Heart of Darkness

Having his blood? Would it have the same effect on demons?

Wait! That could be another reason why the shades would want the blood. Maybe it was used to hurt demons. But that argument wasn’t the strongest. Constantine was a powerful shade and could fight most demons unless he had a very strong enemy he wanted to defeat. Maybe an archdemon. Skender wasn’t sure anymore.

“You don’t want to do it?” William looked sad.

Skender knew the boy really wanted answers to protect his sister and he wanted to protect them too.

“Is it the blood you don’t want or you don’t want to hurt me?” William said.

Skender smiled at him. Of course. The boy was asking to cause a wound somewhere on his body and drink his blood. Not something he was thrilled to do.

William got out of bed and then rolled up his sleeves. “Do you see?” He said showing the scars on his arms, then he showed the scars on his back and legs. “I am used to this. I am training to become a warrior. I am very used to getting hurt and bleeding. It does me nothing.”

Skender looked away feeling his heart ache. He knew getting hurt was inevitable in training and William was probably proud of those scars. He could see it in the boy’s eyes but it still hurt him to see it. He just wished for the boy to live as a child and be happy. But that wasn’t his destiny.

William came to sit in front of him again and looked at him pleadingly, “you said you would protect me.”

“I never said no.”

“Your eyes are. You are looking at me as if I am a child who can’t handle it.”

Skender chuckled. Clearly, he was offended by it.

“No. I just think you shouldn’t handle it. I feel like I am using you to find answers.”

William smiled, “I am the one using you. I am getting more benefits than you.”

The boy was resilient, but a cut would be better than him being in danger.

Skender reached for his dagger on the bed stand but before he could pull it out of the sheath, William took it from his hand.

“I will do it,” he said.

Skender knew the boy was trying to make it easier for him. He pulled the dagger out, “where?” he asked.

Cutting oneself hurt more so Skender stopped him even if he didn’t want to do it himself.

“Let me do it. I will compel you so you don’t feel pain.”

“What is that?”

“I will manipulate you into believing no harm is done,” Skender explained.

William nodded slowly as if taking in the fact that he could manipulate as well.

“William” the boy looked at him Skender pulled him in with his gaze. “You will feel no pain.” He told him as he caused a small cut on a vein on his arm.

He brought his arm quickly to his mouth, bracing himself for whatever hurt his blood might cause. If it was fatal then the Lords would know if the link between them was severed.

William’s blood tasted no different than anyone else’s so it wasn’t the taste. Either he would get badly hurt, die or get visions.

Skender stopped drinking and healed the boy’s wound when he thought he had enough to experience any effects. He released the boy’s arm and William was about to cover his cut when he realized his arm was healed.

“Are you alright?” Skender asked.

“Where is the cut?” He asked wide-eyed. He didn’t know that his saliva could also heal.

“I helped you heal.”

“How?”

“You will only be disgusted,” he told him.

He stared at his arm in disbelief, touching his skin.”I didn’t even feel it,” he said. “How many things can you do?”

Oh well. He could read minds, control certain objects and elements, manipulate minds, make himself invisible. The list was long.

“Many.”

Skender became more aware of his body, waiting for any sign of danger to prepare himself.

William observed him. “Did you find anything?” ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀ​ꪶ​

“No.”

He sighed looking disappointed. Skender didn’t want him to get his hopes up by adding yet.

“We will find another way,” he told him. “Sleep now.”

William lay down and Skender dimmed the light with his mind before laying down as well facing the other side. As much as he wanted answers, these answers tormented him. That would mean Ramona was used as some blood bag. His heart clenched and his head hurt. The pain he lived with every day, only worsened and it felt like forever until the sky began to change color.

If only he could change the way the sky turned from black to blue. He really needed his defender powers now more than ever but he didn’t know what he was doing wrong. Why couldn’t he find them after almost a hundred years of punishment?

Before the sun rose, Skender took William back to camp and when he came back to his room, he found Lucrezia waiting for him. She chewed on an apple and sat with her legs resting on the table. Skender wondered what happened to bring her here?

“It seems like you adopted the child. Is your dream finally coming true?” She asked.

“What dream?” He said and went to sit on his bed.

“Well, you always say ‘if I have children when I have children’,” she imitated him.

William, his son?

As if he would be that lucky.

“Why not? He already seems very fond of you. He was thinking of how good it would be if you were his fa…”

“Don’t!” Skender cut her off.

The boy was already disappointed in his father, there was no need to add another disappointment to his list. Besides he was the man who killed his father.

“Now that you are done helping Rayven, why don’t you help me? I asked for a punishment to change. Why am I still not finding my defender powers? It has been a hundred years.”

“It takes time,” she said chewing on her apple. “Do you really think you are the same person as the one you were a hundred years ago?”

“I don’t see much difference,” he said.

“I do. Also, there is the period of punishment and then the period of working toward your redemption. These two are different but one helps the other. You will have to pay for your sins first and after that, you will work toward your redemption.”

He nodded. Of course, he would have to pay for his sins first. He would have to repay all the duties he ignored.

“Do you know anything about Constantine?” He asked changing the subject.

“Except that he is a powerful Shade, who has fought archdemons for a long time. No.”

“Do you know why he needs a prophetess?”

“I can only assume that not all of them want her. It is a powerful shade, or several powerful shades sending the others on the hunt. And since they had kept their secret of why they wanted the prophetess so well hidden I guess it is something valuable,” she explained.

“How can we defeat him?” Skender asked.

“Well, you need to be powerful enough or smart enough.” She smirked.

“And you won’t help us?”

She shrugged. “Why would I? I delivered him the woman. He should at least be able to protect her. I can’t do everything for him.”

“What about her? You wanted him to redeem himself and Angelica helped him. If something happens to her what do you think will happen to him?”

She swung her legs down from the table and looked at him with a deadly stare.

“If he has only changed for her and if he lives only for her then he hasn’t truly redeemed himself.”

She stood up from her seat and the mischief in her eyes returned. “Let’s hope you don’t die now after drinking that blood. Also, try to find a woman. As a king, they will soon ask you to find a queen and produce an heir.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Responsibility,” she reminded. “Didn’t you ask for punishment to learn?”

Skender cursed. He had neglected his duty as a defender of humans. Now he had a responsibility toward them. This was his duty as a King. But finding a woman, marrying and even having a child. No.. He couldn’t do that.