Frailty: The Darkshine

by Snow, Jenika

  “Oh, Lizzy. You should have told me. You know I would have been there for you, supported any decision you would have made. How did you know about the DarkShine, anyway?” Tears pricked Helina’s eyes as she looked into Lizelle’s face. She looked so sad, so desperate to be understood.

  “I didn’t know what they were until Ryce came to my house. I wasn’t even scared, didn’t even scream when he walked right in. It was all over the news, Lina. Didn’t you watch it?”

  Helina shook her head.

  “Well, it was. They said it was some kind of an invasion but that was as far as they went. They said dead bodies were turning up everywhere and that everyone needed to find a safe hiding place. By the time I heard this, Ryce had shown up. It was too late; you were already on your way over.”

  Helina looked into her eyes, her skin so soft-looking it was as if it were porcelain. Lizzy looked the same, but different somehow. She seemed more ethereal, more powerful. She was no longer the sick and frail older sister that Helina remembered.

  “So, he was just standing in the doorway, the sun behind him and obscuring his features. I thought he was an angel, my angel of mercy. I asked him to make the pain go away. He held his hand out to me and I took it without hesitation.” Lizzy laughed, short and soft, as if she couldn’t believe what she had just said. “He had asked me why and I told him I was tired of the pain. I didn’t want my sister to watch me die. The next thing I remember is waking up on the floor in my room with Ryce holding me.”

  “Where have you been all this time?” Helina was happy her sister wasn’t dead, but to know how much she had suffered broke her heart and masked some of that happiness.

  “I stayed with Ryce.”

  Shock wracked Helina and she stared at Lizzy. All that women’s clothing she had found now made sense. “I don’t know what to say, Lizzy.” She closed her eyes and smiled before opening them again.

  “Just say everything’s okay.”

  Helina sighed. Her heart melted and she hugged her sister tight. “I love you, Lizzy. You don’t have to go through this alone, we’re in this together.” Both started to cry. Helina couldn’t hold back her own tears. She was so happy that she had her sister back, and that they could now be together forever.

  As Helina held Lizzy she thought about Ryce. He had led her to believe her sister was dead, but before she could let her anger consume her, she thought about what he had done for her, how he had taken away her pain and had given her peace. Closing her eyes, Helina started crying harder. She didn’t know what else could happen today, but she had enough surprises to last her a lifetime.

  Epilogue

  Helina smoothed her hands down her gown and looked at herself in the mirror. Only a few days had passed since she had been turned and found out her sister wasn’t dead. She had thought she killed Iena, but Gaijryc reminded her how strong a DarkShine was, and how she had only incapacitated Iena. It didn’t sit well with her that the woman who wanted her dead was in a dungeon cell in the basement of where she was now staying.

  Pacing the room, Helina wiped her sweaty hands on her gown as her mind reeled. She thought about all the things that could go wrong today. Sitting down, she put her hands in her head, everything coming back to her from the last couple of days. Her memory had slowly returned and now she remembered everything in great detail from when she was turned. Every time she thought about Lucie piercing her neck she got chills.

  She still couldn’t believe Lizzy had killed Lucie. Helina worried that it had affected her sister, even though she appeared all right in front of her. Lizelle seemed so different, so strong and confident. It was a vast difference from the shy and timid Lizzy Helina knew.

  Today Helina was to meet with Gaijryc’s mother and father—the king and queen of the DarkShine. To say she was nervous was an understatement. She really didn’t know what was going to happen today, but Gaijryc had assured her that presenting her to them was the first step in securing their future together. Helina just wanted to have a long and happy life with him and be able to see Lizzy. She wanted both close.

  Her door opened and she stood up. Her heart pounded hard against her ribs as she stared at Gaijryc. Even though she was so nervous, so fearful of today, Helina couldn’t help the joy and love that filled her at seeing him. He held his arms open and she didn’t hesitate to run into them, to let all of his love for him wash through her.

  “I can smell how frightened you are. Please don’t be.” He pulled back and lifted her chin up with his finger, a smile on his full lips as he brought them down and kissed her gently.

  They held hands, their fingers linking together as he led her out of the room and down the grand staircase. It was as if she was on autopilot, her body following his lead but her mind not fully catching up. By the time her brain finally caught up, they were standing at the entrance of the ballroom, chairs lined up on either side of the wall, bodies filling each and every one of them. She spotted Lizzy sitting next to Ryce, a wide smile on her face and somehow giving her a little bit more courage. They stopped in front of the stage. The king and queen were seated in extravagant thrones, both of Gaijryc’s brothers framing them.

  “You have called for a presentation, my son?”

  The queen’s voice held no emotion as she stared at Gaijryc, not once looking in Helina’s direction. Gaijryc said it was forbidden to turn a human into a DarkShine. To even mate one could be considered a crime. He took a step forward, his hand still linked with hers.

  “I have. I want to present Helina Alges, the female I have chosen to mate, the female who I want to be the mother of my children.”

  Helina expected gasps and curses from the people surrounding them, but everyone stayed silent, which in itself was scarier than anything they could have said. She looked at Lizzy again, her smile still there as she gave silent encouragement.

  “If my memory serves me correctly, is this not the human female that had made a spectacle at the ball?” Castalia turned her stare at Helina, the first time since she had entered the room. Helina straightened her shoulders and stared right back at her, wanting to appear unaffected by what was transpiring.

  “I am surprised with you, Gaijryc. Do you not recall the old ways? The rules our kind has lived by for thousands of years?”

  “Yes, I remember them clearly, but as you can clearly see, Helina is no longer a human. She is one of us. In regards to the forbidden aspect of all of this, she was killed by a DarkShine, and therefore no longer a human once I changed her.”

  Startled, Helina looked up at him and wondered if there were loopholes to their rules, because if there was, then had they just found one?

  “I love her and want her to rule our kind beside me. If you choose not to accept her then I will be forced to leave and spend our life elsewhere.”

  That comment made people gasp and had his mother’s eyes narrowing in anger. Helina could easily smell how much the queen hated what she was hearing. Under all that, Helina could smell a hint of defeat. Helina looked at the king, who had sat in silence. He stared Helina with confusion etched into his features. She turned back and looked at the queen, her face now a pretty shade of red as she gripped the arm rest of her chair.

  “Well, it seems as if you have found a way out of this, Gaijryc. Is this what you truly want?” The king spoke as he stood, walking down the stage and standing in front of them. He looked between the two of them, a smile on his face, acceptance pouring out of him. Gaijryc nodded and pulled Helina forward.

  “Rise, Castalia, and greet your new daughter.”

  Helina watched as she rose, a little bit of fear still inside of her as she made her way down the stage and stood in front of them. She wasn’t much bigger than Helina, but she could detect the underlying power the queen held. The air was thick as they stared at each other, but Helina refused to back down. Eventually the queen blew out a frustrated breath and lifted her nose up.

  “I congratulate you on your pick, my son. Welcome, Helina Alges, to the royal famil
y.” Queen Catalia spoke to Gaijryc directly and gave him a hug. She spared Helina a glance and small smile, but that was the extent of it.

  The king and queen left, murmuring softly to each other. Helina turned and wrapped her arms around Gaijryc. She didn’t care that there were people around as she leaned up and kissed him deeply. He wrapped his arms around her, deepening the kiss and pulling her closer. Helina heard a throat clear and broke the kiss to turn around. Lizzy and Ryce stood side by side, a smile on both of their faces as they gave their congratulations. Helina wrapped her arms around her sister, so thankful that she was there with her.

  The whole situation was still so surreal to her, but Helina no longer felt like it was a nightmare. As she stepped back and looked between Gaijryc and Lizzy, she was so thankful for the way things had worked out. It might never feel real to her and she might never get used to her new life, but as long as she had the two of them, she could handle anything that was thrown at her.

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