A Toiling Darkness (34 page)

He stayed silent, his body harder than a
rock. He was warring with himself.

“Please,” I begged. I never begged, I didn’t
know how to. Okay, apparently I did. I was desperate and if the
saying was correct, this was a desperate measure.

“Okay.” His voice was tight with emotions. I
nearly sagged against him, relieved. “I’m so sorry. I should have
known. I should have.”

I shook my head, my eyes squeezing shut.
Here was to hoping I knew how to die properly. I mean, come on. I
didn’t even have any powers left to heal myself and half my life
force was already on the floor.

I felt the blade’s tip in my back.

“It’s going to hurt,” he said.

I felt Kalen’s lips press against my
temple.

“Just do it,” I replied.

I felt the tip slide in, quick and with
precision. Right into the middle of my heart.

“I’m sorry,” he cried.

My heart tried to beat, moving against the
blade and tearing itself up.

“Don’t be. You didn’t do anything wrong.” I
tried to hug him but all my strength was gone.

My body grew still. I grew weightless. My
eyesight went into an eternal darkness.

The pain went away.

I woke up with a gasp, screaming as
something shoved itself inside of my body. It grabbed my heart and
started squeezing.

I screamed. Hands pushed down on me. Words
were spoken, but none reached my ears. I was in a world of pure
agony. I thought I knew it all, felt it all.

I was wrong.

“No!” I screamed out and shot my hand out to
hit whatever was touching me. I heard cursing, but the arms didn’t
leave my shoulders as they held me down. I tried to kick out, but
whoever held my legs down was strong.

The pain sent white hot flashes through my brain and
then I was engulfed in complete darkness again.

This time, when I woke up, it was gently. I
felt heavy again, weighed down by something intangible. I forced my
eyes open and looked around carefully. The room was dim, torches on
the walls all around, casting dancing shadows against the light
brown ceiling and dark walls. It felt homey.

When I tried to sit up, someone helped me
up, keeping me from moving too quickly. I looked up into sleepy
deep brown eyes with an endless depth of knowledge. His face was
strained with tension. His silky brown hair fell a couple of inches
longer, needing a trim. The beard was full and made him look almost
like a caveman.

Kalen.

“I’m not dead.” My words came out scratchy.
I looked around but it was just the two of us. I did a quick mental
check of my body and found I was completely fine. I sat in my true
human form and felt completely whole. All my powers were back in
its abyss.

“No, you’re not.” He smirked, his expression
softening.

“And you’re still here,” I said.

“I am.”

My chest went heavy with dread. I cried out
softly, my voice hitching with the next words. “You’re not free.
You should be free.”

He grabbed my hands and squeezed. “Hey…hey,
look at me.” He cupped my face and tilted it up until I was looking
into his eyes. I nearly got lost in them, but a sickly feeling in
my stomach kept me grounded. I failed him. “I’m free.”

My focus snapped back to him. I looked down
at his chest and reached out. He let go of my hand as I pressed my
palm against him and opened up my senses. It was true. His soul
wasn’t shackled down. He was free. “I don’t understand.”

“You died.”

“But I’m here.”

“You were brought back,” he said. All I
could do was look at him, completely dumbfounded. Kalen kept
talking. “After you died, Death came, looking for Paige. He brought
you back.”

“You’re joking.”

“No,” he shook his head.

I looked around the room, still stunned.
Finally I turned back to him. “Why?” I asked, unable to grasp what
he was saying.

“He’s saying I brought you back because it’s
important that you live. You also help keep the world going right
now.”

I looked to where the voice was coming
from.

Death stood there, just as cocky as ever. He
looked just like a middle-aged businessman. His suit was tailored
to his lean frame. His face clean shaven, grey eyes still piercing
and his hair cut short to his scalp, nearly bald looking. He looked
like some rich CEO of some massive company. He probably was too.
Rockefeller and Ford had nothing on Death when it came to business.
The man has always been able to stay mainstream through all the
eras.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I was in town,” he said and stepped
closer.

I wanted to shy away from him but held my
ground instead. He knew it too, because he smiled. His presence
pressed against my body, making me feel heavier. He always had a
strong presence. If you weren’t careful, he’d crush you with
it.

“I just wanted to see what my lovely little
daughter has been up to.”

I scoffed, the hatred for him surfacing.
“I’ve seen what a father should be, and you’ve never been one.”

“I think keeping you alive is fatherly
enough,” he said, still smiling.

I snorted, very un-lady like. “For what
purpose now? If I remember correctly, I’m only a… What were the
words you used? Ah, ‘a token hell spawn to do everything and
anything I need to be done. I can’t be bothered with lesser beings
and you’ll be the one to do it for me.’” I mocked him.

“Wait a minute,” Kalen interjected. “He’s
your father?” He pointed to Death, his mouth hanging open. I glared
at him.

“No,” I said when Death said, “Yes.”

Kalen looked between us, lifting his hands
up and took a step back.

“I found you. That makes you my
daughter.”

“Found me?” I asked, laughing angrily. The
man had balls. Big heavy, hairy balls. “You found me at one of my
low points and then used me for your own benefits.”

“Okay, enough!” Kalen interjected again,
stepping between us. “Darkness, you were dead.”

“You can call me Akhlys. No point hiding
now,” I grumbled. I turned back to Death. “I heard you joined the
Consort. Going against everything you were about, aren’t you?”

He smiled, still confident in everything he
did. The damn hypocrite. “I did and I’m changing them.”

“Oh yeah? How?”

“You’re still alive aren’t you?”

I stared at him for a moment.

“They wanted to kill you. I got them to send
El instead.”

“Why?” I asked, unable to believe him.

He sighed and for once, his cocky manner
slipped. He looked out a nearby window. It was dark outside. I
already knew it. I could also feel everyone in the city as they
traveled around. I haven't felt this busy in so long.

“You’re going to find out soon, but for now,
all you need to know is that the both of you are a part of an
important prophecy.”

“That’s all you’re going to tell me?”

“That’s all I can tell you. When the time
comes, you’ll learn more.”

“What the hell?” I asked. “Are you a seer
now?”

He smiled again. “No, of course not.
Anyways, I have to bounce. Got me some souls to fetch.”

With that he slipped away into the darkness.
I didn’t even feel him. He simply became the shadow and then he was
gone. I stared at the spot he disappeared at for a couple of
minutes. Then I turned back to Kalen. He was rubbing his beard,
lost in thought.

“How long was I out for?” I asked.

“Six months. You became alive again about
two months ago, but your soul couldn’t handle it and it took
another two months for your body to properly heal and reattach with
your soul again.”

“So I have a soul,” I trailed off. I didn’t
think I had one.

Kalen frowned. “Of course you do. Everyone
has one.”

I sighed.

What the hell? I finally die and I’m just
resurrected because it inconvenienced Death.
I looked at Kalen
again, staring at him. I guess it was okay. At least Kalen was
free. And he looked even better. He seemed more alive. There was a
vibrancy to his skin that wasn’t there before. The torment in his
movement and expression was gone. He looked free.

“So what now?” I asked him. Death’s words
kept going through my mind.

A prophecy? What was it? I never heard about
one. And when Frey died, he mentioned more coming. Who was coming?
Something was stirring up the world and it all began when Kalen was
created. I looked over at him, taking him in.

What could possibly happen now? Dumb
question. Everything was possible.

Kalen shrugged. He seemed just as lost and
confused as I was. I just woke up after being dead. What was his
excuse?

“I guess we just live, take it one day at a
time.” He smiled and my breath hitched.

I nodded. “I can do that.”

We just stared at each other, grinning. If
Kalen was around, I could live. Prophecy be damned. And I was in my
true human form too.

I guess it could be worse.

Jaliza Burwell grew up in Akwesasne, NY, a small
reservation right on the border of Canada and New York. She moved
to Boston in 2014 to get her master’s degree in Publishing and
Writing at Emerson College. Currently, she’s still working on her
degree but is also working at Tufts University in the Office of
Research Administration. When she isn’t reading or writing, she’s
harassing her family and friends. Her biggest goals in life include
Japan and also to find the perfect pork fried rice recipe.

You can connect with her on:

Website:
www.jalizaburwell.com

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/AuthorJaliza

Twitter:
@JalizaBurwell

Email:
[email protected]

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