Dark Souls: Box Set: Books 1-5

by E. J. King

  “You’re pretty sassy,” he said.

  “You’re pretty annoying.” Another gulp and the cup was empty again. “Let me guess, you came to the party alone?”

  He shrugged. “Technically. But I live here, so it doesn’t count.”

  “If you say so.” I busied myself with another refill. “How are you enjoying the fraternity lifestyle? Is it everything you hoped it would be?”

  “And more,” he said, eyeing a scantily clad girl that stumbled into the room. “What’s not to love?”

  “Let me guess… you’re a communications major?” For some reason, I couldn’t seem to make myself shut up. I blamed the beer.

  “Emphasis in broadcasting.” He tilted his head curiously. “How did you know?”

  It was my turn to shrug. “Lucky guess.”

  “I’m going to be a sports broadcaster when I grow up.” He had meant that as a joke, but it did very much feel like I was talking to a young boy. “What about you?”

  “I’ll worry about the future when it gets here.” It wasn’t worth explaining that for most of my life I hadn’t had to worry about that question. I’d always known my destiny, not to mention the added complication that I hadn’t been certain I would even make it to grown up status. A Hunter future was never guaranteed.

  Somehow this was only the beginning of a lengthy conversation about nothing at all. After a few more refills, I thought it sounded like a good idea when he suggested we go to his room to get away from the noise downstairs. I also learned that his name was Leo and coincidentally, that was also his sign. Yes, it was stimulating conversation.

  I made it all the way to the stairs before I tripped for the first time. Leo caught me by the arm and helped me climb. By the time we got to the top, he was nearly carrying me. It wasn’t until he was dragging me into a bedroom that I realized I wasn’t just dizzy from drinking too much. The haziness and the spinning was something else entirely.

  “Did you give me something?” I mumbled.

  “Just a little something to help you relax,” he murmured in my ear.

  I couldn’t stand on my own so he propped me against the wall while he moved to shut the door. My brain screamed that I shouldn’t let him close that door, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. Just as it was about to click closed, somebody on the other side shoved it open.

  Through my blurred vision, I could just make out a familiar form. I heard the intruder say something in a low voice that sounded like a growl. I saw a sudden movement and heard a loud crack, followed by a scream from Leo. It occurred to me that he had probably just been punched.

  “Kaylie.”

  I blinked my eyes several times until my vision cleared enough that I could make out James’ face. “Hey.”

  “Okay, yeah. You’re strung out.” His head shook furiously, making me nauseous. “Can you walk?”

  I tried to nod and nearly fell over. He caught me easily.

  “I’ll take that as a no.” With little effort, he lifted me into his arms.

  Unburdened with the task of holding my body upright, I let myself melt against him. My eyes drifted closed and I felt my limbs go numb.

  “I really can’t let you out of my sight for even a second, can I?” He scolded gently. “This is one hell of a life you’ve chosen to live.”

  As the noise from the party grew louder, I was dimly aware that he was carrying me downstairs and a blast of cool air told me that we were outside. Vaguely, I thought that it was probably stupid to be trusting someone I barely knew to get me home safely while I was barely conscious. But I felt completely safe with James, my body felt like it belonged in his arms. That was my last conscious thought for a long time.

  The next time I opened my eyes, it was with great effort. Each eyelid seemed to be glued shut. But slowly I was able to peel them open and when I did, I was back in my own bed. It was dark in the room and the covers were pulled up around my shoulders. A quick assessment told me that someone had removed my party clothes and redressed me in a nightshirt.

  I turned toward Hope’s bed, expecting to find her dozing peacefully a few feet away. Instead, I found James sitting on the opposite end of my bed, leaning against the wall as he watched me.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked.

  “Violated,” I said through a scratchy throat.

  “Chill out. I just put you into something more comfortable. I promise, taking care of a nearly comatose girl doesn’t exactly turn me on.”

  I wondered if he could see my eyes roll in the darkness. “That’s not what I meant. But thanks for the reassurance that you aren’t a complete sicko.”

  “You need to be more careful, Kaylie. This life may not be real, but it can still hurt you.” He leaned forward and a ray of dim light from outside lit up his face. I saw that he had removed his sunglasses and his eyes flashed at me in a familiar, brilliant gold.

  Then everything went hazy again and I had to close my eyes. I didn’t drift immediately to sleep, but instead hovered in a state of near-sleep. I knew that was I was seeing wasn’t real, but it was different than a normal dream. I saw a rapid succession of memories, except they weren’t memories of my current life. The things I saw hadn’t happened to me, but it felt like they did.

  I saw the scene again from the parents’ living room and felt the terror of seeing their slaughtered bodies. But then my mind quickly went to happier images, all involving James.

  I remembered lying in bed with him, feeling both excited and nervous.

  My hand was on his chest, just over his heard. It felt so intimate to feel his heart jumping beneath my hand. As if he sensed that I was awake, he rolled onto his side. His eyes were a bright gold when he looked at me, luminous even in the dark room.

  His heart rate increased as he took his hand off mine and reached through the darkness to stroke my cheek softly with the tips of his fingers. Then his hand moved along my jaw and down my neck. All the while, I stared into his eyes, hypnotized. His hand jumped to my hip, fingers slipping under the hem of my shirt and caressing my skin. My breath hitched as his hand slid upward, along the curve of my side.

  Just as his hand skimmed the flesh along the curve of my breast, he stopped. Leaning close, he pressed his warm lips to my forehead. Then he retracted his hand and pulled back. He settled onto his back and closed his eyes, his hand finding mine again where it was still pressed to his chest. Every look, every touch had thrilled and enticed me. It was the first time I realized that I wanted him, and now that I’d had a glimpse of what it was like to be with him, I wanted more.

  That memory faded away, replaced almost instantly with another one. We were walking together in silence, the mood somber.

  He stopped walking, turning to look at me. “I wonder what my legacy will be when I’m gone. Who will miss me and what will they remember about me? Could I have helped more people? Could I have been a better man?”

  It took me by surprise.

  “You’re a good man. I’ve seen it for myself.” I took his hand without thinking. “But you don’t have to worry about your legacy. At least, not yet. I’m going to find a cure. I won’t give up until I do.”

  He swallowed hard, looking me dead in the eyes. He gripped my hand tightly and pulled me close to him. His other hand grazed my cheek before cupping my chin. When his lips closed over mine, it took my breath away.

  He kissed passionately, but tenderly. His lips were the perfect blend of warmth and softness and I gave into them completely. My mouth opened expectantly, allowing his tongue access. My body moved involuntarily against his, as if drawn by a magnetic force.

  Our first kiss. The first of many. Each one was more intense than the last.

  He asked. “Can’t we just enjoy each other’s company?”

  “I have a hard time enjoying anything,” I admitted with a smile.

  “I’ve noticed.” His smile softened his normally tense face. “We never talked about what happened last night.”

  “What’s that?” I asked,
playing dumb.

  “Just because you don’t talk about it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.” His leg brushed against mine again, this time harder and more purposefully. “We should be honest with ourselves about it.”

  I kept my eyes focused on my drink. “So you’re finally willing to admit that you are crazy about me?”

  “Yes, I’m willing to admit that you drive me crazy.”

  I smiled and looked at him. “Talk about twisting my words.”

  He gave me a hard look without smiling. “You captivate me, Kaylie.”

  My mouth dropped open. I wasn’t expecting him to say something serious, let alone something that didn’t seem to be at all an insult.

  “I wish that wasn’t the case because it would be a lot easier to be around you if I didn’t feel that way. But if we’re going to be honest, then you should know that I find you annoyingly mesmerizing.”

  “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

  He didn’t break eye contact with me for even a second.

  “Your turn,” he said.

  I had been trying for so long to deny my feelings for him that now I couldn’t seem to find the words to express them.

  “Most of the time when you open your mouth, I want to smack you. But then you go and say something like that and it takes all of my self-control not to kiss you.”

  “Self-control is overrated.” He put his arm around the back of my chair and leaned closer. “Sometimes it’s better to lose control, give into your impulses.”

  With him, there was no such thing as self-control. Seeing the snippets of our relationship flash by, it was easy to see that I had been doomed from the start. I couldn’t resist him even if I tried.

  On our first date, we ended up on a dance floor. He looked at me with mild panic. “I’m not a dancer, Kaylie.”

  “Well, there had to be something you are bad at. I’m just relieved it’s dancing and not other things.” I acted like it was perfectly natural to put my arms around his neck.

  He chuckled and his hands moved around my back. They softly grazed the exposed skin my open-back dress revealed. Then he kissed me hungrily, lips firm but still tender. I melted against him as my body went numb. His fingers pressed into my back, slipping underneath the fabric until they were dangerously low.

  “I think I finally understand why school dances are such a big deal,” I said when we pulled away slightly for air.

  “It hasn’t sucked so far,” He agreed. “What are the odds we can just do this for the rest of the night?”

  “If you don’t mind getting caught, then I’m fine it.” I hadn’t even noticed that a new song was playing.

  He considered it. “I don’t think I’m ready to deal with that yet.”

  “You really think Ethan is going to have a problem with us dating?” I asked.

  “I think Ethan still hopes you and he will end up dating.” His arms tensed around me. “Every time I kiss you I feel a little bad.”

  My eyebrows shot up. “Bad?”

  “Not bad,” he hurried to correct his poor choice of words. “Guilty. I feel a little guilty. But mostly I feel lucky.”

  “Nice save.” I asked, “Do you think we’re crazy for even attempting this?”

  “Dancing? Yes. Completely insane.” But his hand caressed my back in a way that said he didn’t mind being a little insane.

  I laughed. “I wasn’t actually talking about the dancing. I meant you and me trying to date like normal people. That’s nuts, right?”

  “Maybe.” He kissed me again, softly this time. “But I’ve found that life isn’t worth living if you can’t get a little crazy now and then.”

  My heart thudded loudly in my chest and my body felt like it was holding in a raging fire. Boldly, I asked, “What would you say if I suggested we get more than a little crazy tonight?”

  “Like what?” He grew very serious.

  “Like, we go back to the house right now while Ethan and Hope are still preoccupied.” I couldn’t look him in the eye when I suggested it. “You made an enticing offer earlier about helping me out of this dress. Is it too late to accept?”

  He went perfectly still and didn’t say anything until I finally looked him in the eye. “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Then no, it’s not too late.” His lips formed a perfect smile. “You could make me wait our whole lives and it still wouldn’t be too late.”

  “We don’t have that kind of time,” I reminded him. “So how about now?”

  “Now is good,” he said, sealing the deal with a firm kiss.

  Then, just an hour later, after our first time together, I lay in his arms feeling safe and loved.

  I watched him for a long moment. His eyes were distant as he stared at the ceiling. “At the risk of sounding incredibly girly, what are you thinking about right now?”

  “Truthfully? I was just thinking about how incredibly improbable it is that we ended up here.” His fingers slowly skimmed my bare back.

  “Because you’re out of my league?” I guessed, only half-joking.

  His eyes rolled. “Yeah, right. Stop fishing for a compliment.”

  “Fine. Why?”

  He said, “You’re not the kind of girl that usually brings home a guy like me.”

  “Because I’m a prude?”

  “Yes, obviously.” He pointed to the middle of the room where my dress was crumpled on the floor. “I meant because you’ve got standards. I’m just glad you were willing to lower them tonight.”

  I tapped a hand against his rock-hard abs. “It was really generous of me to slum it tonight.”

  “You don’t regret it, do you?” He suddenly seemed very serious.

  My eyes narrowed. “You’re kidding, right?”

  He looked at me but didn’t say anything. His eyes betrayed that he was genuinely worried that I might be second-guessing my decision to sleep with him.

  “Life’s too short. No regrets.” I matched his seriousness. “And you?”

  “I only regret not making my move sooner.”

  I was surprised. The first few weeks we spent around each other, he had never betrayed any signs that he was attracted to me. “How much sooner? When did you first decide you wanted to jump my bones?”

  My question wasn’t serious, but his response was. “Since the first day I saw you.”

  Whatever I had been thinking about James prior to that, I knew now that he had been telling the truth about everything. I also knew that he loved me and that I loved him more than anything. Now I just had to decide if I was willing to give up everything to be with him again.

  CHAPTER NINE

  When I opened my eyes again, the room was filled with sunlight and James was gone.

  If it wasn’t for my turning stomach and pounding headache, I might’ve thought that I had imagined the whole night.

  While I was nursing a coffee and a greasy breakfast sandwich in the cafeteria, I noticed a discarded newspaper on the table next to me.

  I slid it over to give my tired eyes something to focus on other than wanting to close. My heart dropped into my stomach when I saw that the front page was dominated by the story of three women that had gone missing on campus in the last two weeks. All three had vanished without a trace.

  “What happened to you last night?”

  My head snapped up. “Luke! Where did you come from?”

  “The buffet line,” he said with a charming smile. “Did I startle you? Sorry.”

  “No, it’s fine. I was just reading about these missing girls.” I folded up the paper and tucked it into my bag to read later in private.

  “Yeah, I heard about that. Terrible.” Luke eyed me carefully. “Are you okay? You look…tired.”

  “Is that your polite way of saying I look like crap?” I asked with a small smile. “I’m aware. I had too much to drink last night.”

  He nodded. “I went to the party and couldn’t find you. Hope said you left early. She
said she saw you leave with some guy and assumed it was me.”

  Well crap. Hope had seen me with another guy and told Luke about it. I had to decide whether to tell him everything, particularly the part about me getting drugged and having James take me home.

  “One of the guys from the fraternity offered to help me home. I’m friends with his girlfriend, so it seemed safer than trying to stumble home by myself,” I lied.

  “I see.” His smile remained, but I could detect a question in his eyes. For whatever reason, he decided to let it go. “What do you think about us spending the whole day together?”

  I had a ton of homework to do and I still wanted to read more about the missing girls, but I was feeling incredibly guilty for lying to Luke and he looked exceptionally hot today in his light blue shirt that matched his eyes.

  “I think that sounds like a great plan.” I forced a smile and hoped that it reached my eyes. I did love Luke. Or at least I thought I did. I had to find a way to keep all the weird supernatural stuff happening around me away from him.

  I thought I did a pretty good job. Luke didn’t seem to notice anything strange about me, and I only thought about James a couple of times throughout the day. But the missing girls had proven to be a more relentless distraction. When Luke mentioned that he had a study group session scheduled that he was going to skip, I encouraged him to go. I did try my best not to sound too eager to be rid of him.

  The minute he was gone, after about a dozen apologies from Luke, I snatched the paper from the bottom of my bag and finished reading. Even with limited details, it was clear that the girls hadn’t just run away. They had been taken, and I suspected they were already dead.

  Whatever was responsible hadn’t just stumbled on the girls by accident. Their photos were in the paper and there was no denying the similarities- among them, and with me. The creature that had taken them hadn’t just randomly picked its victims. It had been looking for me.

  I had sworn that I was done hunting and that nothing would change my mind. But the reality was that it was only a matter of time before something pulled me back into that world. I couldn’t ignore a monster prowling the campus, killing girls while it was looking for me. My parents had raised me better than that.