Dread -n.h.

four

Over a lovely glass of wine and some great appetizers, Liam informed me he knew Zayn from childhood. I wondered how many people Zayn knew. 

"Do you know Niall then?" I asked, twirling the wine around in my glass. He took a bite and nodded eagerly. 

"Yeah! He was part of my group when I was younger, Niall, Zayn, Harry, Louis... all those guys." I took a deep breath. If we were to see Harry, he would sell me out to Liam. I tried to contain my anxiety. 

"That must have been a great group. You all have turned out wonderful. What do you do, Liam?" I asked. 

"I am a reporter!" He said. I was really digging myself deep here. I have so many secrets, so many things that put my and everyone I know in danger. If Liam found out any of those and chose to out me to the realm, I could die... if that was possible. Niall never told me if demons were immortal. Yet the stitches in my hand didn't hurt as bad as I remember stitches to hurt. 

"That sounds lovely. Liam, if I am being honest here, I am new to this whole... area. I might need some help around, and I would really appreciate some help in finding a new job."

"Of course! I think we might have an opening at the paper I work at. Would you be interested in that?" he said. I was surprised he was so willing to find me a position so sought after. 

"That sounds amazing, I would love to! I might need some guidance to begin with but I have always liked journalism."

"Great! Well , I believe we have an internship position available and that can easily lead to higher-level writing. Let me talk to some associates." He said, nodding and smiling. 

"So since I am new, can you explain to me what the new dictatorship means to us? It is all going over my head." I said, pretending to be confused. 

"Yes, yes of course! I write about this frequently, and it all depends of which side you are on regarding his family's reign. The majority of Endland is traditional in basic terms, although there is a growing movement calling for change in the realm. 

"Niall's lineage has always been a certain type of royalty. They have always had this hands in the business side of Endland, yet have stayed out of the spotlight with little to no new policies. Every person leading up to him, essentially, has been generally approved of my the realm because they have been so low-maintenance. 

"These new movement members are not exactly happy with them, however, because there has been no new legislation in a few years. The say they need to update some laws that are out of date. So Niall's acceptance to the new position is providing hope for all areas. He is a member of the traditional history yet he is young and ambitious. People are excited."

Liam's knowledge about the topic seemed pretty extensive. I was getting tired of hearing his name, yet I was the one who asked. 

"What would have happened if he had not accepted the position?" I asked, generously curious.

"Well, with his family, they very well could have disowned him. They are a heavy family, so to speak. If he were to deny his position, the laws require the new lineage be put up to a vote. There are several other families tangled in these politics." Liam replied.

"Is there any way to remove the line even if Niall accepts?" I asked. 

"Yeah, but it is becoming increasingly harder to do. Niall will have to do something the entire lower level of government disapproves of. Then they can remove his family. Not before that, though."

I nodded and finished my wine glass. 

I couldn't help but feel the pain from all that Niall had caused me. I was told he was falling in love with me. And then he abandoned me just as easily as he appeared when I first began taking my pills. He looked and felt like a stranger, but it would be impossible to forget his impact. I could have been falling in love with him too, yet now I would never know. 

He left me. I was teeming with anger. I felt the build up of a headache and knew what was coming. 

"Liam, just so you know, I am a demon. I have trouble controlling my emotions, and I don't want to scare you off." I said as I felt my eyes fog over and turn black. Surprisingly, I was handling this energy very well. Liam almost chuckled.

"I have dealt with Niall for years, no need to worry. I understand how this works." He grabbed my hand across the table. I wish I could ask him for help. I wish I knew more about the condition I put myself in. 

My anger was based around Niall. Although, I was hoping to hide that from Liam.

"I'm sorry, sometimes wine will do this, but it will blow over soon."

"That's fine, would you like to go walking?" he asked, placing his card in the bill.

"That sounds lovely, may I stop by the bathroom before we go?"

"Yeah! I will wait by the front!"

I nodded and stood, moving towards the sign for restrooms. 

My vision felt as if I was moving extremely fast. It was not overwhelming but it was disabling. I hoped it really would blow over quickly. When I entered the bathroom, I stared alone at myself in the mirror. 

The black eyes were intense. The monster, so to speak, felt different. 

I looked scary. I remembered a time when my old self would have been terrified of who I have become. But I am not the same girl I once was. 

The black eyes felt empowering. I was dangerous to people. I had powers I did not before, and this monster was not nearly as painful as Niall had made it out to be. 

I smiled at my reflection in the mirror, and was greeted back by a strong, beautiful woman. 

I liked her. The monster smiled back at me.