Page 35 of Dark Souls

Hypocrites

A fter the longest shower of my life where I scrubbed every inch of my skin red-raw to clean the scent of Luka off me even though it pained me to do so, I threw on a comfy jumper dress and knee-high socks before leaving my room. Coating myself in perfume until I smelt like a floral shop, I could only pray that my father’s wolf senses wouldn’t pick up the scent of all the sex his daughter had been having.

As I made my way down the decadent corridor towards Leif’s wing of the palace, I frowned when I noticed steam coming from under his bedroom door. I sprinted toward the door and flung it open. I was hit with an onslaught of white mist. Fanning my hands until it had cleared, my eyes widened at the scene before me.

Leif was sitting on the floor with his back against the bed frame and a large bottle of whiskey between his legs while my dad paced the floor space with a livid expression, emitting smoke from his nostrils and mouth like a dragon. What the actual…

“Sis! Where the hell have you been? You’ve missed all the fun!” Leif slurred, lifting his arms in the air as his multi-coloured eyes struggled to focus on my face. I frowned, turning back to stare at my dad and his bizarre new talent. “Dad insisted the party was over for me so I’m creating my own fun now.”

“Why is he huffing and puffing like a steam train?” I questioned, approaching him cautiously as my dad’s gold eyes swirled with irritation. He opened his mouth to speak but the only sound that came out was a high-pitched whistle which had me slamming my hands over my ears.

“Oh that,” Leif smirked. “Dad was being a complete hypocrite. Apparently, it is okay for him and everyone else to get drunk and have the time of their lives at the Heroux celebrations but I’m not allowed because I have responsibilities now.” He put air quotes around the word responsibilities and rolled his eyes. “Pot calling the kettle black and all that jazz, which gave me an idea… if he’s going to act like one, dad can be a teapot.”

My mouth dropped open before a burst of laughter spilled out of me when more steam billowed from my dad’s nostrils in annoyance. I grabbed my stomach as I bent over, unable to stop the hysteria.

“See, she finds it funny,” Leif bated, taking another swig from the bottle.

My dad attempted to speak once more and another ear-splitting whistle replaced his words and I laughed even harder. Tears were streaming down my face when I finally tried to get a hold of myself and talk some sense into Leif before my dad murdered him.

“Leif…” I chuckled. “Come on. Reverse the spell now.”

“No, no, no! I am waiting for the best bit. Eventually, Aero is going to take control and I really want to see a wolf whistle and blow steam!”

“Stop it.” I laughed, walking over to my dad, who was holding up his middle finger at Leif. “That vein in his forehead is about to burst, Leif. Show a little mercy.”

My brother groaned dramatically, rolling his head on his shoulders. “Fine. No fucking fun, any of you.” He snapped his fingers and my dad exhaled a steam-free breath of relief.

“Not cool, Leif Romano-Black! I may laugh about this one day, but today is not that day!” Dad roared.

“Leif Anderson,” Leif corrected. “Might as well call me what I am. The greatest Anderson that’s ever lived!” He looked at me and scoffed. “Wait? You didn’t know? I’m more famous than our parents now. That’s what they’re calling me. The Greatest Anderson to ever live like I’m some kind of legend or hero. Greatness becomes me!” he said in a dramatic voice while he lifted his arms out wide with the bottle in one hand. “What a pile of absolute wank.”

Dad shook his head and turned to me. “Sort him out. Give that ridiculous head of his a good fucking wobble because I just can’t with him right now.” He stormed past me as Leif sniggered and I pinched my lips together to keep more laughter at bay.

“Fuck, I’ve missed you.” I smiled, strolling over and plonking myself on the floor next to him. I grabbed the bottle from his hands and took a drink mainly to avoid him from drinking anymore but also because I really needed it myself.

He dropped his head back against the bed and closed his eyes. “Life’s really been that boring here without me then?”

“Actually, no. It’s been rather… eventful. But all that’s for another day.” I leaned my head back on the bed and turned to the side to stare at his profile.

My brothers were blessed with insanely good looks like all the men in my family, yet they were still so unique. Lorcan, with his tanned skin, muscular body, black wavy hair and piercing green and gold eyes, was the image of male masculinity and perfection. But Leif was beautiful. He had the same handsome facial structure but his light-brown floppy hair, full lips and entrancing multi-coloured eyes that swirled with enchantment were other-worldly. He wasn’t as built with muscle as Lorcan, but he still had a physique that made girls drool. And guys, for that matter.

Leif’s sexual preferences were anyone with a pulse. But it was his cheeky charm and charisma that seemed to make him so irresistible. Frequently, he took advantage of his ability to get away with just about anything. He never took life seriously. He believed life was all about the three Fs. Fun, fucking and freedom, apparently. If there were no three Fs being had, you were living it all wrong. His words, not mine. But as I studied the dull bags under his eyes and his slightly bedraggled appearance, I had to wonder if he still believed that after his time in Heroux.

“You okay?” I asked softly as he stared up at the ceiling, looking a million miles away.

“Just dandy,” he replied, shooting me with that lopsided smile.

“Cut the bullshit, Leif. This is me you’re talking to.”

He groaned, grabbing the bottle back and drinking way more than he needed to. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as I waited patiently.

“I don’t get why everyone is on my case all the time. The war is over. Peace is restored. Life goes on. So why won’t they leave me alone and let me live mine?”

“Perhaps,” I argued, snatching the bottle back. “Because you are living life shitfaced.”

“That’s my prerogative,” he mumbled, closing his eyes again. I could tell he was close to passing out and I knew I’d get hardly anything out of him like this.

“They are just worried. You don’t normally let shit get to you like this, so of course they are. But what happened in Heroux—”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he snapped, lifting his head and glaring at me. I blanched back in surprise. It was the first time Leif had ever snapped at me like that. “Sorry,” he mumbled before flopping his head back again. “I just—”

“Don’t want to talk about it. I get it. And that’s fine. Whenever you’re ready, you know I’ll be here.”

His arm looped up and over my head, resting heavily around my shoulder as he gave me a clumsy pat on the head. “You’re my favourite sister.”

“I’m your only sister, moron.”

“Exactly.” He smirked.

I sighed, leaning my head into his shoulder. “Remember how I used to always say I was the best sibling? Well, I lied. Because you are pretty awesome, Leif. I know you don’t think so, but they are all right. You are a hero.”

“Heroes save lives.” He took another swig from the bottle.

“You saved mine.”

“And I’d do it again in a heartbeat. But the question is, would you do the same for me?”

“Of course I would, you idiot!”

“Would you fight a dragon for me?”

“If they still existed, yes.”

“Would you fight a really, really angry squirrel for me?”

I snorted at his randomness. “Without question.”

“Would you fight a tarantula for me?”

“God, no. You’re on your own there. And don’t think I have forgiven you for that giant freak you portalled to my room. Just because you’re going through something right now doesn’t mean I won’t make you pay.”

He burst out laughing, my head bouncing against his shoulder until he calmed down. “But I’m weely, weely sorry!”

“No, there is no way out of my revenge. It’s coming no matter what.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Fine. Do your worst, sis. Not like my life can suck any more than it already does.”

“Pfft, nice try. But like I said, revenge shall be mine.”

“So…” He jolted his shoulder aggressively, forcing my head up, so I turned to glare at him. “Gonna tell me who you’re shagging?”

“What?” I snapped defensively and avoided his eyes.

“You can’t fool me. I am the king of sex. I can tell when someone is glowing from sexual gratification. Who am I going to need to kill, huh? Who dared to lay their grubby mitts on my perfect sister? Who shall I be challenging to a duel at dawn?”

“You really did inherit the idiot gene.” I smirked, grabbing the bottle in our little game of tug of war. “You won’t be killing anyone because I am not shagging anyone.”

“Now it’s my turn to call bullshit. BULL. SHIT. But if I’m being honest, I don’t have the energy to even care right now. So your lover boy is off the hook until further notice.”

“As if you care, anyway. What was it you accused dad of? Oh, hey, pot meet kettle!”

He smiled with his eyes closed. “Yeah. You’re right. I’m a fucking hypocrite. As long as you are happy, whatever. But I already know who it is.”

I glared at him, narrowing my eyes. There was no way he knew. He had to be bluffing.

“It’s that sexy human assassin, dude, right? What’s his name? Jonnie?”

“Ronnie,” I corrected with a roll of my eyes. “And no. It’s not.”

“Oooo okay. You’re going to be all mysterious about it. That’s cool. Keeping something a secret is awesome foreplay.”

“I…” Urgh. Leif was a master at getting secrets out of people. “It’s complicated.”

“Everything always is,” he breathed, turning and clawing himself up onto his bed. “What’s the problem?”

I chewed on my bottom lip. Leif was surely so drunk he’d barely remember this conversation tomorrow and even if he did, I doubted he’d say anything to anyone. He had too much going on in his own head. I thought about Luka and how closed off he was. How I barely knew a thing about him. Even after the last few days, we couldn’t become any closer physically, but emotionally. We were worlds apart. I didn’t know him at all.

“How do you get to know someone on a deeper level? Like more than sex,” I asked, as I climbed up onto the bed and sat over his sprawled legs. His face was half-buried in the pillow and I knew time was ticking before he was dead to the world.

“Wrong person to ask,” he mumbled. “I only fuck, remember. No strings attached. I’d use sex to get to know them. You can learn a lot about a person through sex.”

I sighed. “Just humour me. Say you wanted to really get to know the person you were sleeping with. Like every little thing about them, but they were very… private, even more than me. How would you go about it?”

“Hmm,” he moaned sleepily. “Suffocate them with persistence.”

“Huh?”

“I dunno. Just force myself into their life. Gain their trust. Find out what they liked and disliked by observing them closely. All that bollocks.”

“By stalking them?” I smiled, thinking of Heathen.

“No, that’s psycho. Just… be present.”

A mischievous smile appeared on my face as a plan formed in my mind. Leif’s light snoring into his pillow signalled it was time for me to leave. As I attempted to shuffle off the bed, his arm whipped out and grabbed my hand.

“Can you stay?” he whispered as I peered down at his sad face. My heart tugged at the vulnerability in his voice. “I don’t want to be alone.”

I climbed back onto the foot of the bed and grabbed a blanket, curling up in a ball as his hand patted my head like a pet dog.

“Quit it, you soppy shit and go to sleep.”

“Love you, sis.”

“Love you too, knobhead.”

The girl gasped as I wrapped my hand around her wrist and pulled her into the stable. The horse beside us neighed at our intrusion, and the scent of leather and hay was potent. She spun around, grabbing my cotton shirt in her hands as she stared up at me through big, shimmering eyes. Her black ringlets, nestled on top of her head, cascaded over one shoulder.

“We should not. We will be caught!” She giggled, leaning into my broad chest as my hand swept some of her hair over her shoulder tenderly.

“Then we must be quiet.” My voice was not my own. It was male. And with a European accent.

“I fear that will be impossible.” She smiled seductively as she untied my breeches. “When will you introduce me to your family as your betrothed? Why must we still sneak behind the haystacks?”

“I need time, Donna. It is complicated. There are things about me that I fear you will judge me for. My family means everything to me, but they do not trust outsiders easily. But soon. I promise.”

She pressed her lips to mine with a lingering kiss before staring up into my eyes. “Do you trust me?”

“With my life.”

“Then there can be no secrets between us. I love you, Lukas. Nothing you can ever reveal to me will change that.”

The memory switched quickly.

My heart thumped wildly as my feet pounded against the forest floor, my surroundings blurring with my speed. I could see my breath, puffs gathering before my face with every exhale. All I felt was panic. In the distance, I saw the specks of orange flames lighting their torches. The air around me thickened with magic as they grew closer. All I knew was that I had to lead them away.

I slammed myself against a tree before my nails extended, and I climbed into the overgrown canopy to hide.

“What is it, Father Alatar?”

“I feel him near. We are on the right trail.”

“Then we must not lose him. Are there others with him?”

“If he is moving this fast, he must be alone.”

“Then send the others towards the village. The girl must not be far. He would not leave her unprotected for long.”

Rage raced through my veins, and on impulse, I leapt from the trees, landing on the back of a man as I drove my claw through his flesh and pulled out his heart. Agony tore through me as a magical force twisted and shattered every bone in my body. A dark figure approached, looming over me on the ground.

“We meet again, Lukas.”

Everything turned black.

Gasping for a breath, I woke with a start, placing my hand on my chest while my heart hammered against it. Once again, it took me a few moments to gather my bearings and remember I was in Leif’s room. The sun had risen and was streaming through the open curtains and onto his face as he slept deeply, the stench of alcohol consuming the room.

I rubbed my eyes and tried to recall that dream again, allowing it to repeat over and over to ensure I didn’t forget a single detail. What the hell was happening? There was no way in hell that could have been a dream. It felt too real. Just like the dream of that young boy and woman. I was there. In those moments, I felt everything. They were memories. And they belonged to Luka.

Suddenly, bile rose in my throat and I darted out of bed and towards the bathroom. I dry-heaved into the sink, retching but unable to bring anything up. Hanging my head between my shoulders, I closed my eyes to fight the dizziness and tried to make sense of what I had seen. That sickening, vicious twist in my gut tightened when that girl’s face flashed in my mind. Belladonna Knowlton. She and Luka were in love? How they dressed and the scenery told me it must have been centuries ago. And then that horrible feeling of fear and panic. The Knowltons. They were after Luka. But why? Because of Belladonna? Had they found out about their secret relationship?

My phone vibrated from somewhere in the bedroom and I returned to search for it. Picking it up off the floor, I saw several texts, all from one number. My old phone. I’d texted Luka last night to explain why I had to leave, but I hadn’t seen any of these messages as Leif and I had passed out.

I HOPE YOUR brOTHER IS OKAY.

I NEED TO SEE YOU.

TEXT ME BACK.

PLEASE.

I NEED TO KNOW YOU ARE SAFE. TEXT BACK.

ILARIA?

THE SUN IS UP AND I AM LOSING MY DAMN MIND.

I exhaled to keep the bile from rising again as the images of him with that fucking witch replayed in my mind. I knew it was ridiculous for me to be upset and jealous over some girl he clearly had a relationship with before I was even born, but I couldn’t help it. And that made me as much of a hypocrite as my dad and brother because I’d stuck my tongue down Heathen’s throat just last night. Guilt tore through me.

Sorry, I fell asleep. I’m safe. Still dealing with family stuff. I’ll speak to you later.

I punched out the text quickly before I turned off my phone. I just needed a few hours to process. Why was I getting flashbacks of Luka’s past? I didn’t have that ability. Yes, I could read minds, but I couldn’t see into people’s pasts or futures. So what the hell was happening? Or was I really just dreaming crazy ass dreams and letting my imagination run wild with the little information I had?

“Stop breathing so loud!” Leif moaned, burying his head under his pillow. I ripped it off him and hit him with it.

“Get up! I’m going to need your help with something before you go back to Heroux.” I yanked at his arm and he fell out of the bed onto the floor, groaning and holding his bicep.

“I think you broke my arm!”

I rolled my eyes at his flair for dramatics. “Well, now we are even then for you sending a branch through mine. Come on, brother, you are going to make me a little truth serum and I will buy you a greasy kebab to feed that hangover before you go back to Heroux.”

“Add a strawberry milkshake and it’s a deal.”

He jumped up with a cheeky smile, his broken arm long forgotten.