Born of Darkness

by Jamie King

  “It’s too late for that.” His thumb strokes my lips. “From the moment I saw you at Pyrien.” I lean into his touch. “You were a beacon of light that came into my life like a storm brought down from the heavens.”

  What are we even doing here? I should be worried. I should be thinking of a way to escape this underground city. “What do you want from me, Luka?”

  “I’m not sure.” He whispers as he gazes into my eyes.

  His lips touch mine and the world melts away. His hand drops from my face and moves to the small of my back as he pulls me closer to him.

  Oh my god! “What are we doing?”

  He smiles against my mouth. “I don’t know.” He breathes and his lips descend on mine once more.

  A loud crash rips us from our dream. Luka rushes to the door and slams it shut. “She told them.” He hisses.

  As my mind escapes the fog understanding dawns one me. Aurora. He rummages through a drawer and pulls a black shirt on and then pulls out daggers from under the clothes. He stands in front of me.

  “Move to the back corner.” He whispers. I do as he says, and he slowly backs up keeping pace with me. “Be careful, Ri.” He glances back at me with sorrow. “I trained these soldiers.” Goosebumps spread over my arms. They’re going to kill me. “Ri, whatever happens – I’m glad I met you.”

  The bedroom door fly’s off the hinges and slams into the wall directly next to me. I cover my face with my arms as the wooden door shatters. Pain erupts through my body and I feel Luka inch closer to me with a quiet grunt. I pull my arms away and find pieces of wood sticking out of my arms and legs. Blood seeps through my dress around my abdomen. I touch the area and find a thick splinter protruding from my side. “Oh.” I breathe. I have to take this out, right? If I don’t take it out then it could go in deeper, but if I take it out then I could bleed more. What do I do?

  I glance around. The room is swarmed by figures in all black. Pieces of the door litter the area and I see pieces of the door sticking out of Luka’s back. Luka backs me further into the wall. His breath is heavy, and his muscles are tense. Damn it! I pinch the end of the splinter in my side and rip it out. The splinter is about four inches long and more than half of it is covered in my blood. Oh, no. That’s bad isn’t it? There’s no way we’re getting out of here alive. I cling to the back of Luka’s shirt and watch a trail of blood slowly drip down his arm. We’re going to die. I press myself into the wall. What do I even do? I can’t use magic. I don’t even know how. A shadow rushes at us and the clang of metal pierces the silence.

  Luka lets out a heavy grunt as he pushes the shadowy figure away only to be met with three more. I physically cannot help him. I can’t fight. I’m holding him back. I’m going to be why we get killed. Luka is risking his life for me. For what?

  A man screams and crumples in a heap on the floor. Luka repositions himself displaying his dagger now darkened with blood. A man roars from somewhere in the group and six men approach us.

  Luka’s attention is away from me long enough to allow one man to slink around the bed. He slips over the bed swiftly and lands next to me. A hand seizes my upper arm and yanks me toward him. My eyes widen as I look back at Luka who now has a man clinging to his back attempting to choke him while the rest attempt to attack him from the front. The scene is reminiscent of a lion pride attacking a water buffalo.

  “Luk-!” The man tosses me into the air. I land on the bed with a hard thump. Hands grip my ankles and then another pair grips my wrists aggressively tugging them behind my back and twisting them. I scream, but a knee grinds into my spine silencing me. The edges of my vision darkens and I gasp for air. The man atop me leans into my ear and pushes my wing down. Searing heat surges at the pressure and I release a blood curdling scream.

  “Shut up, Daeolc.” He hisses menacingly into my neck.

  I jerk away from his hot breath, but he digs his knee deeper into my back. Ice cold metal encircles my wrists with a loud click. The two men lift me off the bed and set me on my feet. I flinch as a sharp sting shoots through my arms from the tightness of the shackles.

  “No! Nuri!” Luka roars. The anger and despair in his voice is heartbreaking. I meet his rage filled eyes and only the slightest hint of fear can be seen. Fear for me? Maybe fear for himself? Then his face is gone as a dark bag is shoved over my face. Hands grip my arms and push me forward. Cries of pain ring through the apartment as Luka’s fight continues.

  My heart thuds in my chest as I listen to the rhythmic footsteps of the soldiers around me. A door creaks open and I’m shoved to the right. Hands spin me around and grip my throat. The man’s hand smells of overripe fruit as he strokes his thumb over my carotid artery. I try to pull away, but his grip tightens.

  Hands dance around my shackles and then my wrists are free of their cold restraints. The man holding my neck walks me backwards a couple steps and then releases me with a hard push on my throat.

  I tumble to the ground crushing my wings and bending my tail as I land on my back against cold stone. Tears stream down my face as I whimper. The door closes and the sound of footsteps dance on my ears in the painful fog.

  I reach for the bag covering my face and pull it over my head. I’m shrouded in darkness lying on a cold stone floor - again. Four small metal bars close off the small window carved into the metal door allowing a thin stream of light to enter. A small cot is placed in the left corner covered in a tattered stained brown blanket that looks as if it couldn’t even keep a mouse warm in the winter. I sit on the cot and slowly remove the wooden shards from my skin.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  14

  My tongue scrapes against the roof of my mouth as I struggle to swallow. I lay on the ground with my wings spread over the stone like a demonic snow angel. My stomach rumbles. I trail my dry tongue over my cracked lips. I don’t know how much time has passed, but not a single person has come by since I was tossed in here. I bet they’re watching me slowly die in this cold dark room. Alone and broken. What an all too familiar scene. I let out a strangled laugh.

  Footsteps echo on the walls. I guess someone’s finally coming to put me out of my misery. Ah, or maybe to mock me and watch me die slowly. I roll onto my belly. My body’s weak and heavy. I push myself up and crawl to the cot. My beautiful dress is covered in dirt and blood. The edges are torn and dark with grime. Holes litter the skirt where shrapnel from the door hit me. Dry scabs freckle my arms and entire right side. What Willow would think of me if she saw me like this. Will she be upset that this nice dress is ruined? I’ll have to apologize to her if I ever see her again. I curl against the wall and hug my knees to my chest.

  A man steps into view through the window of the cell door. His chestnut brown eyes peer in at me over his round nose. His tousled brown hair falls into his eyes as he looks in at me with a sneer through rounded glasses. A pudgy hand swats the loose strands away. He whispers to someone beside him.

  “Open it.” A woman’s voice commands and the cell door groans as it swings open.

  The round man steps aside and bows as the woman steps into view. Her deep brown eyes bore into me with seething hate. I press closer to the wall. Her black heels clack against the stone with each stride. Her white blouse is tucked neatly into a black pencil skirt and her silky brown hair bounces against her shoulders.

  She lifts a manicured finger to her thin lips in contemplation. “Timothy.” She beckons the large pudgy man to her side.

  A thin man no more than five feet tall slips into the room after Timothy. His sandy blonde hair is cut short and his pale blue eyes stare back at me without emotion. His sunken cheeks and long nose remind me of a rat as he saunters into the room. Both men wear clothing similar to Luka’s attire. Combat boots, black cargo pants and a black t-shirt.

  “We have a fledgling Daeolc on our hands that we know nothing about.” She inspects her nails. “Why don’t we have her introduce herself, huh?”

  Timothy giggles and steps forward. His rotundas body tower
s over me and the putrid smell of rotting fruit engulfs me. So, he’s the one that choked me. I gasp as his hand grips my hair and he pulls me to my feet. He drags me to the center of the room and faces me toward the woman. I don’t even have the energy to scream or cry out.

  “Josh, darling.” She coos at the rat man. “Bring her something to sit on.”

  “Ma’am.” He bows his head and scurries from the room.

  Between starvation and dehydration, I’m near collapsing. The only thing keeping me on my feet is the vice grip Timothy has on my hair.

  The woman snatches my chin up in her long thin fingers. I wince as her nails dig into my skin. “I’ll make you a deal.” The corners of her mouth twist into a smile. “You tell me what I want to know, and I’ll give you food and water.” She rips her hand from my face.

  I know she will kill me either way, but my throat is so dry each time I swallow it’s as if I’m rubbing sandpaper together. I nod in agreement with her.

  “Good girl.” She praises and steps back a few feet.

  Josh passes through the doorway with a worn dark wooden chair and a bucket. Water sloshes back and forth as he carries them to the center of the cell. He sets the bucket of water down with little care and then clumsily places the chair in the center of the room. The chair legs hit the stone with a heavy scrape. The sounds are like explosions on my eardrums. She nods to Timothy who then pulls me by my hair and forces me to sit.

  My tail crunches under me and Timothy releases his tight grip on me. I stifle a whimper and carefully reposition my tail.

  Josh pulls out a small metal cup from his pants pocket and dips it into the bucket filling it to the brim. His bony fingers clamp on the cup as he pushes it at me. I take it and press my dry lips to the metal rim. The water is cool as it slides down my throat, moistening the desert that is my mouth.

  Josh notices that I’ve emptied my cup and rips it from my fingers.

  “Now, I did something for you.” The woman’s cool tone pierces the silence. “Now, you will do something for me.” I nod. “What is your name?”

  I stare at her perplexed. Is this as trick question? “Nuri Hayes.”

  “Wrong.” She spits coolly and nods to Timothy. A hand comes down over my face as Timothy’s pudgy knuckles slam into my cheek. My head rolls back and the room blurs. Small spots appear in my vision as I attempt to catch my breath. “How about we try this again?” She leans into my face. “What is your name?”

  I don’t understand. My name is Nuri Hayes. A chill runs through me as I remember the conversation with Luka about my bloodline. Could Aurora know? Did she tell them? If I tell them and they find out that Luka already figured out who I am and didn’t report it, will they kill him? Mark him as a traitor? Is he already dead? I can’t risk it.

  “My name is Nuri Ellie Hayes. My mother was Grace Mary Hayes. I don’t know who my father is, and I have no siblings.”

  “Do you mean to tell me that you have no knowledge of who you are? Who your sire is?”

  My sire? Is this lady for real? “Yes. My mom never spoke of my father.”

  “For good reason, I assume.” She smirks. “After all he is a demon.” She paces back and forth. Her heels clack with each step. Is she trying to display her power? Why isn’t she getting to the point? “You see, Agnes McGrath of the Black coven had her grandson kidnap you, which leads me to believe that she knew exactly who and what you are.” She stops pacing and turns to me. Her eyes simmer with hate. “When you were her captive, what did she say to you?”

  I fight the dizzying fog creeping in. “She only visited me once.” My cheek throbs and my right eye is beginning to swell shut. I peer at Timothy out of the corner of my eye. A seething hatred boils within me. “She said something about how my mom stole me from them.”

  “Stole you?” She taps her finger against her lips. “Interesting.” She paces once more. “So, then who beat you and left you for dead?”

  “Some girl that was in love with Jake and was angry that-.” I should leave out the destined and born to be together part. I feign shyness. “Well, that I slept with him.”

  The woman bursts into laughter before leaning into my face. “Does Luka know you went to bed with Jacob McGrath?” She laughs again and pulls away from me.

  “What does it matter, he’s with Aurora.”

  “Oh, sweet innocent child, who do you think told us that our beloved General Connolly was harboring a Daeolc.” Her lips curl in amusement as if this is a revelation to me. “And by the looks of it the two of you seemed to be much closer than you lead me to believe.” She drags a long finger over Josh’s collarbone. “Did you promise him something?” My eyes follow her every movement as I attempt to reveal nothing. “Aurora told me all about the prophecy given by the oracles. I honestly do not care that you have some fate slated for you. You are a Daeolc and you are not permitted to live.”

  I tense at her words and my pulse picks up. I knew it. She’s going to kill me. I can’t cause Luka any more trouble. I can’t give anything away.

  “But child, you’re not telling me the truth. You will learn your lesson.” She turns on her heels and stands closer to the open door. “Timothy.” Timothy grabs my hair and forces me to stand. I bite my lip to stifle my cry. I refuse to show this woman weakness.

  Timothy pushes me forward. We trail behind the woman through a labyrinth of hallways before coming to a brightly lit room. A table that resembles a dentist chair is in the center. Metal restraints are attached to the wrist and ankle areas and large moveable lamps hover over the chair.

  What the hell? Timothy shoves me into the room still refusing to release me. Josh grabs my ankles then he and Timothy lift me onto the table and quickly strap me down. Shackles lock around my wrists and ankles. The cold metal sends a painful chill shooting through my body. My eyes roll back and I fight to stay conscious. Why does this metal hurt? Something stings my arm and a rush of energy surges through me. I open my eyes and meet fifteen faces staring back at me. They’re wearing face masks and surgery scrubs.

  “When we’re through with you, Daeolc, you will wish we had done you the service of a swift death.” The woman sneers.

  Adrenaline rushes through me and my stomach sinks as a petite woman in surgical scrubs rolls a cart full of instruments of torture to my side. How dare they! I’ve done nothing wrong! Their laughter echoes and distorts in a dark fog.

  “Betrayal.” A woman’s voice echoes in my mind. “Helpless. You’re weak.” The voice antagonizes. “Do you want to be strong?” She laughs. “Then wake up!”

  My eyes flutter open and the room comes into sight again. Am I hallucinating? Maybe they injected me with something. The darkness threatens to creep back in. Just like my mother couldn’t save her sister, I’m completely helpless to even save myself.

  “Accept the gift of your blood.” The woman’s voice echoes again. “Let it consume you.”

  The strands of darkness encircle my heart. I’m a failure. The black tendrils reach into my mind erasing all pain. All emotion. I am nothing.

  A man’s voice enters my mind. “Good, give into it.” I know this voice. Images of Baal bombard my vision blocking out the world around me. “Good, my child, give into your nature. Give into your power and you will save yourself.”

  Give in? The familiar energy buzzes beneath my skin fighting to get out. Give in? Give in to the power? I want to be strong. I want to protect the ones I love. I don’t want to die here, by the hands of these people. “Will I be strong? Will I be able to save Luka?” I whisper to the void. The woman laughs. The eerie echo of her laugh sends shivers down my spine.

  “Do you accept who you are Nuri Maher? Daughter of Endellion Maher and Baal, Commander of the Army of Demons.”

  “Yes.” I breathe.

  Laughter erupts. “Then bask in the glory of your divine bloodline and bring destruction to your enemies.”

  Images of fire and golden light flash through my mind and then my body is awash with power. Heat flow
s through my veins and the familiar buzz of energy tingles over my skin. An instinctual knowledge of my capabilities comes to me with a rush of complete calm. I feel like an empty shell of power.

  “Good girl.” Baal praises. “Give your instincts control. You already know what to do.” His voice fades and my vision clears.

  The men and women that surround me no longer seem frightening. They are lesser to me. Merely scared humans. Disgusting creatures. I laugh and they all pause to look at me. “You don’t understand what you’ve awoken.” My voice is unfamiliar to me. It sounds, inhuman. Like the woman that was in my head. She sounds confident and strong. I laugh again and imagine my restraints melting away. Fire surrounds the shackles and they quickly soften and fall away. The woman that had been so confident as she gave orders rushes to the door. She trips and falls. She screams and cries as she scurries through the doorway on her hands and knees.

  Four soldiers rush at me. “Stop.” I command, and they freeze in place. Their faces contort in fear as I slide from my chair and stand in front of them. I laugh once more as I allow the power to consume me.

  A female voice whispers to me. “Don’t lose your light to the darkness.”

  I push the voice away. There is no time for weakness. “Where are you keeping Luka Connolly?” I demand. The four men tremble as they struggle against my magical hold. I grow irritated with their silence and send long tendrils of liquid magma to lick their cheeks. The tendrils kiss their skin like the tentacles of a jellyfish. “What have you done with Luka?” They scream as they are kissed by the tendrils. The smell of burning flesh engulfs me. My tail twitches in agitation and I flap my wings which sends a light gust of air swirling around me. I release the men from my hold and direct my flames to engulf them. “See what happens when you don’t give me what I want?”

  Josh is crouched on the floor and pulls a trembling hand away from his mouth. “Lu-Luka is two floors below us.” He cowers and scurries away on his hands and knees.