Heart of Darkness

Skender stared at his grandmother surprised. In five hundred years he hadn’t seen her and now she was suddenly standing before him. Where did she come from? Where had she been? It was almost as if she had been waiting for him to come here.

“It has been a while.” She said.

He said nothing to that.

“You must have overcome everything now and awakened your demon since you are here.”

So she had been waiting for him to do that?

“Where have you been?” He asked her.

“Let’s talk over tea.” She smiled.

His grandmother took him to the demon world which was surprising. Defenders have always lived in the human world and she always advocated for the importance of being a defender and doing their duties.

“Why do you live here?” He asked staring at the tea she served. He had no intention of drinking it even if he didn’t believe she had an interest in poisoning him.

“Because it is safe.”

“From?”

“Whoever you came to find information about. The one who killed your parents.”

“Do you know who it is?”

“No. But over the years I have learned a lot. He or she is a demon who hates demons. The demon certainly has animosity with one or several archdemons so they are banned from the demon world.”

“And why did he kill my parents?”

“Alexander. There was a time when we were needed but now, the arch has taken over our roles and they underestimate us. They have become so powerful that they can do as they deem right. They can also be a danger.”

Skender frowned.

“I tried to find more information but the ones high up in the arch are never the ones you meet. Only their subordinates. They have made themselves invisible and if you don’t know them, you can’t defeat them. Whoever killed your parents is using the same tactics. He or she is associated with the shades and they are the only ones we see.” She took a sip of her tea.

“The only ones who know who that demon could be is his or her enemy. Someone in the arch.”

Skender nodded thoughtfully.

“Why did you let me believe it was the shades who killed my parents?”

She sighed. “I thought knowing that you could at least defeat the enemy would motivate you.”

He just looked at her a bit appalled. She seemed so… he didn’t even know the word. Like she didn’t care. As if she hadn’t just met her grandson after five hundred years.

“Why did you wait? You could have come to see me.” He had so many questions and he didn’t even know where to start.

She looked into the distance. “I had my own struggles. There were so many things I could have prevented but I took the wrong approach and things went very wrong.”  She looked back at him. “I did so much wrong to you as well.” She sighed. “I want to do this one last thing right and then I am planning to leave.”

Leave? “Where?”

She smiled faintly. “I lost your grandfather early on. Life was already hard without him and then I lost your father and I pushed you away. I have lived long enough. Now I know you found yourself and once we get rid of the enemy I can leave you to live peacefully in your world.”

Skender shook his head at her. He could never understand her. What was he expecting? She had always been like this. Detached and cold. Only duty-focused.

“You must have been lonely.” He told her.

She looked at him a bit surprised. “I am fine.”

Right. His tough grandmother.

“Now that your demon is awakened, I want you to know how special you are as a defender. Our power is endless. It doesn’t change or decrease down the generations as long as you keep it pure. There is so much strength in us but you have to find and learn how to use that strength. I will teach you so you are ready when we find the enemy.”

“How do we find the enemy?”

“You have a connection with your punisher.”

“She doesn’t know.”

His grandma narrowed her eyes. “Your punisher is not working hard to redeem you for no reason. She needs you because she understands just how powerful a defender is. So you tell her what it takes for you to help her.”

His grandma had certainly been keeping an eye. He knew Lucrezia did need him for something.

“Alright,” Skender said standing up. He wasn’t comfortable yet with his grandmother. “I’ll leave you to enjoy your tea.”

“Are you getting married?”

He stiffened.

“To a human.”

“Stay away from her.” He said.

“Bring her here. She is safer here. I know you don’t trust me but I want to help you in the right way now.”

Skender clenched his jaw, feeling anger and frustration rise within him. She was right but he hated it still. And yes, he didn’t trust her.

Without giving her an answer he left. He went back to the castle feeling utterly confused about what to do. He needed to get Roxana safe and for now, he didn’t trust Lucrezia or his grandmother. But both could get to her anytime so he guessed his grandmother did really want to help him. And Lucrezia would gain nothing from hurting Roxana if she needed him.

He sighed and reached for Rayven to lend him some help in this confused state. When Rayven arrived he told him everything since the shades also concerned his wife and William. Now he wondered if the same person also wanted the prophetess. Again a blood thing. What was that person using it for?

“If that is the case then we should get them all to the demon world until we deal with this enemy. I have my house there and… we can trust Lucrezia.” Rayven told him.

But Roxana had Fanny. She wouldn’t leave him.

“What do you do when your human mate has a family?” No one except for the mate could know about demons.

Rayven became thoughtful. “Tell her that both of them will die if she stays.”

Skender laughed. “Don’t tell me you think that will make her accept leaving him behind.”

Rayven smiled with a shake of his head. Thank God he wasn’t serious. “I don’t know. That is for you to solve. If nothing works then… you compel her.”

Skender nodded. “You are very good with advice.” He said sarcastically.

“She will be angry but a dead mate or an angry mate?”

“What do you think?”

He became thoughtful thinking of how Angelica was when angry.

“At least you didn’t get a broken nose,” Skender told him.

They both chuckled.