Heart of Darkness

Angelica sat in the garden with Skender feeling a bit nervous. Telling a man who wasn't her husband that she had a dream about him wasn't the most comfortable situation, besides all the history they had together.

So he was a demon too, and what she had seen in her dreams was indeed a memory. She remembered how broken he looked when he had lost his parents and how sad he looked when the red-haired woman told him they couldn't be together.

"Thank you for taking your time to bring my brother here and talk to me," she said.

"I am happy to help in any way," he smiled.

She had forgotten his sad but gentle eyes and his charming smile.

"I know this might be sensitive, as it is something that had happened in your past. I do not wish to evoke any painful memories."

"Don't worry," he said. "There is nothing you can remind me of that I don't already remember every day."

Angelica nodded. "I thought maybe I would share with you details about my dreams and you could tell me more."

"Alright."

Angelica told him about her dreams as in much detail as she could until she came to the Constantine part. She shivered before forcing herself to speak.

Something in Skender's expression changed. His eyes looked so pained, his face tensed and she could see him clench his hands into fists. Angelica tried to only tell him what she saw, not what she felt. He cared about that woman, and to hear how she got hurt couldn't be easy.

"I am sorry," she said when she finished.

Angelica could see him suck in a breath before relaxing. "It is alright."

She gave him a moment where they just sat without speaking.

"Her name was Ramona," he began. "She was the most beautiful lady I have ever known. Kind, wise, brave, strong and very passionate. She had found out in her dreams about demons like me, defenders and came to my family seeking protection. But none of us had been defenders for many years. She thought I was lying at first," he smiled and shook his head. "So she stayed in the same village to convince me. Every day she came to my home asking me to protect her. She wasn't an easy one. She never gave up and maybe that was why I fell for her. The annoying mornings when she came to my home slowly turned into ones I longed for and before I knew my heart no longer belonged to me. Now how was I supposed to protect her?"

He stopped talking, a sad frown on his face. Angelica already knew where this was headed. The pain of losing someone you loved because you couldn't protect them.

"Eventually she realized I had been speaking the truth all the time and that I didn't have the power to protect her. Still, she stayed. She said I had it in me. I could find my strength and be what my name said I was. A defender. I wanted to protect her, but I… I didn't think I had it in me. I didn't see myself as a defender so I didn't try my best to find my strength so I couldn't protect her."

Angelica's heart clenched. She hurt for him. She knew what it felt like to feel helpless. To not be able to save a loved one. To feel powerless. He didn't only lose Ramona but both his parents at the same time as well. He was in ways like her. Except she had her brother that kept her strong.

"And now many years later, I am still not a defender. There must be something wrong with me," he chuckled to conceal his sadness and disappointment in himself.

"Your Majesty, you have made some great changes in our Kingdom and except for the people who gossip about you the rest love you. And you have protected my brother," she told him.

He rubbed his hands together and smiled sadly.

"Well, I now understand the familiarity between us but do you have any idea why I am having her memories?" She asked.

He shook his head. "Nothing besides the idea that maybe being prophets you are somehow connected to each other. There must be someone who knows since your mother knew and did what was necessary to protect you."

Angelica nodded. "Do shades also mate by marking?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Can it be done against someone's will?"

"No."

Then why did she feel like he had bitten her before even if she didn't see it in her nightmares?

"Did he do it?" Skender asked and she could see he was fighting back his emotions.

"I don't know," Angelica said. It was only a feeling and she didn't want to say anything unless she was sure. There was no need to hurt him even more.

Skender knew there was something behind her question. He would not have a good night tonight.

"I am sorry," she said again.

He shook his head, "you did nothing wrong."

******

Skender began to feel the itching of his demon. He wasn't a danger to anyone but himself when he turned but after everything Angelica had been through, now would not be the right time to see it all. He sent a message to Rayven to bring William to the garden and then stood up.

"I should take your brother back to the so he gets some sleep before tomorrow morning," he said.

Angelica nodded as she stood up with a smile. "Yes, it is late."

Rayven had already brought William to the garden. He hugged his sister and said goodbye before taking his hand.

"William wants to know everything about shades and demons. You are better than me at explaining without frightening him." Rayven spoke to him telepathically.

"Alright, then. Have a good night." He told them before teleporting away with William.

They arrived at the hill where they had spent some time earlier.

"I will tell you everything about us and the shades some other time. You need some sleep now."

"You are shaking," Willaim said looking at their entwined hands.

"I am alright," he assured him.

William stared at him with that controlled and always calm expression. "Your Majesty, I want to apologize." He said.

Skender became confused. About what?

"I realized I was brash when I came to visit you. I asked for your help yet behaved as if only you needed me and only you could learn from me. You are much older than me yet I shamelessly asked you to take my advice. I behaved as if I knew better."

Skender became speechless and didn't even know where to start. Admitting you did wrong was one of the hardest things to do.

"You wanted to protect your sister and when it comes to her you are very sharp. It is a quality I admire," Skender told him. "Besides you know better than me."

"It doesn't matter," William said. "Knowledge without good character is useless."

Skender sighed. "If you say so, then it must be so."

William smiled.

"So do you want to sleep with me tonight?" He just said it but became surprised when William nodded.

"A Royal bed?" He asked him.

Skender chuckled. The mattresses in the camp weren't comfortable.

"Yes."

His excitement died quickly. "I have training tomorrow."

"I will take you back before the sun rises."

He smiled again.

Skender teleported them to his chamber. "Make yourself comfortable," he said.

William was already dressed to sleep since he had been sleeping when he took him away. He just crawled up in the bed and sighed.

Skender took off his jacket, pulled the daggers from his boots and put them on the bed stand then tossed his boots aside before getting into bed as well.

"Are you comfortable?" He asked him.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Did your conversation with Rayven go well?"

"Yes."

"Do you feel a little more at ease now?"

"I do."

How lucky was Rayven to have a woman like Angelica and a brother-in-law like William. And how sad that people like them got involved in their crazy world and had to suffer. Would they be able to protect them from Constantine?

And if Angelica saw Constantine bite Ramona and William had this dream, could it be that it was him. But why?

Skender could only think that it had to do with blood. Was there something special about their blood?

He sat up, suddenly so many thoughts and theories swirling in his head. He turned to William. "I think it might be your blood," he said. "Why the shades want you."

"What will my blood do?" William asked sitting up.

It wouldn't help them heal or prologue their lives. So they could only need it for two things. Either it tasted good or they would have visions too.

"I am not sure."

"Then you can have my blood?" He told him.. "Maybe you will find out."