Page 38 of Beyond Your Darkness, I'm Your Light

“I’m already dead.” His evil laugh rings out as he goes limp in my grasp. I look down and notice a needle sticking out from his side. The mother fucker took the easy way out and killed himself. I toss him to the side like the ragdoll he is as his words play over and over in my head. Hearing shuffling behind me, I whirl around ready to take on the next asshole that threatens me and see Laney standing there.

“Didn't I tell you to wait under the bed until I say otherwise?” Kids, they never fucking listen.

“What are you?” She asks in complete awe as I see a trickle of blood trail down her neck. There is no doubt in my mind that she was watching everything that just went down. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen, my parents always told me that would get me into trouble, but I still didn’t listen. That’s probably why I ended up here.” She says, wrapping her arms around herself.

“I shouldn’t have you anywhere near me, but the thought of you staying here and someone finding out what you’ve told me is weighing heavy on my shoulders. I won’t risk your life just to save mine. That is not who I am.”

“Well then, what are you?” She asks again.

“I am a Dullahan that possesses the Kiss of Death.” I tell her, fisting my right hand over my heart and kneeling down to her. Before our realm fell, we were honorable people.

“That sounds pretty cool. I’ve never heard of anything like that before.” She beams. “Can you teach me how to be one?” She asks with so much hope in her voice that I hate to crush what little light she has left inside.

“My poor, sweet girl. You can not be trained to be a Dullahan, you are simply born one.” I say, knowing that’s not the answer she wants to hear.

“Sucks to be a smelly, ole Human in the middle of all this. Can’t someone turn me into something cool that will help me fight along your side?”

“Little girl, why would you want to turn into a creature of the night?”

“It seems like being a Vampire or Werewolf is the only thing that will help protect me from the evil of this world.” She says, gazing off and going deep inside her head. “My mother always told me I was special, there are some things I can do that I shouldn’t be able to, but that doesn’t mean I’m not just a mere Human, does it?”

“It depends, what can you do?” I ask, genuinely interested in what she has to say or show me.

She closes her eyes, balls up her fist as her face scrunches up. I watch her closely to see what she will do next. Ever so slowly, she opens her eyes, and they are blazing orange with a small flame in place where her pupils should be. Next, she stands up taller and walks towards me.

“‘Do not be afraid of the flame, for it would bring you great power, you just need to be taught how to wield it.’ I said, ‘You are foolish, Mother, for I could not possess anything as great as this’.” She recalls, lost in a memory as she opens her hand. At first, I don’t see anything, but then, I see the flames trail their way down her arms into her waiting hand. “I told her I wouldn’t be scared, but then he stole me and told me if I ever brought the flame forward he would kill me.”

“How did he find out about it?”

“My mother was a whore, too, but she had powers as well. She was trying to teach me how to cast spells and enchantments, but I didn’t understand. I was so young. By the time I was old enough to learn, she tried to use them against him. He killed her because she tried to hide me. It worked for a little while. Until one day, my father made a mistake and was followed. He kidnapped me deep in the night.” She recalls.

“What happened to your father?” Surely, he’s got to be searching for her.

“He thinks I’m dead.” She whispers.

“Laney, do you know what an Elemental is?”

“Not really. I mean I know about the four elements of the world.” She says, playing with the flame, making it bigger.

“You’re a Fire Elemental. Who told you that you were just merely a Human?”

“He did.” She nudges her head towards her kidnapper who lays dead at her feet. I hadn’t even noticed that she made her way towards him until she stood in front of his dead body. “He can come back, you know.” She states, throwing the flame at his body as she stands back and watches his body ignite. Next thing I know, he begins howling in pain and writhing around.

“You fucking bitch! You will die for this!” He says, lurching for her. I reach out and grab his neck.

“You dare fucking talk to her like that? You worthless piece of shit!” I rip his fucking throat out, before I wishper the words that give me great pleasure. “Mors te valere iubet. Infernus apertis te excipit armis. I’ll see you in hell, mother fucker!” And I suck the life from him which won’t allow this piece of shit to come back. I throw his body down to the ground as Laney comes to the side of me and tosses another one of her flames over him.

“This time, he won’t come back.” She realizes.

“Let’s get you out of here.” I say, wrapping my arm around her shoulder and pulling her close to me.

“Where will I go?” She sounds so small and it makes me wonder.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty.”

“How long has he had you?”

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