Dark Black Magic

dark black magic: chapter 34: bad nights

Skyler POV

The forest was beautifully calm today. Rayne held my hand as we walked through the wet grass. 

"I want to surprise you." Rayne said as we followed a forest track. He turned off the path and led me through the forest to a pretty lake.  

"This is beautiful!" I replied. 

Rayne smiled, "I've always wanted to take you out on a proper date." He then pointed to a boat on the bank. Climbing in he pushed the boat into the water and began to row. Everything about this picture was perfect until, I noticed on the shore of lake someone was standing and waving in panicked motion at me.  

I leaned forward and realised that this person was Rayne. But Rayne was rowing. How could there be two Raynes? 

"Confused?" The Rayne in the boat asked. His skin burst open spouting black feathers. Screaming I scrambled to the other side of the boat. Out of Rayne's skin a monster unfurled with four clawed legs and lethal beak filled with sharp teeth. Prowling towards me it spoke, 

"I'm coming to get you and no one can stop me."

I sat bolt upright in bed panting. Stupid dream, why did I keep having these dreams? I didn't want to sleep anymore. I rolled over and saw Rayne was laid sound asleep next to me. His black hair flecked across his closed eyes. Tthat hair was the same color as those feathers.

Lightly I traced the outline of Rayne's lips with my fingertips- was Rayne the monster? Everyone had warned me that Rayne was a monster. Since Grandma's death I've been keeping a lot of my feelings hidden from Rayne. He keeps disappearing and reappearing all the time. Loki too makes a lot of flying visits. They say all of this is because of the wolf strap but I overheard them talking about a girl called Sophie. I think Rayne is hiding things from me and suddenly I finding myself scared of him. At the moment I'm pretending everything is okay for the sake of my friends and my brother. Matthias does not trust Rayne, he tells me that demons are incapable of love but I always defend Rayne despite my doubts. When we first got together everything was great but now I feel like we are drifting apart. What do we really have in common? Even if Rayne is telling the truth I'm beginning to feel like I would be better off without him. Is this bad? Would I miss him that much?  

I got up for brekfast and found Dalton and Matthias in the kitchen squabbling amongst themselves. Dalton didn't sleep so he spent most of his days sat in the lounge watching cable. He was affectionately known as the resident squatter. Matthias worked the evenings and slept during the day but he had been given the week off because the bar had some refurbishing work that needed to be done. So as I walked into the kitchen Dalton was shoving the remote control down his pants, "We are not watching death truckers!" He yelled at Matthias. 

"I'm not going to watch some human soap opera either!" 

"I've looking forward to Sandy Beach Bay omnibus all week!" 

"Dude I'm not putting my hand down your pants so you better give me the remote control." 

"Never!" 

The two began to wrestle but Dalton with the remote control down his pants looked more like a crab trying to fight back. Walking like John Wayne he scuttled out the kitchen with Matthias not far behind. Neither of them even said good morning.  

Loki materialized into the kitchen, "What's cooking?" he said opening the fridge and helping himself to a slice of stale pizza. 

"Nothing." I shrugged. 

"Where's Prince Charming?" 

"In bed." 

Dalton burst through the kitchen door clinging on to the belt of his jeans, while dragging Matthias who was holding on to his jean leg.