The Dark King

by C. J. Abedi

  It was clear he didn’t. Just when I thought he was going to reach down and lift her into his arms, I snapped. I couldn’t take it anymore. It had to stop, so I reached down and grabbed the closest thing I could find.

  My football.

  I hurled it in his direction. And my aim had been perfect. Right where I wanted it to land. The ball came for him with such precision that it hit him in the back with savage force. I had put my full strength in the throw and I knew it hurt.

  The football said what I wanted to say.

  Back off.

  I couldn’t help but smile.

  He never saw it coming. But after a quick stumble, he now knew why. He knew he had gone too far. I wouldn’t stand for this, not for one second.

  I lifted my hand and yelled out, “Sorry, man. Honest mistake.”

  “No problem. I barely felt a thing,” Rowan said from across the field.

  This was just the beginning. If he wanted to play this game, he needed to know the prowess of who he was playing against. He couldn’t underestimate me.

  I wouldn’t let him.

  Chapter Seven

  “Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.”

  —Rumi

  Kingdom of the Light Fae

  They knew he was coming. They always did.

  So Odin was not surprised to find Dana waiting for him at the entrance of the crystal row that led to the Kingdom of the Light Fae. Dana and Odin had known each other since the beginning of time, and after so many years side by side it was to be expected that they could always feel each other’s energy and know each other’s moods.

  Dana had been anxiously awaiting his arrival. Once she saw him, she moved toward him quickly, past the crystals that glowed in her presence. Her gauzy white gown flowed behind her as she clasped Odin’s hands in gratitude.

  “You are upset,” Odin stated as he looked down at Dana’s bowed head. Her sadness was a rarity and it caused him great concern.

  “I have seen the Fates,” she began slowly.

  “And they have spoken.”

  She raised her shimmering blue eyes to his and nodded.

  “There have been many moments in human and Fae history that have saddened me, but this, dear Odin, this one touches me in a way that no other has before.”

  Odin smiled in understanding. “It is because we are facing the day we have always feared. It is finally time for the great legend to become a reality. All that we have known and lived for five hundred years has led to this moment.”

  “And it all rests on the shoulders of one Dark King.”

  “Not completely Dark.”

  “I feel his Light leaving him,” Dana said. “It is seeping out of him slowly as the demons wrap their tentacles around his soul. With each day that passes I feel him less and less.”

  Odin took her arm in his and they began to walk down the crystal corridor.

  “We all know that his light can never be taken away from him. It is part of his very essence. His blood. No amount of darkness can destroy that.”

  Dana turned to face him.

  “We can study him from up close and from a distance, but can we ever know who he really is?”

  “I know him.”

  “If you say you know and understand him, then tell me, what will he do? I so desperately want to know. He rejects her. At every opportunity. He rejects his love. His determination to stay as far from her as possible grows each day.”

  “But is he not near her now? He only wishes to keep her safe,” Odin replied. “That is not an action of a man consumed by darkness.”

  “I wish nothing more than to agree with you and to feel the confidence you do at this moment.” Dana was uncharacteristically uncertain.

  “I keep the fires of hope burning. It is all I can do.”

  “Then I, too, will try to light them again.”

  Dana stopped abruptly and turned toward Odin. She reached up to hold his face in her hands.

  “You know of the creature.”

  “Yes. Wrath has been released from his prison,” Odin nodded.

  “And Alderon is no doubt searching for his mate.”

  Odin smiled at her. “You worry for me?”

  “Together they will be unstoppable,” she said as she moved away from him to touch one of the large crystals. “Even against you, my friend.”

  “If the heavens frown upon me, then it is a destiny that was meant to be,” Odin said quietly. “But today, I prefer to place my cards in the hands of hope.”

  D

  There was such a stark contrast between the life I lived outside of my dark cage and the life within it. Whenever I left the walls of the Great Hall of the Dark Fae, I felt so free, but this freedom was only temporary. My absence couldn’t be felt for long, as chaos would inevitably erupt. In order to lead my people, they needed confirmation that I was always there. Watching them, guiding them, and ultimately protecting them from my father. This dual life had many challenges, but the greatest one was accepting that evil would be my constant companion. It was a cold and lonely feeling.

  I entered my office and walked behind the expansive black desk carved from the largest piece of onyx. A fierce lion head was carved in the center, reminding everyone that anyone who sat behind it ruled the jungle. Within minutes of my arrival, Katya was knocking at my door.

  I felt almost as if she had installed a GPS device on me. I was never given a moment of solitude because she was always there. Her energy all around mine, suffocating, and all too obvious.

  “How was your journey, my King?” She ran her fingers along the edge of the desk, slowly making her way around to face me.

  “It was fine.”

  “Did you see her?” I could sense the jealousy in her voice.

  “Who?” I knew she was referring to Caroline, but I wanted to watch her say her name. I took great pleasure in watching her squirm, even though I knew she would be a dangerous opponent if she believed I harbored any real hope to be with Caroline. Or if she thought I still loved her.

  “Caroline.” The anger moved like daggers across her eyes.

  “I’m back at the school, so of course I’ve seen her.”

  “Of course.”

  The last thing I needed was any further concern. I knew I had to play the game: keep Katya close and let her believe there might be hope for us one day. I turned toward her and brushed my finger down her cheek and gave her a seductive smile. She responded to my touch immediately.

  “Trust me, Katya,” I said to her. “I do not think of Caroline as anything beyond what she is. I have taken a duty to protect her from Alderon, and that is all that I will do. Alderon will never take what is mine.”

  “Are you referring to your throne?” she rushed out.

  “What else would I be referring to?”

  I saw the look of relief wash over her face. “But I don’t understand why you are out in the mortal world wasting so much of your time. You should be out searching for him in the different realms. I will help you. Together we will find him.”

  I shook my head and turned away from her.

  “Looking for him would be a waste of time. Alderon is too powerful. He will know how to conceal himself. He would never allow me to find him.”

  “Then what? I don’t understand. Why are you back in the human world?”

  I smiled at her.

  “Because the one thing I am sure of is Alderon’s hatred for Caroline. His desire to destroy her is all that occupies his mind. I know that if I am close to Caroline, my father will inevitably rear his ugly head. And when he does, his hand will be revealed to me, and I will make my move. All it requires is a little patience on everyone’s part. In time, we will all have what we crave.”

  A slow smile spread over Katya’s face as she began to understand.

  “You are clever.”

  “That’s the only reason I need to be close by. The second he tries to kill her I will be there
to destroy him once and for all,” I explained, relieved that she bought that my father’s demise was the sole purpose of my mission.

  “And what of Caroline?” she asked softly.

  “I told you before. She will not come to any harm. Our war is not with her. It never was. She does not know who or what she is,” I said. “I made sure of that. She poses no danger to us or to our race. We will live on as we have. As if she had never even existed.”

  I could see that Katya wasn’t thrilled with this response. She viewed Caroline as the biggest threat to any sort of a relationship with me.

  So just as I was learning in drama, I held out my hand to her, trying to be as convincing as possible, and pulled her close.

  “You have nothing to worry about.”

  She closed what little distance there was between us instantaneously as I ran my hand up the side of her small face.

  “There is a dance. A mortal dance at the high school that I’m attending. I would love for you to be my date.”

  It took a moment for the shock to dissipate.

  “Are you sure?”

  “I wouldn’t be asking you to join me if I wasn’t.”

  “Oh, Devilyn, I would be honored,” she said excitedly. I could see the happiness in her eyes. “This will be my first time at any mortal event.”

  I couldn’t contain my surprise—most of the Fae had at one point or another, at least briefly, lived among the mortals.

  “My mother and father never approved of mingling with them. So I always stayed away.”

  “It will be a new experience for you. One you won’t soon forget. There are many rituals in high school and dances are one of them. I have no doubt that you will enjoy yourself.”

  “So a dance? What is the occasion for the celebration?”

  She was curious—I didn’t blame her. If I were in her shoes, I would be, too.

  “It is called ‘homecoming.’ Every year in high school, they celebrate the new year by having a football match with a rival school. And after, they dance.”

  I could see that Katya was still having difficulty grasping the concept of football and homecoming, so I decided to show her. I lifted my palm and the images emerged in a second. She saw glimpses of football, of high school in general, of students dancing, and her eyes were bright with intrigue as she stared at the scenes that played before her.

  “Do you understand now?” I asked.

  “Yes, I think I do,” she responded, excitement written all over her face. “I’m so honored that you asked me.”

  “I’m equally honored you accepted.” I wished I could force myself to have feelings for her, but I simply couldn’t bring myself to do it.

  “Well, then. I must see to finding an outfit for the evening,” she said as she hurried away.

  I almost laughed.

  It seemed that women, whether Fae or mortal, Dark or Light, all had an affinity for clothes.

  C

  To say I hated shopping would be a gross understatement.

  I equated it with eating slimy insects. It was the worst type of torture I could imagine. I didn’t get it. Some women felt such joy picking out an outfit, trying it on, then picking out shoes and heading to another store to do it all over again. For me, it was mind-numbing. In addition to being overwhelmed by the endless choices in a mall, I just didn’t like anything about the process. Within moments of entering, I would predictably tune out and morph into a voyeur, just staring at all the nice things.

  My mom would then be forced take over and pick out everything for me. For the most part, she did a decent job. But almost every single time she would end up getting me a few things that were a bit more risqué than I would ever wear. I knew she harbored secret hope that I would walk downstairs one morning and be a new and improved, trendy Caroline. One who wore makeup, took time with her appearance, and wore tight clothes. But that was never happening. At least not in this lifetime.

  I walked the streets of downtown Manteo and pulled my North Face jacket close around me to ward off the fall chill. There was nothing like this time of year. You knew the seasons were changing, not by the fact that the leaves on the tall trees had changed from a lush green to various shades of orange, but just from the crispness in the air. One small breeze that hit your face a certain way, and you knew that Halloween was around the corner. And Roanoke was so beautiful and festive. Lots of shops would put up the traditional spooky Halloween ornaments only to take them down a few weeks later for Thanksgiving decorations and then Christmas lights.

  Christmas really was the most wonderful time of the year, and I was so looking forward to it. But right now the only thing I had to look forward to was the fact that I was probably not going to find a dress. I couldn’t believe I was tackling this task on my own. I stared at the many stores ahead of me, sending a silent prayer that a dress would catch my eye right away and I’d be done with this torture.

  When I told my parents I would be going to homecoming, they had been beside themselves with joy. They didn’t even care that I didn’t have a date. They were just happy that I was actually going to a dance with a group of people that included members of the opposite sex.

  My mom was supposed to meet me downtown, but my father had called and said he needed her at the restaurant. She promised she would meet up with me, but it was getting so late that I was quickly running out of hope that she would make it. The thought of having to return to the mall was making me nauseated.

  People did this every single day. It couldn’t be that hard.

  I just needed to find something.

  I had to.

  “Caroline Ellis. If I call and you’re trying on some demure or austere dress, I’m going to make you put it back,” my mom had threatened over the phone. “I don’t want you in anything that looks like it came out of a Jane Austen novel.”

  “I won’t, Mom.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m going to find a nice one, I promise!”

  “You need to dress your age.”

  I started laughing.

  “I get it! Don’t worry. I promise to find something super slutty with barely any fabric.”

  She laughed. “I didn’t say slutty. I just don’t want to see you covering up your beautiful figure.”

  “Once I find something, I will take a picture of it and text it to you. How’s that?”

  She sounded relieved. “That’s a perfect idea. Okay, sweetie, I will try to get there soon. Please try to have fun. This is fun! This is what high school is all about.”

  I walked around for a bit, none of the stores catching my eye. My stomach started growling as I passed a local pretzel store. Another distraction.

  I’ll just get a little something to eat and keep walking. Five minutes later and I was knee-deep in the warmest doughy pretzel, rubbing it with mustard and enjoying every bite. I guess shopping wasn’t so bad after all.

  As I turned another corner I found myself in a boutique that looked like it had some good choices. I just wanted to find something that was simple and plain, not too revealing, and definitely classic. Something I could wear again and something that wasn’t too flashy. How hard could it be?

  “I saw you through the window.”

  I jumped. “Teddy! Sneak up much?”

  Teddy was all smiles as he slurped on an iced coffee and held a bag in his other hand.

  “What’s got you all edgy?” he asked as he looked at the dresses thrown over my arm. “The fact that you have to finally wear a dress? Or that you might have to dance in one?”

  “First of all, I don’t plan on dancing.” Crap. I hadn’t even thought about that part.

  “Well, I can do the robot.”

  “Please don’t do that,” I said to him in horror as he moved around in stiff, robotic movements. “You always get this weird look on your face like you’re constipated or something.”

  Teddy burst out laughing. “Thanks for the honesty.”

  “That’s what friends are for,” I said with a smile, grateful for his
timing and sense of humor.

  “I bought a new shirt and a tie. I’m wearing a tuxedo jacket my mom bought me last year for my uncle’s wedding. I figure I’ll just do that with jeans.”

  “That sounds like a good plan.”

  “What about you? Find something that might be a winner?”

  “Not even close.”

  “Want me to stick around so you can model for me? I’ll be honest,” he said with a mischievous smile.

  “Uh … no, thank you. I’m going to have to endure this on my own. But I appreciate the offer.” The last thing I wanted was Teddy making fun of me as I posed in dress after dress.

  “Fine. But I’m only a phone call away in case you change your mind.”

  “I don’t think that will happen.”

  “Okay, then I guess I’m outta here. Call me when you get home. I’ll be sitting on pins and needles waiting to hear if you decided to go with teal or fuchsia,” he said sarcastically as I punched him lightly in the arm.

  “Bye.”

  I watched him leave just to make sure he wasn’t going to stick around to take a candid photo of me when I wasn’t looking. Once he was safely out of sight, I had a salesperson show me to the dressing room.

  I had picked out five different dresses that were either black or navy, all with a similar, clean style. I went through three quickly. They were too short, too long, or too revealing in the chest area, which was definitely the last thing I wanted. Finally, I slipped on a black dress that the salesperson referred to as a “poplin mini dress.” I had no idea what that meant, but it reminded me of something Audrey Hepburn would have worn and found that it was surprisingly flattering. The top was sleeveless and had a drop waist with a full flared skirt that hit me a few inches above my knees. This dress was probably the shortest thing I’d ever put on in my life besides my running shorts.

  I stepped out of the dressing room so I could take a look at myself in the main dressing area with three mirrors. I needed to see how this thing looked from every possible angle.