Dark Nine [18+]

Chapter Sixty-Seven

I watch Arcturus for a while, as he just waits with me in this room – eventually instead of being scared of him, or weary, I feel the exact opposite.

It's a very weird shift in my perspective.

When all the noise is cancelled out... I can see the 'man' in this Elion, just carefully watching me, but with no ill-intent in his deep purple eyes.

"Will you protect me?" I whisper into the air, after a silence of who-knows-how-long has passed, "And the babies?"

"Empress Diana, are you asking me to be your Guardian?" Arcturus drawls while he rests one elbow across a raised knee, his eyes sharp but mellow all at once.

"Alpha Centauri chose you to keep him at bay, when the time comes, and give me your venom," I see him smile a little and I can see the row of razor sharp fangs in his mouth, dripping with excess venom already, "Will you do it?"

Arcturus tilts his head forward but doesn't release me from his gaze.

I take the movement as a Kor's yes.

Now. Back to waiting.

But I've had enough of a rest on the ground.

I stand up and I trail my fingers along the black, sparkling rock with a blue tinge. These rocks remind me of Apastron. Thinking of Apastron makes my mouth tug up into a smile. Danger was an appropriate name for that Elion who had no idea he was Elion. Who defended the Human Freed.

Just thinking of him, and his nature, his mother being the sweet human sacrifice, his father the Estori of the Kor species – he was primed to defend humanity. I must protect his freedom at all costs. If he could ever learn to forgive me for not being able to save her.

It brings me some consolation that Orlai lives somewhere else, even if it's not apparent what condition she is in. I'm sure, the Kor's fathers must appreciate her compliance.

And me? I was the opposite.

I was eager to run free even now, while growing heavily pregnant again. I dreamed of moving beyond, to explore, to have some fun. Right now, I had to navigate politics of predatory evil beings that showed me so much love, only to scare me back into reality every time I got comfortable.

I reach one corner of the cave, after resting my head against the rock for a bit, I turn around and my vision is blocked.

I can't see the cave because Arcturus approached me silently.

I press back against the wall as he leans down to keep staring into my eyes.

"You want to know how this works?" Arcturus' drawls, his voice a poison of dark and sweet promises, "Follow your feelings, and just release yourself from your mind, Diana. It's all lies," Arcturus... for some reason... even in his sexy deep voice, makes sense, kind of. I listen with wide eyes and a still mouth, "Everything you think is a web of pointless fear. Just react."

"What are you teaching me?" I ask.

"How we think," Arcturus smiles, "Fey did not understand this. Do you know what I'm implying?"

"It sounds like some kind of meditation technique, letting go of every thought, and..." I trail off as Arcturus looks like he wants to add more, so I close my lips and he continues.

"Because light and dark don't mix, they just exist," Arcturus' voice is somewhat hypnotising when he's relaxed, I hang on every word, "I am dark and you are light. Even as a Dark Nine. You get close to it. But you can't understand total seeing from the dark. That's how our instincts work. Create dark... take light," he makes it sound beautiful.