Love me or hate me it's still an obsession

Chapter 24

"Oh, hi again... Effie, was it?"

Effie nodded as she leant on the counter, trying to work out why this man in front of her seemed so familiar. "I have been asked to get my dick of a boss a new laptop. Not that his new one is broken or anything, but because he can apparently."

Nyx nodded his head as he smirked, "sounds like a nightmare of a boss then."

Effie shook her head, "you have no idea."

He walked round to where the laptops were all set out and started explaining what each one did until he realised Effie was no longer interested, distracted by a young couple that had just walked into the store. "Are you okay?" Nyx asked, seeing her eyes well up with tears.

Effie whipped her head round to face him, blinking profusely and flapped at her face, "sorry, yes, just getting a bit hot."

She took her jacket off to reveal a strappy spotty top; the spring weather suddenly becoming warm enough to wear more summery clothes. Nyx smiled as she threw her jacket on the floor and leant forward, peering at the details of some of the laptops, trying to work out what all the different numbers meant. Nyx drew a deep breath in as he spotted the black mark on her upper back, near her shoulder. He stared curiously at the symbol, putting two and two together from her paperwork she had filled out the few weeks before. He put his finger out to touch it and traced the symbol, accidentally touching her skin. She suddenly turned round and looked at his finger then up at his face, "erm, what are you doing?" she asked nervously.

Nyx shook his head as memories flooded into his brain; everything from his childhood, his parents, being told to look after Effie and then watching his parents die in front of his very eyes. He stood back, staring at Effie worryingly. He felt a chill run down his spine and backed away from her, "I'm just gonna put the air con down, it's got a bit chilly in here don't you think?"

Effie couldn't say a word quick enough; he shot off into the back and when he didn't return she grabbed her bag and jacket and made her way through the quiet store, behind the counter and into the store room. It was humongous, stacks of laptops, computers, phones, electric musical instruments; she couldn't believe how high some of the racks were. She walked further into the storeroom, ignoring the strange looks some of the other staff members were giving her.

"Hello!" she yelled, "Nyx? Are you okay?" She jumped as he appeared from round the corner of a high stack of televisions. She put her hand to her chest as her heart felt like it was going to explode out her chest. "Oh my god! You scared me!" she said grinning nervously. Her face suddenly turned to concern as Nyx looked at her expressionless. "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong? Look if you can't help me, I'm sure I can go somewhere else...."

Nyx shook his head and turned around, walking towards the back of the store room. He turned to her and gestured for her to follow before he pushed open the fire exit doors. She followed willingly, feeling fear creep in. It all looked very industrious and Effie grabbed her bag tightly, finding comfort in holding something close. "Sorry, where are you taking me? I don't have long before Mr Wesley will need me back..."

Nyx abruptly turned around and took out some keys, opening a small door to the side of them. He looked over at her as he unlocked it and opened the door, gesturing for her to go in first. Effie took a big gulp and peered round the side. He pushed her in and stood with his back on the door, darkness surrounding them completely. He brushed past her as he walked over to his computer and turned it on swiftly before turning to face her. "Put your bag down, I won't have long before they'll notice I'm not on the shop floor."

Effie did as she was asked. She looked around her as half a dozen screens all lit up. She noticed a black symbol on one of the screens in the corner which matched the one she had on her back and turned to face Nyx. "What is all this?" She carried on looking around her; the walls were filled with pictures of symbols, a house she slightly recognised, a family picture with her parents in – the same picture that she had been given from the orphanage – the one of her, her mum and dad and a little boy that she thought to be her brother. She put her fingers up to it and felt tears spring to her eyes. "Nyx, why do you have all of this?" She turned around to face him, his eyes shining a dazzling purple.

"I have been having nightmares and these other weird dreams ever since you last came into this store. As soon as you wrote your name down I knew; it was like I knew from the moment you walked in, from the moment I saw you. We're Reynolds; Fay and Marin Reynolds were our parents. Don't say you don't remember... That mark on your back was part of a potion Steve Wesley gave you the day our parents were killed by our mother's retched family." Nyx grabbed a picture stuck to wall to the right of where Effie was stood. "This is them..."

Effie put her hand to her mouth in shock, recognising the man and woman in the photo. As she peered closer she realised it was the man who had visited her at work the week before. "No, no, no, no..." She stepped back in horror, putting her hand out as she knocked into a lamp at the side. "Sorry, no, you have the wrong girl, I have nothing to do with this. Yes, I was orphaned, but that doesn't mean I am part of some mad world, I'm sorry but no!"

Nyx ran in front of her, stopping her from walking any further towards the door, "you're telling me that that mark on your back hasn't felt ingrained into your skin from before you can remember? That you don't recognise some of these people, our parents? Me?"

Effie shook her head, desperately not wanting to be part of whatever was going on. "I am just a normal girl. None of this even makes sense..."

Nyx took her hand and placed the photo of Fay's family into it, "you reacted to this photo. Have you seen these people around?"

Effie turned the photo in her hand and stared at them; Nidaw's snake-like beady black eyes staring straight at her making her stomach churn. She nodded. "I know both of them", she pointed at Olette and Nidaw, "he came to visit me at work the other day, he was in Steve's office."

Nyx looked at her worriedly, "you need to quit that job. If Steve knows who you are too then they are all a danger to you."

Effie shook her head, "but why? Why me? I don't understand. That man started saying something about my blood, but it is just too farfetched!"

Nyx grabbed her free hand in his, "you are by far one of the most powerful people on this planet. I can teach you how to use that power Effie. This isn't going to go away on its own. Those people will carry on chasing you until they get what they want."

Effie looked at him, her face etched with pure terror, "power? I have no power. What you are claiming is ridiculous. There is no such thing as magic or any of this shit!"

She threw her hands down and pushed past Nyx. He grabbed her, turning her to face him as he took some scissors from the side and scratched the blade along her arm. He held her wrist tightly as he watched some blood trickle down her arm, dripping onto the floor. Seconds later, miraculously, her skin slowly started to stitch itself back together. She shook her head as he pulled the scissors up, trying to prove to Effie that she was near enough untouchable. "NO!" she screamed as she flung him to the side with such force he went crashing to the ground with a thud. She ran over to him, surprised at her own strength, "oh my god, Nyx, I'm sorry, are you okay?"

She kicked the scissors away from him as she crouched down next to him. He slowly pushed himself up and stood up grinning. "Now what was that about no power, eh?"

She stepped back and looked at her hands then looked at all the pictures on the wall and across at the screens all lit up. "So, what are you saying?" she whispered, struggling to breathe.

Nyx walked over to her and stood beside her staring at the information surrounding them that he had gathered over the last few months, "I am saying that we have a lot of work to do. Are you up for a challenge?"

Effie gulped, not taking her eyes off the picture of her parents, "do I have a choice?"

Nyx put his arm around Effie's shoulders, making her jump, "I would love to say yes, but no you don't."

Effie heaved her shoulders up and down and looked over at the larger image that she recognised from Ace's apartment of Olette, Nidaw, Sen, Ace, Alistair and Steve, "lying son of a bitch."