Elysian House: Edge of the World (3)

Chapter 6: Answer the Call

Viola

She still looked the same, even if she was possessed by the Darkness. All I wanted was to reach out and touch her, feel her again. I've only kissed her a handful of times, and now I regretted it. I regetted telling her I was leaving, I regretted not being there for her when everyone needed something from her.

I regretted not giving it my all.

And now she stood there, wrapped in velvet blackness, with her dark hair flying around her face. She looked like Riley, but I had no idea who this person was at all.

"Riley," I say, and my voice carried across the wind to her. "What are you doing here?"

She chuckles, as if the question was absurd. "I haven't seen you in months, and that's the first thing you ask me?"

It was a bit strange, but I just couldn't think. I couldn't think of anything. My whole brain was failing me. The only thing that I could think in that moment was how glad I was to see her, but also scared. Not for myself, but for her.

Winter was out to get her. And so was just about everyone here. I didn't want anybody to hurt her. I didn't want her to be the victim here. I didn't want to have to hurt anybody who might try to hurt her.

Riley seemed to have knew what I was thinking, because she says, "Don't worry, Viola. Nobody can get to us. Not if I don't want them to."

I didn't like the sound of that. While I did trust Riley not to hurt me, or pull some cheap move, I knew the Darkness brought out the worst in everyone. Including her.

"Why are you here?" I ask again.

She looks back at the battlefield below, filling up with Bitten's and pure Vampires, like before. "My brother, Viola," she says. "I'm searching for him."

Oh, shit. I thought. Ricky was quite possibly the only real weapon we had on Riley. Riley had the Darkness but if we got the stay one step ahead of her at all times, using Ricky, we might have a shot.

"Riley, you can't take him," I say, bringing her cold eyes back to me. The eyes that once were filled with such warmth and affection toward me. Why did I take that for granted?

"You don't have a choice in the matter," she says to me, and turns her back to me, to stare down at the massive cluster fuck happening below. "I will find him."

I couldn't let Riley take Ricky. That would be a massive counter on us. Riley would have the Darkness, and Ricky. Knowledge and power.

That would truly mean the end of the world for us. I still didn't think I'd be able to kill Riley in the end.

But it turns out I may not even have to. Should I tell her that she got the prophecy wrong?

"Riley, there's something you should know about the prophecy," I say. "Ricky found out part of the prophecy. You're not meant to be the host, like you think."

She raises her hand, to silence me. I can tell she has no interest in what I had to say. Which irked me a little bit, but what could I do about it? Instead, she looked down. "You have my sword. And the Shield. I need them. Both of them."

I looked down at Pereus strapped to my waist. I took it from her when she tried to attack Snow. Never in my life, or the last life, did I think I'd be the one to stand in between Snow and death.

"Give them to me, Viola."

"You'll have to fight me for them."

"I won't," she says. I can see the Darkness festering behind her. It swirls around her, wrapping its black tendrils around her legs, arms, waist, entrapping her in its inky spider-web. "But I will take them by force, if I must."