Something Darker; Chapter 16

Gaitan sits are the bar. He just sips at his drink. It's clear his mind is elsewhere. V was defiantly doing better between the care from Gaitan and Mum, but I know that's not what's on his mind. At least it wasn't what had his mind elsewhere today.

I hadn't missed his fight this morning with Micah. To say he disliked Micah's plan to go and see Lord Calus alone this morning would be putting it lightly. When Micah had pulled the rank card, I would have sworn Gaitan was going to hit him.

A creak on the stairs draws both of our attention. Janice waves towards us as she steps off the stairs, Zanthus disappearing into the shadows. "Is Mum back yet?" She asks me.

"No. Still just us," I tell her.

"Alright. I'm going to go start prep for tonight."

"How is she?" Gaitan asks.

"Well, she's most certainly feeling better. I think she had a fight with Zanthus though," she glances towards the shadows that Zanthus disappeared into. "I don't think we'll be able to keep her in bed much longer."

Gaitan nods. "That sounds about right."

xXxXx

Gaitan takes the tray from Janice and disappears up the stairs. Janice glares at him as he goes, clearly irritated by his curt manners tonight. I had a feeling that if the king didn't return shortly, we'd have two stir crazy nobles on our hands.

Huffing, Janice turns around, "I hope she bites his head off."

The door opens admitting the first patrons tonight. Janice smiles and waves to them. "The food is almost done. Jax, can you go grab some more wood from outside?"

"On it." I walk towards the back door, a black shadow darting to my side. I glance down to find Zanthus trotting along next to my feet. Hello Zanthus. I open the door and allow him to slip out before me. His voice murmurs a thanks in my head.

Surprisingly, Zanthus doesn't take off into the night. Instead, he jumps up onto the wall and then onto the lean to where he lays down and curls into a ball.

Pulling wood from under the lean-to, I stand up, my sister's comment runs through my mind. "Did you get into a fight with V?"

Zanthus's eyes open to narrow slits. I fail to see how that is any of your business.

"Sorry. She's just getting stir crazy faster than I thought she would."

Zanthus huffs, eyes sliding shut. I can hardly blame her with this growing feeling that something bad is brewing. There's a bad moon on the rise after all.

I glance back at the moon. "It's not a full moon."

Zanthus snorts. Humans.

"The Shadow Slave is dead. V said so much herself," I point out.

Shadow Masters would hardly consider one competent enough to do whatever it was they sent that Shadow Slave to do.

"Are you saying that there's a second one out there?" I look out into the night, a feeling of unease settling in the pit of my stomach. "Well, if V can kill one by herself, surly with Gaitan and her brother, she won't get hurt if it shows up," I reason.

A gentle breeze goes by stirring the leaves in the trees. Why it hasn't made itself known is what concerns me. I look back at Zanthus. His head is up, eyes scanning the night. Apparently satisfied nothing is lurking in the darkness, he rests his head back down. There are things out there that concern me more than a pesky Shadow Slave.

"Such as?" Zanthus doesn't so much as stir. He just lays there, basking in the moonlight as if I had never spoken to him. I take one final glance back into the night before I head inside.

Entering the main room, I can't help but wonder if whatever Zanthus was more concerned about was worth risking running into tonight.

Captain Harsing leans against the counter, speaking to Janice. My entrance draws his attention to me. "Perhaps your brother is smarter than you. Just give me what I came for and I'll be on my way."

"What are you doing here?" The words tumble from my mouth before I can stop myself. If I hadn't regretted them the moment they left my mouth, I most certainly would be regretting them now.

Captain Harsing slowly stalks towards me. "Did you think I wouldn't take notice when your 'protection' was gone? Now, be a smart lad, and give me what I came for."

"Harsing!" A voice snaps. Captain Harsing turns and snaps into a salute. Gaitan stands at the top of the stairs, glowering down on the scene. "Get out," he says thinly.

"Commander-"

"I'm not interested in hearing excuses. Go home. I'd advise packing up your belongings."

Captain Harsing turns quickly and disappears out the door with his men. I breathe a sigh of relief as I turn to the fireplace, setting down the wood. Perhaps Zanthus had been wrong, perhaps that had been the brewing bad stirring their unease, not whatever he had been worried about.

xXxXx

I sit behind the counter, enjoying the silence of the dead of night. Technically, it was Janice's turn to sit out tonight, but I had offered to sit out instead.

The silence is broken by the sound of hurried footsteps. I glance up, quickly moving to stand when I see the source of the footsteps. V has already reached the top of the stairs.

V has almost reached the bottom of the stairs when she slips, falling back onto the last two stairs. It doesn't even seem to faze her as she pushes up off the floor before I've reached her side. Once more on her feet her eyes- her gold eyes- fall on me. "Jax! Jax!" I catch her arms, keeping her from going any further. "Zanthus! Where- where is he?"

"V, your eyes," I hiss at her. No one is in here but us, but anyone could walk in.

"Where is Zanthus?" She tries to keep walking, but I tighten my grip on her arms.

"You shouldn't be out of bed; you need to get back to bed." I try to guide her back towards the stairs.

"NO!" The panic in her voice is unmistakable.

"Okay, okay. Just calm down. How about you at least sit down?"

"No!" This time, she shoves me backwards. She must have used her powers because I fly back to slam into the wall. "Jax! I don't- I didn't- I- I- I- I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" She reaches a shaky hand towards me.

"What's going on out here?" Janice asks, walking out from the back rooms. "V! What are you doing out of bed?"

"Go get Gaitan," I tell Janice, nodding towards the stairs. I focus my attention back on V. "I saw Zanthus a while ago. I'll go see if he's still outside. Just sit down in the meantime, please." I reach out for her extended hand.

She yanks her hand back, eyes widening. "No. No, no, no, no. You can't-. . . You can't be here. It's not- it's not possible!"

"Violet! What the hell do you think you're doing out of bed?" Gaitan's voice demands. I can hear his footsteps on the stairs. "You need at least one more day before you can go running about." Reaching her side, Gaitan grabs her arm.

She spins towards him, a hand flying up. Gaitan goes flying back into the stairs. "Stay away from me!"

"V!" Janice exclaims.

V backs away from Janice, shaking her head. I can see it in her eyes; she's here, but her mind is somewhere else. "I haven't- I wouldn't-"

ZANTHUS! I shout, praying I'm loud enough. HELP! "V, can you hear me? Zanthus is on his way. He's coming, V, he's coming."

V begins to tremble. "I'm not one of them," she whispers. Her hands fly up, digging into her hair, covering her ears. "I'm not one of them!" She cries, falling to her knees.

Gaitan stands, walking towards her. Reaching her, he kneels down next to her. "V? Are you alright? V, I need you to look at me." Gaitan reaches a hand towards her chin.

NO! Zanthus's voice rings in my mind. He's too late though.

Gaitan's hand catches V's chin. V responds by lashing out. Gaitan falls back as V jumps up, readying to fight.

V suddenly blinks, eyes and head turning frantically about. "Where are you? WHERE ARE YOU?!" V stumbles back, eyes still frantically searching about. "What did you do to me?"

I look towards Zanthus. He stands on the counter, eyes focused on V. Around his neck, a small crystal ball seems to be shimmering with its own light.

V bumps into the counter. Zanthus calmly walks closer to her. The closer he gets, the stiller she becomes. He stops next to her, closing his eyes. At the same time, V's eyes flutter shut. Stretching out his neck, Zanthus rests his head against V's arm. V slides to the ground, head drooping forward.

The room is absolutely silent.