Dark Light

Chapter 10

H

I lied. And cheated. And totally messed myself up. Really, I added the bodyguard option so that she would think I still wanted her. I had really thought she would go for being a human again. I mean, I made the offer as attractive as I could. A house, a job, and the ability to get away from the bad connotations of being a dark light. Heck, I would have jumped at it if I were she.

Maybe I didn't explain how people would treat a known dark light. Maybe I should have told her that she was banished from the land of eternal darkness. Maybe I should have made it clear that I didn't want her.

Or, I could have told her the truth. I did not only want her body, I wanted all of her. I wanted her to be my wife. I loved her sweet temperament, and don't even get me started on her sarcasm. I was enamored. Naturally, the question arises, why did I not ask her to marry me, then? Why did I not cast my responsibility to the throne millions of miles away, as I so wanted to do? Sunshine was worth it. She was worth seeing my kids grow gold tinted black wings. She was worth the sneers and disdain from my father. She was worth giving my heart to, but I didn't. I couldn't.

Meeting my father opened my eyes to a few things about myself. Every now and then, my mother would have a random bruise that she explained away with wild activity. I always wondered how she would get a bruise on her neck. Now, I knew. My father would at least threaten her the same way I did Sunshine. With that parallel uncovered, I wondered just how many traits of his I had.

He was unpredictable, angry one minute and laughing the next. He had to control everything. He didn't trust anyone. He was selfish, self-centered, and arrogant. If I was even half of what he was, my heart wasn't worth her.

At least, that was what I told myself.

The trip to the Atlantic was fun... I had to back off from the new habit of hitting on her at every turn. I had to respect her space and treat her like a bodyguard. I flew at night, rested in the day, and she kept even weirder hours. She would sleep while I flew sometimes, and sometimes she would sleep at the same time as me. It was wintertime, almost the human holiday of Christmas. Sunshine seemed not to be bothered by the cold, but I had to bundle up when I wasn't moving. To add to the cold, I flew north so as to make the trip across the Atlantic shorter. For once, having Sunshine on my back was actually helpful. She kept me warm.

We were going over a town while still in America, and I saw a ton of lights. I smiled and spiraled down to it. Sunshine moved on my back in the way that made me think she was waking up.

"Why are we stopping?" She asked.

"I want to look at Christmas lights," I answered.

"Okay," she mumbled.

On an impulse, I said, "We should pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend."

She was quiet for a minute. "Why can't we be siblings?"

Because I'm deathly pale and you're a dark beauty? "Are you kidding me?"

"Good point."

"I didn't even make a point."

"Yes you did."

"Okay, I made a point."

I spiraled down to a very dark alley and shrugged her off. I took off my shirt and closed my eyes to bring in my wings. I grit my teeth but made no audible noise to broadcast my discomfort. I then quickly put on some layers of non-winged shirts. Sunshine had her back to me when I turned back to her. I briefly melted over her modesty and cuteness before I hardened my gaze and walked past her. She couldn't see me like that.

I offered her my arm, and she slipped hers in like a good girlfriend. It felt so good, having her with me. I wished I could always have her, but then I dispelled the thought from my mind.