Dark World

by Concerita Tortorici

  «Whoa there. What did the counter ever do to you?» Kai said.

  As Reid turned, Kai could tell he had interrupted a deep train of thought. Regardless, Kai needed answers, and the only one who had them at that moment was him. Hopefully, Reid was nice enough to give it to him without much hassle.

  «Where is she?» Kai asked.

  «You're going to have to be more specific.» Reid replied, «who is she?»

  Kai didn't have time for his silly games. Ruby was in danger, and he was the only one who knew where she was. Taking a deep breath, Kai tried to calm himself.

  «Ruby,» he declared, «where is she?»

  Kai kept his gaze focused on Reid. He noticed Reid's eyes shifted from side to side. Kai knew Reid knew where Ruby was. So why was he being so difficult? After a few moments of silence between them, Ried finally told him she wasn't there. That he had sent her home after she said she wasn't feeling well. Which wasn't like Ruby at all. It would take a major illness for her to go home sick. Something big had to have happened.

  «She's not there,» Kai said, «I should know, I was just there. So, where is she then?»

  «She's with Joshua,» Reid said, «he came and took her back to his place.»

  Kai's eyes widened with what he had just heard. Why on Earth would he send her with him? Joshua was nothing but trouble. As far as he knew, Ruby would have been safer staying in the back of this pub, not with him. Kai's anger grew the more he stood there lost in thought.

  «Why the hell did you leave her with him?» Kai barked, «she needs to be at home. Where she's safe.»

  His words were full of anger. No matter how hard he tried to keep his anger in check. The moment he heard Joshua's name out of Reid's mouth, he lost it. He couldn't even make out what Reid was trying to say. His eyes turned to his lips as they mouthed the word safe. How the hell would he know she's safe with that monster. Whether or not she wanted to see him, he could protect her better than anyone. Better than Joshua.

  «I'm her brother,» Kai shouted, «I can protect her.»

  Again, Reid's words were nothing but silence to his ears. Ruby was only safe with him. He was the only one who could keep her safe. Kai rose from his seat, anger boiling in his blood. He felt like he was going to explode at any given moment. And who better to blow up in front of the very person that kept his sister away from him.

  «I don't care,» Kai said, «I'm her brother. I'm the only one who knows how to keep her safe. How to keep her from ever finding out the truth.»

  «The truth?» Reid repeated.

  Kai stepped back and held his breath. He had said too much. He cursed under his breath, turned and darted out the door, sidestepping away from someone who crossed his path. The only thing on his mind was getting to Ruby before Naomi did. If he did, then maybe he would be able to tell her something he was dreading to do. The truth. That was unless Joshua beat him to it.

  Joshua sat a few inches away from Ruby. The room was filled with silence, and a heavy feeling of dread hung over them. The moment he saw Ruby's eyes haze over and her body leaned to the right, he acted quickly and rushed to her side. Having caught her mid-fall, Joshua positioned her in, what he thought, might be the most comfortable position. He watched her closely as a puppy would. He focused his eyes on her slight movements. Her hands shook as placed them to her face.

  She was frightened and unsure of what to make of what he had said. In the back of his mind, he wanted to take it all back. He wanted to erase her memory of everything that happened and bring her back to her home. However, at the same time, he wanted her to know the truth. No matter how dark and terrible it was. After all, he was the reason why she was changing. Lowering his gaze, Joshua searched his mind for anything that might ease her suffering.

  «I'm sorry,» she said softly.

  Joshua lifted his gaze, surprised at her words. Of all the things she could have said. He knew she would have questions. He should have been the one to say that. He was planning on saying it at least a few times in his explanation. Yet, she was the one sorry. Why? She had done nothing wrong.

  «You don't need to apologize,» Joshua replied, «you've done nothing...»

  «I'm sorry I blacked out,» she continued, «I seem to do that a lot lately...»

  Her voice was low and almost too quiet to hear. Joshua wanted to approach her. But his body refused to move. She had more to say, he was sure of it. For the time being, he sat silently, waiting for her to speak again.

  «It's hard to understand. Yet, I feel like I've known the whole time,» she paused to find her words, «The whole story of the car accident...It felt so dramatized...And being so young, I thought nothing of it. I... I just don't understand why they would lie to me.»

  «They did it to protect you,» Joshua replied, «they thought...»

  His words felt caught in his throat as his eyes fell on her. Her body trembled as he heard soft sobs. There were no words for him to say to make her feel any better. Her whole world was falling apart in front of her, and he couldn't do anything except make things worse for her. He cursed under his breath.

  «I'd understand if you want to go back home,» Joshua began, «you probably want some time to process all of this.»

  For the first time in centuries, he felt a sharp pain in his chest where his heart used to be. He was amazed at how human she made him feel. And for once, he wished he was. Just for a chance at a normal life. A normal life with her.

  «I can't go home,» Ruby declared, «Kai could be there...and I really don't want to see or deal with him right now. I wouldn't even know how to talk to him right now.»

  «You're welcome to stay here,» Joshua said, «for as long as you need.»

  The truth was, Joshua, didn't want her to leave and felt relieved when she said she didn't want to leave. However, he feared for the remainder of the night. He didn't know how she was feeling aside from broken. And he felt if he said anymore, she might actually leave. For now, he felt it was best to leave it at that and hope she wouldn't want to talk about it anymore.

  18

  «This is too perfect!»

  «Not good enough!» Lucian shouted as he slid his arm across the table.

  He spent hours trying to figure out the perfect plan to lure his next prey in. However, no matter what he thought of, it didn't seem right. He wanted everything to be perfect, especially when his next meal was as gorgeous as she was. He had thought of luring her out into an alley and attacking. But that seemed almost too barbaric. He then thought he would lure her to the pier, a beautiful view for a beautiful girl. Even that didn't feel right. He looked to the floor at his scattered notes. Was there nothing worthy enough for her?

  Bringing his attention to the sketch of the girl on the wall, he let out a breath. Even his sketch didn't capture her true beauty. He had done his best to remember the fear in her eyes and the ghost-like appearance of her skin. However, if someone else were to see it, they would find it breathtakingly close to the actual person. Lucian took pride in getting every little detail right, right down to the way the light reflected off her face.

  «I'll find the perfect place,» he said as he crossed the floor toward the sketch, «I'll make sure to savor every last drop of you.»

  Passing the sketch, he made his way into his small living room. He let out a breath as he gazed at the stained and cracked walls. This place wasn't his first option as a hideout. And since Hunter was getting somewhat closer to finding him, Lucian needed to make sure to change locations every so often. This place, however, was far from what he was used to. Slouching in the run-down chair, Lucian grabbed the bottle of rum that sat at the leg of the chair and took a long swig.

  Surely there was someplace in this city worthy of her. Worthy of his kill. His patience was wearing thin. Staring blankly at the wall, Lucian let out a deep breath. He couldn't remember the last time he took his time with a victim. He had gotten so caught up with the thrill of the screams, and the taste of the blood that he had forgotten how thrilling it was going to b
e. How satisfying it would be to taste her blood.

  His body twitched with excitement as he imagined her squirming under him. How she would beg for death. And how her eyes would fill with fear as he would drain every last drop. For a moment, as his mind wandered with the thought of gazing into her eyes as he'd watch the life drain from them, his mind quickly darted to the past. A past he hadn't truly forgotten. A night he would never forget. The monstrous eyes he had seen in the darkroom of that Manor. The anger and fear they held. He let out a muffled chuckle. Those same eyes he had seen in that girl.

  Lucian took another swig of his drink before tossing the bottle to the wall. He was going to make absolutely sure that she was the one. He was going to make sure he'd replicate that night. Just to be sure she was indeed the creature he was looking for. A devilish grin formed on his face as he rose from his seat.

  «First,» he said to himself, «I need to find out more about her.»

  Lucian retraced his steps back to the sidewalk, where she bumped into him. He stood spinning slowly as the light rain drizzled over him. She had to have come from somewhere. But where exactly. There were too many variables. He needed to concentrate. He needed to bring himself back to that day. Closing his eyes, he let the sounds of the cars passing, the people's murmured voices, and the sound of the rain dull into nothing.

  She had turned the corner, clearly, in another world, she had bumped into him. Taking a deep breath, Lucian tried to remember how she smelt. Still, there were too many variables. Narrowing his focus to only her, Lucian began to remember her scent. A mix of flowers and citrus fruits. But there was something more to the scent. There was a hint of freshly baked pastries. As Lucian opened his eyes, he smiled widely to himself.

  Stepping quickly around the corner, he saw it. A quaint little diner, with a name he surely wouldn't forget. The Midnight Diner. He smiled as he crossed the street with the smell of baked goods and hot meals filled the air before him. That girl had shared the similar smell. It wasn't until he opened the doors, that he knew he had found the right place. Turning back to see the street, He found the diner to be in an almost perfect location. It was tucked away nicely that tourists wouldn't find it. However, it wasn't the perfect spot for her.

  «Good morning, table for one?»

  Lucian turned back to see a young girl staring at him with a menu in hand. She wasn't anything special. She was easy on the eyes with her fair skin and long dark hair tied back in a ponytail. However, the glasses she wore hid her amber eyes, which was somewhat of a turn off for him. Still, as she led him to a table tucked away from everyone, he couldn't help but notice how her uniform clung to her curves. For that reason, his interest had been piqued slightly.

  «Your waitress will be with you shortly,» she said.

  He smiled and nodded as the hostess turned to leave. He sat there, looking over to the crowd of people. Clearly, this place was quite the popular one in New York. However, it was too crowded for his liking. Shaking his head, he reminded himself that this was only research. If that girl had indeed been here that day, then someone would know her. And perhaps if he used his charm, he would get a little information out of this.

  After a few minutes passed, Lucian watched as a woman with copper hair and a tight fit uniform walked towards him. He took note of the small tattoos on her arm and wondered what else she might be hiding. When she stopped in front of his table, he quickly took note of her bright green eyes and tanned skin. She smiled widely at him before she spoke.

  «Mornin', can I get you anything to drink?»

  «Coffee,» Lucian replied.

  He didn't need the coffee, nor did he want to order food. The one thing that he hated about his life was how tasteless everything was. Well, except for blood. That was the only thing that was sweet and full of flavor in his life.

  «Can I get you anything from the menu?» she asked.

  Lucian quickly glanced down at his unopened menu and back up to the girl. Again, he couldn't taste the food, so what would have been the point of ordering, however, given that he was only there for research.

  «I'll take whatever you recommend,» he said.

  «You sure?» she asked.

  «Yes,» Lucian replied, «I'm fairly new to town and this is my first time here. I'm sure you'll bring me something delicious.»

  His words left a sour taste in his mouth. He loathed playing the innocent tourist. But, he never once complained about what usually came afterward. As long as he kept this act up, she'd be eating out of the palm of his hand soon enough.

  «All right,» she said as she scribbled something on her notepad, «I'll be right back with your coffee.»

  There was something different about that girl. As she turned to walk back to the kitchen, Lucian had noticed her heart hadn't fluttered like most of the girls did. Odd. He had never had that happen before. And that could only mean, he'd have to flirt a little harder with this one. Or maybe if he had the opportunity, he'd be able to read her thoughts. It had been a while since he had to use it, and for a while, it had proved to be the most effective method of getting what he wanted.

  When the waitress returned with his coffee, Lucian quickly held her gaze and searched for anything that could help him. As his search was turning up with nothing, he was beginning to think he'd have to find another way, that was until he caught a glimpse of a girl with mulberry colored hair.

  «Tell me,» Lucian began, «what's a girl like you doing in a place like this? Surely you could be doing something else.»

  «Funny,» she said, «I've heard that a time or two. And I'll tell you the same thing I tell everyone who asks me that. I love my job. I love serving people delicious food and seeing the smiles on their faces when they leave. No other job can give me the satisfaction that this one does. Besides, the tips are really good, so why would I leave.»

  «All right,» Lucian said as he waved his hands in the air like he was sorry, he spoke out of term, «I get it. Then what do you do for fun around here? Are there any places you like to go?»

  Lucian hoped his curious tourist act was working. It seemed to be going well. But that last question was something that he hoped didn't sound to upfront.

  «Well,» she said, «there is this really great pub. It's called the Twilight pub.»

  Lucian sat and listened to how great this pub was. From its dim lighting to incredible drinks, Lucian felt as though he had been there himself with the way she spoke about it. She mentioned that she and a friend frequently visited the pub, and she had even gotten her said friend a job there. The moment she mentioned her friend, Lucian's attention became focused on her.

  «This friend that works there,» he asked as he looked down to her name tag, «tell me, Nikky, what is he or she like?»

  He watched as Nikky's eyes darted from him and down to the floor as if she was trying to figure out if she should tell him. Lucian smiled sweetly at her and told her that he would love to meet the friend of such a beautiful girl. And that her friend must be equally as pretty. This made Nikky blush. As if she hadn't been told that a time or two, however, as Lucian watched her face turn red, he smiled to himself, he got her.

  «Her name is Ruby,» Nikky started, «she's great. Really cute. She's about my height, thin and has gorgeous mulberry colored hair. She's got a little bit of a temper, though. But once you get past it, she really is quite sweet.»

  Lucian's eyes lit up as Nikky described Ruby to him. She was the girl that had bumped into him. The one who shared a similar look to the creature from years ago. He felt giddy with excitement. After Nikky left and returned with his order, Lucian picked slowly away at it. Now that he knew her name, he couldn't help but think he had heard it somewhere before. Now that he knew Nikky was her closest friend, his next location would be the pub, to further investigate. However, with it still being daylight, Lucian needed to figure out something to do to kill his time.

  As Lucian wandered his way back down the street, his eyes scanned the area once more. Again, he was disgusted with
everything he saw. There had to be a place that met his demands. It needed to be hidden, out of the eye of any wanderer, quiet, but most importantly, he wanted it to mean something to her. Pausing in the middle of the sidewalk, he pondered. The Diner was tucked away in a prime location. However, there would be still too many people. The Pub might make a good spot as well. He shook his head; it wouldn't work. It would take too long for the place to close before he could really do anything.

  Letting out a sigh, Lucian continued on his path. His mind raced with possible locations. And the ones he thought of, he had already contemplated. Rounding the corner, Lucian came up to one of the paths leading into Central Park. His curiosity grew as he wandered in passed the concrete pillars.

  The park was quiet, with only a few people wandering about. He took in the sights as he walked, making9 a note of every little detail there was. Stopping at the Belvedere Castle. It reminded him of a time long ago. A past that appeared to him as nothing more than smoke and mirrors. His memories had been long forgotten, not that he tried to remember them either. He knew, or at least he figured he was human at one point. Or maybe not. He could have been a Vampire since birth. The only thing he knew was his thirst for blood. The crimson liquid kept him alive and looking youthful.

  Pushing passed his thoughts, Lucian continued his search until he came across A sign that read «Conservatory Gardens, open 24hrs». The gardens were immaculate, the roses he passed were bright pinks, reds, and pale yellow. The tulips were purples, red and yellow, and bright blue larkspurs. The hedges had been trimmed in a perfectly straight and even line. Even the trees that provided some shade looked flawlessly in place. Nothing seemed out of place as he wandered further into the gardens.

  When he came across a platform that overlooked a fountain, Lucian let out a breath. Placing his fingers in front of his face like a frame, he envisioned the night's events. Ruby's friends would be tied up here with him standing next to them. Perhaps he'd have a little fun with Nikky before Ruby arrives. It would make it more thrilling if one was inches from life. Maybe then Ruby would show him those beautiful eyes. The fear and anger the held. He felt chills as he pictured her glaring at him.