The Darkness in Me Read online

  They want to rule, they can get in fucking line. They don’t like how I run things, then they can fucking fill in a compliant form, and I will break every fucking bone in their body. I haven’t ruled for this fucking long because I am weak.

  My brother is doing a fantastic job at playing host, I’m surprised that most of these women haven’t slipped and fell on his dick yet. I asked him to play nice. This coven thinks they know me, they think we have met before, they think a lot of things that aren’t real. The fog, it came, it created, like I asked it to do or I would lock its ass up for a good few thousand years if it didn’t.

  I feel Weyland come out of the shadows to stand next to me. He is also looking, assessing, but he doesn’t need to blend into the darkness to do that. If he doesn’t want to be noticed, he doesn’t get noticed. When you are a guardian that is one of your perks, to go unnoticed unless you want it otherwise.

  “There are a bunch of new fuckers from out of town, not much known about them.” He says to be from the darkness

  “Keep an eye on them. This person will be on their own, or in a pair. They will think to go unnoticed. They will stay close to Daxtin or Natalie when she arrives.”

  “Will you stay hidden when she does?” Weyland asks me.

  “She shouldn’t remember me from her dream, she doesn’t know I’m here. I haven’t made my presence known.” I growl back at him. He is trying to get a reaction out of me. When I rip heads from people’s shoulders, he will get the reaction he is looking for.

  He fucking smirks at me and then disappears back into the shadows. He has been with me for years, too many fucking long years. He knows me by now. Fucker. I look to the crowd again. So many women and men have come make their powers stronger. I don’t know whether to laugh or feel sorry for them.

  They have heard what is coming, how I don’t know. No one knows what this prophecy says. What will happen when it comes to be. They just know whatever it is, it can’t be good. They are afraid of what is coming. They think it will affect them. They are right, it will. But joining of covens is not going to change the outcome.

  I feel my heartbeat starting to increase, she is coming closer. I feel the beast in my trying to break free to get to her. He fucking wants her, but not to kill her. To fuck her into submission, he doesn’t like that she keeps getting away, or that I let her get away. In the darkness, I had her, she didn’t even know it. She fucking smelled of rain and strawberries and felt like sunshine. I fucking hate sunshine.

  I look towards the door, I can feel her approaching, my heartbeat becoming in sync with hers the closer she gets. I feel like a little boy with his crush walking down the school corridor. I grip onto the railing, I feel it crack beneath my grip. I need to get him under control. He knows he will have her one day. Just not today. That thought alone is the only thing allowing me to see how this all plays out.

  I watch as she walks in. She is dressed in a beautiful emerald green dress, the colour of my own eyes, I can’t help but smile at the irony in it. Her long dark hair is flowing down her back and almost touches her ass. What I wouldn’t give to wrap my fist around her hair and pull on it while I fuck her from behind. I wonder if she would like my kind of fun.

  The beast in me whispers to me, “We will make her like it.” I know we will. I can’t think of fucking her while someone is trying to fuck me over. But the way she looks, the way her hips move when she walks, sexy as fuck. I’m drawn to her, like a fucking moth to a flame.

  I watch as she stops to greet Daxtin. I watch as she takes him in, she grips the sides of her dress unknowingly until her eyes meet his. The confusion on her face is obvious, I can see she is trying to figure out what is wrong. There is no fucking way she can tell us apart. Our own mother used to have difficulty. But the confusion is there, it’s written all over her beautiful face, even Daxtin notices, the smile on his face is all I need as confirmation.

  I watch as she freezes, ever so slightly, if you weren’t paying attention, you would never know it. She is listening for something. Something is talking to her by the way she has gone still. The fucking shadows are speaking to her, she tries to cover up her hesitation by shaking Daxton’s hand, but I saw it. So did Daxtin.

  I watch as she looks over the room, she is looking for something. Whatever the shadows have told her, have made her inquisitive. She is searching, her eyes scanning the rooms that can be seen into, until she gets to the staircase. I watch as she watches the darkness I’m in, her head tilts to the side, watching, assessing. I notice how her body wants to move up the stairs, until Daxtin jars her from her thoughts. How the fuck did she do that.

  I watch for a while longer, I watch as the men watch her, follow her, fucking surround her. They just don’t know that they are surrounded, and one fucking move I disapprove of, will end their pathetic lives before they even know what has happened. She gravitates towards the display cases that hold many artifacts that are not assessable today. You couldn’t sell your own heart to possess some of these things.

  I watch as she studies each box carefully, like she knows what they could possibly hold, I watch as she tilts her head, the shadows again must be talking, telling her what they are. Until she reaches the ones with the gems, and a small smile grows on her face and I watch as she reaches out to place her hand over the one corner of the display case and taps the glass. What has the little one found?

  Chapter Seven

  “We are not lovers, but strangers.” - Natalie

  ~Natalie~

  I walked around the house, just trying to ignore all the idiots that are here. I know I should at least give them a chance, but I have no interest. I’m here for one thing, and one thing only. The Gem of Danté. It’s got to be here. They said it would be. I’m starting to think this was all a put on to get me here.

  This birthday ball is another put on, it’s not real. These people can’t honestly believe they will get stronger for doing this? The coven will get larger, more powerful. But not people. Your own power will not be influenced by this. Are they that desperate? I listened to my Mother and Faith talking while we were getting dressed. I learned a lot in those short few hours than I would normally have. I pretended to not be too interested in the gossip they were talking about, I couldn’t give it away that I had no idea what has happened in the last few years.

  Margret believes something is coming, all the old readings and new ones have proven that a prophecy is in play, and in the next few short weeks we will know. It affects this coven. I honestly think the only thing that affects this coven is their own brains. I could tell my mother was worried about the reading, she was there when they were done.

  With the fog that came and remade this new reality, to them this has all played out in the last few years and not in the last few days. I just can’t figure out why, if the fog created this new reality, why make the prophecy known to the coven. Why not leave it how it was, leave them to be. If the darkness wanted them, why make it known, why get them to think of ways to try make them stronger against it? So many questions, and no one can give me the answers I need.

  I walk into the next room, which looks to have been cleared of most of the furniture, clearly intended for dancing, but the display boxes are what draw my attention, they weren’t here the other night, clearly whoever put them out is not worried about someone taking what’s inside. The boxes are filled with all sorts of what looks like ancient weapons, knives, hell I even think there is a wand in there. The shadows whisper to me excitedly, they are strange characters. They tell me how they got each item. I’m not sure if I should believe them or not.

  I walk down the path of the display boxes, each holding numerous items I have never seen before. They must be priceless, why the hell advertise you have them? I make it to the last few boxes, where I spot one full of gems. They are all so beautiful. They are a range of colors, from yellow to the deepest darkest blue. They all, I’m sure cost a fortune and have some use. But they don’t interest me, the one gem in the far back c
orner has my attention.

  Its small, rough around the edges, and is a deep dark blue, almost black colour to it. Its looks like nothing special. Unless you realize the blackness has a pulse inside the gem. It pulses ever so slightly, moving the darkness around. That’s why people don’t know what the Gem of Danté looks like. To anyone else this stone would just look like a normal Onyx stone. But it’s not. It’s so much more.

  I tap the side of the display case, trying to measure the thickness of the glass. Lucky for me, I came prepared. I knew this was my only other chance of finding this gem, so I brought some useful tools that somehow managed to stay with me even after that strange fog came and fucked shit up.

  I slip on my one little invention for cutting glass. It’s a tiny little device that slips over the tip of my finger and allows me to just draw over the spot I want to cut. I tap the side of the glass again with the finger the device is attached too. I feel the tiny diamond go through the glass with ease. I start to draw my circle in the glass large enough to put my hand through to grab the gem. I just hope there are no alarms on this display cases.

  Once I complete my circle, I withdraw my hand to take the device off. I don’t want to get caught with it on. All I have to do is tap the glass again and the circle I cut out should fall through, simple. As I’m about to finish the job, Jacin comes up behind me. I wouldn’t have known he was there if I didn’t see his reflection in the glass. Something is wrong about him. Don’t get me wrong, he was beautiful, no man should be that good looking, but to me, something isn’t right, like something important is missing from him, it had to do with his eyes, they don’t belong. They need to be darker, deadlier, more dangerous.

  “Miss Benson, can I have a word with you.” Jacin asks me while coming up behind me to whisper into my ear.

  I turned around before he could see what I was trying to do. Which would have most probably been awkward as I was just about to steal his gem. Why would a coven have such access to these kinds of gems? Do they even know what they have here?

  “Of course, Mr Lawson, what would you like to talk about?” I asked him sweetly.

  “Oh, I don’t know, let’s start with the reason you look at me like I confuse you so much.” He says to me like he was actually concerned about it. He wasn’t, he knew exactly what I found confusing about him. In what used to be my line of work, I learned really quickly on how to read people, how to interact, how to play people. And I knew when I was getting played.

  I smiled sweetly before I chose my next few words to him. I was going to oust him. This whole ball was a bunch of bullshit. And he was the one hosting it. So, he knew something, and I bet the coven doesn’t know the entire story to this ball. But I wasn’t falling for it, they can, hell they could all trip over themselves and go fucking bonkers if that’s what they wanted to do. But they weren’t fooling me, not even for a second.

  “Let’s just cut the bullshit. I know you are lying. I can spot bullshit from a mile away. Not that I really care, if you want to lie to this little town with what is going on here then fine, but I know you are not what you claim to be, and I know you are not who you claim to be either.”

  I heard the women talking about him, how they would love to jump his bones. He is supposed to be some powerful witch, which came from a strong line which is all but died out now. I don’t fucking believe it. He isn’t new here either, he has apparently lived here for a few years, earning the covens trust. Considering this house was all but abandoned a few nights ago, I don’t believe it.

  “Now how would you know that?” Jacin asks me.

  “I just know okay.” I lied, I’m not about to share my little secret of talking to the shadows. Even though we are surround by magic, the darkness just doesn’t speak, the shadows are what they are, shadows, not talking things, that like to share little secrets about people.

  He looked at me for a few seconds, debating with himself whether this conversation was over or not, but he must have decided on round two with the smile that crossed his face. I wish I could have punched it right off his beautiful face. He takes a step towards me, taking more of my personal space than I would have liked.

  “Miss Benson, can I tell you a little secret.” He whispers into my ear again.

  “It’s Natalie and do I have much of an option on hearing this little secret of yours?” I bite out to him. I do not enjoy playing these cat and mouse games he clearly enjoys playing.

  “No, you don’t, you see something is bothering me, and I don’t like to be bothered by such trivial things.”

  “Why, are you worried about wrinkles or something?” I say back to him, but I guess he chose to ignore my snarky comment.

  “Over the years, I never got it, I could never understand him but then I never saw what he saw. For him to lose himself, for him to have complete lack of fucking control, his undying fucking obsession with a woman no less. I love women, don’t get me wrong, but to be obsessed with one, no, when there are so many more welcoming pussys out there, I never understood him. But now I see it. I now see how a man like him can become obsessed with a woman like you.” Jacin whispers seductively into my ear. What the holy ever-loving fuck did he just say?

  “Excuse me, what the hell did you just say to me.” I couldn’t believe what I had heard. I didn’t want to believe what I had heard. My mind was still trying to process the words that had come from his mouth a few seconds before I move to push him away from me.

  “Obsession is a nasty little thing, once it takes hold of you, it’s hard to let it go.” Jacin laughs into my ear again. Why is he so damn close to me?

  I heard a clink of glass coming over all the talking within the room. The room soon quietened down, but I was staring daggers at this man in front of me. I don’t know who he thinks he is, who the hell just comes up to someone they just met and says something like that.

  “If everyone would please put their masks on, the festivities are about to begin.” I hear a person saying to the quietened room.

  I wasn’t done with Jacin though, I pull my mask out of my bag and tied it to my face. It was simple lace, which matched the embroidery on my dress. Simple and beautiful. I watched as Jacin pulled his mask from his pocket, which was a simple black mask, which went well with his all black suit he was wearing. He looked handsome, I would have liked to punch him in the face for that.

  “What are you talking about, who is obsessed with who?” I grind out under my breathe, but I know he could hear me. I didn’t want to draw attention to the little standoff we have going on here.

  Before I get my answer, a crash of glass comes from the other side of the room. I turn my head to where the commotion has come from to see what happened. I hear a woman repeatedly saying she was so sorry, clearly someone knocked their drink into someone else. I never heard a reply to her repeated apologies.

  I moved closer to the commotion without even realizing I was doing it. I strained my neck to see above everyone, but it didn’t work, my small little frame even in heels wouldn’t get me over most men’s shoulders. But the crowd in front of me soon cleared, obviously nothing exciting happening.

  Before me stood a man, in a dark navy-blue suit, with a crisp white shirt and matching blue tie. On his white cuff was red wine dripping from his shirt to his hand, I stood there and watched as he wiped his red stained hand on a white cloth, cleaning the red wine from his hand. I’ve seen that action before, but I can’t seem to place it in my memories. But the more I stare at the simple cleaning action, the more I start to hyperventilate.

  I had the sudden feeling of déja vu, it all came back to me. The man in my dreams would stand there and wipe the blood from his hands onto a white cloth, smiling at me while doing so. I looked to the man again, and my heart skips a few beats, I involuntary take a step back, my heartbeat is increasing to the point I was hearing the beating in my ears. I couldn’t believe it; my eyes were seeing things. This couldn’t be him. Since I had that dream, I’ve known that he was coming for me, he said so
himself. I guess this is when he is going to make his move.

  I watched as he was wiping the wine from his shirt, and slowly disappearing into the white fabric of his shirt. The woman, who was more now trying to get his attention, than actually apologizing to him, was still carrying on, trying to help him clean himself up. He, on the other hand, was trying to keep her back by lifting his elbow up to her.

  I just stood there, like a fish out of water, with my mouth opening and closing, not sure what to say or do. I take another step back, I knew without a doubt my body was going to make a run for it and leave my mind behind to process what was going on. I start to take my third step back, when the man’s head shoots up and looks me straight in the eyes.

  His eyes. Beautiful, dangerous, deadly green eyes looked straight at me. His face was mostly covered by a simple dark blue mask, but I could still make out his features, they were identical to Jacin’s, just the eyes, they are different.

  I look over to where I left Jacin. My mind can’t process what it is seeing. I see Jacin standing there, in his black suit, with his black mask on. He raises his drink towards me with a smirk on his face. I realize now why I was so confused by Jacin, because he wasn’t the man from my dreams, he looks exactly like him, but it’s not him.

  He is not our master. Our Master watches, he is waiting. I recall the shadows whispers. They make sense now. Jacin may look like their master, but he isn’t. I look back to where the man in the blue suit is. He is gone. Shit! I start looking around like I’ve lost my shit all over the room. I see the exit, and without a second thought I start power walking my ass out of this house.

  I make it all of ten steps, when my mother pops out of nowhere, and literally scares the crap out of me. If this man’s plan was to kill me, he better gets in line, my mother just almost gave me a heart attack. I manage to hold in the scream that was about to come out. I don’t want to draw more attention to myself.