A ways down the corridor, I look over my shoulder at Valene and Jason. She won’t really look at me, while Jason just smiles like everything’s great. At the end of the corridor, we come to yet another door. A horrifying gargoyle protrudes from it, with blank, lifeless eyes, jagged teeth, and its arms crossed.
“Bonjour, Zel,” Mrs. Kir says to the gargoyle. I thought Zel was the butler’s name?
The gargoyle’s head snaps to the left. Life comes to the gargoyle’s eyes, and it begins to move, shaking off dust and rubble. “Bonjour, Madam Kir, how may I be of service?” The voice coming from the gargoyle is the same as the butler’s.
“We are here to see my husband,” she tells him.
Zel scans us. His stone eyes stop on me. A chill runs up my spine give me goosebumps. Zel isn’t just looking at me, but peering into my very soul. “Master Kyle has no key. I cannot—”
“Give him one,” she interrupts. He bows his head in acknowledgment and uncrosses his arms, presenting his claws. Mrs. Kir places her left hand palm up in his claw. He grasps her wrist. “Kyle, my dear, place your right hand into Zel’s left.” Reluctantly, I do as I’m told. Zel grips my wrist hard, and I take note of the blood-colored ring around his finger; the stone maybe? “This will hurt,” Mrs. Kir tells me.
“Mrs. Kir…”
“Please, call me Selene.”
“Selene, I’m not sure about this.”
“Kyle, I’m sure you have questions, no? About your family, about yourself, about how we know your family.” I nod in agreement. “Well, the first step to answering those questions is getting this key. With it, you will have access to whatever information you need or want.”
“Okay. Then I’m ready.”
“Very good. Zel, begin the process.”
Gargoyle Zel nods his head. “As you wish.” He yanks me right in front of him. Opening his mouth, fire pours out like molten lava. The first drip of flame touches my hand, and a wave of sheer pain shoots up my arm and envelops my whole being. I fall to my knees, screaming.
“Just hold on, mon chéri. It won’t be too much longer.” As she says this, the flames grow more intense, so much so that I swear I can feel it burning through my soul. My vision tunnels, and darkness slowly sets in as I start to pass out or die, whichever one comes first. A hand appears on my shoulder, followed by the familiar berry perfume.
“Hang on, Hero,” Valene says in my ear.
I take a breath in and exhale shakily. When I look at her, she smiles wearily. I nod to her. My body tenses as it grows hot and my skin cold. Energy surges from my shoulder, where Valene’s hand is, and through me. I rise to one knee, gritting my teeth through the pain.
Looking at my arm, I notice the last bit of liquid flame seeping into my skin. A glowing symbol appears in the center of my wrist. The light dulls, and it looks like an etching made by a woodburning tool. Zel releases my hand. The relief that I feel is unreal. I’m sweating so much it feels like I just worked out for 5 hours straight. I look at the odd symbol again. It’s some kind of writing I’ve never seen. Right before my eyes, it starts to heal. Soon, there’s nothing—no pain, no burn—like it never happened.
Valene lifts me to my feet. “Good work, Hero.”
“Yes, many have died during this process. I applaud your willpower,” Selene tells me.
Valene tries to stay at my side as a crutch, but her mother gives her a menacing look, and she steps back next to Jason. I stand on my own on weak legs.
Selene smiles at me. “Now, Kyle, raise your right arm to Zel and open your hand.” I do so. “Now, repeat after me: Zelraport, key in hand, at my command, open. Now you.” She gestures at me.
I inhale deeply. “Zelraport, key in hand, at my command, open.”
“At your command, Master Kyle,” Zel says with a bow of his head. Folding his arms, Zel stiffens into the horrifying statue again. Splitting down the middle, the door he was guarding opens. Selene puts her hand on my shoulder and guides me into the room.
This room is just as grand as the last. Tons of old books line selves built within the walls. Portraits, tapestries, and armor rest in empty coves. The evening sky stretches out above us, the last bit of evening light shining through into the room. The image shimmers, turning transparent for a second, allowing me to see the ceiling behind it. An enchanted ceiling? Cool. By a fireplace, there is a lone sofa chair with someone sitting in it.
“Dearest, we have a guest,” Selene says softly as we near the chair.
“Do we now, Selena?” His voice is deep. A book snaps closed, and the man stands from his chair. Mr. Kir is tall—he’s got to be about six-four—and buff. His white skin is pink from the heat of the fire. He takes a big stretch, running his hands through short, blond hair. His sea-blue eyes focus on me. A smile spreads across his face. “Kyle, my boy, it is good to see you again. Just look at you. Come, come, I won’t bite.” Mrs. Kir places her hand on my shoulder, pushing me forward. As I stand before him, he looks me over. His facial features are soft, giving him a boyish charm, but his eyes are drastically different. They’re cold, distant, and worn, like Mayra’s. It makes being so close to him a bit unnerving. “You look just like them,” he says with a hint of sadness in his voice.
“Okay, what is this? How does everyone know my family? Who are you? Why am I here?” I try to say calmly, but I can hear the frustration in my tone.
He puts his hands on my shoulders. “Come with me.” He heads toward one of the clusters of books. As I follow, the wall shifts and reveals an opening to another corridor. I look back to Valene. She takes a step forward to say something, but her mother steps in the way. Okay, guess I’m on my own with the demonic master of this house.
We walk the length of the hallway until we come to a dead end, where a portrait hangs. “Look at this and tell me what you see,” Mr. Kir says.
There are four people in the portrait: two little girls, one taller and of lighter complexion than the other, and their parents. My eyes fall on the olive-skinned woman in the center and then the dark-skinned man next to her. “Those are my…this is a portrait of my family.”
“Yes.”
“Why is this here?”
“The Kir and Ross families have been friends and allies since before the war. Your father and I fought side by side against many a foe and were together for many a blessing.” He pats me on the back.
“So, you were there for my birth?”
“Of course. I was there for the birth of all of my godchildren,” he says with a smile.
I look at him and sigh. “Is there anything else I should know?”
“I’m guessing nothing surprises you anymore.”
“It’s not that it doesn’t surprise me. It’s just been one thing after another, and I haven’t had a chance to be surprised or amazed. Just scared.”
He places his hand on my shoulder. “A lot has happened to you this week: learning of your demon heritage, saving your three friends from the collapsing ceiling, facing the Messenger, fighting my youngest, and even bearing the unbridled anger of my beautiful and very dangerous daughter.” He looks down the hall. “Which I am grateful for, by the way. Explaining Michael’s death would have been a headache.”
“You’ve been keeping an eye on me?”
He nods. “Of course. I keep an eye on all of my children.”
I shake my head. “So what now, Mr. Kir?”
“Please, just Chris. Well, Selena and I would love to get to know you better, so it has been arranged for you to stay here with us for a while, if that’s okay?”
I think about it for a second. “Yeah, I have no problems with that, since I have a key now.”
Chris takes my hand and rubs over my wrist, where the symbol was. “Hurt like hell, didn’t it?
“Yeah. So, what about stuff for me to wear? I have nothing here.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll provide any and everything you need. Just talk to Zel.” I stare at the portrait, taking in this new information. “It’ll be fine,
Kyle, just let it all soak in. Until then, get some rest. You seem to be worn out.” With all the excitement of the party and nearly dying, I didn’t notice how beat I really am and how achy my body feels until now.
We walk back down the hall where the others wait. “Valene, my dear, please come and show Kyle to his room.” She hurries over, slightly bows to him, and grabs my arm. “Oh, and Kyle, there is one more thing you should know,” Chris says to me, but he’s looking at Valene, “but I’ll let her tell you that.” I look at her. Her cheeks are pink from embarrassment.
Selene stops me, kissing me on the cheek and giving me a hug. “Welcome home.”
Valene and I are silent as we go back through the portal to the main house. This time, I’m not affected by the distortion. It just feels like walking down a hall bordered by a swirling projection. As we exit, Valene starts to say something but stops herself. After walking through the rest of the house and back to the second floor, we come to some random door in the same wing as her room.
“Zel!” Valene calls out.
From nowhere, Zel appears next us in a bow. “You called, Mistress?”
“Will you please make Kyle a room?”
“Would Master Kyle like anything special within?” They both look at me.
“Umm, the essentials: TV, maybe a game system, and some books. Oh, and a ceiling like in Chris’s room. That was cool.”
Zel clears his throat and closes his eyes. The floor rumbles. Slowly, the shaking fades until the house is steady again. “Done,” he announces. The door opens, and the room is just perfect. It has everything I asked for and then some. “Clothes are in the dresser and closet. A bath has been drawn for you. If there’s anything else, please do not hesitate to call.”
“Thank you, Zel, that will be all,” Valene says. Zel bows, steps back against the wall, and vanishes into it. We walk in, and Valene sits on the bed. “Why don’t you take a bath? I’ll wait here.” I nod in agreement and head to my personal bathroom.
The water is the perfect temperature. It feels like my body doesn’t exist. I’m in and out as fast as I can and before I have a chance to fall asleep. As I wrap a towel around my waist, I look down at my clothes. They’re damp with sweat, tattered, and covered in blood. The metallic taste of blood pops into my mouth, making my stomach turn. I rush to the toilet and hug it. With a few good breaths, I manage to calm myself and my stomach.
I wonder if Shadow knew any of this? Doubt it. Even if he did, would he have told me? Better question: Would I have believed him?
I dry off, brush my teeth, put on shorts and a shirt that appeared out of nowhere, and find Valene sitting on the bed. She looks lost in thought and doesn’t notice me until I plop down next to her.
“Feel better?”
“A little.”
“Good. So, what did you and Father talk about?”
“Nothing really. Just how our families are close, how your parents are my godparents. The usual.”
She giggles. “You seem to be taking it well. I mean, if I were in your shoes, I would be—”
“Freaking out.” I take a shaky breath, then lie back onto the bed, which crazy soft. “Oh, I am. I’m screaming inside as we speak, and I just puked. I can’t believe it’s happening. “
“I’m sorry,” she says, putting her hand on my leg.
“For what?”
“I mean, I didn’t help anything by bringing you here and tossing you to the lions.”
“And don’t forget nearly killing me.” She looks down. I sit back up next to her. “It’s okay, Valene. Besides, it was going to happen sooner or later with our families being so close and all, right?”
“True. Did Father tell you everything?”
“More or less.” Everything about her relaxes as she sighs. “But what is it that you’re supposed to tell me?”
She blushes and stands abruptly, then makes her way to the door. “I’ll tell you later, but until then, rest up. Our days here start at sunrise.”
“What’s going on at sunrise?”
“Training. Sleep tight, Hero.” She shuts the door, and all the lights in the room go out. I drift to sleep, wondering what kind of training a demon teenager needs to go through. Guess I’ll see in the morning.
As soon as I feel myself slip into sleep, a knock at my door drags me back. Groggy, I roll over and look at the enchanted ceiling. The night sky is still prominent, but the light of the sun is slowly taking over. Reluctantly, I sit up and then stare at the door. Who could it be? Maybe it’s Valene. “Come in.” The door opens, and Valene’s mother walks in. “Good morning, Selene.”
“Bonjour, Kyle, comment avez-vous dormi?”
Good morning, Kyle, how did you sleep?
Sliding to the edge of the bed, I crack my neck. “I feel like I just got to sleep, but it was nice.”
I pause, amused and baffled. “Hey, I understood you…but that was French.”
She stops at the foot of my bed, smiling. “It is not unheard of that demons innately pick up human languages after only hearing a few words. They are all the children of the ancient language of creation, Durabi Duprima, which all demons and most of the light speak. You’ll be learning it. Now, I’ve come to get you for a small breakfast and then your first day of training.”
I jump up to run to the bathroom. In there on a stand next to the sink, are a pair of black sweats, a muscle shirt, ankle socks and a pair of shoes–– my size no doubt–– have already been laid out. I get dressed and walk back out into my room. “What kind of training?” I ask.
“Come, chéri, and you shall see.” We leave my room and make our way through this castle of a house to the kitchen. Valene and Jason are already there eating. “Grab something light. Valene and Jason will fill you in on the details while I go prepare.” She leaves. I sit at the high wooden table with the others.
“Good morning, Hero. Did you sleep well?” Valene asks.
“I feel like I was only asleep for a few minutes,” I answer through a yawn.
“That might be due to your body trying to attune to the demon clock. Nine hours to a human is a little more than ten minutes to a demon,” she explains.
Zel places a small bowl of oatmeal and fruit in front of me with a pleasant smile.
“That’s mind blowing. So, what’s the conversion?”
“Eighty to one. Every eighty human years is one dytic to us.”
“Wow, so that’s why Serena is over a thousand human years old. That means he’s older than me,” I say, pointing at Jason.
“By years, yes, but not mentally.”
“Hey!” Jason says, his mouth full of food.
“So, what kind of training am I in for today with you guys?”
“Military training,” Jason says, standing in his chair.
I choke on my oatmeal. Zel drops a glass of orange juice in front of me like he was waiting for me to choke. I gulp it down. “What?”
He sits back down. “Yeah, Mom and Dad are both from military families. They were trained from birth and so were we. Every morning like clockwork, two to three hours of PT and combative arts, but lately, Mom has been working us longer and harder. I don’t know why.”
I look at Valene. She looks up at me, her brow raised, giving the impression that she knows why. “Speaking of which, we should get going before we’re late,” she says, sliding out of her chair.
“To training!” Jason screams. Chugging down the rest of his milk, he flips off the chair and out the door.
I finish my own glass and follow. As we make our way through the halls, Valene explains the protocols when it comes to her mother’s training: always ‘yes or no ma’am,’ no talking out of turn, and never question an order.
“Your mom seems really intense.”
“You don’t know the half of it. She lives by the teaching: If you can’t stand on your own, just lay there and die.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah.” We come to a black door marked “Training Room.” “Okay, Hero, there
’s one more thing I want you to do for me.”
“What’s that?”
“Don’t die.” Valene opens the door. We walk into a large circular room with hardwood floors and mats in the middle. Mirrors line the wall closest to the door. The rest of the wall is made up of windows that look out onto the amazing estate—the buildings, trees, and a lake far in the distance.
With every step, the air grows thick, like walking into a sauna. I have to fight to take a decent breath. My head starts to spin. I teeter to one side, unable to regain my bearings. Valene catches me by the arm as I start to fall. “Be strong, Hero.”
“What is this?” I ask, struggling to compose myself.
“Remember what I did to you yesterday?” I nod. “Mother is doing the same thing—putting out a field of overwhelming energy. It’s a form of training, getting your body and mind used to such pressures. If you had been at the Messenger’s rally in the physical plane, you would have felt the same thing. Now steel yourself, here she comes.”
She stands me up tall, then scoots away. Selene walks over to us and looks us over. She has a totally different air about her than earlier. She’s more rigid now. “Attention!” she demands. A wave of energy hits me, and I fall to my hands and knees under the weight of it.
Valene doesn’t move this time to help me. Holy crap. This is nothing like Valene’s energy. Hers was just sharp; Selene’s is blunt and heavy. Like Shadow’s energy. I take a deep breath and force myself to my feet, sweat pouring down my face.
Selene’s green eyes light up a little as a small smirk touches her lips. “Magnifique, Kyle. You have made me so proud. Okay everyone, today we will be training in hand-to-hand combat. I know this is Kyle’s first training session, but after seeing the way he handled himself against both Michael and Jason yesterday, I feel that he may be able to keep up. Now, to start off, we are going to drill the katas. Kyle, follow our lead.”
She turns around, facing the wall of mirrors. She spreads her legs until her feet are shoulder-width apart. She balls her fists, then brings them in tight to her sides, her elbows pointed back. Jason and Valene follow.
Light of Darkness Page 21