Catching Temptation (In Darkness She Fades (Book 1) (13 page)

I do not stop him. I cannot if I
tried anyway. His lips crush into mine and a new feeling blooms in my soul,
replacing my pain. Hope.

****

The days go by in peaceful bliss.
The jumbled puzzle pieces of my life finally fall into place. Aunt Sally bought
me new clothes to replace most of the India-print clothing I wear. I do not
mind, but a part of me misses Dark Temptation.

Class is strange on Thursday. Victoria
picks a fight with Herald. It does not end well. Victoria now disappears from
school periodically. The twins do not show any concern and they instruct me not
worry either. I listen to their suggestion. I had forgotten how nice it is to
be accepted. Popular.

Whelan almost kisses me when he
finds out Victoria is single. He does not stand a chance with Victoria, but I
cannot convince him otherwise, so I drop the subject.

The goblins vanish from my
reality. Literally. I investigate the log huts and try to discover a secret
tunnel. Nothing. Even when I traveled to the rock wall one weekend, no bronze
bodies are visible. I am beginning to wonder if I have been imagining them to
deal with my parents’ passing. It saddens me a little.

Karma is happy for me, though she
still insists the monster are real, but does not know how to explain their
sudden disappearance either. She is worried about Jerald. She does not trust
him. I try to question him about the goblins, but lose every time his hands
touch me. I love the electrical shock under my skin as he breathes across the
arch on my shoulder.

****

On October 31
^st
, the
bell signals the end of the last class period. The intercom comes on and the
principal’s voice echoes throughout the halls of Rosewood High. “Happy
Halloween, everyone! Don’t forget our annual Halloween Mask Ball is tonight at
nine, at the old theater house. For you newer students, who don’t know where it
is; get with the counselor before going home today. Temptation Falls will be
our lead singer this evening,” My cheeks burn as I hide my face behind a
folder, while ambling through the cheering crowd in the hallway. “And the
carnival will start at seven. This is a community event and everyone will be
attending the Ball, so be there. Have a wonderful holiday!” The intercom turns
off.

Whelan drapes his freckled arm
around me. “Hey, I really owe you one for getting Victoria away from those
twins.”

“You mean...you’ve seen her
recently? She’s been missing from school for two days.” I bump the school doors
open. Whelan and I descend the stairs, and saunter toward the buses.

“Yeah, like–” Whelan starts
counting his fingers with his free hand. “–four hours ago. She said she has no
hard feelings toward you and she’ll be coming to the ball with me tonight!
Totally lucked out, huh?”

Ever since Victoria’s vanishing,
I have suspected foul play. “I guess.”

“Hippie!”

Whelan and I swivel to face the
school. The Jenkins twins sprint down the stairs.

“I think your boyfriends–”

I punch him playfully on his
side.

“Okay,
boyfriend
is
getting jealous.” Whelan removes his arm from my shoulders. “Catch ya later on
tonight!” He disappears into a bus crowd with gossiping cheerleaders.

“How he can run around in shorts
in at the end of October, I will never understand,” I mumble.

Jerald captures my waist and
swings me about. Herald stands next to us, staring at the bus.

“What was he doing with his arm
around you?”

“Jerald, he’s my friend and has
been before we started dating.”

“I don’t like him,” Herald says.

Herald’s eyes possess a red
gleam. “Really guys, he’s into Vic –
uh
– someone else. You don’t have
anything to worry about.”

Despite Jerald’s anger, he does
not press the matter. “You prepared for the Ball?”

“I’d feel sorry for myself if I
wasn’t.”

The buses are almost full.

Jerald tightens his arms on my
waist. “You’ll be going to the theater for an hour to practice before the Ball
tonight. I’ll take you over there.” He leads me in the direction of the parking
lot before I can utter an answer.

I walk, obediently, to the skull motorcycle
gleaming in the sunlight. Legs straddling the bike, I slide my palms down
Jerald’s chiseled arms and stop at his waist.

A smirk forms in the corner of
his mouth. “You don’t have to stop, you can keep going.”

In a playful manner, I slap his
thigh. “You can keep dreaming, but it’s not happening yet.”

He laughs. Revving up the engine,
we take off in the direction of the theater. We remain silent as we pass the
yellow buses and travel down the street. Cool air stings my skin. Stopping the
motorcycle next to the theater, he helps me off, kisses me, and says, “Stay
inside until you’re ready to go and don’t leave for home alone.” The twins aim
their bikes back to town, abandoning me with the echo of their exhaust.

“What’s their problem?” I voice
to the empty street.

The strangest feeling comes over
me, as I enter the theater. At the top of the balcony, I stare at the closed
doors along the corridors. I never investigated the rooms in the theater.
The door closest to me is
ajar. Taking the opportunity, I peer inside. An elegant bedroom reflects out of
my eyes.

A hand clamps down on me.

“Mrs. Peters, you nearly scared
me to death!”

“Sorry, Dearie, but what’re you
doing?” Mrs. Peters removes her withered hand.

“I wanted to know what’s in these
other areas of the theater. Didn’t know they were bedrooms.” A little ashamed
of my curiosity, I twist the ends of my white hair.

“Not all are bedrooms and it’s
perfectly fine if you want to explore the theater. I think you’ll find a
particular room interesting. Try going all the way down this hallway. Turn
right and keep following that hallway, until you come to the last door. In that
room holds some of the most extraordinary artifacts collected in Rosewood.”

“Are you sure it’s okay? I won’t
be breaking any rules, will I?”

Mrs. Peters smiles. “Nonsense,
it’s our history. You have a duty to be curious. Go on.”

“But I still have to rehearse–”

“Temptation, if you do anymore
rehearsing, you’ll have no voice left! Off you go.”

Thankful for a new adventure, I
do a little jog down the hallway. The wallpaper reflects a Victorian edge like
most things in Rosewood. The deep red makes the hallway appear small and
narrow. The theater creaks. The unmistakable sound of wings is coming from the
shadowy corners of the ceiling. Probably bats. The corridor ends up ahead with
a door.

I ease it open and then pat the
wall before I finally find the small bump. Light makes the room burst into
life.

It reflects similarities to the
Goblin King’s room. However, it smells like.… I stare at a painting on the
wall. The man in the portrait looks like Jerald, but stranger. His black and
orange hair, along with swirling crimson-violet eyes stirs only one word in my
thoughts.

Demented.

It is not a pleasant portrait. He
acts as if he will pounce out of the frame and attack the observer. I hate
those teeth. “Freaky.”

A bulky book on a podium stands
on the other side of the room. I wander over and pick it up. The book smells of
mold and decay. No denying it dates back at least 100 years. I carefully flip
through the discolored pages. It is a weird record of some kind. I stop and
stroke one of the crisp pages. Most of the dates are marked on Halloween.
Skimming through the book, I realize it goes back to at least a century ago.
“Wow, those two are ancient. Why doesn’t the townspeople notice the twins never
age?”

All the way to the end of the
book, I find last year’s date. My parents’ faces swim into my mind. The log
indicates five new members to Rosewood and two new recruits. It also documents
twenty-five deaths. I frown. Written in wispy cursive next to this year’s date,
are the words, “Soon we will be free.” Long strands of white hair outline my
face and define my bone structure. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means we won’t be isolated in
Rosewood any longer.”

I swivel, almost knocking over
the podium along with the journal. Herald leans against the scratched door in
his demon form. His muscular arms crossed over his chest. I ask, “You
mean...you can’t leave Rosewood?”

Herald unhitches himself from the
doorway and stalks me in a predatory manner. “No. I can’t. Only humans, who I
allow to leave Rosewood to recruit more people, can travel outside of Rosewood.
It’s the one thing the Goblin King did that I didn’t foresee. I made the forest
his prison and he made Rosewood, my prison.” He runs a pale finger across my
jaw.

I attempt to walk past Herald,
but he shoves me back on the bed. “Wait–”

Herald pins me down. His glowing
red eyes never blink. Not once. “I told you, Temptation, you couldn’t say ‘no’
forever.” He strokes my metal necklace and chuckles. “You’re trembling.”

“I’m dating Jerald, not you.”
This vital piece of information does not seem to bother him. Maybe I can use
the situation to my advantage. “Why are you in your demon form?” Reaching up, I
caress his fiery hair.

“It’s Halloween. I can be myself.
But you need to get changed.” He trails his hand down my thigh.

I grab his pale hand. “I don’t
need help dressing or undressing, thank you.” I slink out from underneath him
and hop off the bed. “And you never finished answering my question. How are you
going to leave Rosewood?”

Herald reclines against his arms
on the bed. “There’s a specific date when other worlds will…open.
Unfortunately, this means the Goblin King will be released, too. Imagine the
kind of horrors he would present to the rest of the world after imprisonment
for a hundred and fifty years. I want him dead, but I can’t get close enough to
do it.”

“How can you capture him, but not
kill him?”

“Easy. I put a spell on the rock
wall in the woods and when he, along with those nasty goblins, chased me, they
ran right into my trap. All I had to do was hop over the wall and I was safe.
The spell drained the Goblin King of his power. I keep his magic guarded. No
one can get to it except me. But I can’t get close enough to kill the king. I
would use Victoria, but she doesn’t have the gift for it. I need someone who
can.” He stares me dead in the eye.

“Wha–” Taking a few steps back, I
stumble and almost fall to the floor. “Oh, no. No, I can’t kill – I won’t kill
him!”

Herald’s brow ripples into a
furious arch. Before I can fully register his actions, he grabs my throat. “You
will kill him or your family will die, and not by me! If he’s free, he’ll take
vengeance out on anyone who didn’t help him. I can only protect you. Either
way, I’ll not lose you!” My heart burns. “When were you planning on telling me
this?”

“Tonight. But it seems like you
couldn’t wait to see my bedroom.” His personality changes in a flash.

I wonder if he is bipolar or has
multiple personality disorder. Either way, mixing it with his psychopathic
tendencies and he is still a nightmare.  “I didn’t know you lived here and
what exactly do you think will kill him?”

He unveils a glowing crystal.
“This is identical to what the king is searching for, but it’s filled with my
blood. If he ingests this, he’ll die. Without his magic, his body won’t be able
to tolerate it. It’ll slowly poison him to death.” He presses it into my sweaty
palm. “After you sing at the Ball tonight…kill him. Make him believe you’re
there to save him.”

I study my crimson reflection in
the crystal. “I’m not making any promises. I need to get home.”

Herald kisses my fingers.

The cliché act softens me to my
despair. I loathe my weakness for the corny romantic move.

“I’ll take you home.”

We vacate the room, but my heart –
once again – feels hard.

Chapter Nine

Halloween Masquerade Ball

           
“Mom, do you have to go?” Nathaniel asks. “How am I going to pay for all the
rides without you?”

“I’ll give you some money–”

“Hey! What about me?”

“I’ll give you some money too,
Daniel. I don’t get to go to many parties anymore, and this Masquerade Ball is
a wonderful opportunity for your father and I to spend some alone time.”

“Ew! You’re going to be kissing.”
Nathaniel makes the face of a pug.

“Uh-huh. Where’s Temptation? I
don’t want her to be late for her performance.”

“I think she’s upstairs putting
on her costume. At least she’ll look like everyone else tonight,” says Daniel,
while popping candy in his mouth.

“You put those down, they’re for
the trick-or-treaters.”

“Mom. Seriously. Who do you think
is going to walk down this street?” Daniel tosses a few more orange candy-corns
in his mouth. His stained yellow teeth add to his pirate costume. “It’s going
to go to waste out here.”

I am watching the conversation
between Aunt Sally and my cousins from the staircase railing. I am still
working up the guts to face my family in the clothing they have been dying to
see me in for the past year. The glass slippers Jerald bought makes me feel a
little silly. Nevertheless, I promised to wear them. I want to talk to Karma,
but for the past few days, none of the phones have worked. Uncle Jack claims
the weather as the culprit, while Aunt Sally believes a damaged tower is to
blame. Either way, I lost touch with my only source to the outside world.

I rise up and descend
the groaning staircase crawling with fake spiders. The wood on these stairs are
going to break someday! Too bad it is not today. A broken leg will be a perfect
excuse not to go.

“Why, Temptation, you look
absolutely stunning. I haven’t seen you wear something like that since your
last recital at the opera.” Uncle Jack beams at me in my wine-colored ball
gown.

The top of my dress dips low,
exposing part of my cleavage. I toss my white hair across my chest, when I
notice the disapproving glare from Aunt Sally. Though Aunt Sally likes my
return to normalcy, she dislikes anything too sexy.

The dress compliments the
choker-like necklace that Herald previously locked around my neck. It does not
bother me anymore. Jerald encourages me to think of it as a talisman against
evil. Despite the sophisticated appearance of the dress, it appears barbaric on
me. My tattoos and jewelry make me look like a savage princess.

“Figures.” Daniel leans against
the railing while Aunt Sally and Nathaniel applaud. “You picked the one day out
of the year when it’s okay to dress like a freak, and attempt to dress like a
girl, instead. Why can’t you make up your mind?”

“Daniel, we’ve already settled
this argument, and we need to get moving if we’re going to make it into town
before the sun sets.”

“Dang, Mom, it’s only a joke.
Temptation looks good.”

I smile at Daniel. It is rare
when I get a compliment. Aunt Sally gaffs at the two.

Everyone shuffles about to gather
last-minute possessions before meeting on the newly painted porch. I inhale the
scent of the new paint. The sunset illuminates the sky with mixtures cotton
candy colors. Aunt Sally’s eyes sparkle.

“Let’s head out.” Uncle Jack
extends his arm to his wife. She loops her bony arm through her husband’s,
while he leads the way to the road.

“Wait. We’re not driving?” Daniel
gawks at his parents.

“I forgot to tell you. They’re
having a – well I guess you could call it a hay ride. It’ll pick people up and
bring them into town. We’ll start walking and when they come down the street,
they’ll stop and let us on. What a treat this will be!” Aunt Sally gushes.

I gulp deep breaths like I do
when performing yoga exercises. My nervousness about singing on stage creeps
back. I fear another breakdown, only this time visible to the whole town. The
wind carries cackling across the evening air, forcing the tiny hairs on my body
to prickle. Leaves, the color of fall reds and gold’s, plummet from the tall
maple trees. Listening to the leaves crackling under Uncle Jack’s shoes, I
stroke the silver designs on my necklace. I have not worn my locket in ages. My
parents can be with me that way.

“Temptation you’re shivering. You
need a jacket. This weather isn’t good for your voice.” Aunt Sally tugs her
gold shawl more tightly over her shoulders.

“I’ll grab one from my bedroom. Go
ahead without me,” I say, waving them toward the street. “I’ll catch the next
hay ride.”

“Well...if you’re sure. But make
sure you find your cousins when you get into town. They’ll be in the town
square or at least they’d better be.” Uncle Jack’s threat does not go unnoticed
by the boys, who groan, and kick a couple of rocks.

I dash back into the house,
smiling. In my room, the chandelier captures the twilight from my half-circle
of windows. Diamond-shaped rainbows cascade across the walls and furniture.
Snatching my golden locket off the vanity, I chain it on. The floorboards creak
underfoot and a hair-raising chuckling emerges in the direction of the wardrobe
carved with naked angels and demons. A grim figure steps out of the wardrobe. I
release a girlish shriek.

“Please, m’dear, there be no one
ta hear ya screamin’, and no one ta save ya, so ya better stop before ya make
me mad.”

I do stop. Eye’s wide, they
travel over the form of the ugly dwarf man blocking my windows. His black eyes
seem void of a soul. His face, horribly wrinkled, sags, and defines his pointed
chin, nose, and sharp fangs. His clothing resembles a nobleman from the
eighteenth century. He carries on him a bone mask. My hand touches my necklace
covering my throat – happy, for the first time – that Herald forced me to wear
it.

“What be the matter, Girlie? Not
afraid of ah little old goblin like me, are ye?” If possible, he grins even
wider. Hundreds of lines sprout out all over his beastly face. “Ya shouldn’t
be. Ya’ve already met me ah few times.”

“You’re – You’re Remorse. I met
you the day the Jenkins twins took me behind the wall. And the day I got lost
in the woods, but you’re supposed to be trapped behind the wall! How can you be
here? The Goblin King said you could only travel outside of Rosewood on
Halloween.” My hand grasps the ends of my hair. I begin twirling the strands in
my fingers.

“Ya know ya have ah bad habit ta
twirlin’ yer hair when yer nervous?”

My eyes twitch to my working
fingers. Immediately I withdrawal them and clench my fists at my side.

Remorse delivers a throaty
chuckle. “The same way I was spyin’ on ya from those woods the night yer aunt
slapped ya ‘round.” He raises a finger, closely resembling a spider’s leg, at
the wardrobe. “There be very old thin’s in Rosewood made from the wood in the
goblin’s forest. We can use these thin’s as portals, but can’t stray more than
ah few feet from ‘em. Jenkins don’t know, but we be prisoners still.”

“Why did you come here?”

The impish creature grins like a
devil playing poker. “I’m here ta warn ya Temptation Belladonna Falls. Warn ya
of the game yer about ta be playin’.”

“A-A game?” I shift my weight and
wrinkle my brow. “No, thank you. I don’t like games.”

Remorse barks out another laugh
and flexes his pointy ears. He tosses a bone mask to me and, to my surprise, I
catch it. “Those Jenkins twins have been lyin’ ta ya since the day they
discovered ya could see us goblins. Every person in Rosewood be ah slave demon,
except those new ta town o’ course. Every year they be drawin’ more people ta
Rosewood fer food. The only ones they spare be the ones who could’ve stopped ‘em.
Think of these special people as human trophies. Like Victoria. Tonight they be
gatherin’ all the new people fer their annual feast. Which be includin’ yer
family. The Jenkins twins are goin’ ta trap ya into becomin’ their slave
Temptation, because ya have ah gift they be fearin’...and desirin’.”

“But I have nothing! No gift.”
Unable to control my emotions, I slam my fist against the wall and release a
frustrated scream. “Why even bother telling me I’m going to lose my family
again! I started moving on. Fitting in. There’s nothing I can do to escape–”

“That’s where ya be wrong,
Girlie.” Remorse tilts his head. His bat-like ears perk up. “There be ah way ya
can escape.”

“How?” I shift closer to the
exit, making the four-poster bed separate the creature and myself.

“By usin’ yer gift. Ya have the
gift of seein’ goblins. No other human in Rosewood can see us. Jenkins fears ya
‘cause ya have the power to release us goblins from behind the wall, before he
can turn ya. But once he has ya, we can’t do nothin’ for ya.”

I scowl. “How does that help me
and my family escape? Besides, the twins imprisoned your kind because you were
stealing children and women.”

Remorse’s expression becomes
sinister. His teeth glint red in the fading sunlight. “They imprisoned us ‘cause
we stopped ‘em from killin’ those children and women. If ya release us, we be
in yer debt. Ye can ask our king ta help yer family escape.”

I study the bone mask in my
hands.

“One other thin’ ta think
about...when me king kills Jenkins, every human he’s turned into ah demon or
enslaved, will return ta normal. Use the mask ta see who be human and who be
demon. In order ta save us, ya must find the Cyclops rats. Ya remember ‘em from
the story?” Remorse points at the little ragged book on my vanity.

I nod.

“Follow ‘em and steal the red
crystal they be guardin’. Bring the crystal ta the Goblin King, at the stone
archway, and we’ll help ya save yer family. The townspeople be gatherin’
together at the theater house. They’ll start feastin’ at nine o’clock.”

I peer at the clock on my
nightstand. Crap, eight o’clock already!
“How do I know who’s telling
the truth?”

“I can’t tell ya what ta think,
Girlie. But did Jenkins trust ya enough ta tell ya everyone in Rosewood be ah
demon?”

“No, but I never asked, either.”

“Has me master ever threatened or
laid ah hand on ya?” Remorse paces the floor, never taking his soulless eyes
off my own.

“No. He’s been kind to me, but–”

“Has Jenkins ever threatened or
laid ah hand on ya?”

I rub the sides of my forehead.
“Multiple times, but I can understand it if he’s trying to keep killers from
escaping.”

“Temptation, me master or us
goblins coulda killed ya long ago. I didn’t have ta save ya from that car
crash.”

My mouth falls and I almost drop
the skeleton mask. Staring at Remorse, I do not know what to say.

“Yeah, it be right, Girlie. I
chose ya, cause I thought ya were strong enough ta help me king. He be dyin’,
Temptation. Jenkins don’t know, but I reckon me master has little more than ah
few months left ta live.”

I lay a hand over my chest. The
memory of the king’s tender kiss and his attention to my emotions causes me to
regret not investigating him further. “Herald gave me something to give your
king.” I reach into my pocket and pull out the red crystal. Remorse’s eyes
squint at the crystal. “It’s filled with the twin’s blood. He said it
would…kill your king.”

Remorse licks his lips in a
nervous jester. “We’re at yer mercy, Temptation. So what do ya choose?”

A pair of birds flutters past the
windows. A thought enters my mind. “It’s not my only option. The first day I’d
met you, the twins said I could escape from Rosewood. It’s because I have this
gift isn’t it? None of their spells work on me, including your king’s spell,
which keeps everyone, trapped in Rosewood.” I study Remorse’s reaction.

He frowns. “That may be true, but
ya’d have ta get yer family and leave Rosewood before the clock strikes nine,
and if the twins knew ya were tryin’ ta run for it...ya’d never get past the
town square.”

“But I still have time.” I watch
the dark horizon. “Oh, Gods. My aunt and uncle were going straight to the
theater house!” Dashing out of my room, Remorse’s cackles echo throughout the
Victorian house. I yank open the door and jog to the street. My glass slippers
meet the pavement. Halting, I remove the fragile shoes, and then proceed to
sprint down the street. The streetlights black out and Weeping Willow Road
envelopes into an eerie darkness. My white hair billows behind me.

A few Halloween lights hanging
from nearby houses flicker on and off like a strobe light in the darkness.

The goblin’s heavy cackling still
lingers in the air.

In one hand, the bone mask
glitters in the light of the moon. In the other hand, the blood-filled crystal
glows on its own.

The twinkling town lights flicker
ahead of me and despite the cramps forming on my sides, I pump out an extra
burst of speed. I pass the run-down gas station and peer over at Mrs. Peters’
house as I go by. It looks dark. Vacant. Shadows across from the Peterses’
mansion begin to flood upon the road leading to the school. Mutated shadows
draw nearer with every passing second.