The Darkness in You (The Darkness Series Book 2)

by Diane Ashley Nortje

  “Hades, release her.” Weyland says from somewhere but I’m still floating somewhere in the clouds at this moment to care.

  “Did you know?” Hades asks him. My mind can’t stay focused for too long as I start to float again.

  “Of course, I fucking know.” Weyland grinds out.

  “Know what?” Which is now Bishop talking. His voice is so smooth, but not Jacin smooth but smooth none the less. Hades voice is rougher, but in this state, its feels like what I imagine landing on candyfloss would be like. Soft. Fluffy. Sweet. Like it will stick to my thoughts, to my body, no matter how I shake it.

  “I haven’t got around to spreading the fucking news yet, Hades.” Weyland grinds out again.

  “But the hounds know. Or they wouldn’t have come to earth then.” Hades asks.

  “Know what!” Bishop bellows this time. “Let her the fuck go already Hades.”

  With Bishops command, Hades releases me from the spell I was under and I shake my head at the fogginess that still clouds it.

  “We will talk later, Bishop.” Hades says to Bishop and stands to his full impressive height and looks down to me.

  “You might want to wash that shit off you. You stink.” He says to me.

  “I do not fucking stink!” I shout at him and he smiles back down at me.

  “Yeah, you do. And you have fucking skin hanging off your hair.” Hades tells me and I look down at my body and my tummy turns at the sight.

  I take a deep breathe in, trying to calm my stomach down, and then I get a whiff of myself. Because I do stink.

  Eeew!

  “Everyone, get out!” I demand as I start to climb to my feet, but Hades hands snake out once more and lifts me off the floor as if I weighed nothing more than a feather and then plants me back onto my feet.

  “Thanks.” I grumble out and turn to switch on the shower then turn to flush the toilet that still holds my stomach contents

  The men start to file out of the bathroom, and I hear Hades shout out before he closes the door.

  “Put the fucking tea pot on. I’m going to need it for this conversation.”

  I hope into the shower and try to drown the night away. Could this night get anymore worse?

  ~ ~ ~

  “What do you think would be the best outfit to wear when I enter hell?” I ask Tray who is sitting on my bed flicking a knife in the air and catching it between his fingers.

  I feel so much more alive after my shower, washing the blood and the bits of god knows what on my body away, I feel human again. The unease in my stomach didn’t let up for a bit, but now I’m fine. I don’t want to think too hard at the reasoning behind my bouts of sickness, I just need to watch what I eat, clearly my brain is more fried than I realize.

  “Well considering we are not going to hell, I wouldn’t know.” Tray says to me as the knife lands between his fingers, snapping me out of my own thoughts.

  “Okay, underworld. Same difference. What you think would be best?” I ask him again and he just shakes his head at me. Like how he was so unlucky to be following a girls ass around all day and worrying about how they look. I’m not that vein. I just want to blend in.

  “No one is going to see you, you will be with me, they won’t even sense you.” He says to me as the knife gets thrown up once more and I can’t help but watch it fly up in the air.

  “But once I’m there, people will see me. What do the women wear there?” I ask him eagerly, I would love to know what happens in the underworld and he grew up there, so he must know a lot.

  “Not much.” He simply states.

  Right that’s not gonna happen with me. So, I need something better than not much.

  “Can you be a little bit more descriptive please.”

  “Natalie. Just wear what you want to, fuck the rest of them. None of those women can compare to you. You are taking over position that most of those women would have killed to be in.”

  “And what position is that?” I ask Tray and he just smirks at me and remains silent and continues to toss the knife up into the air. My eyes flick up with the knife but once they land with the knife on Trays fingers, I notice for the first time he doesn’t have any tattoos, and come to think of it, a lot of the hounds I saw didn’t. Where the hell do they keep their weapons?

  “So, why don’t you have any tattoos?” I ask Tray and for once he stops throwing the knife in the air.

  “I don’t know.” He shrugs at me and I nod my head.

  “But wouldn’t it be easier if Bishop just put weapons on you or in you, like he did to me?” I ask him.

  “No, demons don’t use weapons. Strength and being smart about it, wins.” He simply states.

  “Well then why did I need the knives?” I ask him as I run my fingers down my arm and I feel the knife rise to the surface of my skin.

  “Because, whoever is after you is not going to be fair about it. Strength isn’t going to get them you. They are going to play dirty, so we need you to be prepared for anything.” Tray simply answers me and then continues to throw the knife up in the air.

  “That’s understandable. But they are going to have to catch me first.” I say to Tray with a wink. He stops flicking the knife and stands up from Jacin’s bed and starts to stalk towards me. I would like to take a step back, but I’m cornered between him and the closet I’m digging in.

  “Natalie don’t joke around. We don’t know who has Jacin, so we don’t know who will come for you. Your life is no joke.” Tray says to me as he crowds my personal space. At least this time he has clothes on, so I try not squirm from his close proximity.

  “I’m not joking Tray. I will be alert and follow your instructions. I want Jacin back as much as you do.”

  “Good, now throw something on. They are waiting for you.” He says to me as he steps away from me.

  “Don’t I need to pack a bag or something?” I ask him.

  “Natalie, everything you need is there already. Even though I don’t think Jacin had any plans to take you home so soon, he none the less planned for it.” Tray says to me on his way to the door. “Just put on something that shows you don’t take shit from anyone and you will be fine.”

  The door opens and then closes with a click and I hear Trays retreating footsteps making their way down the hall. How is my hearing becoming so attuned to everything around me? That shouldn’t happen. I shouldn’t hear retreating footsteps or whispers of the men coming from the lounge.

  I know for a fact Bishop and Hades are still with Weyland, I hear the pitch of their voices echoing through the walls of the house. What the hell Is going on with my body!

  I shake my head at my thoughts. I won’t know until I get Jacin back. Nothing will be fixed, and nothing will be right until I know he is safe and back with me. Then I can bombard him with all my unanswered questions making him wish I never saved his ass.

  I walk into the closet that we shared, my clothes are hanging up in neat rows, and to be honest, I don’t remember owning any of them. The clothes are all beautiful, sleek and sexy. So, where the hell are my shorts and T-shirt’s kept?

  Not that I think walking into the underworld dressed in ripped denim shorts and a Metallica T-shirt is dress code appropriate, but I’d still like the knowledge that somewhere they are tucked away nicely.

  I walk the rows of clothes and settle in stretch leather pants, black heels. I search the rows of tops and nothing hops out at me until I get to the end and my T-shirt’s are sticking out like sore thumbs. I practically jump in happiness at the sight of them and clap my hands like I just found a secret stash of chocolate.

  I throw on my worn-out black guns and roses t-shirt, throw my hair up into a messy bun and put some of my red lipstick on. I take a look in the mirror and I’m ready to take on the world. Even if it is the underworld.

  I make my way through the house towards the sounds of the men’s voices that haven’t stopped chatting as if they were a bunch of women in book club night. It must be nice to have that kind of
friendship. I had that, along time ago. But right now, I can’t risk the lives of my family and friends. So whatever Bishop did, I am grateful. At least this way, they will hopefully stay under the radar.

  As I come around the corner and appear in the room the men are waiting for me in, everyone stops talking. You know that awkward silence that happens when you walk into a room, everyone stops their conversation and turns to look at you.

  Yes, that one. It just happened. I roll my eyes at them. Bunch of men with their lack of social cues.

  “I would ask what you guys were talking about, but it clearly was about me. So, I’ll just ignore the fact you all had to go and make it awkward.” I grumble out to them and walk over to where Tray is sitting and take the seat beside him.

  “Are you always this feisty?” Hades asks me as he sips on his tea. What in the ever-loving hell is up with the tea? The question is on the tip of my tongue until Bishop answers Hades question.

  “Yes, she is a fucking handful.” Bishop says and glares daggers at me. Don’t worry, I curse the day you were born too buddy.

  “Okay let’s just all calm the fuck down. And go over the plan once again.” Weyland says and I watch Bishop turn to glare daggers at him. At least the spotlight is off me for a while.

  “No, I disagree with the plan. She will stay with me.” Hades says dismissively and continues to sip his tea. The question once again forms on my tongue, but then Bishop has to butt in on my question.

  “I agree, she will stay with Hades, Weyland, you will return to the underworld and I’ll work all angles from my side.”

  “Well I disagree. I want to go. Why can’t I go? You tattooed me for hours for this and now you have a change of heart.” I argue with Bishop and he just shakes his head at me. God does he have to be so alpha about it.

  “Yes, you shouldn’t be going.” Bishop says to me and challenges me with his eyes.

  “Well why? You said it yourself I was capable. So, what’s the problem now?”

  “Some developments that weren’t known to me then, have come to light and I think it’s best you stay with Hades. You will be safer with him.” Bishop simply states all to calmly, I don’t like it. He thinks he won. He clearly doesn’t know who he is dealing with.

  “Listen here you- you bully, I am fucking going. You will have to tie me to a chair if that is the case, but I will find a way in there, one way or another.” I bite out to Bishop and I see rage cross over his face, but I’m no longer scared of these bullies.

  “Listen here you little pain in the ass, I said you will stay here. End of fucking discussion.” Bishop bites out at me, and I know I should back down, but I just can’t. This man brings out the bitch in me.

  “Incorrect. You are not the boss of me. I am going.” I simply demand and I’m a few seconds away from stomping my foot to add to the dramatics of it all.

  “No, you are not, now it’s the end of the fucking discussion!” Hades bites out this time and I see the men in the room visibly still at his words.

  I turn to look at Hades. And I wish I hadn’t. There no longer sits Hades. By the gods, what the hell is that. Hades normal ivory skin is now black as black could go. His skin looks as if it has turned to stone. I hold in my words that want to pour from my mouth.

  “Hades?” I question him, as a shiver racks my bones. What the hell is sitting before me.

  “You will stay with me, Natalie.” The beast simply says and I’m now at a loss for words.

  “Hades, man, didn’t I make that tea strong enough?” Bishop murmurs out and I watch as Hades or the beast that lurks inside him turns to acknowledge Bishop.

  Hades lets out an inhuman growl and the room beings to rattle at the sound that is coming from Hades beast. The men in the room have yet to move, so clearly Hades beast doesn’t make its presence known very often.

  “She stays, with me. I will protect the young one.” The beast says out in its inhuman voice and I’m a little insulted that it thinks I’m young. I might not have the years like they do, but it doesn’t mean I’m reckless and naïve.

  “Agreed.” Bishop says and Weyland still shakes his head, which earns another growl from Hades.

  “Listen Hades. We need her. She has the call. She is the only one to call in Jacin’s army when the time comes. She has to come with us. You can protect her in the underworld if that will make you feel better. But she has to come.” Weyland pleads his case and I have to wonder. Why the lot of them are so afraid of the beast sitting before them? What the hell is he and what is he capable of? But now doesn’t seem the best time to ask, along with the whole tea thing.

  “Fine, agreed. I will protect her from the shadows.” The beast simply states, and I notice Weyland visibly relaxes. I’m not sure what exactly just happened. But I’m pretty sure I’m going to the underworld now.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “And so, I walk, blindly, after you.”- Natalie

  ~Natalie~

  Hades disappeared once his beast withdrew its hold on him, along with Bishop. They said they would protect me from the shadows, that I do not need to fear what lurks in the underworld. They will be around. But no one can know it. I must never acknowledge them. It all has to do with the mythical brotherhood they all belong to.

  I don’t even want to start asking questions about it. There are too many already unanswered and I don’t need to add anymore to my never-ending list.

  I feel Weyland come up behind me and he lightly grabs my hand. I feel the warmth pulse now beating inside my palm. He just handed me my ticket into the underworld. Jacin’s rule be damned. What is he so desperately trying to hide? What doesn’t he want me to know?

  “You will be going with Tray. The other four will be with me.” Weyland says as I turn to look at him.

  “Wont that be a little suspicious? Don’t they know that they are always with me?”

  “Exactly. They will know you entered into the underworld. They just won’t know how and when you did.”

  “You have this all figured out, don’t you?” I say to Weyland.

  “I always have a plan, for everything.” He says to me with a wink and turns to walk away from me.

  “Weyland.” I call out which stops him in his tracks. “I know I demanded to go with, to help out where I could. But I know there is something the lot of you don’t want me to find out.”

  His eyes widen at my statement, but he does nothing to deny it. His shoulders slack after a few seconds and I know defeat when I see it.

  “You will see things down there, hear whispers down there, many of them might shock you, just promise me one thing.” He says to me. I nod my head at him, and he lets out another defeated sigh.

  “Just don’t run away screaming.” He says to me.

  I nod my head again. It will take a lot to scare me away now. After all I’ve been through, all we have been through, an atomic bomb might be the only thing that does separate us. “I won’t.” I say with conviction.

  “Good. Stay with Tray, follow his cues. Unfortunately, he can’t communicate with you like he does with me, so watch him and please listen to him. If anything.” He says to me while running his eyes quickly down my body and back up again, as if he was inspecting for prior injuries that might have happened to me before entering. “Anything happens to you. We are all dead.” He says and fades in front of me.

  I want to rip him from his fade, but Tray appears before me with a smirk on his face.

  “Ready, my lady?” He asks and I just roll my eyes at him as I slap my hand into his. I feel my body contort and realign itself as Tray fades me to the underworlds gates.

  ~ ~ ~

  I was hoping my experience would be more sophisticated than what books on the underworld describe it to be. I was sorely wrong. We land on dirt. A dirt road to be more exact. The loose sand flies up into a cloud and I have to wait until it settles before I can see further. Stones and boulders are the only decoration in the sea of nothing but dirt. Not a single living thing is around other
than me and Tray. What happened to rivers, damned souls and a little more chilling experience other than nothing?

  Maybe Tray lost his bearings and now we are lost! That is the only explanation there is to what I’m witnessing. Cause there is fuck all out here. Nothing surrounds us as I turn in a circle thinking maybe I’m facing the wrong way.

  “Ah, Tray?” I ask him as I spin around back to face him as more dirt kicks up behind my shuffling feet.

  But he is no-where to be seen. He was here a moment ago and now poof.

  Gone.

  “Tray!” I grind out again, as I spin back around to face a massive boulder, more dust is kicked up and I can’t help but take in a mouth full of it. It enters my lungs and my body forcefully reacts to it.

  I cough, choke on the dust as I bat the dust with my free hand away from my body, to at least breath in some clean air.

  Then a thought hits me. What if there is no air down here, what if I can’t breathe. Maybe it wasn’t made for humans that are still alive. I start to hyperventilate. How could these assholes overlook something so important as fucking air!

  I’m about two seconds away before I go into full out panic mode, the dust has yet to settle, making it impossible to absorb anything, when a hand grips my shoulders plucking me from the dirt cloud I made.

  “Calm down Natalie. I’m here, I’m here. I thought you saw me walk off.” Tray says to me as I struggle to take huge fills of air into my body.

  “Clearly fucking not.” I choke out at him as I breathe through my nose, as my lungs have now clogged up with the disgusting dust.

  “Try not make so much noise. They will hear you.” He says to me and plucks me out of the little dust cloud I created for myself. When my body finally begins to relax, I notice I start taking in air as normal. Overactive imagination or what?

  “Who will hear me? The bugs that are hiding beneath my shoes?” I grind out at him. I’m still pissed that he gave me a near heart attack thinking he abandoned me, wherever the hell we are.

  “No, them!” He says to me and indicates to the large boulder. He has got to be kidding me right now!