Untouchable Darkness (29 page)

But they were the same.

I felt it.

I knew it.

Terrified, I took a step back.

But Timber shoved me forward. I turned to punch him but he was already exiting the room, leaving me alone with—

I whipped my head around. “What are you?”

His black and red hair shimmered within the heat of the room as my body felt heavy.

“I believe the question that’s been plaguing your mind is… what… my dear…. are you?”

“I’m a Dark—“

“If you say Dark One I’ll simply laugh.” Bannik’s smile was cruel. “Did you know, I was never meant to be in the US? It wasn’t my territory. Twelve of us were sent to the ends of the earth to watch. Only this time, we knew human emotion. Imagine the difficulty in watching, helping humans keep the peace…. and knowing nothing but fighting and war? My brother was never good at following the rules, and I learned soon after, when he refused to see me because of his shame, that I was tired of following them as well.” He shrugged. “It seems that warmth… agrees with me.”

“You’re like Sariel,” I said dumbly.

“I’m exactly like Sariel.” He shifted in his seat. “
If
Sariel hadn’t repented.” He paused. “And so are you.”

“What?”

“Ever wonder why the darkness calls?” His smug laughter was grating on my nerves, along with the way he spoke down to me like I was stupid. “It calls because it is in your nature. But by all means, sugarcoat your true identity and call yourself a Dark One… yet you are still the same as I.”

I licked my dry lips. “An Angel?”

“Hah!” He clapped his hands. “You amuse me.” He spun his large body around in the chair before slamming his hands down on the desk. “You. Are. Evil.” His teeth snapped and popped as his jaw clenched together. “Humans and Angels do create half breeds, beings so powerful that they are condemned to the earth. But the half breeds must even make a choice, serve their angelic fathers… or follow after the ones that are fallen. You call yourself a Dark One, but really? You’re half of a Fallen Angel… just waiting to turn into a Demon.”

I let out a little gasp of disbelief. “But, Demon are a race. They’re in the immortal book as a race that was created—”

“Goody,” he said dryly while blocking a yawn with his large hand. “Please continue, don’t let me interrupt.”

My head was spinning out of control.

I opened my mouth, but he silenced me by holding his hand in the air. “Keeping you in the dark has always been the plan. After all, what do you think would happen if the rest of the immortals discovered that most Demon had angelic powers?”

I shook my head. “Most Demon I’ve met are weak creatures who prey on humans.”

Bannik stood, towering over his desk as claws seeped out of fingernails. “Oh?”

Swallowing, I took a healthy step back.

“You sense it even now.” His eyes closed for a few seconds, and when they opened, they were black, soulless. “When Angels give up, break the rules, or decide not to say sorry…” His laughter was deep, empty. “They are suddenly unwanted, sent to the earth for the rest of their miserable existence, most of them were under the impression that they were like humans, without any sort of abilities. Until Sariel.”

“Sariel’s good,” I whispered.

“Sariel said sorry, but he was still punished, like the rest of us. Because of his mistake I will never again taste the air of heaven, or feel the warmth of the sun as it rises over the horizon. The earth no longer speaks to me. The mountains no longer sing in my presence, and when the moon makes its appearance it turns its face away in shame.” He lifted his hand into the air. “The tides pull away when I walk near the ocean, but I think,” His black eyes glistened, “The worst has to be the songs.”

I kept moving backward as he spoke, trying desperately to find the door knob.

“The melody of the earth as it tilts on its axis, the planets as they sing in their specific languages all joining together in the chorus of the universe.” He glared at me his black eyes locking in on mine, like a tractor beam pulling my feet toward him. “I can no longer hear the song of creation.”

“If it makes you feel better, I can’t hear it either.”

“Silly immortal, you hear it every day. Your human side is simply too busy ignoring it to pay attention, so busy with inconsistent emotional thoughts that, in the end, truly don’t matter. The worst part—” He laughed again. “—is walking by a human who by all means should hear the music, who hears it on a daily basis, and doesn’t appreciate its beauty. I’ve killed humans for less. I’ll continue to kill them in their ignorance.”

“And me?” I asked, “What about me?”

He grinned. “I no longer have any use for you.”

“So you’re going to kill me?”

“No.” He shrugged. “It seems I won’t need to, since you’ve cheerfully done the deed yourself. Killing your own mate, why, it seems the darkness truly has taken hold.”

“No!” I screamed, lunging for him. “I just slowed him down.”

“Oh, you slowed him down all right.” He cackled. “Even now his heart slows to the rhythm of death. What did you think? Immortality is a fickle thing, my dear. He’s your mate, your lives are interconnected in a very special way that I’m sure Sariel… omitted.”

“Tell me,” I said through clenched teeth.

“I wonder if this is how Samson felt… after his hair was cut.” Bannik tapped his chin. “After all, you’ve done the same thing without realizing it… when you mate, it is possible, that one or the other person may give all of his angelic powers to the other, say, if he is worried about her safety, or about her leaving him—”

“—human.” I gasped, throwing my arms out to the sides as shreds of ice slammed against the walls.

Bannik ducked. “Before you leave….”

I stared him down then closed my eyes, forcing my will on him, trying to remember what Cassius had explained in training, only to have my eyes open and see that nothing had happened.

“This…” He smiled wickedly. “Is my favorite part.”

The wall behind him moved to the side.

I counted ten.

Ten men.

Huge.

All with red and black hair.

Chained to the walls.

With blood being drained from them.

“It seems…” Bannik shrugged. “That I’ve been very bad.”

The men’s mouths were covered—but their eyes conveyed fear, anger, hostility and shame. I didn’t need to stare long to know who they were.

Sariel’s brothers.

The ones who had been punished.

And sent to different corners of the earth.

“Sariel won’t let you get away with this.”

“Hah!” Bannik clapped his hands. “And what will dear brother do? Not only am I creating an army—but I’m harnessing their power for my own. I’m untouchable. And now.” He dismissed me with his hand. “I’m bored.”

The door behind me opened.

Timber grabbed my arms and jerked me out.

“He’s insane,” I said through clenched teeth. “Do you truly think you can trust someone? Like that!” I pointed at the door.

“And my other choice?” Timber asked in a calm voice. “Rot until an immortal finally kills me then take my place in hell.” He shoved me down the hall. “I’ll take my chances.”

“Sariel—”

“Yes, let’s talk about the good angel.” He laughed, an evil sound that slid over me like warm butter. “Tell him, a war is coming. One he cannot win. Oh, and do say hello to the immortal king for me as he takes his last breath. We had a good run, a really good run.”

With that I was tossed into the street.

“Home,” I breathed, hoping it would work, that I would be able to imagine myself in a place and end up there.

After two seconds of nothing, desperation finally kicked in. I pushed all of my emotions into willing myself home with Cassius.

And opened my eyes just in time to see Ethan yell. “He’s coding!”

Cassius

T
HE WOUND HURT
—but what hurt more, was the physical pain of my heart as it demanded I run after her. So with all the strength I possessed, I closed my eyes and willed it. I willed my strength to her, every ounce I had—and hoped it would be enough to keep her alive, even if it meant my death.

What have you done?

Sariel’s whisper was as always… so helpful.

I fell to my knees with a grunt, confused as to why my wound wasn’t healing; it typically took mere seconds for my skin to knit back together, leaving me without any sort of scar.

But now? It was as if.

I’d truly been injured.

I was about to yell for Ethan when he appeared by my side, his hands shoving mine away as he examined my chest. Eyes grave, he pulled back. “You aren’t healing.”

“No shit.” I huffed. It was getting more difficult to breathe by the second, as if a heaviness had taken hold of my chest and squeezed, the pressure building up into my lungs.

“Alex! Mason!”

They ran in, Genesis was close on their heels.

“Run into something sharp?” Alex teased.

“He’s not self-healing.” Ethan hissed. “And I can’t stop the bleeding.”

Immediately Alex sobered, shoving Ethan away so he could take a look, but what good was a Siren?

“I’m slowing your heart.” Ethan pressed a hand to my neck. “Try to calm down.”

“Sure.” I nodded. “I’ll do that, I’ll just tell myself to calm down while I—”

A Dark One could always calm down, always compartmentalize. “Genesis, what color are my eyes?”

Face pale, she answered in a tiny voice. “Blue. They’re blue.”

Mason let out a little howl as he knelt by my side and took my hand in his, apparently my emotions were causing him to change as claws replaced hands.

“It’s fine,” I lied, unable to taste it in the air. “There is no better way to die, then in the presence of friends.”

Brave words for someone who didn’t feel so brave, because regardless of my human state—I would die as a Dark One.

I would be nothing.

Feel nothing.

Know nothing.

To die as a Dark One is to have never existed.

And for the first time in my existence, I wanted the pain that memory brought, because it meant that I had lived, that I’d suffered, that I had loved and come out on the other side better for it.

Genesis squeezed my hand just as Ethan shouted. “He’s coding!”

Suddenly Stephanie was at my side, shoving everyone out of the way. Was she glowing?

Why the hell was I seeing a light?

She slid her wrists along Ethan’s teeth so quickly Ethan didn’t have time to protest, and then knelt next to my head pressing her wrist against my mouth.

“It won’t be enough.” Ethan said sadly.

“It has to be.” Stephanie said through soft sobs. “It has to be. I love him. It has to work!”

I smiled. “Love—” Exhaustion took over. “You.” I reached up to caress her face one last time and failed as my hand slumped to the floor, right along with my body.

I stood near the edge of the building where darkness met light. It was the perfect spot for me to be standing, all things considered.

That
was
my life.

The perfect rapture of darkness—light flirted on the outskirts, trying to seep through, but I knew better than anyone its chances of succeeding were slim. I held out my hand, and my fingertips kissed the sunlight peeking through the clouds. I twirled my hand around and let out a defeated sigh.

“Cassius.” Sariel, my father and one of the head Archangels—the same angels that hadn’t appeared to the immortals for over three hundred years—spoke my name with such authority and finality that it was impossible not to feel the effects of the words as he released them into the universe. They slammed against my chest, stealing every ounce of oxygen I’d just greedily sucked in. “You have failed.”

“Yes.” I swallowed the lie, felt it burn all the way down my throat into my lungs. My cold, rotten heart picked up speed, maybe I really was dead inside like she said, maybe it was hopeless, all of it.

“I taste the lie on your lips, half breed.”

“So taste,” I fired back, as my eyes strained to focus on the light. The yearning to
be
light, to fully allow it to consume me, was like a fire burning in my soul. “I have nothing more to say to you.”