Heart of Darkness

Angelica was working in the garden when she suddenly felt something strange. It was an alarming feeling as if danger was nearby. She looked around and spotted a man standing outside the gate.

Standing up she went to see who it was. When she got closer, the feeling intensified. The man was clad in black trousers and a long black coat with a grey shirt beneath. His hair was long and dark and he held a cane in one hand. His face felt somehow familiar and made her heart beat in a strange way.

“Good evening, My Lady.” His voice was like a purr and gave her goosebumps.

“Good evening.” She replied looking into his cat-like eyes.

“You must be Lord Rayven’s wife. I am here to meet your husband.” He said.

Angelica remembered Lord Rayven’s words about not letting anyone in even if they said they knew him. But she wouldn’t let this man in even then. He frightened her. Where had she seen him?

“Lord Rayven is currently not at home, My Lord.” She said.

He walked closer to the gate and her heart skipped a beat. “Will he be back soon?”

“I am not sure. I will let him know you came by Lord…?”

“Just Constantine.” He purred.

His gaze went to her neck and a smile curved one side of his lips before he looked up at her. Angelica felt her stomach turn. “We will see each other again, Lady Rayven.”

He bowed slightly before turning and walking away elegantly. Angelica’s hands turned cold. That was a promise to her. He came here to see her and not Lord Rayven.

Angelica turned around and walked back into the castle, feeling her hands and feet get cold and numb.

It was him.

The man in her nightmare. The one with fangs and claws. She hadn’t seen his face clearly in the dream, but the eyes and the voice. Also, the way she felt around him. It had to be him.

Why did she see him in her nightmare that had felt more like a memory? And what was he doing here looking for her? What did he want from her?

She crawled up in bed and bent her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs as if to protect herself. He would come and see her again.

A knock on the door almost made her jump out of her skin and she stared at the door opening slowly. Lord Rayven stood at the entrance and she wanted to run to him but her legs felt numb.

He was about to say something but frowned instead. “Angelica?” He walked closer and then came to sit on the bed in front of her. “What is wrong? What happened?”

“I saw him.” She whispered as if he could hear her.

“Who?”

“The man in my nightmare. The one with fa..fangs and claws.” She stuttered.

Suddenly an image flashed through her mind. Claws cutting through delicate skin. A scream of agony. She shuddered.

Lord Rayven’s frown deepened. “Where did you see him?”

“He came here. He said he was here to meet you. His name is Constantine.”

Lord Rayven clenched his jaw.

“Do you know him?” Angelica asked.

He nodded slowly.

Angelica sighed. Then maybe she didn’t need to be so frightened.

“Angelica. You should know now. The man you just met is… not human.”

Angelica blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“The fangs and claws… that is what he is.”

Angelica took a moment to wrap her head around it. So what she saw in her dream was reality? Was that what he meant?

“How do you know?”

Lord Rayven looked down as if he was going to tell her something she wouldn’t like.

“I… I am not human either.”

Oh, Lord. What was she going to hear now?

“Have you not noticed something different about me?” He asked.

Different? She knew he was different. Humans could be different but they were still human. Her brother was different but he was still human. What did it mean not to be human?

“Being different, does that have to make you non-human?” She asked.

He became thoughtful. “I guess we can all have some humanity in us, but we are not humans.”

We? There was more.

“Are… are you like him?”

“I am something similar.” He said. “Would that scare you? If I was not human.”

“What are you?” she asked.

He looked at her for a moment before replying, “a demon.” ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀ​ꪶ​

A demon?!

A burst of short hysterical laughter escaped her mouth at the serious expression on his face before she became serious again.

“A demon?” She repeated.

“Yes. And I don’t mean I am evil. I am a demon.”

She nodded. “And what does it entail to be a demon?”

“Many things. Most of them might frighten you, like the fangs and claws.”

“You have them too?” She was surprised.

He nodded.

Was he serious?

“Can… can I see?” It was the only way her brain would accept his words.

His gaze slowly went down to his hands and she followed it. Her eyes widened when she saw the long sharp claws at his fingertips. Her heart skipped a beat and her skin turned cold again. It was something about claws that made her so anxious.

She nodded quickly. “Alright, Alright.” She hurried to say hoping he would hide them and just like that his hands returned to looking normal.

Oh, God. Her head began to spin and some more memories of claws and blood flashed through her mind. Then she remembered the women dying in their town.

“The dying women…”

“It is not demons killing them. It is shades. The man who came here is one of them.”

“Shades?” Now she was lost. There were other creatures. Her heart thumped faster.

“Shades have similar characteristics to demons but we are different creatures.” He explained. “They are our enemies. They look for ways to hurt us, usually by hurting people close to us. That is why he was here and why I told you not to leave the castle. He can’t come inside without invitation.”

So the shade wanted to hurt her because she was with Lord Rayven who was a demon? She took a deep breath to calm down. There was something about that man that shook her to her core.

“I know it is too much. For now, please just stay at home for your own safety.”

“What will he do to me?” she asked.

It was as if her body had already experienced torture in his hands. “I won’t let him do anything to you.” He promised.

Angelica looked up at Lord Rayven. “And you? What do you want from me?” She asked.

A demon. What could he want from her? What was the benefit he would get? Why did he have fangs and claws and what did he use them for? It was like a wild animal. A predator. There had to be a prey.

“Right now, I just want you to not be afraid of me or hate me.”

Hate? Why was he using such a word?

“I don’t hate you.” She said.

“But you are afraid.”

“I am not sure.” She admitted.

He nodded. “I understand. I just…” He sighed as if he was going to say something difficult. “I don’t want to hurt you. I might have wanted it in the past, I did not care then but now I do. I want to protect you, even from myself. I am used to hurting, to pain and torture so perhaps it is a good thing you are afraid.”

“It is not. I don’t want to be afraid. I believe that you don’t want to hurt me. I am just afraid of all this and what it means.”

What did it mean?

It just hit her. She was married to a demon? This was not the kind of ‘different’ she expected.

“Tell me what to do to make it easier if I can.” Lord Rayven said.

He looked nervous. She knew this must have been hard for him to tell her, but right now she just needed to sort things out in her head.

“I need to be alone.” She said.

He nodded. “Alright. I am in my room if you need me.”

He stood up and left her alone.

Angelica lay down, her hands still cold, her heart beating with uneasiness.

Demons. Shades. Claws. Fangs. A strange dream that she didn’t understand.

If she had a dream about that man she must have met him earlier. Maybe she just didn’t remember.

And Lord Rayven. Her husband. A demon. All this time, even though she could understand why he didn’t tell her, he had been keeping it a secret. What else did she not know about him?

Wait! The Lords were also demons then and the King. That was why she felt strange around them. Almost the same feeling of danger she sensed with Constantine.

Constantine? She repeated his name in her head to see if it evoked any memories but there was none.

Angelica looked around the room. Was she really safe here? Could the man not get to her while she was here?

For some strange reason, she felt like he wasn’t after her to hurt Lord Rayven.. There was another reason.