Camila gave us a not-so-soft landing. After showing us how to portal the shadow way I was assuming Zayn and Selena had been "accidently" left behind. But when Selena looked like she was going to barf and Zayn stared at the huge... castle I knew Camila gave us safe travels.
"Holy..." Zayn said looking up. "Thats the house?"
I shrugged. "How would I know?" I wasnt going to say since I never grew up here because that jogged memories that were just too painful. Guilt taking my body.
Gently, Camila took my hand and gave me a reassuring squeeze. I look at the shadow girl again and continue to ask why. Why on Earth would she be helping us? What did Dinah do that made one of the strongest willed shadows bend to her will?
Zayn and Selena were lagging behind, both wrapped up in their own conversation. While Camila led me through the house I decided to ask.
"What happened between you and Dinah?" I asked hesitently.
It must be a touchy subject because Camilas muscles stiffened. "Its... personal."
With a moment of silence and a deep breath I spoke up again. "Im just confused as to why your so willing to help."
She sighs. "I met her when she was on the run. She saved my life."
"Dinah? She saved you life?" It sounded insane.
Camila nods. "I never thought it was possible. She is an Endarkened. I felt her dark energy and she wore the dark black clothing of a warrior of sorts. A dark angel. She wears black like her soul. Yet her heart is made of gold." Camila stopped, stepping in front of me. "She is dark and cold, but the people who have suffered the most can either be blinded by revenge, or broken by pain. She is niether."
Im at a loss for words. The girl that I knew was dark. Mysterious. She seemed to defy her very nature as an Endarkened. She smoked and drank but not much else. She killed shadows to protect people. The only time I had really seen her dark was when I caughter her at the club.
It had been so scary. Watching her kiss someone like she was drunk. Looking into their eyes and seeing the emotion leaving them. Normani had been her victim and Im not sure how much she took. All I saw was that it caused fear. So much fear.
Endarkeneds needed to feast off emotions and dreams. Dinah had refrained herself for so long she probably couldve killed Normani then and there. Camila led me down the basement where we pass a variety of weapons. Half of which I didnt know how to use much less their names.
When we got passed that though I almost fainted. A room of iron walls and flooring. With blood everywhere. Dents in the wall. Small fists. Zayn came up behind Camila and I. His breathing was shallow yet he still didnt believe.
"So you show us a basement of blood in a mansion in Alaska." He states. "What does that prove?"
"Nothing." Camila answers. "Lauren will prove it."
Suddenly my head pounds and I feel dizzy. Falling into Zayn as I almost pass out. Selena and him grab me to steady me. The second I clutch both of their hands is the moment when the world turns black.
"Harder!"
"Yes father."
Dinah wears complete black. Almost complete. More like red and black. Its her blood to. Her father stands behind her. Watching with dark souless eyes. He holds a whip with dried blood on it. The little girl in front of him looks old enough to be 8 or 9 yet I know Dinah is maybe 2 or 3. Aging as an Endarkened is extremely weird.
"Punch the walls. Dont scream. Your mother doesnt need to know."
Her brow furrows in concentration as her bloody and probably broken knuckles hit the wall. Making a dent right beside the door. Alexander brings the whip down on her back. She doesnt have on a shirt and its obvious she needs one. Her body is drenched her blood and scars.
Three cracks of the whip and Dinah hasnt made a noise. She doesnt flinch. In fact she closes her eyes and sighs into the pain.
Alexander smiles. Not a real smile. A cruel twisted sneer. Barely visible. "Good Dinah. You will learn now that nothing is beyond your control. You dont get hurt if you dont let yourself. I want you to feel nothing."
"Yes father." She says her voice calm and relaxed.
He brings the whip down again. "Nothing hurts if you dont let it Dinah. Remember this. It may seem hard but its the truth. If you can imagine no pain you wont feel it. If you will yourself to stay strong you will."
His eyes darken and he whips her more forcefully. "Answer me!"
Im expecting her to whimper or scream or her voice to be uncontrolled. I get none of the above. Instead her voice is level and calm. "Yes father. Sorry father."
But he isnt satisfyed. He wants her to scream. You can see the blood lust in his eyes. He hates the little girl. He might be making her stronger. But at the same time hes destroying her. With a swift movement he dumps leamon juice on her whip markings.
That earns nothing but the small bite of the lip from Dinah. And since shes not facing him he doesnt see it.
"Goddam you!" Alexander yells in frustration. He yanks Dinah to her feet and slaps her. She stays perfectly calm.
Yet in her little eyes I can see her breaking. I can see those cracks. Alexander is the one who put them there. Like they say, theres a crack in everything. Thats how the light gets in. I see the blood red reflecting in her guarded brown eyes.
I gasp as Im yanked back to the present. Zayn and Selena saw. You can see the horror written clearly on their faces plain as day.
"Now do you believe me?" Camila asks gruffy.
They nod, not speaking. She rolls her eyes and moves into the other room. As I pass by I see the little dent made by her years ago. All that pain. It was real. And she stopped feeling. She wouldnt let herself feel. She denied herself the pleassures of releasing what was kept inside.
Its what she needs now. To feel. To release.
"Dinah was deffinetly here. And she took off with something." Camila moves to the desk and picks up a note.
"Shes finding Cassandra alright. The question is, where did she go?"
"Where ever Cassandra is, must be hidden."
"And somewhere safe." Zayn adds. "She wanted to protect Lauren right?"
Selena nods. "I agree. And she had to have cared about you enough to be somewhere she could watch you."
It all sounds true. But true by mundane standards. This is an Endarkened. Something that shouldnt be able to love. Not in the way I do or Selena does. Not in the way Dinah has.
"We are going to Exile." I say firmly surprising everyone.
"Need a drink? Theres a bar not far from here. Its where Alexander went to get the alcohal."
"No. We are finding Dinah. No matter what it takes. And I have a feeling that Cassandra wouldnt want to meet her daughter in private. The best they could do is Exile right?"
"Actually there are a bunch of shadow and Endarkened clubs around." Camila says softly.
I roll my eyes. "We can start there. If shes not there we can ask around."
"Well then lets go!" Zayn says. "Who knows what that thing might be up to. If I were her and I knew all that, with the dark cravings, the USA probably wouldnt exsist anymore."
"Dinahs not like that."
"Maybe." Selena agrees. "But with a broken heart and crushed hope, it doesnt take much convincing to change. Especially changing for dark matters."
Camila nods. As if now just realising what Dinah could be doing. "If she finds Cassandra, she might just kill her. But if shes anger and corrupted enough by the darkness surrounding her... Well lets just say she knows whats worse than death."
