Dark One: One for Sorrow... (The Khiara Banning Series Book 1) (15 page)

Cara angrily slams her book shut. “This is stupid. I’m going to kick some ass soon if I don’t get outta here…this science shit is crazy!”

The librarian walks over to our little area and says, “You know, the pen is mightier than the sword. Instead of fighting, maybe try writing.”

“What does that even mean?”

“You’ll know some day when you wise your ass up,” says Victoria.

Cara scowls. “Nobody asked
you
, Vicky. Also, you shouldn’t yell in a library; it’s rude.”

Victoria’s eyes narrow and she says, “You’d better watch yourself. I’m getting really tired of playing it safe around you. You’d better believe that I will kick your scrawny ass, pixie dust.”

“Pixie dust? Is that the worst insult you can come up with? I mean, really?” Cara snorts. “That is just
weak
, Victoria.”

Victoria stands up rather abruptly and saunters towards her table with a look that can kill. “I think you’ll find,” she says as she puts her face right in front of Cara’s, “that it is actually rather spot on.”

Cara rolls her eyes.

Victoria smiles and says, “Whatever. I, for one, have done all I came here to do. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to find my boyfriend. He’s somewhere in the building and I believe we have a lunch date.”

Cara stands as well and walks over to me, grabs my arm and says, “I’m done here.” So we leave.

“What a great Saturday,” I mutter as we enter my car. “Oh don’t overreact,” says Cara, the queen of overreacting. I try to start it, and all it does is sputter uselessly. I try again, and all I get is more sputtering protests.

Could it get any worse?
I think to myself. It begins to rain.

“Don’t freak out,” says Cara. “I’ll call a taxi and we can head to my place. You can leave your car here overnight. Mr. Brown won’t tow your car, he’ll probably leave it be or bring it to your place for you. You’re the only one in this God-awful town that has a Rabbit anyway.” Mr. Brown is our local tow truck driver. He’s a really nice guy and hardly ever tows people’s vehicles unless they’re really out of line.

“You’re right,” I concede. “Wonder what your mom’s making for dinner? Better tell her I’m coming over.” Cara sends her mom a text and soon we’re on our way.

When we arrive at Cara’s house, there are cars in the driveway. Upon entering the house, the stink of cigars hits us instantly and Cara makes an annoyed noise in the back of her throat. “Of course she’d have a business meeting now. Great. Head upstairs before she tries to force you to socialize, I’ll get us whatever she’s whipped up to appease her asshole associates.”

Cara’s mother works for the local law firm, and she sometimes has her work buddies over for “business meetings” which consist of absolutely no business, but lots of smoking, drinking and eating.

I head upstairs to Cara’s room, sit down on her bed where Missus Pussy Pants is napping, and begin to absently pet him. He lifts his head up lazily and looks over towards me then yawns. I smile at him and blink slowly to show I mean no harm and he begins to happily purr. He gets up and comes closer to me, his body right up against mine and goes right back to sleep as I pet his soft fur.

Looking around Cara’s room you’d think it belonged to a twelve year old. She still has all of her stuffed animals on a shelf above her bed, or at least the ones her dad gave her. There are pictures of us everywhere, at the amusement park, at the mall, at parks and at sleepovers (before I’d get scared of the dark and have to go back home); everyday things that mean the world to only us. They’re plastered on her pink and white walls along with posters of her favourite bands and one or two pictures of her with her other friends; but I’m in every one of those too because she never leaves me out of anything, though I most I look kind of out of place.

It’s a stark contrast to my boring beige room which has never really had a childish feel. Sure, I’ve kept some of my stuffed animals but I’ve never had any posters on my walls and the only pictures I have are on my dresser and they’re of course pictures of my parents, Cara, and Pug. No, my room is the same as it ever was.

When Cara finally comes upstairs, she’s holding a tray absolutely loaded with mini quiches, crab cakes, eggrolls, finger sandwiches and assorted cheesecakes. Just looking at all of the food makes my stomach grumble and Cara laughs when Missus Pussy Pants jumps up and runs away from the sound.

Cara grins. “Let us dine!”

We stuff our faces until everything on the tray is gone, and drink water from Cara’s mini fridge that she has beside her bed. After we’ve eaten, I text Mr. Brown to ask him if he could tow my car to my house to which he replies right away that it would be not a problem. So, Cara and I hunker down to watch movies until the rain stops. She falls asleep around ten o’clock as we’re watching a really cheesy re-make of Godzilla. I take my phone out of my pocket to see if anybody has texted me and am happy when I see that Cael’s number is in my missed call log.

I get up and head for Cara’s on suite bathroom and gently close the door behind me, sit down on top of the toilet seat and dial his number.

He answers on the third ring, “Hey. How was your library day with Cara?”

I puff out a sigh. “Complicated. My car died on me, after we left because she and Victoria couldn’t be civil for two seconds, it started raining, and now I’m kind of stuck here unless I magically produce some money for a cab. I don’t feel like walking home in the rain.”

Cael chuckles, “Well that does suck.”

“Yes, it does. I hate sleepovers. They give me anxiety.” I reply, stupid tears forming in my eyes. “I want to go home. I know it’s childish and stupid, but I can’t be here right now.”

I hear movement over the phone like Cael’s shifting in his seat to get comfortable. “No,” he says, “I don’t think it’s childish or stupid.” I smile slightly, “Really?”

“Aye, I promise. As your boss and suitor, I give you my word.”

I giggle at that. “Did you just call yourself my suitor?”

A mock gasp on his end. “And if I did, good lady?”

My heart flip-flops in my chest. “Isn’t boyfriend an easier term?”

Now a pause. “Only if you, you know, think it fits.” His voice has lost its teasing edge.

I smile so wide I feel as though my lips are going to fall off. “It does.”

“Is your mood any better?” Asks Cael.

“Yes,” I say. “It’s perfect.”

Twelve

“Hello?”
I call into the scary darkness. My little hands are trembling, though they’re tied behind my back.
“Mommy? Papa?”
Nobody answers me. I try to focus on how I got here but I just can’t seem to remember. One minute I was outside playing with my tea set, and the next thing I know I’m here.
“Cara? This isn’t funny! You know I don’t like the dark. If this is about your doll, I’m sorry I broke her, it was an accident I swear, ask your daddy he saw me trip!”

“Shut up!”
booms a voice out of nowhere.
“Nobody is coming for you.”
A flashlight turns on and illuminates the face of a man inches from my own face. He’s real scary too, his dark hair is all dirty and stuck to his head and I can’t help but think how nice of a colour it’d be if it were washed, and that he doesn’t deserve pretty hair, being so scary and mean. His light brown skin is pretty too. It really isn’t fair he gets to look so nice.

“W-why’d you take me here?”
I ask, my voice shaking slightly with fear. The man’s cold brown eyes roll and he says,
“If you must know, to deliver you to my boss.”

A chill races down my spine.

“Wh-who’s your boss?”
He deliberates a moment and answers with a rather smug smile,
“I call him Lucy for short. Do you go to church? You may have heard of him, although I must admit it’s a rather skewed version of the truth.”
I shake my head no and the man sighs.

“His name is Lucifer.”

I blink, unsure of whom he’s referring to. The man next door has a cat named Lucifer, but I know that a cat can’t be anybody’s boss.

The man balks.
“Kids these days know nothing! Lucifer doesn’t ring any bells at all? Okay then, we’ll try this. Satan. The Devil. God’s opposite.”
I gasp and he laughs maniacally. His breath reeks of alcohol.

“That’s n-not real,”
I say, trying to steel myself. My eyes water,
“You’re lying.”
He shakes his head and clicks the flashlight off, plunging me into darkness once again.

“Naw,”
he says and I can hear him walking away from me.
“Not the way you’ve been taught.”
His footsteps echo throughout the room, and I hear a door creak open.
“You just stay right where you are. I’ll be right back.”

Minutes that feel like they’re hours pass by until all of a sudden the door creaks open. I’m so sure it’s him I don’t bother calling out for help. When the flashlight clicks on, I’m surprised to see a lovely girl staring back at me; her hair is dark as well but with pretty blonde streaks as opposed to the flat brown of the man. She puts her index finger to her mouth in the universal sign for
shh
, and without turning the light off she walks around me and unties my wrists. She then comes back around and smiles at me, and a warm happy feeling settles over me as she reaches out and strokes my hair affectionately.

“Okay, kid.”
She whispers,
“the cops are on their way.  Your Guardian already took care of that.”

“What?” I ask, confused.

She smiles,
“Cam called the cops while I set you free. Now I gotta go distract my boy toy before he finds out I’ve helped you escape. Can’t let him in on our little plan to save the world, now can we?”
I nod my head like I understand, but really I’m scared and just want to go home, and this nice (crazy?) lady helped me so I’ll agree to whatever she says if it helps me get there.

“Sweet darling,”
she coos,
“I don’t expect you to understand anything. Not yet. It’s a shame that you’ll have to forget this ever happened though. We’ll meet again, though I’ll have to be much nastier to you if I’m to help. I apologise in advance. I hope you stay on the side of the Light. Don’t let anybody sway you. Your soul has the power to change the world, kid.”

“I don’t understand,”
I say.