Dark World Genesis

by A. R. Kingston

  “I would never hurt you or Andy. I'd watch this universe fall apart before I let anything happen to you. Call me a fool, or whatever you want, but I care about you Jay, and about Andy. I thought you could at least try to understand that, but I guess I was wrong. So, have it your way, I'll leave and never come back here again. Have a good life Jay, hope it’s one you’re proud of.”

  Alex went running past him, but Jay couldn’t let her go. Grabbing hold of her tiny wrist, Jay whirled her around, pulling Alexandra into his tight embrace. Her small frame almost melted against his large body, and he found himself locked in eternity. Placing one of his hands on the small of her back, he tangled up the other in her silky hair. It felt as if the universe was rushing through him, and Jay felt as if he lost his mind while he found his soul. Surrendering to the surge of emotions, he held Alexandra tight, not willing to lose her again.

  Not understanding what had happened, Alex found her head pressed against Jay’s muscular chest. Her heart was running a marathon around in her chest, and she wrapped her arms around him. The scent of his cologne filled her nostrils with the same divine scent making her cheeks grow hot. Instantly she knew this was where she belonged, Jay was the part of her she was missing this whole time. Alex listened to him exhale loudly as his large hand stroked her hair.

  “I'm sorry.” Jay's husky voice was gentle. “You're right, I was unfair in my judgment of you. Can you ever forgive me?”

  Not knowing what came over Jay or how to respond, Alex nodded her head against his chest. Letting go of him she went to pull away, but he pulled her back, hugging her tighter against his body. Surrendering to his embrace, she hugged him back. Holding on to Jay felt right somehow, and Alex let herself melt in his arms. The pain of the past eighteen years was fading away and giving way to something entirely new and oddly familiar.

  Letting go of Alex, Jay walked over to the kitchen. Pulling two glasses from the cabinet, he set them on the small island. Grabbing a bottle of whiskey, Jay filled both glasses, setting the bottle down next to them. Sitting down in one of the stools he looked over at Alexandra and patted the seat next to him, signaling for her to sit beside him.

  “Rheee!” Cosmo’s mohawk stood straight.

  “Easy little guy. I promise I won’t hurt her.”

  “You can see him?”

  “Yeah. I can understand him too. He’s quite the vocal fellow, ain’t he?”

  “He is. But, you are only the fourth person able to see him.”

  “Huh. Well, maybe he only appears to people he likes or something.”

  “Maybe you’re right.” Alex gave Jay a weak smile.

  Cosmo let out a groan before flying down to settle on the counter for a nap. Jay’s theory could not have been further from the truth, but Cosmo didn’t feel like it was his place to explain the situation to them. He was sure they’d figure it out eventually, and his only job was to monitor Alex. So long as she was safe, Cosmo saw no reason to intervene in this reunion.

  Jay continued to look at Alex, motioning his head for her to sit down. “Let's start over princess, and wipe the tears off your face, you don't look nearly as cute when you cry.”

  Using the sleeve of her dress, Alex wiped the tears from her eyes and walked over to the stool next to Jay. Sitting down, she looked in his eyes. They were no longer cold and angry, Jay was finally letting his pain and fear shine through. She was still unsure of what happened back there, but she was glad to see this new side of him. Still, uncertain of what to say or do next, Alex reached over to cover Jay’s hand with hers, delighting in the warmth of his skin against hers.

  “My name is not princess, I hate that title as much as I hate the life I was born into. My given name is Alexandra Hamilton. But I would prefer if you called me Alex.”

  “All right, Alex it is. I'm Jay Hartwood and upstairs is my son Andy.”

  They both laughed at this lighthearted introduction. It was nice to see Jay smile for the first time. His smile was breathtaking, and Alex felt the air being sucked out of her lungs as she looked at him. Jay picked up his glass, taking a swig of the contents. Picking up her glass, Alexandra let the whiskey slide down her throat, it wasn't as bad as last night but it still burned. The woody taste continued to linger on her lips long after the glass was empty leaving her wanting more while being repulsed by it at the same time.

  “I don't know how you can drink this stuff.”

  Jay chuckled at her as he finished another glass before topping them off again. “You get used it.”

  Finishing her drink, Alex placed the glass back on the counter for him to refill. Glancing at Jay, she noticed he looked at her with a pained expression on his face. Something about it did not seem right, and a nagging question lingered in the back of her mind. Bringing the whiskey up to her lips she took a small sip before turning her attention back to the man beside her.

  “Jay, why do you hate pure-bloods so much?”

  Jay looked at her in surprise. His eyes filled with sorrow as he turned away from her and downed his whiskey in one gulp. He knew she would eventually ask, and she deserved to know the truth, but he was not ready to tell her.

  “You wouldn't like me if you knew.”

  “Try me.”

  He peered into her face, and Alex studied him carefully. Silently, Jay polished off another glass of the alcohol trying to steady his nerves. Looking at Alexandra earnestly, he clenched his fists tight, exhaling as a frown formed on his face. This was it, the moment of truth, and probably the moment he’d loses his dream woman forever. There was no way she’d stick around after she knew his secret, but Jay reckoned its best the topic came up now, not after he had the chance to fall for her completely.

  “My father was one.” Jay’s eyes trailed downward, not willing to see what reaction Alex would have.

  Alexandra felt her heart stop as her brain came to a screeching halt. She tried to process what Jay told her, but the words made little sense. If his father was a pure-blood that could only mean one thing, but it was not possible, they were all killed after the war. How could Jay sit there in front of her, claiming to be what he was, if by law he was supposed to be drowned as an infant? No, thought Alex, she must have misunderstood what he said, the whiskey must have gone straight to her head. Glancing up from her glass, Alex saw Jay sitting there with a sad expression on his face, waiting for her to process it all and reply.

  “But... that…” Alex tried to find the words to describe what she heard, “that would make you a—”

  “A half-blood,” he interrupted. “That's right sweetheart, I'm a half-blood. So, do you hate me yet? Are you ready to run away from me?”

  “What? No. Why would I ever hate you?”

  “Because, I’m something that should not be. At least not here. Sitting next to me puts you in danger, especially now that you know what I am.”

  He was right, associating with a half-blood carried a death sentence outside East Ashland. But it was not him or death Alex feared. She was terrified of the society they lived in, of a place that would condemn someone based solely on their blood status alone. Still, Alex did not care about the crime she was committing, she wanted to be with Jay, even if it killed her. Placing her hand on top on his again, she gave it a light squeeze, leaning in to almost touch his lips with hers.

  “Good thing I like to live dangerously.”

  “You mean to tell me I don't scare you?”

  “No. If anything, it makes you even more captivating.”

  Alex reached over to brush a stray strand of golden hair out of Jay’s face as she smiled warmly at him. In response, he reached over and touched her cheek with the tips of his fingers, sending the blood rushing to her head. Closing her eyes from euphoria, Alex savored the warmth of his fingers on her skin, letting a soft gasp escape her throat.

  Jay looked over at her emerald eyes glistening as they looked at him with the intense fire of the sun, and the depth of the moon. He was not sure if the
girl was brazen or insane, all he could be sure of was that he never wanted to let her go. How can someone like her ever care about someone like him? He knew Alex was different the moment he laid eyes on her, but he didn’t know how special she was until now.

  “Well, I'd say you would be the only one then,” Jay whispered as he continued to stroke her soft skin with the back of his fingers.

  Alexandra’s hand trailed upwards, clutching Jay’s palm with her fingers. She studied his face as she bit down on her bottom lip. “But, how did a half-blood end up surviving to adulthood in Winter Haven? What about the paperwork? Why didn’t they drown you?”

  “You sure it's a story you want to hear?

  Nodding her head in response, Alex shifted her weight to be closer to him. How could she not want to hear such an intriguing tale? Whatever he had to tell her, she wanted to know. She needed to know more about the man who was snatching her heart away.

  Jay sighed and refilled their glasses. The princess amazed him, and he felt as if he could share the world with her, all she had to do was ask. Taking another swig of his whiskey, he explained what Alexandra was waiting to hear.

  “You see sweetheart, I was not born here. I was born in East Ashland, whereas you know half-bloods are still legal. My mother was a gray seamstress there. That was how she met a pure-blood, black mage from the West territory. He came in to get a dress tailored for the old hag who runs those provinces. Not only was he this woman’s right-hand man, but he was also her husband.

  “He was said to be charming, and my mother got smitten with him right away. He too took a fancy to her and made her his mistress. But once she became pregnant with me, he discarded her like yesterday's garbage. He said he would have nothing to do with the abomination she was carrying and that she should do them both a favor and get rid of me.

  “For some reason, my mother decided to keep me, even though it meant losing her status in society. Unwed mothers are not looked upon kindly in the East with them being religious as they are. So, they forced her to turn to prostitution, so she could support me. When I was sixteen, she got sick. We could not afford the medicine needed to save her life, and she died a few days later.

  “It left me angry and alone with no one to turn to for help. I ended up turning to a life of crime. I was stealing to survive and getting in fights to feel alive. Eventually, my delinquency caught up with me. I was arrested and thrown in jail for killing a man in self-defense. And it was prison where a young doctor found me and took me in as an apprentice.

  “That crazy man saw potential in me no one else did. He took me back to his home in Fall Harbor and trained me in medicine. I lived with him for many years, and he became almost like a father to me. When I was twenty-four, we came to Rexham to help a friend of his with an epidemic. We faked some of my paperwork to get in, but I kept my originals on me. Anyway, within a year I found myself a single father to Andy. Too ashamed to return to Victoria, I opted to stay behind and raise the boy here.

  “Once again I found myself in a desperate situation of my creation. Things looked hapless, and that was when an unlikely friend found me. He saved my life and gave me another purpose. He also told me I should go to the end of the line where I will find everything I ever wanted and more. So, I gathered all the money I had and paid a stagecoach to take Andy and me as far as it would go.

  “We ended up in Winter Haven, at the bottom of the path that leads up here. I asked the villagers about this place, and a tax collector sold it for what I had left. I set out to fix it up and turn into this place. All this time I managed to keep my blood status a secret, at least until now.

  “Do you think your friend meant for you to end up in Winter Haven?”

  “I don't know, but it sure felt right being here. Something about this place compelled me to stay.”

  “I see. But, doesn’t it make you feel lonely, being here like this?”

  “Maybe. But that’s all I’m qualified to be.”

  A prickly sensation crawled across her skin. Alex felt the ice encasing her soul shatter and melt. Far too long she felt alone in the world, capable only of one thing, being lonely. Yet, here he was, staring straight at her, a missing portion of her soul coming to find her at last. Like a missing piece of a puzzle, Jay fell into place with her. His pain was her pain, and thinking of everything her kind put Jay through, caused Alex a great deal of agony.

  “I'm sorry you had to endure so much. No one deserves that kind of treatment.”

  “I'm a monster Alex. I deserve all the things they throw at me.”

  “How can you say that? I am yet to see this monster you speak of. Our society is full of monsters, grabbing at any power they can find. But you, you are not one.”

  “You are something else sweetheart, you know that?

  Stroking Alex’s cheek with his hand, Jay continued to gaze into her eyes. He did not think it was possible, but she accepted him for what he was, lifting away a lifetime of pain. Wishing to be closer, Jay reached his fingers behind her ear, but to his surprise, she recoiled at his touch. Thinking he got her signals mixed up, Jay pulled away, not wishing to push his luck further.

  Seeing the look of confusion and pain on Jay’s face made Alex regret her reaction. It’s not that she didn’t want him to touch her, she just didn’t want him to see the mark Quinton left on her years ago. To this day she was still ashamed of the scar she bared from the encounter. Plagued with worry, Alex wondered how to explain herself while beside her, Jay went back to drinking his whiskey as if nothing happened.

  “I'm sorry, I shouldn't have.”

  “It's not you.” Alex pleaded with tears in her eyes.

  “Then what is it? Don’t you trust me?”

  “I do.”

  Relenting to his plea, Alex saw no other alternative but to show Jay what it was she wished to hide. Turning her body towards him, she closed her eyes. It was only fair, he shared his darkness with her, now it was her turn to share hers with him. Brushing her hair back, Alexandra revealed a small burn scar in the shape of a rose behind her ear. She was damaged goods, and she knew that, but now, Jay knew it too.

  Rage welled up inside Jay. He wondered what kind of devil would do such a heinous thing to a woman, let alone one as delicate as Alex. Yet the scar was not off-putting or ugly to him. If anything, it made the girl more beautiful, a lingering reminder of her inner strength. Tracing the outline of the rose with his fingers, Jay’s hand traveled down to Alexandra’s chin, turning her head towards him.

  “Who did this to you?”

  “My brother, Quinton. It was part of my punishment for protecting a gray who dared touch me. Quin said he wanted me to remember just how worthless I was before he burned it into my skin.”

  “Don't you listen to that prick.” Jay’s voice was harsh. “This scar doesn't say your worthless, not to anyone who actually gives a damn. It says he tried to break you and failed. It's a reminder of how strong you are, so don't you forget it princess.”

  Alex put her hand over Jay’s, looking up at him expecting to see pity on his face, but what she saw instead was admiration. The last couple years she had been ashamed of her scar, believing it to be a sign of weakness, but now she realized it was proof she was alive, it was evidence of the fight she put up. The strange connection Alex felt with Jay grew a little deeper again. Funny, she thought, fate sure seemed to have a peculiar sense of humor. How else could one explain this sudden change she saw in him?

  “Jay, why are you suddenly being so nice to me?”

  “Well,” Jay said scuffing the floor with his foot while rubbing the back of his head, “I guess I kinda like you.”

  “Oh, really? You could have fooled me.”

  “Hey. I didn't say I wanted to like you. It's just... I don't know... there is something about you... I trust you, and it's been a long time since I trusted anyone like this. Call it fate if you will, but I can't help but be drawn to you.”

  Alexandra smiled and no
dded her head. Was this destiny or was this a series of random events they tried to give meaning to by attributing a supernatural force to it? As much as she loved the idea of Fatima, the goddess of fate, Alex was not sure she could trust her to be real. She cared neither way though, in her mind she was right where she belonged. In a secluded cottage in the woods next to this man, Alexandra found her place in the world, a place she’d been searching for her entire life.

  There was still so much more she wanted to know about him, so many secrets waiting to be revealed. Thousands of questions swirled in her mind, and Alexandra had no idea where she should start. Alex had never been in a situation where she was so lost for words before, and she didn’t know what a safe topic of conversation would be at this point. There was, however, something she wanted to know and Jay was the only one who could tell her about it.

  “Tell me about your home Jay. I want to know about East Ashland.” Alex looked at Jay earnestly.

  “What would you like to know sweetie?”

  “Everything,” she whispered

  Jay laughed. This girl was something else he thought, then again, he already knew that, and this was the reason he liked her. Back at the counter, he poured them another round of drinks before he painted a story of a mystical land not so far away, a land he would have loved to show the princess.

  Alex hung on Jay’s every word as he told her tales of the free people of the East and the forgotten technology they held on to. With every sentence, Ashland sounded more and more like a paradise she wanted to visit. She could hardly imagine a world where blood status did not matter, or one which still had plans for ships to traverse the stars with. This was a place Alex wished to escape to, and she wanted to do it with Jay. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew they belonged together, brought here by the universe itself.

  Sitting in the cabin, listening to the barkeep recall his life in East Ashland, the hours of the night ticked away. It was not until the clock rang out the hour of midnight that they paused their conversation. The bottle of whiskey sat empty on the table and Jay was assessing it for the first time since he began his story.