Chapter 66

Darkous didn’t like the fear in her eyes, it angered him, and he wasn’t sure why, and whilst he didn’t want to sedate her, he thought it was for the best. He couldn’t have her screaming out for help in the middle of the street, that would only cause more problems.

The humans would already notice her sudden disappearance, so he had to be careful, he had to make sure she wasn’t found.

Humans were insects, and he could have too many around him, the girl was stupid for making a human friend, lonely or not, all it does is cause complications.

Complications that Darkous would have to take care of.

He nods to Michael who steps forward, a small needle glinting in the sunlight.

Elika’s eyes widen as the needle pierces her neck, her body sagging against Michael just as a car pulls towards the curb, joey opening the doors for them.

It was wise to get out of the street, especially with an underage girl in tow. It looks all kinds of wrong, even to them.

But this particular girl was immortal, and she belonged to the dark lord.

They ease Elika inside, her small body too light, she weighed practically nothing. He would hurt her accidentally if he wasn’t careful.

Was she eating enough?

The demon within the dark lord laughed bitterly, “so now you care?” He growls, “we are the ones that caused this, and she deserves so much more for being his daughter.”

Darkous fights against the urge to hurt her, he had promised to do it all differently this time, and he was going to stick to it.

She was just a child, barely even of age. He doubted she even understood the severity of her father’s reign, if she knew anything at all.

“She was braver than I expected.” Michael says softly, the car pulling away from the curb.

It wasn’t a long drive to the house that joey and Darren secured, Darren was already there getting things set up. They wouldn’t take Elika back to their dimension, not yet. They needed to try and change things first, if they could.

Darkous hoped she’d listen to reason, but if not, he’d just go back to his old ways.

He’d do anything he had to in order to win. People were counting on him.

He couldn’t lose.

Joey looked tense, too tense to be driving a car, But he was the best one for the job, and he was the only one that knew the streets. he was the only one that knew where we were going.

For some reason Michael was the same, he looked uncomfortable, he was acting like he didn't want to be here, like he didn't want to do what he had.

The dark lord could understand, he felt the same way, He almost didn't want to take the girl away from the life she had created for herself. but he had no choice, none of them had a choice, not when so many lives hung in the balance.

“We got her quickly, and no one will be any wiser.” Darkous says, most to himself.

Michael nods, “unless she told the mortal girl everything, we’ll have to make sure that the secrets of our race haven’t been spread.”

Darkous laughs a little, “I almost forget sometimes that a long time ago you were human yourself.”

Joey laughs bitterly, “it’s not a time any of us want to remember, we were weak, useless.”

“It wasn’t your fault she died, you tried, all of you did.” Darkous clenches his fists, “I stood by and watched it happen, it is me who was too weak.”

“I don’t think anyone could have prevented what happened that day.” Michael says, “No matter how hard we tried.”

“Maybe you’re right, but I could have tried.” The dark lord growls, slamming his fist against the roof of the car. “I did nothing!” He says. “I just stood there and let him shoot her.”

“Your father was the worst kind of monster.” Joey says softly, his eyes on the road. “No one could have stopped him, and it would have been much worse if you tried to.” He scoffs a little. “That night will always haunt us, more so than others, because you didn’t just lose Lilly, you lost your unborn child too.”

“We could have saved the child.” Darkous admits, “if the body hadn’t have gone missing, someone took it, and I was never able to find out who.”

Someone stole everything from him that night, and he never had a body to mourn. Lilly disappeared. So did his child.

No matter how long, or hard he looked for the. It’s of them, he never found any trace. Not even a crumb he could hold onto.

It was like neither of them existed at all, and that was like losing them all over again.

He looks down at Elika, wondering if she feels about him the way that he always did about his own father.

Was he a monster to her?

He had to be, look at all he had done to her, the pain and suffering he had caused. Her brother actively fight and destroy, she never did any of that.

She truly was an innocent in the war, and whilst he’d never actively admit it to her, or his men. He was wrong.

Nothing could change what he had done, and no number of apologies would take away her pain, the pain he caused her.

But he could change it all.

He could make her see just how cruel Atlas and her brothers were, he must show her what they have done.

It will hurt her, and wounds of the heart never truly heal, but it should give her the push that she needs to do something.

She is the key to end it all.

She doesn’t know it yet, but her powers are the missing link, she has the ability to destroy worlds. A power that has not been seen for a millennium.

Hades said himself that she must learn how to control it, or it’ll control her.

It will consume her the way that his demon has consumed him, and he cannot allow that to happen. No matter the cost.

“Maybe when this is all over, we can take that vacation we always talked about.” Joey mutters, “it’ll be nice not to fight so much.”

Darkous nods silently, it would be nice not to fight for their lives all the time.

But first they had to win.