Page 86 of Dark Captivation

“Finally, she’s here. I told her not to eat all those raw oysters last night.” The base player muttered in hushed tones.

The lead vocalist flew inside, swaying her curvy hips from side to side, running for the platform.

The drummer climbed from his stool and trudged over to the vocalist. He was pissed, but I couldn’t quite make out what they were saying as he argued with her about being late.

My attention wandered to a teenage demoness who leaned against a wall by the windows. Her eyes were so buried into the book she was reading, they could poke holes in the pages.

She was so enthralled with the story, she looked like an addict desperate for the adrenaline rush promise by every new page. She could be Aurora’s twin, not from her looks. She was brunette and Aurora was blond, but their book obsession was the same.

It was funny how hundreds of miles from home I still found things to bring me back there. It was the small things, like the foods or hobbies we enjoy that united us, even if we were from completely different worlds.

Visions of bombs raining down on Aurora’s head and thousands of shifters like her, spiraled through my mind like a maniacal slide reel.

“Well, we’ve kept the lady waiting long enough!” The drummer sang, while taking his seat and starting their set. The violinist and guitarist followed suit, one after the next until the room was flooded with a symphony of melodious sound.

The lead singer hopped on stage and took the mic. Nodding her head, she waited for her cue.

The hypnotic rhythm invaded me, flushing away the terrifying images and transporting me back to the wonderful present.

The vocalist belted out lyrics that at first were hard to understand. Then I realized it was a song about a guy she’s in love with, but didn’t know how to get him to notice her.

The melody softens, abandoning the harsh rock feel of earlier verses and evolving into a smoother jazzier feel. The band was amazing.

I cheered them on as did several members of the staging crew who cantered over to watch the show.

My stomach churned, making me feel unwell. Nausea appeared out of nowhere as the crew waved their arms over their heads like concert goers.

My nausea mounted and I stumbled over to the open windows for some air. Catching on the ledge, I let the cool night breeze blow away whatever was causing me to feel this way.

I looked out into the serene darkness. The giant was gone, the crew having removed him completely over the last few hours.

Past the roses in the garden, the dark woods were frozen in a listless slumber.

Something white and ghostly swayed across the dark wood’s edge. Were it not so white, it would have been invisible. It was hard to make out what it was, but I’d only seen one thing move quite like it before.

Chasten.

I had to go and see if it was really him. I passed Ferina on my way out the door and told her I was going to the bathroom so she wouldn’t ask to follow me.

Outside the palace, the air grew colder as I closed in on the spot where I glimpsed the white figure. It would have been too dangerous to go into the dark woods at night alone due to the spout of recent attacks. So I stayed on the outskirts, spying into the thick brush.

“Chasten?” I asked, trying not to feel like a fool for coming out here. There was no way this was really Chasten.

A tiny light sparked from inside the dark forest, it glowed like a single firefly lighting up the night. I inspected it more closely and now it appeared to be candlelight.

Last time I checked, ghosts couldn’t light candles. I drew away from the trees and took a leap back in the direction of the castle. I turned to make a quick retreat but I didn’t make it more than a couple steps before someone called out my name. The voice came from within the trees.

I took a breath, cautiously turning back around.

“Show yourself. I’m not playing around here.” I arched my back, raising my fists in case I had to fight someone or something.

“Relax. I only want to talk. You're safe, I promise you.” A man in a white hood emerged from the trees. He dropped his hood. It was Varcus, his face was so plastered in scars it looked like a tattoo job gone terribly wrong.

He was missing the upper portion of his left ear, and his swollen lips were covered in red scabs, a visible reminder of the punches Malek and I had thrown at him.

“I see you’ve managed to get your arm reattached. Did you come here to get it chopped off again?” I cracked my knuckles.

“Look, I’m not here to fight. We need to talk.” He whispered, lurching himself back and using the trees as cover so no one inside the palace could see him.

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