Dark Souls: Box Set: Books 1-5

by E. J. King

  “Did you need something?” I asked, trying to keep things serious and quiet.

  She pointed to the window. “It’s beautiful outside. I need you to come to the quad with me. The sun and boys are waiting for us.”

  “I need to study,” I protested weakly. The truth was that a break sounded nice. If I stared at the books any longer, my vision would start to blur. “Maybe just for an hour.”

  “Yes!” She pumped her fist in the air, oblivious to the angry looks.

  I hurried to pack up my things before we did any more damage. I might not have been friends with the other library nerds, but they were still my people and I didn’t want them to hate me.

  Hope was right- it was a perfect day. Upper 70s and not a cloud in the sky. Just a few minutes after we spread the blanket over the soft grass, I was laying on my back with my eyes closed. Hope lay next to me, chatting happily about her new crush, a guy ten yards away that was throwing a football with a friend. While she plotted the best way to force a meeting with him, I felt my tense muscles begin to relax.

  I must’ve dozed off at some point because I was suddenly in a different world. It started as a dream, but quickly turned into a nightmare.

  I was home with my family, just another normal day. Lincoln was there, as was my little brother, Jack. We all went for a run together, just like old times. Then I went off on my own, random locations that came in and out of the sleepy fog until I was back at the house.

  My family was still there, but this time they were all dead. Bloody and dismembered. I stared in horror until the fog wrapped over me again. When it cleared again, I was staring directly at the man from the library, only this time he wasn’t wearing his sunglasses. I could see his face for the first time, could see the tenderness in his eyes. Just as he opened his mouth, about to say something, my eyes flew open. I shot straight up, heart pounding in my chest.

  “You alright?” Hope put a hand on my arm.

  I took several deep breaths and nodded. Even though I knew it had all been a dream, it felt inexplicably real.

  “I think I’ve had too much sun,” I said, still feeling breathless.

  “Alright. We should grab some dinner soon anyway. Need to have a full stomach before we hit the bar tonight.” Hope stretched and looked around. “My future husband is gone anyway.”

  Normally, I would’ve laughed or teased her for being ridiculous. But I was still trying to shake the remains of the bad dream from my brain. It wasn’t until much later, when we were surrounded by drunk, loud people in a bar, that I started to feel normal again.

  “Are you hearing this?” Drunk Hope asked, pointing to something in the air. “This is my jam.”

  “You said that for the last five songs,” I complained.

  Hope was a dancer when she drank, but she never wanted to dance alone. That meant I had been awkwardly swaying on the dance floor for the last twenty minutes. Fortunately, I had also had about one too many drinks, courtesy of a bar that didn’t mind looking the other way at terrible fake IDs. I was less uncomfortable than usual with alcohol in my veins.

  “Holy crap!” Hope yelled in my ear. “He’s back!”

  “Who?” I turned around as casually as possible, pretending that the music was inspiring the move. When I spotted him across the room, seated coolly on a barstool with his shaded eyes locked on me, I froze.

  “I think he likes you,” Hope teased with a wink. She continued to dance around me in a seductive circle. “Should I go tell him that you already have a boyfriend?”

  My new stalker continued to stare, beer in hand and smirk on his face. I finally snapped out of my trance and flashed him the middle finger, causing his smile to grow.

  “Making friends again, I see.”

  An arm went around my waist, a familiar voice breathed in my ear, “Did you miss me?”

  My boyfriend- Luke.

  “Of course,” I replied automatically. I turned away from the guy in sunglasses, but not before I saw his smile vanish. “You’re late.”

  As I turned, I stumbled.

  “And you’re drunk,” he said with a laugh, his arms still around me, keeping me on my feet. “But I still love you.”

  “It’s not my fault. Hope insisted that she couldn’t drink alone.” I tried to look to her for help, but she had disappeared. “Maybe we should leave and go back to your place.”

  “That sounds amazing,” he said, contradicting his words with a grimace.

  “But?”

  “I promised the guys I would stop by the house. They are having this guys’ night thing…” He trailed off when I moved my body up against his. “Maybe I don’t have to go.”

  I sighed. “No, you should go. Have your guys’ night tonight.”

  “Tomorrow, I’m all yours,” he promised.

  “I’m visiting my parents tomorrow,” I reminded him.

  He groaned. “That’s right. Jack’s birthday.”

  “You’re welcome to come with me,” I said, knowing that it was a pointless offer.

  It wasn’t that Luke didn’t like my family, it was that my dad didn’t like Luke. For some unknown reason, he treated my boyfriend like gum stuck on the bottom of his shoe. Surprisingly, Lincoln seemed to tolerate him, even though he was generally against me dating anyone of the male species.

  “I think I’ll pass,” Luke said, trying not to sound too adamant. “Maybe I’ll see you when you get back?”

  “Sure.”

  We took our time saying goodbye, and while I usually loved a good make-out session with Luke, this time it felt a little off. It didn’t help that with my eyes closed, I kept picturing Mr. Shades rather than my boyfriend.

  After Luke left, I looked around for Hope and found her busy dancing with some guy I had never met. Hope picked up new guys faster than a fraternity guy picks up a new beer. She looked like she was enjoying the drunken groping, so I left her on the dance floor and made a quick trip to the bathroom.

  On the way back, I noticed my stalker sneaking out through the back door. For no reason I could think of, I decided to follow him. Maybe it was because of my Hunter upbringing, or maybe it was because of how I couldn’t get his face out of my head while I was kissing Luke. Whatever the reason, I stormed out the door and rounded the building quickly. So quickly that I crashed right into him.

  “Check the brakes, babe,” he said, annoying smirk back on his face.

  “Why are you following me?” I snapped.

  “Me following you?” His laugh was deep and manly. “I think we can both agree that you followed me out of the bar.”

  Something about the way he looked at me, with a familiarity that was unsettling, made me angry. “In case you were wondering, you are not charming.”

  “Do you always lie to yourself like this?” He leaned against the building, arms crossed over his broad chest. I noticed that his biceps were more than a little bulging. “This will all be so much easier if you just admit the truth, Kaylie.”

  I sucked in a sharp breath. “How do you know my name?”

  “Because I know you.” His chest heaved as he took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I know you, and I know that this isn’t you. This isn’t your life.”

  “I’m sorry. How long ago did you escape the mental institution?” I felt myself wishing that I still carried my Hunter knife.

  “I know you, Kaylie.” He said my name so casually, like an old friend. “You are a Hunter. This college girl life is a sham, and so is your relationship with that guy.”

  Not only did he know my name, he also knew that I came from a Hunter family. “Luke? What could you possibly know about my relationship with him?”

  “I know that you don’t love him.”

  My eyes narrowed. “How could you possibly know that?”

  “You didn’t deny it.”

  “You didn’t answer my question.” I wouldn’t let myself think about what it meant that I hadn’t told him he was wrong.

  I was surprised when he move
d, stepping away from the wall and circling around me. Then he took a few steps directly at me, backing me up until I felt cool brick at my back.

  Even though it was a very dominating action, I didn’t feel threatened.

  “You are destined for so much more than this ordinary life you have created. You are extraordinary.” He wasn’t smirking anymore. Even though I still couldn’t see his eyes, I could feel them locked onto mine. “Stop settling for less. You deserve excitement and happiness, joy and passion. You deserve amazing.”

  I didn’t know this man. Up until our encounter in the library, I had never even seen him. I didn’t know his name, or how he knew my name. But I did know that his words were having an effect. I wanted all of the things he said. I wanted amazing. I wanted him.

  “Who are you?” I said in an airy voice that betrayed the effect he was having on me.

  As if he could sense my desire, he leaned even closer. I could smell his leather jacket and a hint of cologne. My head was already spinning when he said, “I’m the one that’s going to give you all of those things.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  I expected something momentous to happen after that. A powerful declaration of love, a passionate kiss, or even a fight. The moment was too surreal to have a normal ending. But that’s exactly what happened. He turned and left, while I stood stupidly in the alley watching him go.

  Hours later, after I was tucked into my bed, I could still see his strong frame walking away. I could see the curl of his lips as he smiled at me, could hear his deep voice in my ear. And I was still thinking about him when I pulled up in front of my parents’ house, ready to celebrate little Jack’s birthday.

  He ran outside to meet me on the way to the door and I couldn’t help but think that he looked so much older than I remembered, even though I had just seen him a month prior.

  “Kaylie!”

  I braced myself for impact, stumbling back a half-step as he collided into me.

  “Easy, Jack.” I laughed and ruffled his hair.

  “That’s right. Take it easy on her. She’s gone soft.” Our older brother, Lincoln, waited for us at the front door.

  He hadn’t agreed with our parents’ decision to let me leave. A Hunter to the core, Lincoln believed in our family’s mission to rid the world of Souls. He didn’t believe in college, fraternity parties, and normal lives.

  “Link.” I stood on the familiar porch, feeling like an unwelcome guest when he stared at me with a blank expression.

  “I wasn’t sure you would show,” he said.

  “I couldn’t not make an appearance on my favorite brother’s birthday,” I replied with a pointed glare.

  He cracked a reluctant smile. “I know you really only came for some of Mom’s famous chocolate cake.”

  “I couldn’t let you eat it all.”

  It felt good to be home again, even if it meant having my big brother give me a hard time. As much as I didn’t miss the Hunter life, I really missed my family.

  “Are they inside?”

  “Yeah.” He stepped back, holding the door open for me. “Mom has been cooking for hours. Hope you’re hungry.”

  With an unlimited meal card, I hadn’t exactly been starving. But nothing could beat Mom’s cooking.

  I found her in the kitchen, slathering chocolate frosting on top of chocolate cake.

  “Hey, Mom.”

  She looked up, dropping the knife she was holding. It made a loud clang on the granite countertop. “Kay-Kay!”

  No matter how far I tried to run from my family history, or how much I tried to push my parents away, Mom never held a grudge. To say she was excited to see me would’ve been the understatement of the century.

  “Mom. You’re crushing my ribs.” I was barely able to grunt out the words as she wrapped me in a Hunter-style death grip. “Seriously.”

  “I’m sorry. It’s just so good to see you.” She finally let go and held me at arm’s length. “You look thin. Have you been eating?”

  I couldn’t help it. “No. I haven’t eaten anything since leaving home. Was I supposed to be eating this whole time?”

  “Very funny.” She frowned. “I’m making you eat two slices of cake.”

  “No protest from me.” I pointed to the half-finished cake. “Better get back at it.”

  She laughed and bent down to retrieve the hastily discarded knife. I watched her clean it, thinking briefly about the number of knives she must have cleaned in her life. I was just glad this time she was washing away dirt and frosting rather than Soul blood.

  “Can I help with anything?” I knew that the answer would be no. Mom preferred to handle all of the cooking and party planning on her own.

  “You can sit in that chair and tell me all about your new college life,” she said, gesturing with the newly cleaned knife. “Don’t hold back. I want to hear all the juicy details.”

  Typical Mom. For the next hour, I did my best to regale her with every little thing that had happened to me in the last month. Sadly, I didn’t have much to say. Most of my time was spent in class or in the library. But I tried to spice it up as much as possible while Mom finished decorating the cake.

  “You didn’t invite Luke today?” Mom tried to sound nonchalant as she asked about my boyfriend, but I could tell she was suspicious.

  “I did. He’s busy.” I don’t know why everyone else seemed more interested in my love life than I was. “I’m sure Dad will be sad that he isn’t here.”

  Mom smirked and as if he had been waiting for that moment to make his entrance, Dad appeared in the doorway.

  “Who’s this?” he asked with a wry grin. “A stranger in my kitchen?”

  “Nice, Dad. I’ve only been away for a month,” I said with an elaborate eye roll. “Your guilt trip isn’t going to work on me.”

  “I see you’re still engaging in bad habits,” he said with a pointed look at my nearly empty coffee mug. “Still dating that frat boy?”

  I stifled a groan. “Dad.”

  “Just asking a question!” He put his hands up in a defensive posture. “Am I not allowed to take an interest in my daughter’s life?”

  “No, you’re not.” I smiled so he would know I was just teasing him. “You look older than I remembered. More gray hairs?”

  “You’re still just as unfunny as I remembered.” He gave me a hug from behind, dropping a kiss on top of my head like he had when I was a small child. “It’s good to have you back, Kales.”

  “It’s just for today,” I reminded him.

  His smile fell. “I know. I’ll take what I can get.”

  Lincoln and Jack had gone outside to play catch and I decided to join them. No matter how tense things might still be between me and the parentals, Jack was guaranteed to make me smile.

  Jack was a lot younger, born nearly a decade after myself. Our parents had been strict when Lincoln and I were kids, making us train like grown Hunters. But they had softened with time and Jack had grown up in a slightly more normal household. Playing catch with his older brother in the backyard was a common occurrence. Hunting Souls with my parents was a much rarer phenomenon. In a way, I envied him. I’d always wanted that kind of normal childhood.

  But I also worried about Jack. Just because our parents weren’t training him as hard didn’t mean the monsters weren’t still lurking in the shadows, waiting to attack. By Jack’s age, I’d already killed Souls all by myself. I knew how to hunt them and I knew how to kill them. I worried that Jack had missed out on learning important skills. Skills that would keep him alive.

  “Kaylie! Come play with us!” Jack smiled, flashing a grin with missing teeth.

  “I don’t have a glove!” I feigned disappointment.

  I was perfectly content to sit and watch, occasionally heckling Lincoln on the rare occasion that he made a bad throw. Each time he glared at me, the way all older brothers glare at their annoying little sisters.

  By all accounts, it was a perfect day. The weather was wonderful. Dad gri
lled some delicious burgers and we ate them outside, followed by birthday singing and cake. Jack exclaimed loudly over each present he opened, sheer delight radiating from his smile.

  I watched it all, expecting to feel content and happy. But something felt off. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. Or that something bad had already happened. I was so unnerved, I went inside to get away from everyone and hopefully clear my foggy brain.

  The house changed as I stepped inside. It was no longer my parents’ current home, the sprawling ranch just a few miles outside of Jackson. Instead, it was the two-story house we had lived in for a few months when I was sixteen. It had been such a brief stay that I barely remembered it.

  “Freaky,” I muttered, taking a few deep breaths and blinking hard.

  Whatever I had been sensing outside seemed to be coming to fruition. My brain told me that I should turn right back around, go tell my parents. But my gut said that I was in the middle of something important and if I left now, I might lose the moment forever.

  I heard a noise coming from the living room and I moved forward, deeper into the fog. It felt like I was walking underwater and I wondered for a moment if I might be dreaming. Had I fallen asleep outside?

  When I rounded the corner, my blood ran cold and my limbs began to shake. The normally spotless room was now covered in blood and dismembered bodies. It looked just like the image from the dream I’d had on the quad, only this was more real. The force of it- the visual assault and the overwhelming tangy stench- took my breath away. My eyes began to water and I had to bend over, hands on knees, just to catch my breath.

  After I was sure that I wasn’t going to vomit or pass out, I lifted my head and surveyed the massacre. It was then that I confirmed that the bodies belonged to my family- Mom, Dad, Lincoln, and even little Jack. All of them stared back at me through open, dead eyes.

  “This isn’t real,” I whispered in horror. I had just left them outside, laughing and alive. How could they now be torn to pieces in the living room?

  “You’re right.”

  I hadn’t realized I wasn’t alone. Turning toward the voice, my eyes darted around the room for a potential weapon.