Darkness Rising

CHAPTER [ 18 ] LESSON ONE

Sweat soaked into the clothes Lenore was wearing, making them cling and rub at her skin to the point it was beginning to chaffe. Her hair was a frizzy mess of tangles, thanks to the humidity and sweat. There was a light pink hue to her pale skin—the beginnings of a sunburn, great. She regretted not preparing more for this excursion.

The problem was Emilio dragged her out of bed this morning before the sun had risen and before she was awake enough to think properly, proclaiming that today was her first lesson. They had proceeded to run several laps (she'd lost count) around the property. They ran, watching the sun rise above the trees, the vision of the city as a backdrop.

"Is this—meant to be—punishment?" she asked between gulping breaths. The stitch in her side was getting harder to ignore.

There were no signs of distress or sweat stains marking his clothes. The slight rosy tint of his cheeks and the glistening sheen on his dark skin, that appeared more like he had oiled himself up than he perspired, were the only signs of the effort it took from him.

"You move like an elephant."

"Well, excuse me—for not—preparing for a—life of murder and mayhem." 

A small smirk slid across his face at her remark. Emilio picked up his pace, twisting around and maintaining his form, despite doing it backwards.

Lenore scowled at him and muttered, "Show off."

"You're not human. Why do you keep acting like you are?"

His question and what he was trying to say hit the pit of her stomach like a ton of bricks. She came to a sudden stop, breathing hard. Emilio arched his brow before coming back to her, jogging in place.

"You could move through shadow like Kaiser or free yourself from the weight of gravity like those Apostles. This task should have ended hours ago."

Lenore closed her eyes and threw her head back, releasing a short but loud yell of frustration. She doubted this was Emilio's idea—he probably would have told her sooner. No, this stank of Kaiser. He knew that she would be out here running for hours, never once considering what the true intention of the task might be.

She could almost picture the smug expression he was wearing when he told Emilio what he wanted him to do. And the subsequent self satisfaction he would carry himself with the whole day, like a cat fat on milk. He left last night after she went to bed, and she didn't know when he was meant to return. But now she was certain that these lessons were going to push her limits. That was what Kaiser wanted. 

Gods, he was a pain in her ass.

"Move through shadow? How would one do that per say?" she asked, rolling her shoulders.

Emilio shifted his gaze toward the city, slowing his jog until he stood still. "It's not a skill I possess, you'll have to excuse my crude explanation. But from what I understand—the shadows are doorways or pockets to the void. I've traveled through it a few times with Kaiser."

"The void?"

"Hmm, where to begin—" he scowled, a crease forming between his brows. He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. It was obvious that this was as much a task for him as it was for Lenore. "It's a space that thrives in the chaos between this world and the place the gods dwell. It's a bit dangerous, though. It's easy to get lost in there and if you get lost you could wander for ages before finding a way out."

"I'm not sure how Kaiser navigates it but he manages it somehow," he added as an afterthought. 

"You're telling me that I should try to traverse through an ever changing labyrinth of pathways that I'd be lucky to not get lost in forever?"