Heart of Darkness

Rayven was surprised to see William coming to the training. He had thought he would take the day off after the tragic event with his father. He wondered how much he knew about his father’s death.

They had to compel a few soldiers to believe they had found him dead and deliver the corpse to their home. Skender wanted them to give them the chance to bury their father.

Humans grieve when they lose someone. Rayven didn’t know what it felt like to lose someone. Only something. He never had close people in his life that he cared enough about or that cared enough about him. He has only ever loved himself. Only cared about himself. He was the definition of selfish.

He couldn’t remember ever complimenting someone, consoling someone or just simply helping someone. That was the kind of person he was. Now he just looked at William, not knowing what to say. But why did he feel like saying something?

William was training as usual. Rayven couldn’t detect any emotion he knew as grief or sadness. This boy was a mystery.

When the training ended, the boy came to him. “My Lord, may I ask something?”

Rayven nodded.

“Will I be punished for someone else’s sins?” He asked.

Rayven nodded again. “You probably will. People see your mistakes more than your good deeds.”

“Are you being punished instead of someone else?”

“No. I am being punished for my own deeds.”

Rayven just realized what he had said. He was being punished for his deeds while this boy was going to be punished for something he didn’t do.

“Were you close to your father?” He then asked.

Father?

“I don’t have a father.” Rayven said.

“Neither do I.”

They looked at each other for a moment as if exchanging some unspoken words, before Rayven broke the silence.

“I’ll take you home.” He said.

He was going to take that road, anyway.

When they arrived in front of William’s home, Rayven helped him get down from his horse.

“Thank you for taking me home, My Lord.” William said with a faint smile.

Rayven just gave him a nod when he felt that scent he always avoided. He turned and found Angelica walking out of her house with a man by her side. Rayven knew him. Sir Shaw was on his list of people he hated the most.

Well, that list was full, but he still found a place for him amongst the top.

Sir Shaw took Angelica’s hand and kissed her knuckles and she smiled at him.

Now he was definitely the top one on the list.

Sir Shaw was a respected knight from a wealthy family, and he was good-looking. He was more fit for her and she needed a man now that her father was dead.

Just when she looked his way, he turned around and climbed his horse. Without giving her a second look, he rode away.

It had been a mistake to go to her house. What had he been thinking? Never again would he make such a mistake.

He rode through the woods and then up the hill to his castle. Before he could enter his home, he already sensed the other’s presence.

Just when he wanted to be alone, they had to be here.

They liked to gather in his home sometimes. The dark interior and the mysterious feel of the Wolf’s den fascinated them as well. Rayven knew this would be his home from the first time he saw it. He bought it immediately for a cheap price since no one wanted to live here. Not that he ever needed to worry about money.

Rayven went inside to meet them. They sat in the parlor and he went to lie down on the sofa, resting his legs on the empty seats.

“Someone has had a rough day.” Lazarus smirked, sitting in an armchair near the fireplace.

Rayven said nothing while staring at the ceiling. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀ​ꪶ​

“It seems like you were wrong about Lucrezia. There is no word of Lord Davis being a traitor, so she couldn’t have spread the word.” Blayze said seated on one of Rayven’s leather couches.

Acheron remained standing against the wall. Mazzon and Vitale sat on a sofa and Skender sat near the large window away from them. He seemed lost in thoughts and didn’t reply to Blayze who spoke to him.

“Yet,” Vitale added.

“Do you think she will do it?” Acheron asked.

Vitale shrugged. “Have we ever been able to guess what she will do next?”

Lucrezia always kept them on their toes, coming with her twisted surprises. As much as he hated her, only someone like her would be able to handle men like them.

“She knew about the shades,” Lazarus said. “What she meant was that the shades would spread the word even though I don’t know why they would do that.”

A few Shades had escaped during their fight, so none of them knew what would happen next. They didn’t know who was behind the big plan either. The shades had their own leaders.

“I wonder why Lucrezia is not here yet.” Vitale wondered.

“She is putting together the recipe for our new punishment.” Lazarus said. “It might take a while if she wants to impress us.”

Skender remained quiet and kept staring out the window. Rayven wondered how he would feel if he knew that Sir Shaw was making a move to make Angelica his.

What would be worse? If Angelica married Skender or Shaw? Rayven wasn’t sure but with Skender he would have to see her every day. Not something he wished to do.

Still both choices were better than himself.

“Or maybe she wants us to take action?” Blayze said.

“Let’s not do anything hasty for now and see if she comes to see us.”

Speaking of the devil, Rayven already sensed her presence. She liked to arrive in different ways. Sometimes appear out of smoke, or cause a rush of air and sometimes just appear quietly. The last one was his least favorite way of her arriving and that was how she chose to arrive this time.

“Good evening, My Lords. I see you have gathered here tonight.” She smiled walking down the grand stairs of his castle.

She was elegantly dressed as usual. If he didn’t hate her so much, he would be able to admit to himself that she was a stunning beauty.

In the blink of an eye, she stood beside Skender. She grabbed his chin and lifted his head. “Don’t look so sad my dear. You break my heart.”

Skender stared at her unamused.

“I wish you had a heart to break.” Lazarus said. “I would stomp on it.”

She smirked at him. “Ah, I forgot why I liked you.”

“The shades.” Acheron began.

“Yes, the shades.” She repeated becoming serious. “It is not good that the shades know about you when you are living as humans. I have always told you. Any threat to our race being exposed to anyone should immediately be eliminated. But do you ever listen to me?” She shook her head.” And then you blame me for punishing you.”

She sighed. “I will do what I can to take care of the shades but don’t cause anymore trouble. Do you understand Skender?” She looked at him the most.

“What could I possibly do now?” He asked.

“The shades will try to find your weaknesses. Something tells me you will try to help the female lady and her brother and if the shades are hiding behind the shadows, watching you they will believe you are interested in making her your mate.”

Rayven stiffened. Mate?

He did not want to think of Skender sinking his teeth into Angelica’s neck and bonding with her forever. He did also not want to think of Angelica being chased by the shades because they wanted to kill a demon’s mate. A human mate was a demon’s weakness.

Lucrezia looked his way. “Unless you intend to make the female your mate, you can not expose her to our world.”

Was she speaking to him now? Or was that something Skender was thinking of doing?

It had to be Skender. Why would he make Angelica his mate? As if she would want his mouth anywhere near her body.

He stiffened again at the image of his mouth on her neck and tried to quickly think of something else.

Lucrezia swirled back to Skender. “I’ll give you until tomorrow to make up your mind about her. Either make her yours or leave her alone,” she said.

No! Rayven did not want to know what Skender decides to do, so he did what he was used to doing when things became too much. He blocked everything out. He built longer and thicker walls around his heart and that way it became easier to not care. To not hurt or feel. He looked for peace in the emptiness.