Heart of Darkness

Rayven was with the Lords and Skender when he suddenly heard sensed that something was wrong. He felt distressed and then fear. Angelica was with her brother so she wouldn't have felt like this unless she was having a nightmare or something happened. Hastily he stood up from his seat and the other demons looked at him confused.

"Something is wrong. I need to go home!" He said and teleported away.

When he arrived at home that feeling became stronger, especially when he couldn't sense Angelica's presence. His heartbeat hastened and when he heard Williams's voice thick with worry as he called him, his heart dropped to his stomach.

He turned around and gazed into Williams's frightened eyes. The boy's face was pale and he was losing color as well. His body became cold, freezing in place. His heart stopped for what seemed like forever before it began to pound with such force it was close to jumping out of his chest.

Angelica!

The Lords and Skender arrived at his home and Skender stared between him and William.

"What is wrong? Where is Angelica?!" He asked.

Rayven could barely breathe so he didn't respond. Skender looked at William.

"The shade took her," the boy said looking like he would almost faint. But then he gathered himself and glanced at Skender. He told him what had happened and how the shade tricked Angelica.

Skender grabbed William and made him sit down so he wouldn't faint and fall. "We will bring your sister back." He assured him.

Rayven imagined all the things that could be happening to Angelica and his shock slowly turned into rage. He would kill that shade. Slaughter him if he laid a finger on Angelica.

"Calm down now, Rayven!" Acheron told him. "We need to think before we act."

Think? While God knew what Angelica was going through and he was supposed to sit here and think?!

"I need to go find her!" He said his body trembling with fury. His voice was like venom.

"And do what?" Skender asked staring at him sternly.

"Not wait while someone tortures and kills the woman I love as you did!" Rayven spat.

The Lords seemed confused. Skender clenched his jaw and fists while his eyes displayed disgust.

"There is no plan! I have thought of all kinds of things. I need to go there!" He said.

Rayven left the Lords behind. Maybe he was wrong. He was probably wrong but what plan could possibly work. The shade had Angelica. He was already the one in control. He also had his whole shade army at his command.

Instead of finding himself outside Constantine's house, he went to Lucrezia's cave.

"Lucrezia! Lucrezia!"

"What is wrong with you?!" She appeared looking annoyed.

"Angelica! Constantine took her."

"And?"

"What should I do? Help me!" He said.

"I already told you, I can't."

Rayven crossed the distance between them and fell to his knees. He had never done such a thing before but he didn't care anymore. "Please! Help me! I will do anything you want."

"Oh! Does love affect one this much? Only two weeks ago you wanted to die. Fascinating." She said but didn't sound fascinated at all. She sounded sad.

"Please, help me!"

She remained quiet for a long moment while he watched her shoes with dread. "He has a secret. You need to find it and then decide how to use that secret to your advantage. But be careful. Some things are better hidden until the right time."

Secret?

"You know the secret?"

"My decision is to keep it hidden. It is the right choice at this moment. I can't put anyone else at risk to save you." She said.

Constantine's secret would put someone at risk. Someone she cared about. Who?

He stood up. "It will take time to find his secret." He told her.

"It will indeed."

Until hen Angelica would suffer. Rayven felt like he was losing his mind.

"Also be careful who you ask for help. Remember I told you to not involve Skender."

Rayven couldn't ponder on that right now. All he wanted to do was save Angelica so he set out to find Constantine's secret.

******

Angelica cursed herself. How could she fall into this trap? He knew her brother was her weakness and the horror of the situation had made her unable to think. He caught her off guard and now she was in his hands. She shivered but knew that she would have to face him sooner or later. Maybe this was just the time.

"Where are you taking me," She said trying to pull her arm away from his hold as he dragged her across a dark hall.

He stopped and released her. "My apologies. I am sure you can walk alone. Come with me."

"I am not coming with you. What do you want?" She asked. "I thought you wanted an alliance?"

"I do. I mean what I say. Look, I could hurt your brother, but I didn't. I kept my word but you need to cooperate, otherwise, things will be difficult."

"I don't even know what you want me to do. How do you expect me to cooperate?"

His gaze hardened and he stalked toward her. Angelica stepped away until he pinned her to the wall, his catlike eyes and those sharp-edged lips making her fearful.

"You can begin by quitting the lies. Do you really think I don't know what you are? I have been watching you. You escaped to Lord Rayven when you were in trouble. No one else would dare. What led you there? And the King is protective about you. What does that mean?" He stared into her eyes.

"What does it mean?" She said keeping her composure.

He smirked. "You are a very good liar. Just like her. Her face was like a blank paper when she wanted to and other times she was like an open book." His gaze changed as he spoke about her and Angelica got a strange feeling.

"Who is she?" Angelica asked even though she knew, but she wanted more information.

He sighed. "Well, since you are determined to continue lying, I will have to taste your blood, and then we can talk about the rest."

Angelica froze. Fangs!

All those horrible images she had seen came back to her.

No!

No, no, no!