Page 19 of Taming Darkness

“Long time no see, my son?” Lysander chuckles at his son as he passes him. Only then do I figure out where this memory has taken me, the council. Lycus growls menacingly and moves to get up, but Darius’ hand falls on his chest, pushing him down.

Darius can feel Kalen’s fear. He’s petrified of this man, and so is Lycus, but he is not scared for himself. He’s scared for Kalen. Lysander, sensing a change in the energy, turns his gaze to Darius. “Xandrious' boy!” He exclaims. “What a surprise! I haven’t seen you since you, since you were a boy,” he laughs, and Lycus glances at Darius, giving him a questioning look. “How’s your father?”

“Dead,” Darius answers bluntly. “Now, if you’ll move out of the way, please. We are trying to listen to what’s happening.” Darius waves him aside. Lysander huffs but moves when Tobias leans to whisper. “Let’s leave; I don’t understand why we are here anyway?” Tobias states. But Darius’ father was a council member, that position being handed down to him after his death, but seeing those who are in charge, he knows Tobias is right. Darius then decides that he does not want to be a part of this corruption. He witnessed firsthand the vile things they were capable of.

He flicks his wrist, opening a portal, and they rise from their seats, moving toward it when Lysander calls out to Lycus. Lycus ignores him, but Darius stops and turns to look at the council members when another speaks up. “You’re leaving? You just got here, Darius.” a man I don’t recognize says. “I have no wish to join your council. I only came to see who is now running it,” he states. The man waves him forward, and Darius wanders up the steps to the podium. He instantly notices Tobias’ father. Now there is Lycus’. This place is made up of the vilest people.

“If you’re standing down, you must sign the withdrawal, so a vote can be placed to replace your seat,” Lysander states. Darius fills out the paperwork, handing it to the elder. He then turns, only to run into Lysander, who has his hand outstretched. Darius raises an eyebrow at the man when he feels an opportunity. However, Lysander, the arrogant jerk, pulls him closer. “You can’t keep him from me forever,” Lysander mocks. Darius chuckles softly, his grip tightening as his magic slivers ice-cold down his arm. Lysander grunts and tries to rip his hand out of Darius’.

Darius smiles wickedly as he brands Lysander. “Just like you can’t hide from me. One should be careful who they offer their hand to,” Darius laughs, letting him go, and Lysander gasps at the black mark seared into his palm.

“See you soon, Lysander,” Darius smiles. He then walks back to the portal, stepping through to his mates.

Over the following weeks, Darius tortures Lysander, just as he does in this new memory. We are in a bathroom, one I have never seen before. It is lavish, grandeur even, which is saying something because Darius does not live like a pauper by any means. A huge spa bath sits in the center of the bathroom that could easily fit ten people, it even has a sauna. Darius wanders around the vast space down a short, narrow hallway that leads into yet another part of this oversized bathroom.

This room is fogged up, and the scent in here is thick with lemon and lavender. Steal billows in huge white clouds, turning everything I can see white. This place reminds me of a spa. Even the tiles beneath his feet are heated. As he moves about the room, he stops by the mirror, which goes from floor to ceiling. The bright LED lights illuminate the room, yet with the steam, it's still hard to see. Using his fingers, Darius writes on the fogged mirror. 'Miss me?' two words, so simple, yet a shiver slivers up my spine in the waking world.

Darius turns around, facing the massive shower that is blasting the figure of the person inside. Darius walks around the space to the huge window across the other side of the room, and as he does, he whistles. Yet, within the tiled room, the sound is different. The sound is hollow, or maybe it's another trick he can do with his magic. However, it has its desired effect because the shower screen opens, and Lysander sticks his head out, glancing around nervously. He can't see Darius, but I know he can feel his presence.

Lysander’s hand shakes as he reaches for a towel, snatching it off the rack. He hastily wraps it around his body and shuts the water off. Darius moves closer, while Lysander moves toward the small hallway that leads back to the huge spa bath and sauna. He peers through the fog, not realizing Darius is right behind him.

Using more of his Demonic magic, I can tell Darius has been enjoying taunting him, keeping Lysander up all hours of the night, haunting him in his dreams and the waking world. Fiddling with his mansion and the man's mind. “Lysander,” Darius whispers, and he spins around, only Darius moves, having a portal ready. He opens another, coming up behind Lysander again as his heart rate picks up. Lysander searches for him when he spots the mirror. “I know you're here, Darius,” Darius laughs, the sound echoing around the space, and Lysander turns violently, slipping on the tiles and landing on his hip.

Lysander scrambles to his feet, breathless and looking for a way out. He looks around the foggy room, searching for where Darius could be hiding, but it's like he's vanished into thin air. Suddenly, the electricity in the room starts to surge and flicker, and Lysander jumps back with a yelp as sparks fly from the lights.

“Stop it! Stop these games!” Lysander snarls, fear obvious in his voice. He backs away from the lights and stares at what he can only assume is Darius, now materialized in front of him. Looking at Lysander, I can tell he hasn't slept properly in weeks, his face unshaven, huge dark rings circling his eyes, his skin pale, almost grayish. His hands tremble as he climbs to his feet, wiping off the mirror, only to jump when he spots Darius in it standing behind him.

Darius chuckles softly before speaking up, “You know you should be sleeping better, Lysander.” His icy cold voice echoing through the steamy room. Lysander turns, swinging blindly, and Darius ducks, punching him in the stomach and dropping him to his knees, winded.

“How has it felt looking over your shoulder every day and every night for weeks?” Darius taunts as he moves to take a seat on the recess that comes out of the wall.

“I knew it was you!” Lysander snarls bitterly. “Well, who else? Karla? Lycus? Maybe Porter? You have so many ghosts of the past surrounding you,” Darius says, crossing his legs and resting his arms along the back of the long chair.

Lysander doesn't answer, and Darius smiles. “Just get it over with. Whatever it is you are here for, you want to beat me, challenge me for my kingdom. Get it over with, I am sick of your games!” Lysander snarls, getting to his feet.

“That's a shame, I was just starting to have fun,” Darius taunts. Lysander snarls, turning to the mirror and wiping off the writing. “I had an alliance with your family. One built on trust. And you pull stunts like this?” Lysander snaps angrily.

“Wrong…. You had an alliance with my father, and as I said at the council meeting, he's dead!”

“Is that why you're here? You think I had something to do with his death?” Lysander asks. Darius laughs sadistically. “You kill my father?” he laughs again, and Lysander glares at him. “I know you didn't kill my father, Lysander, because I did,” Darius tells him.

“I did warn the old fool. Little boys grow up. And when they do, they surpass their forefathers.” Lysander huffs. “So you're here to challenge me. Shouldn't Lycus be doing that?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. Darius shakes his head.

“Lycus doesn't know I am here. And no, I am not here to challenge you; I am keeping a promise,” Darius tells him. Lysander's brows furrow and he scratches his neck. “A promise I made to Karla, though I like her idea better. She wanted you to suffer, and live your life in agony. I merely wanted to kill you, but now I see what she means; her idea is so much better,” Darius taunts as he rises to his feet.

“It has been fun, but I am a busy man,” Darius says, stalking slowly toward Lysander. Lysander watches him warily. “Why would you promise Karla anything? How do you even remember her?” he asks, looking a little shocked.

“I know her better than anyone. You see Lysander. You're looking at my father's greatest weapon, or have you forgotten?” Darius asks curiously. “I don't see how this has anything to do with Karla?” Lysander states. Darius laughs.

“But it has everything to do with Karla.” Darius stops in front of Lysander. “I can see the cogs turning in your head. Your thoughts, you’re exhausted, yet still, you can't seem to put the pieces together,” Darius whispers.

“I remember all of it, every detail, every haunting second of her life, I felt her pain, her torment, her love, and her hate for you. She was so young, her entire future mapped out for her. Unfortunately, that map led her to you.” Darius tells him. Darius circles him while Lysander remains tense and frozen.

“Every day, every minute, every second she lived fearing you. Fear that you would take Lycus, fear you'd take her, all you did was take Lysander. You took her life away, left her in a constant state of terror. Of nervous glances over her shoulder, a life of sleeping with one eye open. These past few weeks, enduring as they were for you?” Darius whispers, coming to stand in front of him again.

“Don't equate to even a day in her shoes. But to make matters worse, you didn't just torture this woman, blackmail, cheat, and hurt her. But you didn't stop there. You made her miscarry, you took her freedom, her free will, her family, but do you want to know what hurt her the worst?” Darius asks, and Lysander swallows.

“You destroyed her. Destroyed how she once perceived the world, you showed her true monsters do exist, and well, you've met Porter. Never thought I would see the day when I would find him a better man than anyone,” Lysander growls menacingly, and Darius chuckles.

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