Wicked Destiny

Chapter 19





I woke up in a bed of black satin sheets wearing nothing. The satin felt cool against my skin. I rubbed my legs around and felt how comfortable it was. I refused to get up, but realization hit me. Where was I again and who was I with? I jumped up, stumbling over what seemed like clothes, shoes and whatever else. What the hell is going on? I was in what looked like a hotel room somewhere. I heard talking coming from the other side of the door.

“Of course she’s here. She’s sleeping.” That’s Simon, I thought.

“How do we know she’s the one?” said another creepy voice.

Laughing at the creepy person, Simon snapped, “Do you dare question me?” I could see a shadow moving as if trying to get out of the line of fire, and then the sound of choking as if they couldn’t breathe. “I know because I have looked into her soul, which I now own. She surrendered to me! She is mine!”

I stood at the door that was cracked open, trying to peer out.

“But she’s not meant for you. It’s not your army she’s to lead.” The other figure was gasping as Simon had him—or it—by the throat. “He will come for her. She is the key.”

“Yes, she is. And I hold her next to me.”

Crack!

Simon snapped its neck and dropped whatever he was talking to.

I started to panic and backed away from the door, but fell backwards over a small chair. I heard Simon coming. I reached up and grabbed the cover from the bed to wrap around me. He stood in the doorway in his black trousers and white dress shirt that was left unbuttoned. Something in me called to him the more I tried to fight it. I backed myself into the furthest corner of the room. He walked over and bent down to look at me as I tried my best to cover my naked body. I didn’t want to meet his gaze for some reason. I remembered looking into his eyes; those eyes that he always hid behind sunglasses. They were totally white and completely soulless.

“No need to be so modest, my pet. I think we’ve been more than acquainted.” He was trying to tip my chin up to meet his gaze. “Ah, resisting are we? I can fix that.” Simon then grabbed my shoulders and pulled me up to set me against the wall. He held me there by my throat and whispered in my ear. “Stop fighting, Sloane. As you can see, I’m here to keep you safe.” He kissed my cheek. “Sloane, we can have everything. Power… People will lie at our feet.”

“I told you before, I don’t want this and never did,” I said as I still kept my eyes shut.

“Pretty soon it will be the only thing you will crave.” He forced my face to straighten. “Now look at me, Sloane. I need to see those beautiful eyes of yours.” He rubbed his stubby cheek against mine. “If you open your eyes, I promise to make it all go away.”

Although I knew it was against my better judgment, I just couldn’t fight anymore. So I opened my eyes and looked him square in his soulless eyes. The last thing I remembered was Simon’s mouth and eyes opening wide and something black and misty flowing out from them and into me. I tried to fight against it. He must have sensed it too.

“Stop fighting me, Sloane.” Those were the last words I heard before I passed out again and Simon carried me to the bed.

I can hear someone calling my name. “Sloane!” They are telling me to wake up, but all I want to do is sleep. I have no strength left to even open my eyes, but somehow I manage it. I’m lying in Declan’s arms. He is shaking me, begging and pleading for me to open my eyes. And how can I deny him?

“Dec…lan? Is it really you?” I mumble.

“Sloane? Jesus, Sloane, look at me. I need you to tell me where you are.” He looks awful, like he has been up for days.

“It’s a hotel somewhere. Declan, I’m scared. I think…I think I’m losing myself.” Declan caresses my face. “He feeds me darkness. I try to fight it, but it makes the pain go away.”

“Listen, Sloane. I don’t know how much time we have, so here goes. Viktor is trying to find you as we speak. We will find you.” I touch his face, scared it’s the last time I will ever see or touch him again. He leans into my touch and uses his hand to cover mine on his cheek. “Sloane, I don’t care if I have to go to Hell itself to find you. I will find you and bring you home. I should have never left.”

“Shhh, you have to leave now,” I whisper.

“I’m not leaving you,” Declan says again.

“I have to stop dreaming about you. It’s unhealthy.” I laugh at myself, considering my situation of being healthy. “This isn’t real and I need to let you go.”

“That’s where you are wrong, Sloane.” A tear drips from my eye. “It’s always been real. These dreams you pull me into are real.”

“It can’t be,” I say, still lying there in his arms.

“Listen to me, Sloane. I need you to find more information on where Simon has you. Then when you go to sleep, I want you to meet me here.” He’s talking so fast, it seems.

I reach up to touch his face again and I notice my nails change from the French manicure to straight midnight black. I try to sit up on my own, but Declan helps me forward. He doesn’t notice my nails, though I know something was wrong. My nightgown, from the hem, starts to change to black. I see the fear in Declan’s eyes.

“Fight, Sloane.”

“I don’t want to fight anymore. I just don’t want to exist. Take pity on me, finish what you were supposed to, or run before I hurt you.” I start to cry, but instead of clear tears, my tears are black. “It’s starting,” I say, and just like that, out of nowhere, I’m yanked from Declan’s arms.

I can see Declan standing there on the bank looking up at me with fear in his eyes as I levitate. I look down at myself and see where the silk nightgown changed to a medieval corset dress that is strapless and black as night. I can hear a part of me screaming to get out, but there was another part of me that is relieved. As if she were a caged animal finally set free. The darkness caresses me, and man does it feel good.

I feel as if the weight of the world has just been lifted off my shoulders and I can finally breathe again. I look up at the moon and it’s full and bright. I glance at my reflection in the lake, and there I am all in black. I am made for Darkness. This suits me.

“Sloane, you have to fight,” Declan calls out to me.

“You know what, Declan? I fought for many years and look what it’s gotten me. A boyfriend that abandoned me, another cheating boyfriend, an ungrateful friend and lousy employees. Tell me, Declan, what is worth fighting for? Before you answer me, refrain from saying love or I will zap your ass good.”

“Because you know this isn’t right,” Declan says.

“And tell me, what is right and what is wrong?”

Simon walks toward us now.

In a small part of my mind I’m screaming for Declan to run, but I know he won’t. He watches Simon as he walks up to the bank as if joining casual conversation.

“Simon, you know I will find you. And when I do, I will finish you for good,” Declan says as he stares at me.

“I suppose you will try. I doubt you will succeed, though.” Simon reached the bank and looks straight at Declan. “Declan, look at her. She is more alive than she has ever been. I have released her from the bonds she’s kept hidden. Funny thing is, she never knew they were there. It was quite easy, actually. She just needed a little…push, if you know what I mean. Then again, I think you do.” Simon wears a devilish grin on his face and Declan takes a swing at him. Although, Simon is way too fast.

As they start to fight, I can start to feel the dream coming apart. I am no longer levitating, but I stand there by the two males fighting over me and I became protective. But not over Declan. It’s Simon I need to protect. Declan starts to get the best of Simon and I decide I’m not having that. Declan has Simon by the shirt collar as he beats him with his fist. Just as Declan comes down with his final blow that would finish Simon, I step in and catch his fist. I can feel the fire in my eyes building as I think about him ever hurting Simon.

“Sloane! Wait!”And without even a blink of an eye, I throw him clear across the lake.

I turn to Simon, who still wears a smile on his face. I am bending down to help him to his feet when I’m knocked off my feet. Declan has me pinned to the ground and I can hear Simon struggling to get up.

“I’d really hate to hurt you, because I know there is a part of me that would regret it for only a moment,” I say.

As we struggle there on the ground for what seems hours, I grow tired again. How can you be tired within a dream? I haven’t a clue, but it must be from all the fighting within the dream and the inner fight I was having with myself. I was exhausted. Before everything fades away, Declan wrestles me to where he sits straddling me with my arms pinned above my head. He leans over to whisper in my ear.

“Remember this, please. If anything, just please remember this. I love you.”

And then slowly, I wake up.