The King of Darkness | ✔️

Chapter Twenty Nine

I feel like I am floating as my feet move one after the other down the empty corridor. "Come, Nova, come our way," a voice whispers and I stop in my tracks, scouting the corridor for a source of the noise.

"What... what do you want?" I feel like I am spinning in circles, each corridor getting longer but looking the same. Deception and lies. This is not real. The floor swirls and the ceiling looks like the night sky... so pretty.

"Lend us your power, let us siphon off of you," the voice speaks but it surrounds me this time like it wants to swallow me whole. I walk over to the window as though I am being coerced towards it, as though someone is guiding me this way.

"No, I can't give you my power... who are you?" opening the window, I speak into the night air. It's here, I know it's here. Out there something lurks, someone lurks and it's getting closer.

Someone grabs my hips, yanking me back from the window and I'm suddenly dragged back into reality. The ringing in my head stops and I feel like I've been pulled through a bush, a very big bush.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Darian says through his teeth as he pulls me to his chest and closes the window. My mind feels like it is trying to process a million things but nothing at the same time. Darian is going to think I'm going crazy.

"It's... it's nothing," I press my thumb and forefinger to my temples. Pushing against Darian's chest, I continue walking down the corridor - I need to sleep and get my head straight.

Darian steps in front of me, both hands on my cheeks. "That was not nothing. You were speaking out of the window into thin air as if it would respond," he states the obvious.

"It doesn't matter, my mind is just playing tricks on me," I look into those crimson eyes that I have grown so fond of - admittedly too fond of. Something different is in his eyes though, something has changed and I have found that recently those eyes don't look at me the same.

"It does matter. I watched you leave that hall and you looked exactly like yourself but so different... you didn't look you," Darian tucks my hair behind my ears and shakes his head.

"You'll forget this in the morning," I try to move out away but he wraps his arms around me in such a comforting way that it doesn't feel real. What really has happened to Darian?

"It's complicated... I just," Darian takes his hands off of me and I want to rip my own hair out. Why does he have to be so complicated? One minute he wants to touch me and be sweet then the next he is cold and distant.

"You know what... I am so done with this and you," maybe it's the drink talking, hell I have no idea, but it's something that needs to be said. "I can't deal with your sudden mood changes and why half the time you are so vague that it makes my head want to explode!" I shout and begin walking away.

"You are not done and you will not walk away," Darian seethes and I continue walking. "That is an order!" I stop in my tracks and slowly turn on the spot.

"Seriously? You are ordering me," I scoff. "When I didn't think you could become any more of a dick," I spit and he begins striding towards me, his tall figure looming over mine.

Darian's hand wraps around my neck, not tight, just keeps it there as his forehead touches mine. "Why are you doing this to me... why?" he whispers. "It should be treason - the effects you have on my heart," nothing but anger fills his voice.

"Why do you even care? I'm nothing to you remember... just a business transaction," I mock him, nothing but disgust laces my tone and I push him away from me again.