Into the Dark

Chapter 20

That night I stood outside with Odis and Maeve, overlooking the beautiful lake Winston had behind his cabin. Up the stream was a small waterfall, flowing smoothly with a calming rush. I would've been moved by it if it weren't for what I was discussing with my two colleagues. They finally asked about the situation in the Chamber, somehow noticing a sudden change in Kade. So while he slept soundly in the cabin, I spilled everything: the torture, the releasing of Kade's dark side, etc. I refrained from flashing criticism towards them about keeping the whole demon thing a secret from me. It was best to drop it. If fact, I kind of understood why they didn't want to bring it up. If I had found out the first time I met Kade, I wouldn't have agreed to work with him. But I've grown too close to him and the others; no way I could turn my back on them now.

"It's really sad. Kade as a child... what he went through. I cried every night for him. And when I found out what his father did to him, I wanted to strangle him myself," Maeve spat as she leaned against the railing of the cabin's back overhang. "His mother was surprisingly a gentle woman. Even though she was a demon -not to mention Salazar's sister- I respected her greatly. Any Freelancer would agree with that. But Kade's father was a sudden turn for us all. His extreme outbursts and whatnot were almost too much for us to handle. I couldn't imagine what poor Kade went through when he was alone with him."

"The guy was a jerk. We all helped Kade clear his mind after the torture. But we knew whatever was there before would remain, no matter how hard we tried to hide it," Odis contributed as he leaned against the railing with Maeve. "Kade wasn't any better himself. Whether it was hereditary or not, he gained his father's temper and became a very violent child. Arguments, critical fist fights; you name it! Until the torture, he was the most unbearable child and intimidated almost everyone. Thomas was the one who practically tamed him. He took on many punches and hurtful words from the kid... but he bared it."

Maeve suddenly laughed lightly and wiped away fake tears. "I almost turned him into a frog once!" she joked and pulled a strand of crimson hair behind her ear. Odis and I laughed with her and slowly fell into another moment of silence as we stared out at the lake.

"Now what will we do? How are we supposed to lock up that dark side?" Odis asked seriously.

"I'd rather get rid of it for good," Maeve answered.

"Me too," I added. "I'm worried about him."

"Just be careful, Bella. With that demon side back in action, who knows what Kade will do. It may be never, but it's possible his violent outbursts can come back," Maeve warned and eyed me carefully with her bright green eyes. I nodded understandingly and allowed her words to seep in, even though they made me uncomfortable. "Just know that whatever rash or insane thing he may do, he's unable to control it. Don't hold his unreasonable actions against him. The real Kade wouldn't do that," she added quietly. Again I nodded; a nod of complete understanding. I knew that Kade didn't want this side of him back again and if he did anything that would provoke it, even by accident, I knew it wouldn't be him in control. Not the real him.

"What are you guys talking about?" Kade suddenly asked from behind. I looked over to see him standing in the back doorway, half asleep with his eyes barely open. He rubbed them and yawned loudly, then walked up to the railing with the rest of us. I felt it was best not to keep anymore secrets.

"I told them," I quietly answered and glanced nervously at him. He nodded slowly with a distant look, exchanged a few words of apology (for some reason) with Odis and Maeve, then turned to me while they gave us two time to talk.

"I'm sorry if I wasn't supposed to tell them. I just thought-" I began to say before he cut me off.

"It's fine. They have a right to know." And he didn't seem mad at all. His tone was understanding; but just like his look, it was a bit distant.

"How're you holding up?" I asked softly. He didn't answer the question and turned to staring out at the lake. I decided to drop it, considering the answer was obvious, and stared out with him. "How are we supposed to get rid of it, Kade?" This time, he actually looked to me and held my gaze for the longest time, eyes casting into blackness after a few seconds. He knew what I was talking about and didn't seem too happy that I brought it up. But there was no taking it back now.

His black eyes bored through me and made me shake slightly, feeling as if my soul was deteriorating as he stared. I swallowed hard and tried to break eye contact, but it didn't work.

"I don't know," he eventually said deeply without looking away. "Without torture, what other option is there?"

"I'm not torturing you," I said, shocked by the suggestion -if it was one. "Maybe when we find Galendale, he'll be able to help you too." Kade didn't seem convinced by this. He looked back towards the lake, eyes still demonically painted black. I was unable to read his emotions clearly with that color and just gazed expectantly at him, waiting for some sign. But he stayed silent.

"Stop pretending like you're not scared. Go ahead and call me a monster. It won't be the first time someone's done it," he suddenly blurted.

"No, I won't... because you're not a monster, Kade. Not once have I thought that," I answered back and stepped towards him to prove I wasn't afraid. And I truly wasn't. This was something he couldn't control.

He put his hands in his hair and ruffled it with extreme anger and frustration. Suddenly, he turned to me and shoved me against the railing behind me. His eyes widened, seeming to somehow be a darker black than before. "Liar!" he shouted with the same demonic voice from before. He trapped me in between his arms and moved his face uncomfortably close to my ear. "You're terrified of me... of what I am. You want to leave, I know it. Quit trying to pretend you're my friend."

I started shaking from fear, my throat becoming clogged with air and unspoken words. "Kade, stop it. This isn't you," I whispered in his ear. I placed my hands on his cheeks and pulled his face in front of mine, just to stare at his black eyes and prove to him that they didn't scare me.

But at that moment something sparked inside of me, almost like it did before. It went straight to my heart, my brain, and my hands... but it wasn't at all violent. Whether it was just a feeling or what, I was unable to control it. My fingertips tingled as I stared at Kade. My eyes involuntarily softened as I stared into his deep black ones, being swallowed in the moment. Whatever sensation was affecting my hands and thinking seemed to affect Kade too. His look softened just as quick as mine did. His eyes fluttered shut painfully, almost as if something inside him started to break. When they opened again, the blue was back but his eyes remained distant and hurt. He kept them locked with mine and then closed them once more, looking as if he was about to cry.

All of this was obviously hard for him. So I hugged him; I hugged him tighter than ever. It seemed like hours before he did the same, breathing heavily as he kept his face tucked into my neck. "You need some sleep... we all do. Our minds our worrying too much. We just need to relax, especially you. We'll figure something out, I promise," I whispered to him. He nodded, his hair brushing roughly against my cheek as he pulled back. Avoiding eye contact with me for some reason, he slowly made his way to the back door.

"Be ready in the morning. Vampires aren't kindly folk," he said plainly, suddenly completely off subject. Confused and slightly worried of what he was thinking, I nodded solemnly and watched him head quietly inside.
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Okay this chapter has made me sick and angry because of how short and boring it is, BUT since that has happened, I'm going to make the next chapter very interesting.

And yes, it will involve vampires. ;)

-Ash