Eternal Darkness - Book One ✔

Chapter Twelve

My body trembled and I was stunned by the sudden chill that had engulfed the room. He couldn't be serious. Extract my magic? That Professor was crazy, flat out crazy. That was why Shax had wanted me. For my magic; magic I didn't even know I had until Nox had found me. I started to back up, wanting to put as much distance between myself and the machine that now terrified and repulsed me at the same time.  

I managed to get three steps before Nox's hand gently, but very firmly closed around my upper arm.

"Let me go. You're mad, you're all mad!" Even my voice shook as I struggled against his grip.

"Emily," Nox warned, steadying me with his hand and I knew it was useless to struggle against it, but that didn't make me stop. I glared at him, resentment filling my insides to the fullest, spilling over and I spat at him,

"You monster! You dead piece of"

"Enough!" Nox bellowed before I had a chance to finish my outburst, eyes glowing down at me. Fire pits. As I stared at him, knowing what his plan with me had been all along, my hatred for him and his kind flared up inside me, acting like it had never gone anywhere, which it shouldn't have. How I had even felt a second of comfort in this place, with these peop... No, things, was beyond me. They weren't people. They may look like people, but they were as far from being human than night was to being day. The thought momentarily froze me; it had been a remark that Dennis often had used and it only added fuel to my blazing flame.

"You killed my friends, you monster!" I screamed at Nox with all my might. The louder the better it seemed and it felt strangely good to get it out of me in the loudest way possible. Nox may not have killed Johan personally, but he killed Dennis with his mind somehow, and pushed Johan into the arms of a hungry vampire - I called that murder. 

"Emily, please." Nox's voice rose in volume like mine had. He tugged on my arm, but I shrieked, "no!"

I clawed at the bracelet with on the wrist with my free hand, wanting it off so I could use my magic, even if I didn't know how to. I felt the power surge through me, but it couldn't get out. I wanted to wreck this forsaken place so that none of this evil could exist. Somehow, from somewhere deep inside me, I knew I had the power to destroy every last brick in this building. Shax must have known too somehow. The power filled me, pushing to get out. The bracelet suddenly flared red, bright red and both Nox and I stared at it.

"Listen to me!" Nox said, his voice returning to its calmness whilst his eyes never strayed from my wrist. I knew that because I had taken a moment to glance up at him before my eyes willed themselves back down to my wrist. The bracelet continued to glow, pulsating as my power flowed through me. What was happening now? Why was it doing it?

"The bracelet does not only restrain your magic, but if you try and break through by using too much of your power, the bracelet can obtain your magic and be used by whoever wears it. You must have just activated it." His voice turned grave speaking the last words and I lifted my head to look at him, eyes wide. I stared at him in disbelief.

"Perfect, so now Shax has two ways of getting my energy, magic, whatever the hell it is I have inside me," I said, close to adding an eye roll to heighten my displeasure. Nox kept hold of my arm until my breathing had slowed down a bit. It was easy to see when; the glow of the bracelet faded until it was once again the metallic colour it had been when the man in front of me had slapped it onto my wrist in the first place.

I'm fine, I thought, my eyes on his and he slowly released me from his hold. My arm had nice red markings from where his fingers had dug into my skin and I rubbed the sore and irritated skin.

"Sorry," Nox muttered almost inaudible and this time the eye roll finally came.

"You want to take my magic, probably killing me in the process and you're sorry for hurting my arm?" I couldn't help myself and I let out a strangled laugh. The vampire's eyes darkened, turning more crimson.