Beautiful Darkness

➵The Warlock of Truth

           

The second I regain consciousness I am doubling over. Erratic gasping and coughing recedes from my aching lungs. My skin is alive and buzzing as a tingling sensation shoots down every nerve in my body. Blood drips from my nose as my vision blurs.

The door slams open as Graham, Lincoln, and Davina storm inside. Davina is at my side in an instant, helping me sit up and regain my bearings.

"Are you okay? Do you need anything?" Reassuring questions spew from her lips in concern. I try to respond but I can't seem to breathe quite enough oxygen into my body to create a response.

"W-What happened?" I finally manage to speak. Graham is in front of me looking over my body for injuries. I shake him off to indicate I am okay.

"We were hoping you could tell us that," Lincoln replies. I give a questioning look.

"You were out for several days. After the third day you stopped breathing and we began to assume the worst. Davina said there was a very small possibility that you could have been in a different dimension or parallel universe," Graham gives a pointed glare to Davina. She shrugs her shoulders.

"We all knew there were risks. Let's just be thankful she woke up and is alive. Does that sound like a plan?" Davina retorts. The atypical amount of sarcasm in her voice takes me surprised and receives nothing but silence from Graham- whom the sass was directed at.

"What happened to you?" Graham leans down closer to me. Concern is etched in his eyes yet his facial features remain neutral.

I try to recall all that occurred. Once it registers, an indescribable wave of nausea hits me.

"I think I'm going to be sick," I mumble as I grab my head. Davina grabs a nearby bucket just in time as I spill my insides out. I am disgusted as I finally quit vomiting after several minutes. Cold sweat drips down my body as my stomach somewhat settles.

"What the hell is wrong with her?" Natalia's loud voice graces the room as she stomps into the secluded area. Davina opens her mouth to respond but seems to lose the words.

My thoughts take over.

Orion knew about everything.

Anessia is alive.

Antonis is my father.

The last thought has pure ice flowing through my bloodstream. The thought itself is ridiculous, impossible. There is no possible way that he, that monster, is my biological father.

Yet the more I try to convince myself of it, the more I am sure in my gut that he is.

"Arailia!" Graham's voice finally breaks through. I look up at him.

"I called your name like four times..." He trails off, waiting for an explanation.

The problem is, I can't tell him.

I can't tell any of them.

Not yet at least.

"Anessia is alive." I blurt out. Everyone holds similar expressions of disbelief and shock.

"I mean, I kind of figured that. You know, her possessing you and beating the shit out of me. It leaves an impression on a girl. The 'I'm alive and when I get my own body I'll finish the job' kind of impression," Natalia's voice fills the silence.

"Are you sure?" Graham's deep voice further asks. I nod my head.

"I saw her. I... talked... to her. She's in some kind of prison. It's trapping her mental abilities," I detail.