Love is the only game that is not called on account of darkness.
--Thomas Carlyle
The darkness inside of her bloomed like a flower under the care of Gaia while her humanity slipped away, like a lightening thief in the night. Was she becoming evil? Her possessiveness with the darklings swirled around inside of her. Why did she feel such a responsibility for them—for Midir? Her soul nearly slipped from her body when a pair hands landed on her shoulders, jarring her from her internal thoughts.
"Hi Cyriac," she squeaked, hoping Midir's spirit didn't show. His glorious fingers began to move, kneading at her muscles and forcing the tension away.
"Better?"
"Yes," she said, feeling the blush burn its way up the back of her neck. Why did she still blush wildly at his proximity? Ugh, she was supposed to be passed this phase. The hairs on the back of her neck rose as she sensed his smile. Turning in his arms, her grays clashed with his greens. His hands slid around her waist, and Rosalinda knew he could hear her heart raging in her chest. This creature would be the end of her. Smiling wickedly at her, he jerked her against his body, sealing their lips in a kiss. It felt like he was devouring her. Fortunately, he broke the kiss. Her face was going to melt off one of these days. She was the entity of death's daughter, and yet, in the face of her destine, a blushing school girl. Apparently, she left her boldness and confidence in the mirror with the thing that tried to kill her.
"Where did you disappear to?" Cyriac asked, staring curiously her.
She brushed towards him toward the kitchenette, trying to calm her nerves, and think of an explanation only to come up short. She shouldn't lie to her destine.
"Cyriac, we have a problem," she said, biting the inside of her jaw.
"Whatever it is, I'm sure we can correct it," he said confidently. She hoped so, for Midir's sake.
***
He paced restlessly in the hall. She was becoming darker by the moment. He had to save her!
"Ari'el?"
"Yes, Elder," What did he want? He couldn't have figure out that he had the girl's mother. He took all the necessary precautions. He shoved the fear aside. No, that couldn't be it. He would not give himself away so easily.
"How are efforts going?" Efforts? What was he talking about? Oh, he must mean the training with the younglings.
"The younglings are excelling," he said, his golden eyes meeting with the elders and sliding away. He was so tired of being trapped within the Heaven's Prairie within the Wilken. He buried his disdain, smiling at the elder to pay his respect.
"Very good, Ari'el," he said, dismissing him. Relieved, Ari'el left the golden hall behind.
He hurried towards the border between life and death. A dark aura wafted of him subtly as his eyes clashed with the prisoner. The disgusting creature had itself pushed up against the wall, trembling in fear. It was good to be afraid. The disgusting thing did nothing to protect his precious.
"I'm sorry," it cried and sputtered, tears running down its face in rivulets. It even dared to crawl to him, touching his feet to be for freedom. He remained unmoved.
"Please, please, I don't know what you want. I have nothing," it wept openly at his feet.
"Oh, but you do have something," he said, kicking it away. Its body flew into the wall, hitting it before crumbling to the ground. Moving too fast for it to follow, he grabbed its face, forcing it to gaze into his blazing golden eyes.
"You've been touched by death," he whispered, grinning wickedly when he saw the first flicker of true fear in its eyes. I saw the first flicker of true fear in its eyes.
"Leave her out of this. You will never have my child. She is forever out of your grasp," she said, haughtily.
"Oh, you do love her," he cooed. "How tragic. She will never know the true love of her mother," he whispered ominously. "She will be mine!" he bellowed at Rosalinda's mother.
"She will never be yours! You've coveted my child since the day you discover her birth. You will never have her!" she roared, with the passion of a mother bear.
"Too bad, she will never know all you've sacrificed." He smiled, seeing her body sag with despair and hopelessness. She was finally breaking, and he would ensure that she shattered completely.
***
She studied the teacup in her hand while Cyriac regarded her through quiet eyes, waiting for her to say what troubled her.
"I went to my dad's realm without using my abilities."
"That's dangerous, love."
"I know, now, let me finish. I was searching for Midir's spirit. His body was an empty shell when it passed through some weird archway. I am death's daughter, if he died I should feel something, but I felt nothing. When I did finally come across Midir, some strange demon was holding him captive," she said pausing to sip from her teacup. Her eyes flickered towards him, he was deep in thought, and she knew he was trying to figure out what type of demon she encountered.
"From what you told me, love, I can only assume that the demon is one of the counts from hell."
"A count from hell? Well, shouldn't he be bowing down to me? I am Queen." It may have come across snobbish, but her father ruled overall. And not to mention Cyriac's own prominent position within the realm of darklings.
"Yes, a count. Hell is broken into a hierarchy. I'm not quite sure, you would have to ask your father about this. I can only discern you encountered Raum, a demon that loves to lure in souls of despair to control them. As a prince, Midir is a very powerful soul. You've cost them greatly. I'm not quite so sure this is at an end."
If the demon was really that powerful, she was going to have to get daddy involved. This demon forced her to call out the scythe. Crap!
"Babe?"
"Hmm?"
"The demon saw me summon my scythe," she said twitching nervously on the couch.
"What?!"
"It was trying to steal Midir from me!" she said not liking the anger in Cyriac's eyes.
"Did you shift into your true form?"
"Maybe?"
"Dammit it Rosa," he said furiously.
"I was just trying to protect Midir,"
"I don't give a damn about him!"
"Well, I do! I'm the Mother of Darkness! It's my duty!" she shouted, trying to hold back her tears. She didn't mean for things to get out of hand. His soul was hers!
"You are what? What did you just say?" he said wide-eyed.
Rosalinda gulped, she didn't know where it came from. It just came out of her mouth that way.
"I think it's time to summon your father. You have been compromised."
Who knew that by mid-morning, her life would be endangered once more.
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A/N:
Definitely a short one for me, but expect another update this week! Don't forget to hit that little button at the end of the chapter! I appreciate! XOXOXO
