Page 67 of Above (Darkness Reigns #1)

I turned over my shoulder, catching him off guard.

He was wearing only a pair of loose pants, the cotton hanging low on his hips, his many shadow marks swirling across his skin—painting a picture that seemed to represent the dynasty he was holding upon his shoulders.

I didn’t feel bad for Altair. He was an ass at best. He didn’t deserve my sympathy.

Still, I could understand him just a little bit. Could see how the pressure would drive someone to do awful things. It had done it to me after all.

That was when I noticed that, for the first time since finding him drunk, Altair was less than immaculate. In fact he was downright disheveled. His hair was a mess, his face and hands bloody. Actually, there was blood everywhere, even his ears coated in red.

His chest was rising rapidly, his eyes flicking in panicked strokes across the hall until landing on me and steadying.

“Of course you’re here,” he huffed, running a hand through his pale hair, putting more blood into the silvery strands. “You’re always here to see me when I’m at my lowest.”

“It’s not like I want to be,” I shot back. “I’d rather not see you at all.”

“For your sake, I hope that’s true.”

“I’d never lie to you of all people.”

His brows rose, a curious look in his eyes. “Why? Too fond of me?”

“Don’t care enough to put in the effort it takes to lie, actually.”

He laughed, letting his head fall back for a moment, then slamming his door behind him when I tried to peek in. What was he doing?

“Are you okay?” I asked. Why, I didn’t know. I never knew or understood when it came to him. I didn’t care about Altair. So I shouldn’t wonder. Still, I did.

“You know, I had a much better plan,” he said instead of answering. As always, he spoke in riddles and unfinished sentences.

“Plan for what?”

“You,” he responded, smiling sardonically as my eyes widened.

I felt my hands instinctively grip the door handle. Not that the wards could protect me from him. He’d already proven that.

“This morning, I was reading over the first letter your mother ever sent me. It wasn’t the only one, but for some reason, it just felt special.”

I balked at him, astounded by this turn in conversation. It seemed everyone was taking me by surprise today.

“It felt like hope in a way, especially with all the failure I have been experiencing. So I like to read it just to remind myself that someone out there is nice and good. I thought to myself, maybe there’s another way.

Maybe we were wrong to think the way we did about you.

Because there was a person who wasn’t being paid to care for me, or dote on me, or compliment me.

Someone who hasn’t been raised as I was or taught like I was.

Yet, she was kind and gentle and giving when even my own family was not.

And I had the blasphemous thought that maybe you’re not unworthy after all. ”

“Dangerous line of thinking,” I said, unable to stop myself. I could sense that this was about to take a bad turn, but I felt rooted in the spot, like I was a tree growing from the ground and Altair was the nutrients I begrudgingly needed. The sunlight that would eventually burn me.

“Well, the stars punished me pretty quickly. I did have a better plan for you, though, even if just for a fleeting moment. Not sure if that counts for much.”

“Depends on what the new plan is,” I said with a shrug.

He laughed ironically, shaking his head. “No new plan, Tershetta. It seems like the old is all I’ve got, I fear.”

When he took a step toward me, I stepped back into the door, convinced that the stars wouldn’t save me a second time. If he wanted to, he could kill me. That much I knew.

Instead of striking, attacking, or even spitting biting words, he just stepped in front of me and grabbed onto another one of my curls, toying with it but staring in my eyes. “I’m so sorry, Little Void.”

“For what?”

“You’ll see.”

A cloud of darkness took him away, his words unsettling me. Though I very rarely found myself in need of formal prayer, I couldn’t help but let go of the door and shadow walk directly to the Ether Cathedral.

My eyes didn’t stall on the immense, castle-like structure.

Instead, I rushed in, taking quick steps toward the many benches before the altar, which was a towering sculpture of the first Altair being awarded the stars’ essence, a burst of silver light behind the immense pale general.

Above that was an organ, large swirls of black and silver decorating the wooden beams and borders.

I sat in the center row, wanting the best possible view of the stars that shone through the glass ceiling above, the walls around me decorated in moldings of constellations and soft painted depictions of our celestial rulers in their vast sky.

When I was settled in, I looked up. They had shown me time and time again that I was worthy of their gifts, but they also made sure to stop me from ever using them in the ways I wanted. All I truly sought from them now were answers.

“Please, talk to me. Help me understand why you’ve chosen me. Give me a path forward. Something. Anything.”

Silence, other than the strange hum of mumbles and whispers at the back of my mind, was my only companion. Groaning, I squeezed my eyes shut and clasped my hands together, focusing. More formal maybe?

“Celestial rulers—our dark conquerors—please aid me in my journey. Guide me across this winding path. Lead me not into the light, but within the darkness.”

Smooth. Short. To the point. I liked it.

“We liked it too, Nova Tershetta.”

I nearly fell off of the bench at the sound of their voices, my name sounding like an omen. Chills crawled up my spine, my knee instinctively shaking like Talon’s.

“Will you help me? Explain why I was chosen and what I should do? Maybe give me answers for my family?” It felt like a stupid line of questions, but I was at a complete loss. I was being slowly beaten down from all sides. Any guidance would help.

“We did not choose you because you are particularly worthy of this gift,” they stated, no emotion in their voices. Harsh. “You are our catalyst. This is not about what you can do or who you are, rather, it is about what you can cause.”

“What’s that?” I dared ask.

“Chaos,” they screeched, a sort of cheer reverberating off the walls of my mind. I cringed, instinctively grabbing at my ears despite not being able to tune them out. “If you want our help, then entertain us. Give us our chaos.”

Silence followed, not even the faint whispers greeting me. I was left alone and in shambles, considering how in the fuck I was going to entertain them when even Iblis Altair couldn’t. I had been in over my head three months ago. Stupid to think I could possibly do this.

Sighing, I stood up and took a step forward, walking through darkness into mine and Celeste’s room at home.

No one spoke. Smoke and wax coated the air from what must have been recently blown out candles. Where had they gone? Were they so mad at me that they decided to leave for the night?

I shuffled through Celeste’s mess, making my way to the door and then down the hall. On instinct, I willed my stars into existence, letting them faintly light my way.

A soft meow came from the kitchen, and I found myself stopping to pet Death as I considered what to do. Her purrs were a welcome sound, the silence in my head oddly uncomfortable, my thoughts feeling intrusive.

“Where did they go, Death?” Her eyes glowed, staring at me, making me uneasy. Standing, I checked the counter, hoping for some kind of note at least.

And there it was, a small piece of parchment with my name on it. I unfolded it, reading the swirling script.

“Talon came for them?” How strange. I wouldn’t have taken him for someone who would go without me. But he gave me instructions, so that’s what really mattered. I knew he’d keep them safe in my absence.

Hurrying, I went to our room and pulled down my singular nice dress. It was black with sheer, short sleeves that had small red hearts sewn into them. It stopped just below my knees, the top a high U shape definitely appropriate for such a dinner.

Getting dressed in what felt like a flash, I patted down my hair, kissed Death goodbye, and then willed myself to the place Talon had marked on his makeshift map. To the Naqi District.

The air was hot even this far north, a thick, moist quality to it that made my hair frizz. I tried not to let the stress get to me, eager to see my family and beg for forgiveness. Anything to ensure they didn’t hate me.

Who knew, maybe I’d even explain my theory and be rewarded with their excitement.

But as I walked up the winding dirt path, a tall, black gate ahead, I had the strangest feeling that something wasn’t right.

Bars had been bent and wrapped to look like a roaring lion head at the center of the gate, the two halves somehow sensing my arrival and splitting.

No one seemed to be around to guard it, just as no one moved within the enormous home from what I could see through the stained glass windows.

Castle Zade was a thing of nightmares. Upon the sprawling green grass were various lion statues, many of them holding depictions of human bodies in their maws.

The house itself was asymmetrical, the peaks and plateaus of dark, brown stone seeming intentionally placed despite their sporadic visual.

However, the most terrifying things were the slightly ajar double doors, their arched opening revealing no one waiting.

Running, I threw open the doors, finding a blood soaked path. I stepped over the body of someone I didn’t know, unable to process anything as I darted through the house, searching for the only people I’ve ever loved.

I found them seconds later.

My mother lay face down, her head tilted just enough that I could see her open grey eyes staring at me. But they did not see. They would never see again.

Beside her was my father, still in his chair, his neck cut so deep I feared his head would fall off.

Not too far away was Dove Zade, a single tear still on her cheek, a hole the size of my head in her chest. Bodies lay elsewhere, but I struggled to see.

My family was dead. My family was dead .

I fell to my knees, crashing so hard onto the marble floors that I could’ve sworn a crack sounded from my bones. But I didn’t care.

My family was dead.

I let out a piercing wail, the cry of someone so broken they might as well be dust rather than shards of glass. Crawling to my mother, I grabbed onto her body, which was still warm. My fingers clawed at her, wishing I could somehow tear her back from the sky.

“Please, Mama! Please! Wake up! You’re not dead, Mama! You can’t be!”

“Nova?” came a broken and raspy voice. I whipped my head to the left, seeing Talon’s bloody body from where he lay on the floor beneath the long oak table.

I didn’t think, didn’t so much as mourn the absence of my mother’s hand in mine as I got up and ran to him, dragging his body out and falling back, pulling his head into my lap. He sputtered and coughed, nearly gagging on the blood that was coming up his throat.

“Who did this, Talon?” I asked. No, begged.

“Azazel,” he whispered, his head falling to the side.