Darkness Falls, Light Rises #Wattys2015

Ch.8

Ch.8
Stepping into his office, I have to admit, was nerve wrecking. Usually I would be the one doing the summoning, but this time, it was all backwards.

"Leave us, Anya." He ordered, not even looking up.

Quickly Anya nodded, shutting the door behind her. I wanted to tell her not to leave and that I found her presence quite delightful, but that would've been a sign of weakness, which I didn't have.

"You have balls. But I guess I should've deduced that when you slapped me mother."

"First off, girls don't have balls, in case you didn't go to school and you're just a blubbering fool of a kind and secondly, your disastrous mother was asking for it." I snapped, my temper flaring. Just being around him made my skin crawl.
Sighing, he rested his head on his desk taking a few deep breaths. When he finally composed himself, he looked up, his face completely devoid of emotion towards me. "Tell me, why are you so empty? It's like you have no soul."

"Truthfully, I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't. I have heard that many times." I replied, sitting down in the plush seat across from him. "But what makes you so keen on killing Riders. What did they ever do to you?"

Mason scoffed, slamming his hand on his desk. "That's none of your concern." His voice cracking.

Leaning forward, I was intrigued my the wild look in his eyes. The way his hands trembled as he glared at the mahogany.

"What makes you so full of rage that you want to wipe out all Riders? What makes you so confident?" I pressed, anxious to get any information out of him while he was vulnerable.

"Don't test me, love. I may be Sedentian, but it doesn't mean I don't get angry." He snarled, turning his back to me.

Squinting at him through the dark, I could see his entire figure shaking.
"Are you alright?" I asked, genuinely concerned about his mental health.
Getting up, I rushed over to, recognizing the symptoms as a panic attack. Grabbing his hands, I tighten my grip and pull him out of the chair and onto my lap.

"It's fine, it's just a panic attack. It'll pass, you just have to breathe." I whispered, sweeping a piece of his hair back from his eyes.

"I-I think," he shut his eyes, biting his lip. "I think hyperventilating is the problem."

Chuckling, I shook my head. "I meant steady breaths. It helps calm you down."

Looking down at him, I smiled. His eyes were still closed and I knew that my stupid oxytocin was pushing me to kiss him and yet the better half of me knew it wouldn't work out.

Despite the smart side's attempts to stop me, I leaned forward, my lips millimeters from his.

Suddenly his eyes flew open, the blue piercing me.

"We can't." He whispered, his eyes locked with my own.

Gulping down the lump in my throat, I backed away, averting my eyes.

"Brandy, it's not what-" He began before I stopped him.

"Mason, I don't want to hear why you don't want me. I shouldn't want you either, so you're helping me. You reminded me how different we are." Clearing my throat, I got up, straightening out my dress. "It won't happen again."

***

I had been standing for approximately twelve hours in some godforsaken heels. They weren't too high, but the pinching was practically unbearable. Plus I had been watching Mason pass mundane laws that made life such a bore. No playing in the streets in the afternoon? It didn't even make any sense. As I child I lived to explore our estate by the sea until dawn. It wasn't like my parents would miss me, they were too busy with each other than their own children. It was what kindled my anger. Especially when that piece of shit of a mother always shouted at us about how useless we were and how she wished we were dead. I had done what any other child would've done, I broke her nose. But it didn't mean that it didn't hurt that person who was made to love you unconditionally was only kind to you when it most suited them. So, I was violent when I needed to be.

"Brandy would be a perfect candidate." Mason said, snapping me out of my haze.

"Perfect candidate for what exactly?"
The man next him, which I deduced to be a general, sighed and shook his head, obviously disagreeing.

"My best personal guard is retiring to live with his wife until she dies. She has a terminal illness that we cannot use magic to cure." Mason explained, waving his hand as if it wasn't important. "I would like for you to be my guard instead of servant. You would follow me around and protect me."

"Your Majesty, it's a Rider. They can't be trusted with money and you want to trust it with your own life?" The general whispered, glaring at me openly. "It's soul must be as dark as midnight."

"I'm not an it." I snarled, making small fists. I hated being spoken down to.

"Darkness clouds the mind and with the amount of darkness you hold, it's not your fault that you can't see what a monster you are."

"You do not get to insult me. I am a trustworthy magician despite the side I am on. You light folk are supposed to be kind and accepting but all I see are fucking brats that don't like anything different from them."

"Enough!" Mason growled, truly surprising me. "I have already decided, General Patel; Brandy will be my guard."