Darkness & Light: Book 1: Shatter Our Fates [COMPLETED]

37 - Hayley

At dinner, I sit between Tiber and Drecca, both of them ignoring each other. Food is stacked on the table, and Lilith is happily drinking from her big mug, full of demonberry wine. She chuckles at something Indari says, and Kieran shakes his head, a smile on his face.

Tiber looks at me after a while, as I am eating some turkey. He frowns, spearing a piece of broccoli on his fork, he shoves it into his mouth.

"What's wrong?" I ask him.

Tiber looks at me then, a strange look in his eyes. "I'm just not used to this place. These people."

"These people saved my life," I say.

"Yes, I've heard," he says dismissively. He resumes eating, but won't touch the wine. He doesn't have demonblood in his veins, so the wine could actually kill him. I think the others just simply forgot.

I look away, sipping my wine.  The demonberries taste like a mix of blood and something sweet, like a bit of sugar. I wonder if it is blood. But anyways.

"Tiber does not like this place, Hayley. You two should resume your search for Delta, Atlas, and Dax as soon as you can."

And what of my .... relationship with Drecca? What of Lilith? We can't just abandon them.

"Perhaps Drecca will join you on your search, or he will have his werewolf search for them. Do not worry, Hayley. You two are both safe here, but there are indeed things that will be searching for you. If you do not wish to lose it all, you will press on."

What's after us?

"I'm not sure. But know this, our false mother is not yet dead. She was burned by Tiber's magick, but she is not dead. No, she is hunting you all. And she will find you soon."

"Shit," I hiss.

Tiber and Drecca both turn to me. "What?"

I shake my head, turning to Tiber.  "Our surrogate mother. She's not dead. She's searching for us. And I think .... I think she might have ahold of Dax, Atlas, and Delta."

"Fuck," Tiber mutters. "We need to find them. Now."

"We can help," says Drecca, his tone final. He stands up. "Kieran, Indari.  Tiber and Hayley here need your help in finding their friends."

"Oh?" Indari asks. "And what exactly are we doing with them?"

"Bringing them back here," I say.

Drecca looks at me.  "Yes. We can protect you. All of you, so long as you're here. The wards in place make it impossible to be found by outside forces with a negative disposition toward you."

"Thanks," Tiber mutters, as though the word is sour on his tongue.

I smile at Drecca. "Thank you."

He nods.  "Unfortunately, Lilith and I must remain here, because if we leave once more, the castle will be left vulnerable."

"It's okay," I say, smiling once more. "Thanks for any help you can provide."

Drecca nods again. "You are most welcome, both of you."

That night, as I lay in bed alone, I'm exhausted, but Aldrea's words fill my mind. I keep thinking of how Indari, Kieran, Tiber, and I are to leave the castle tomorrow, searching for any sign of Delta, Atlas, and Dax.

I'm unable to keep my thoughts in a solid line, but then, I sense something. Sitting up, I look around the room, lit only by the candle off to the side of the bed. I see the door to my room creak a bit as it opens.

Drecca's dark eyes appear in my line of sight as he walks in. He smiles a little, the way he does so is intoxicating. He whispers, "Are you okay? Did I wake you?"

I shake my head. "No. I can't sleep."

"Me either." He crosses the room, folding his hands together before him. "Mind if I sit?"

"Please," I say, waving to the bed between us. He smiles once more and sets aside my cane, propping it against the end table. He sits down in front of me, a kind look in his dark eyes.

"I'm sorry that I can't come with you, Hayley. I'd love to. I want to. But .... there's much I must do before I am allowed to leave. Look, I want you to know that I care about you. A lot. And I... I think I...." He sighs.  "You matter to me, Hayley. You matter more more you shall ever realize."

"And I care for you, too, Drecca. We are kindred souls, you and I. We are not the typical kind of ... people. But I ... I like you, a lot, Drecca. I wish ... I want us to be more. More than friends. More than what we may be now."

He nods.  "Well, if it's as you wish it, so shall it be."

I grin. "Why, thank you. Prince Drecca."

Drecca grins.  "Oh, I love that."

I tilt my head to the side.  "What?"

"When you say my name like that." He leans closer to me. "Would you.... say it again?"

"As you wish, Prince Drecca."

Our lips collide then. Magick swirls within me, and surges through my body and into his. And his own demonic magick responds in kind. His energy swirls around us, cold like a winter's night. Drecca sighs into my mouth, his hands trailing in my hair, then gliding down to my wings. He kisses me with such passion, our magicks swirling together and then joining as one.

"So you shall be as one, Hayley."

But I barely hear Aldrea's voice. I kiss Drecca, over and over and over again. And he does the same thing to me. He lays me down, crawling on top of me, his long black hair falling like a curtain around our faces. Our breaths mingle, our lips touching like a chaotic magical swirl.

And he and I are joined as one, kissing each other long into the night.