my grasp. “And I wouldn’t tell you where Caroline was if you held the Sword of Nuadu in your hands. I won’t allow you to continue hurting her.”

  “Allow?” I said to him furiously as I stepped toward him.

  “Careful, King.” Rowan said softly. “We have an audience.”

  We were inches from each other’s faces. A Prince of the Light and a King of the Dark.

  “Do not cross me, Rowan. You do not want to break my walls, Rowan, as you might not like what’s waiting for you on the inside.”

  “Or what? Will you banish me into a Yew tree, something your father was so keen to do to thousands of Fae before you? Have you become the same monster already?”

  His words shook me.

  Jolted me out of my rage.

  Had I?

  I stepped away from him and turned around, moving quickly through the crowd. I had to get out of there. My greatest fear was to be what my father was. And there was only one thing in the entire universe that kept me from that fate. Caroline. I was damned if I was with her and I was damned if I was not. This was the ultimate curse of the Fates.

  I stepped out of the gymnasium and walked quickly toward the double doors that connected to the school halls. I needed to take a walk and get a grip on myself.

  I soon found myself in the drama classroom. I entered the dark room and silently commanded the lights turn on to slight dim.

  I almost tripped when I saw her and had to lean against the wall to catch myself.

  She was sitting in the front row, eyes open, staring sadly ahead. She didn’t seem surprised to see me when she turned. In fact, it was almost as if she had been expecting me.

  We stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. I was the first to break the silence.

  “What are you doing in here all alone?”

  “I just needed a break,” she said softly. “There was too much going on in there.”

  “I agree.”

  Caroline seemed surprised.

  “You do? From where I was standing, it looked like you were enjoying yourself.”

  “I wasn’t, really.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I needed a break, too.”

  “From what?”

  “Everything.”

  “Even your girlfriend?”

  “Even her.”

  “She might not like that.”

  “She’s with my sister and Teddy.” I waved her off. “She’ll be fine.”

  I walked over to her slowly.

  “Do you mind?” I was already sitting next to her before she could answer, our arms brushing, the chemistry between us palpable. Electric.

  “It’s a little too late to ask,” she said with a laugh.

  “I guess it is.”

  We sat next to each other, arms touching, legs extended against the carpet for a long moment. Caroline was staring straight ahead and I turned to just look at her.

  “I saw you…” she stammered. “I saw you dancing with your girlfriend.”

  I could hear the pain in her voice, but she turned toward me and gave me a brave smile.

  “She’s beautiful.”

  You’re beautiful.

  Her eyes widened, and I knew she heard me but didn’t quite believe the voice in her head. Because she didn’t understand it. She shook her head and looked away.

  “You haven’t danced at all tonight,” I said, changing the subject.

  “I did, actually.”

  I stood up abruptly and stepped onto the stage as Caroline eyed me curiously. She didn’t say a word, but I could tell she was nervous from the way her chest rose and sank, not knowing what to expect from me. I didn’t even know what to expect from myself anymore. I pretended to be looking for something and used my magik, and instantly Lifehouse’s “Only You’re the One” began to echo through the room. I walked back to the front of the stage, to the edge, and held out my hand to her. She was pale and looked completely surprised.

  “Your first dance didn’t count, Caroline.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because it wasn’t with me.”

  It took her a moment. She stared and I stared right back. Our eyes locked, not leaving each other. Not for a moment.

  “Take my hand.”

  She slowly reached out.

  Magnetic.

  My hand was on fire, my soul burning. I pulled her forward with ease and lifted her onto the stage. When we were safely away from the edge, I placed her down slowly, letting her body slide against mine.

  Everything I had become was wrong. But this. Her. She was right. I pulled her closer and held her with everything I had.

  We didn’t speak.

  We didn’t have to.

  Because there was nothing to say.

  Chapter Eight

  “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”

  —Buddha

  In the Darkness of the Forest

  The time had finally come, blowing in a winter chill with its arrival. It felt like they had been conspiring for centuries, but preparation and timing are everything.

  Alderon knew the moment was upon them, and it brought him great joy. The feeling was intensified with each passing second. It was time to strike. While Alderon watched over Wrath as he searched for his mate, Puck would finally get to make his grand entrance back into the human world.

  Puck had dreamt of this moment for so long. He had longed for the days when he was allowed free reign to wreak havoc upon the mortals. How he enjoy
ed those times. He had made a great life of it for a while. Those were the days when the mortals were more easily influenced. Their craving for darkness was insatiable. A whisper in an ear would lead to chaos, war, destruction. Watching them obliterate one another had been a favorite pastime of his. To be denied that pleasure for so many years had been torture.

  But not anymore.

  Now the pearly gates of his heaven were opened once more.

  No longer banished, he would make his entrance. And how fantastic it would be to start again. Fresh, reenergized. With so many new ideas. He would watch them suffer. And he would relish it. The plague would pale in comparison to what he had in store. But first, he would see to the King and his love. It was almost too good to be true, the events that were about to transpire.

  Easy.

  And once his work was completed, the Dark Fae would have no more obstacles in their way. Their paths would be clear, and his people would once again have freedom in the human world.

  The freedom to do as they wished.

  With no one to answer to and no one to fear.

  It certainly was a time for celebration.

  C

  He gazed down at me. His look was so intense. He ran his hands across my fingers and down my arm. I tried to speak, but no words would come out. I was silenced. I tried to make him stop, but I couldn’t. Because we both knew that I didn’t want him to. When he rested his head above mine, breathing me in, I knew. I knew everything. This was what I wanted and what I needed above all.

  When he appeared in the door of our drama classroom, I was shocked. I didn’t think he had seen me leave. It had been so abrupt. But I couldn’t take another second in there. It was suffocating. I told myself that I just needed a minute to get a grip on my raging emotions and try to let go of the sadness I had felt at seeing Devilyn with someone else in his arms. His beautiful, perfect girlfriend.

  It wasn’t something I was proud of, running away, but faced with the alternative of just watching them together, I couldn’t see an alternative.

  I was so lost in my thoughts that I hadn’t heard him enter the room, but when the lights slowly turned on and I turned and saw him there at the door, looking so handsome and somber, his black attire only adding to the heaviness of the situation, I forgot everything.