The Darkness in You (The Darkness Series Book 2)

by Diane Ashley Nortje

  This is what heaven must be like. And for once, I’m jealous, I’m jealous that I’m not ever going to be granted entrance.

  “Wakey, wakey, motherfucker.” A man’s voice says as ice cold water hits my body. It feels as if they threw nails at me. The water hits me all over, the sharp pain that runs through my body is a reminder of where I am, what is happening and who I’m waiting for.

  Their master.

  I’m thrown from my dream of Natalie. God, I still taste her on my tongue. It never leaves me. We remember every detail of her. Right down to the small freckle on the side of her right breast.

  I flick my long hair out of my face. The ice-cold water still runs over my body and drops to the floor. But it’s no longer painful. My body adapted. In the brief moments since being down here, I have found peace.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you there, asshole. But it’s time for your fucking shot and your daily chat.” Number fifty-seven says to me. He is a lesser pain in my ass than the others. But his death is still guaranteed. They chose the wrong side. Which is any side other than mine.

  “You lot are a bunch of pussies. Why the fuck you want to have tea parties and discuss your fucking problems is beyond me.” I say out to him and his foot comes out and kicks me in my stomach.

  I can’t block them. I can’t do shit. Not that I would do anything anyway. I feel. I know I’m not dead. Pain is better than nothing. Nothing is empty, hopeless, despair, which I’m none of. I enjoy the pain; I bathe in it. They just don’t fucking understand that yet. So, when they come for their chat and deal out the revenge each and every one of them see fit, I feel.

  “Since you couldn’t listen to us when we came to you with our problems, you will listen to us now. Until master arrives that is, and he instructed us to keep you company.” Number fifty-seven says to me.

  “Incorrect, I listened to each of your stories then. The fucking lot of you just didn’t like the outcome. You wanted justice, revenge or whatever the fuck you wanted. And I couldn’t give it to you. So now you became a bunch of childish men with a fucking chip on their shoulders. You lot don’t fucking understand balance. And that is the only fucking problem you should be worried about.” I spit out to him.

  They wanted me to fix problems which I couldn’t do shit about. My power belongs in the balance, and the fucking balance I will maintain. And if I had to upset some people along the way to achieve the balance, then fuck it. Sometimes your problems aren’t big enough, or important enough to change the course of history. Sometimes, a person needs to take a step back, assess the damage that can be caused all because of one’s selfishness. The survival of us is all that matters and unfortunately it coexists with the humans survival.

  “You are the only one that gives a shit about the balance, Jacin. None of us could give a rats ass about the human scum you so fucking enjoy protecting. Hell, we heard you are fucking one of them.” Fifty-seven says to me. He is a fucking idiot.

  “Well, if I was you. I’d check your sources.” I mumble out to him as I shift in the chains that have yet to loosen their hold on me.

  “You just wait until she is chained up with you. See how you fucking like it when someone you care about is abused, beaten and disregarded.” He spits out at me. And it’s enough to set the beast off in me. They don’t even mention her name and I want them dead. They disrespect their queen. They will all learn.

  “Let me tell you something, before you be a little pussy and inject me again.” I say to him, he just smirks at me. “I’m going to enjoy your death.” I say to him, which wipes the smug smile off his face.

  He comes closer without thinking. He goes for the injection that I see sticking out of his pocket. Fucking idiot. If that that had to get into his system, he would die instantly. And what fucking fun will that be?

  These bunch of idiots forgot something very important. I adapt, I overcome. They keep giving me drugs after drugs to keep me sedated. But they forget about the fact that I would build up an immunity to it.

  Fifty-seven comes closer, thinking the drugs still run through me. But before he can realize his mistake, my wings are freed from my back and the tips of my wings pierce him right through his throat. Fifty-seven dangles in the air as he chokes on his own blood. I watch the life leave him and he drops the now useless injection on the floor.

  I look at the other idiots that are hiding in the back of the room. Their fear assaults my senses. I watch them closely; they don’t move to come closer. They would be fucking dead if they thought to do so. I shift uncomfortably in my chains, where I should have lost the feelings in my arms and hands, it’s just the dull throb, which is a reminder that I’m still fucking alive.

  “Come out, you little fuckers.” I call out to the room. But they don’t move. What do they think if they don’t move, I won’t see them? Their stench gives them away long before their movement ever will.

  “Bunch of fucking cowards.” I call out again. And none take the bait.

  I look up at my chain, thinking maybe I should just be done with this entire game, kill whoever is here and wait comfortably on a chair for their so-called master. But before I can start to unlatch my chains, a gunshot goes off. I’m hit square in my chest with another needle and I feel the drugs start to mix with my blood. And fuck, they got creative and the drugs take me back under.

  ~Natalie~

  I’m freshly scrubbed and clean. My skin is slightly raw from the amount of scrubbing I did to remove that woman from my skin. I should start to feel guilty; I should start to feel something other than nothing towards what happened, but I don’t.

  I feel her giggle inside me. She craves the bloodshed, craves the violence, the chaos that she makes me cause. And I let her, without a fight. Because I hated the fact that Eve was still hanging around Jacin, and I hate that he never sent her away. But it’s too late for all that now. She is gone, to wherever Tray took her.

  I walk into Jacin’s large room. It’s very similar to the one I have come extremely accustomed to. Dark, masculine, with a large bed in the centre of the room. Massive wardrobes off to the one side, while the other side has couches and a fireplace. There is not one feminine detail in the room.

  I make my way over to the side with the wardrobes. Hopefully I can find a change of clothes that I can work with. I walk over to the wardrobe, it’s a massive walk in one, like the ones you see on those fancy house shows. It’s like a dream. I’m in awe as I walk through it. One side is fitted and stocked with all of Jacin’s suits, which are perfectly hanging by colour. Beneath those are his shoes, and next are ties and shirts. Does this man have anything other than suits?

  I turn to look at the other side, and my jaw completely unhinges.

  The wardrobe is fully stocked. I dash over to take a closer look. Everything in my size, my shoes, I even open one of the drawers to find underwear in my size. Did Jacin always know that I would end up down here eventually? I just pray that these are not from his previous woman. But the clothes still have tags on them, and the underwear is new. So, I’m hoping this was bought for me and only me.

  I hear movement in the other room, Thalia must be back, I need to take this opportunity to get to know someone that was most likely not sleeping with Jacin. I grab the first things I see, throw them on and I make my way to where the noise is coming from.

  Thalia looks nervous again when I enter the room. I notice the tray she is holding, its full of food. More food than my entire body consumes in a week.

  “I wasn’t sure if you would be hungry, then I wasn’t sure what you would like. So, I got a bit of everything for you. And then there is coffee, water and freshly squeezed orange juice.” Thalia says to me. I’m still in shock, so when she shuffles sheepishly on her feet, my mind snaps out of it.

  “Thank you, but you really didn’t have to. I’m sure I would have found my way to the kitchen.”

  A look of horror crosses her face when I say that and I’m not too sure why.

  “No, no, I don’
t mind. Anything you need, I’ll get it for you.” Thalia says.

  “You don’t have to wait on me, Thalia. I’m sure you have better things to do.”

  “No please let me. I don’t want them to see that you are not happy with me. I- I really need this job.”

  “Yes, so you have said. Come, please sit with me, eat something and maybe you can tell me more about this place.”

  “You want me to sit and eat with you?” Thalia asks me.

  “Yes, well that’s if you have time. You are most probably busy and I’m taking up your time, I know. But I would like to know more about here?”

  “Oh, okay then.” Thalia says as she awkwardly sits down opposite me. “What would you like to know?”

  “This clearly doesn’t happen a lot, does it?” I ask her. And her worried eyes take me in, and she shakes her head in a no. “Well please, I want us to be friends.”

  “Okay, I would like that.” She says as she smiles at me.

  A knock at the door disturbs us. I look towards the door, then back at Thalia.

  “Are you expecting anyone?” She asks me and I shake my head.

  “No.” I say to her. “But it could be one of the guys checking up on me. Wait right here, okay?” I say to her and get up to go check the door.

  Before I reach the door, the knocking comes again. I open the door, not thinking to check who it could possibly be.

  A beautiful glowing light greets me, it’s almost blinding. Once my eyes adjust, I realise it’s a beautiful fairy with glowing pale wings that expand across the doorway she is currently blocking.

  “Mistress, I do apologise for the interruption.” She says to me sweetly. And bows. I’m just about to correct her when she continues. “I’m looking for your hand maiden, Thalia. We need her urgently in the kitchens.” The fairy says to me.

  “Um sure, she is just in the lounge, please come in.” I say to the fairy. “My name is Natalie, by the way.” I say to her as she floats into the room.

  “Natalie.” She bows again.

  “Please, none of that. Just now everyone starts doing it.” I say to her. And the look of horror crosses her face before she can hide it.

  “As you wish.” She says again and waits for me to lead her through the room which I’m pretty sure she knows better than I do.

  “Thalia.” I call out to her as we enter the room, she is still sitting in the exact same spot as I left her in. “There is someone here to see you.” I continue to say but I turn back to the fairy. “I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.”

  But before she can answer me, Thalia hops up. “Marigold!” She shouts.

  “Thalia, what on earth are you doing, sitting there, and is that the mistresses food in your hand?” Marigold shouts out.

  “It’s, it’s. It is, but I can explain.”

  “Hey, hey, let’s calm down. I invited Thalia to sit and eat. I wanted to get to know her. It’s really no big deal.” I say over the now fuming fairy and the visibly scared Thalia.

  “As you wish, Mistress.” Marigold says and then turns to Thalia. “Please, we need your assistance. It’s an emergency.”

  “Of course, I will be right there.” Thalia says. “If you will excuse me, Natalie?” Thalia says to me.

  I hear Marigold take in a big breath, oh my word, what is going on here? I’m about to explode when I notice Thalia is patiently waiting for me to reply.

  “Yes, of course. But please, come back when you have a chance. I really wanted to talk to you.” I say to Thalia.

  “Of course, Natalie.” She says and does that weird bowing thing when she caught herself to late.

  This shit has got to stop. I’m no royalty and I don’t expect to be treated as one. I watch them both leave silently. I just hope that Thalia does come back to talk to me. She is my one chance at hopefully finding out what on earth is going on.

  I slump down into the chair. I look over at the food and my stomach turns. I have the sudden craving for fruits. Any type of fruit. I hope I’m not getting the flu. I decide against eating and I close my eyes for a few minutes, trying to get my bearings back.

  A knock at the door disturbs me. I don’t know who to expect. It can’t be Thalia coming back already. It could be Weyland though. I get up from where I was sitting with Thalia only minutes ago and make my way over to the door. Another bang on the door sounds through the room as I am walking over to it, someone is impatient.

  I throw open the door, only to reveal the white-haired hound before me. Pity he is in human form.

  “You don’t have to be so impatient. I was coming, you know.” I grumble out to him and take a step back to allow him inside.

  His eyes though, they have grown the size of saucers. His body has gone from relaxed to tense in seconds.

  “Weyland, Weyland.” I say to him and click my fingers at him. He doesn’t blink. He doesn’t move. His chest expands and contracts with the massive breaths he is taking in. I take a step closer to him, which I’m not sure is a good or bad idea. But it snaps him out of his trance like state.

  His eyes roam my body and not in the way he is looking for damage, the kind where you assess someone, he is checking me out. And for the first time since I met him, his eyes hold lust and want. I want to squirm under his gaze, I involuntarily shuffle on my feet. Weyland is hot. Like really hot. With his white hair, strangely pale eyes, tanned ripped body which towers over me. Who wouldn’t want the attention of this man?

  Oh yes, me.

  “What are you doing?” I finally manage to say out. Which seemed to break the spell immediately. The sound of my voice waking him up from his trance-like state.

  A look of complete horror crosses his face and I see the starting of a blush starting to develop.

  “What was that, what just happened to you there?” I ask him again. And he just shakes his head in response.

  “It was nothing, let’s just forget that ever happened.” He says to me while rubbing the back of his neck with his large hand.

  “Let’s. So, what did you want?” I ask him and he seems to relax a bit after the change in topic.

  “I need you to come with me.” He says and starts to take a few steps back out of the way. His eyes never leave mine and I start to follow him. He is acting strange. It’s disturbing, I don’t like it.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “I learned from the best.” - Natalie

  ~Natalie~

  “Explain to me again, why these people want to see me?” I ask Weyland as he walks me through the passages and down the long hallways of spider webs. I barely had time to snoop about Jacin’s room when he came to get me. He said some very important people wanted to meet me. How does anyone even know that I’m here?

  “They don’t want to see you; I want you to see them.” He replies to me, but he leans in and smells me again. But pulls back before he can get too close to me and a look of horror crosses his face again.

  “Um, do I want to know?” I ask him as I stop in my tracks. “What’s going on with you?” I question him.

  “Sorry, I don’t know what came over me. You have a- a funny smell following you. It’s so faint, sorry about that.” He mumbles at me, while rubbing his neck. I can see the beginnings of a blush forming on his neck again, this has clearly never happened before, so maybe I should just ignore it completely.

  “About these people wanting to see me, Weyland. Not your super sniffing abilities, unless I stink. I don’t stink right?” I ask him, while reminding myself I can’t start sniffing myself too, people will start to think we are insane.

  “Nope, far from stinking.” He rasps out and again. I don’t want to know what the hell has gotten into him right now. “I want to see how they will react to you, that’s all.” Weyland says normally again, when we start walking again towards a massive set of wooden doors. “They don’t know about Jacin yet either. And the longer we can keep it that way the better.” He continues to tell me as we near the massive wooden doors.

  “How can the
y not know, there must be some rumours.” I ask him, because there must be. Jacin hasn’t been seen in weeks and according to the guys, that is unheard of.

  “Rumours, definitely. But Jacin does have more loyal followers than those against him. They are outnumbered. So, they won’t make it news, just yet anyways.” Weyland explains to me as we stop in front of the doors. “I want to see who reacts to what, when you are around. They won’t expect you to have made it here already.”

  “So, you want me to mingle, is that it?” I ask him.

  “I think mingle is going to be the incorrect word used in this setting. They are going to challenge you; they are going to try and strip you down until there is nothing left of you.” Weyland says to me and turns to open the massive wooden doors. “Don’t let them.” Is all he says and looks back to the massive room the doors have opened out onto.

  My heels echo in the room as I follow Weyland. His size hides me from most of the people in the room. But not from all.

  I hear the murmurs start. They drown out the echoes of my heels clicking as I walk. The people we pass look down at me, like I’m insignificant, even when they don’t know who the hell I am. Once we reach the middle of the room, Weyland starts to walk up onto the platform. I notice the throne first. And then the fact that it is gold, then the fact that it is massive.

  A normal person sitting in there would be swallowed whole by it. Who the hell is even big enough to fit into something so large? My eyes are pulled off the monstrous thing, when Weyland stops just shy of the throne and turns to acknowledge the people below us. I turn slowly, I’m a step below him and he still towers over me. Like most of the people in the room.

  “Everyone.” Weyland says out. “Can I get your attention please.” Weyland says as his voice now echoes in the stone room we are in.

  He looks out at the people below him, as if he has done this many times before. I start to wonder who Weyland is? And more importantly who the hell Jacin is. And why the hell he has a massive throne?