The Darkness
Chapter VI

That night when Serafina had gotten back to the Hel castle she had the same dream as she had been having for the past five days. She was standing in the field awaiting the dark cloud but when it came; she didn’t trip over her dead clone. Instead, she stopped when she saw a figure sitting in the now red flowers a few feet in front of her. She cautiously approached the figure, being able to hear its sobs as she moved closer. She gasped and fell back when she saw just what the man was holding in his arms- her. Just like before, she was dead with a gunshot wound straight to her heart.

He turned his head towards her and exclaimed, “Leave before you kill anyone else!”

She sat up in her bed, her heart beating erratically. Her lady maid came in and opened her curtains, revealing the bright red sun. Serafina shielded her eyes, her head feeling like it would explode, and groaned.

“Oh, you’re awake,” The maid said.

The maid handed her, her morning tea and her breakfast tray.

“Today you are meant to meet with the prince to discuss his coronation and visit the town and speak with the local merchants,” She listed off.

Serafina pinched her forehead to lessen the effects of her headache and told the maid, “I’m sorry but I am not feeling well, you may eat this if you wish Marie. Is that all on today’s schedule?”

“Yes, your highness.” Marie took the tray back with a look of worry on her face but knew not to voice it. Serafina didn’t like anyone worrying about her when she was sick. She could die but she would rather everyone act like normal and pretend it wasn’t happening.

“Wake the prince up and tell him he will come with me to town. We will discuss his coronation on the way there. And please make sure he dresses casually.” She threw the duvet off of her and stood up. She swayed as the room spun around her but regained her balance.

Marie nodded and bowed out of her room. The Queen dressed in her usual attire; a black shirt and some jeans with some combat boots. She grabbed a leather jacket and some riding gloves and waited for Kai outside of his bedroom.

He came out in a white t-shirt with black jeans and a black leather jacket with black Tims, typing on his phone. She followed him when he passed her, shaking her head.

“Have you figured out a theme for your coronation?” She asked as their driver started the car.

“Red and black,” He told her. Something was off with him- he was being indifferent.

“Did someone piss on your parfait this morning? What’s going on with you?” She asked.

“When were you going to tell me?” He turned towards her and glared.

“Tell you what?”

“That you were marked.” He grabbed her arm and lifted it so she could see the red and black knot on her wrist. She snatched her arm from him and pulled her jacket sleeve down.

“I’m sorry.”

He scoffed, “That’s it? That’s all you’re going to say.”

“What do you want me to say Kai!” She exploded before lowering her voice, “Yes I’m marked and I don’t know how long I have left. But that doesn’t change the fact that no one can know about this. If people replace out that I am dying then they’ll think I’m weak and will try to challenge me.”

He rolled his eyes, and she sighed, “Look Kai, I have escaped death once and I’ll do it again- you need not worry about me.”

“I’m your brother, that’s impossible.”

“Then as a request from your older sister, please do not worry about this. I will take care of it, scouts honour.” She set her hands over his and smiled.

“You were never a girl scout,” He reminded her causing her to giggle.

“No, I wasn’t, but that doesn’t mean I won’t handle it.” He looked at her and shook his head.

They arrived at a local pub that had been getting a lot of complaints and got out of the car. Just as they did something threw a man through the window.

When the two walked in the pub were met with the sight of a drunken man yelling at another man, grabbing him by the collar.

“Excuse me!” Serafina yelled over them to get their attention, “Do any of you men happen to be Marcellus Cain?”

The drunken man smirked, what the two could only hope to be a friendly smirk, “Why yes, and who might you be, fine lady?”

Serafina glanced back at Kai before turning to the owner of the pub. She took off her riding gloves and stepped closer to the man, “Serafina, but you know me as your Queen.”

The bar stood silent before the man broke out into drunken laughter.

“Well, I’ll be damned it’s the bloody queen!” He walked closer to her while saying, “Well what can I do for you, your highness? Would you like a fine wine or...?” He cut himself off by tripping over himself causing Kai and Serafina to roll their eyes.

Kai picked the man up by his arm while saying, “Pull yourself together mate, this is just pitiful.”

The man pushed Kai off of him while screaming, “Don’t you bloody touch me! That dark wench doesn’t deserve to be queen and you certainly don’t deserve to be her heir! Your father should have left you in that cage to rot.”

Serafina’s rage took over for a moment and she lifted her hand, making the man choke himself.

“If I ever hear those words come out of you or anyone’s mouth again not even the King of the Underworld himself will stop me from making you rip your own tongue out while I turn your head to bird feed.” She looked around at the frightened customers and yelled, “And that goes to everyone who lives in Hel!”

She turned back to Marcellus, “I don’t care what you think about me, you could hate me or want to kill me but one thing you will never do is disrespect my brother.” She watched the man’s face turn red and let him go, pulling out a nearby chair, “Sit.”

The man rushed to the chair and sat down afraid of what the queen would do.

“I am here, Marcellus, because you have racked up quite the complaint rack. Assault, battery, noise- you really have a reputation around here but that ends today. You have two weeks to get your act together before I do more than take away your liquor licence, understood?”

The man shook his head so hard that she thought it would fall right off and she smiled, “Good. I hope I don’t have to come back here because if I do then you will have more to fear than the last Mesmer.” She let her powers slip through just enough to show him the fiery red eyes of the Fury but not enough so he would feel the pain of looking into them.

With that she walked out with Kai in tow.

“Why did you bring me along, Serafina? You defiantly could’ve handled that yourself.”

She got into the car and told him, “To show you that ruling is a double-edged sword. That man in there hated me and there are more like them. You have to be hated and loved, respected yet feared.”

“However, you don’t worry about those who hate you. Call you a foreigner who doesn’t deserve the crown. Remind you of when you used to be Dark.”

She shook her head, “I like when they remind me of being Dark because then they know just how evil I can be when crossed. As for the rest- so long as the amount of people is small then no, because they let me know I’m doing my job right.”

Kai couldn’t help laugh at the smile on her face as she said this causing Serafina to join in. It was so peaceful and happy that he almost forgot that his sister was marked and dying.

Almost.