Frailty: The Darkshine (21 page)

Gaijryc woke the
next morning on the cold, hard ground. He groaned as he pulled himself up, the smell of spilt liquor making his stomach turn in distaste. He scrubbed a hand over his mouth, the stubble on his cheeks scratching against his palms. He stumbled into the bathroom and blindly turned on the shower. His mind was fuzzy, the night before seeming hazy and unfocused. He stood in front of the mirror naked, his face seeming haggard and old. His head pounded and as hard as he tried, he couldn’t recall how he’d ended up on the floor of his bedroom, or even what went on before that. All he could remember was the ball. That awful, soul-killing ball.

He stepped into the spray of water, the droplets so hot they seemed to sizzle on his skin. He closed his eyes and let them slide down his back. He wished the pain would stop, wished the water would wash it away. He braced his hands on the tile in front of him, trying to remember what had happened. As the steam started to clear his mind, he kept seeing Helina’s face—his sweet Helina. His eyes snapped open, all those memories of the night before crashing through his brain, making his head hurt even more. He balled his fists up, all the anger he’d contained the night before gone.

He turned from the spray and slammed his fist into the tile in front of him, the stone crumbling and falling to the ground. He looked down at his knuckles, the water washing the blood away and turning pink. The wounds knitted themselves back together and he slammed his knuckles into the wall again. He watched his cuts again, the skin pulling together and becoming perfect. His anger was so monumental, his pain so great, all he wanted to do was roar to the heavens. He didn’t want the physical pain to leave. He wanted his body to hurt as much as his soul did. He wanted the inside to match the outside, wanted to know that what he was feeling was real.

He turned off the water and stepped out, drying off and slipping on a pair of loose fitting jeans and a button down shirt. He walked out of the bathroom, surprised to see a silver tray lying on his bed with an assortment of fruits, breads, and cheeses. A tall crystal glass stood next to the food, the bright colored orange juice making his stomach heave. A light tap sounded on the door and he wasn’t surprised to see Iena standing on the other side. “What?” He growled the word and started pacing.

She popped out her bottom lip in mock sadness and pushed her way through. She wore black leather boots that went mid-thigh, the lacing strung taut on the sides. Her black leather dress was skin tight, the hem not even touching the tops of the boots.

“I just wanted to say good morning to my future husband.”

“I could still choose another.” Of course he did not have that option, not if he wanted to protect Helina, but the very idea of getting under Iena’s skin was too much of a temptation to resist.

She turned around, her expression seeming like the very devil possessed her. “Listen here, Gaijryc. I could have killed your little slut last night, but instead, I chose to show mercy. It would do you well to watch what you say to me. Your mother wouldn’t like it very much if she were to find out her eldest was fornicating with a lowly human, or worse, having the desire to actually mate her.”

Gaijryc had his hand around her throat in the next second. Her body dangled from his grip as he pinned her against the wall. “No, you will listen to me. I may be forced to mate you for the protection of the one I truly love. I may be forced to spend the rest of eternity with you, but if I ever hear you say anything like that about her again, I won’t hesitate to skin you alive. Do you understand me?” He enunciated the last part, making sure she was fully aware of who was in charge.

“You know I like it rough, Gaijryc.” She speared her fingers through his hair and wrapped her legs around his waist before he could even blink. Before he could push her away, her mouth was on his and her tongue was speared through his lips. He tossed her away, her body flopping on the bed like a rag doll. She looked up at him, her red hair disheveled and her eyes dropping with arousal. She started to laugh, the sound making him want to rip her tongue out of her mouth. She walked toward him and whispered against his ear. “Mmm… You taste good, baby. I can’t wait until the night we are mated.” She slid off the bed, her dress riding up the rest of the way and showing off her bare pussy. He knew she did it on purpose, but the sight only repulsed him. “I will fuck you so hard you’ll forget about your little human.” Her hand slid along his chest as she made her way toward the door. “Oh and by the way, we are having the mating ceremony tonight. I talked with your mother and she didn’t see any reason to wait. Of course, we ran it by the king and he saw no problems with it as well. See you tonight, baby.”

Gaijryc kept his back to her and heard the soft click of the door closing. He gritted his teeth in rage. He couldn’t say he was surprised that they had made the mating ceremony so soon. He knew his mother and father wanted him mated and producing offspring as quickly as possible. He walked to the window and stared out at the green fields. He saw the servants below, some trimming shapes out of the bushes, some cutting roses for the dining room. He looked to the side and saw the modest-sized house that Ryce lived in. It had been a servants’ quarter at one time, but when his mother had taken over the mansion, she had wanted the servants living in the mansion so they were available for her beck and call.

He could see Ryce moving around in the front of the house, picking flowers and placing them in a vase. Gaijryc knitted his eyebrows in confusion at why Ryce would need to pick flowers. He lifted one arm and leaned it against the molding, watching Ryce’s meticulous movements. The front door opening caught his attention and that was when his heart stopped. Out walked Helina, a cup in her hand, a long white tee-shirt the only thing that covered her body. Gaijryc knew just by looking at her that the shirt she wore was Ryce’s. His nails dug into the wood, the pieces splintering beneath his fingers and piercing his skin. He wanted nothing more than to go over there right now to kill Ryce and take Helina. He would have done just that if not for the memories of the night before, if not for the words that replayed in his head over and over again.
You were nothing to me… I only fucked you to pass the time… I could never love a human, never will.

He dropped his head in shame. Then he lifted it again and watched as Ryce handed Helina the vase. Her soft smile lit up her face like one of those bloomed flowers.

Helina set her
mug down and accepted the flowers, smiling at Ryce. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.” She took the vase and went inside, setting the delicate glass on the table and staring at it. Each bud was dainty in appearance, each silky curve of the flowers seeming to blend together into one smooth strip of velvet. She reached her hand out and ran her finger along one of the soft buds, letting the smoothness of it wash through her. Dropping her arm, she looked down at the shirt she wore. The front door opened and she turned to see Ryce standing in the entryway of the kitchen. His face was cast in shadows as he stared at the flowers.

“Thank you again for the flowers, Ryce.” He still stared at the flowers, but she saw the distant smile that tilted his lips. “I can make us something to eat if you like.” He looked down at his watch and then glanced at the front door. “If you have to go I understand.” He gave her a look of surprise before she heard him swallow.

“I’d like that, thank you.” His voice was gruff.

She cooked them breakfast, a meal of buttermilk pancakes, sausage and eggs. He told her about how he lived all those years ago, about everything he did and saw. She was fascinated by his experiences, intrigued by his very life. After he left she kept herself busy, hoping to keep her mind off everything that had happened. She knew she couldn’t stay there, knew she had to leave because this wasn’t the place for her. Guilt assaulted her at the thought of leaving without saying goodbye to Ryce, but she knew if she did he would only stop her from leaving.

She didn’t know if she would be able to survive once she left, but knew she had to try. Ryce had told her he wouldn’t be back until well past nightfall, so she had plenty of time to gather what she needed. She stepped onto the back deck and saw nothing but thick pine trees and green grass. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t scared, but she needed to move on with her life, no matter what the danger or consequence.

For the next several hours Helina gathered non-perishable foods and bottles of water. She was lucky she had found a few pieces of women’s clothing in the closet of the room she had been staying in, even more pleased that they were in her size. Going back to the cabin was definitely not an option, so she took whatever she could find and shoved it in an oversized bag. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she smoothed her hand down the black, long sleeved v-neck shirt she wore. A small red embroidered heart was stitched into the right hand corner of the shirt and she idly ran her finger across it. It seemed so familiar, but for the life of her she couldn’t place where she had seen it. A small wisp of hair fell down from the ponytail and she smoothed it behind her ear.

When the sun was finally starting to set nervousness assaulted her. When the rolling emotions passed, she grabbed her bag and headed for the back of the house. Everything inside of her warned her that what she was doing was a monumental mistake. She chose to ignore that little voice as she stepped off the stairs and walked toward the ominous forest.

Ryce walked toward
his home, the sun having set an hour prior. He had told Helina he wouldn’t be back until well past dark, but the thought of her all alone didn’t sit well with him, especially with all the DarkShine knowing about her existence. He could see the kitchen light on and quickly walked up the porch steps. As soon as he walked through the front door he knew she wasn’t in the house. It was too silent, too void of life. He inhaled deeply as he walked through every room, thankful there was no scent of death that clung to the walls. He walked back into the kitchen, his eyes scanning the whole area and a small slip of white paper catching his eye on the table. He picked it up, unfolding it and reading the delicately feminine handwriting that greeted him.

Dear Ryce,

I’m sorry. I meant to say goodbye and thank you for all you have done. I couldn’t, though. As much as I enjoyed the short time I had with you, the hospitality and protection you gave me, I just know that my heart couldn’t take much more before it completely broke in two. I couldn’t bear the thought of seeing Gaijryc walking around with his new wife. His leaving may very well be my destruction, but I would rather face what lies out there than spend another day thinking about what I don’t have in my life anymore. I have lost my parents, my sister, and now the one person I gave my heart to. Thank you, Ryce, for helping me, but most of all, thank you for opening yourself up to me and sharing your heart. I hope you find what you deserve. Goodbye.

Helina

Gaijryc stood in his dressing room, his hand tailored tux confining his every move. In just a few short hours he would forever be mated to the bitch, his life never his again. He’d stood in front of his window all day, hoping to catch a glimpse of Helina, disappointed when he didn’t. He had been tempted many times to rush over there and drop to his knees—ask her for forgiveness, tell her how much she meant to him. As he stared at himself in the mirror, he knew he couldn’t go through with this, knew he couldn’t mate a female who he despised. All he had been able to picture was Helina’s sweet face pleading with him to admit his love for her. His harsh words had made her cry, her tears sliding down her cheeks and making his heart break. He knew if they were caught she would be killed. Even knowing the danger, him staying away didn’t guarantee her safety. Iena was a conniving female, and now that his mother knew of Helina’s existence, she wouldn’t stop until the human female was out of the way. He stood, his mind made up. He would need to gather supplies for their departure, would have to do it quickly since he only had a short window of time. His door opened, slamming against the wall with enough force it rattled the pictures. Gaijryc turned around, taking a fighting stance. He stared at Ryce, who himself looked distraught. He held a slip of white paper and walked toward him, shoving it into his chest. Gaijryc was too stunned by Ryce’s reaction to do anything but stare.