“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask him.
“Nothing, Fira,” he mutters lowly, while laughing he shakes his head.
“You know, if you were that hungry you could have told me, and I would have brought you something to eat sooner.”
“Are you judging me right now? I didn’t realize I was that hungry until I smelled the bacon so fuck off,” I retort, giving him a cute little smirk.
“Oh, shit I forgot… Is there anyways you can bring Darkness in on this conversation? I have something important to tell the two of you.” I’m nervous yet excited to tell them the good news. Not knowing what the other part of me was...well, it ate at me, and finding out that I’m part huntress calmed me. I don’t want to be different, or an oddball. I’ve been that way my entire life and living in the unknown would have made me feel even more lost than I have ever felt before.
I watch as half of Jett turns into Darkness. Half of him is the body of the strong, determined human man and the other half is nothing but the grim and dangerous demon. Both of whom I have come to adore more than my words can express.
“I figured out what I am. We all knew about the demon, but now I know more.” I don’t even give either of them a chance to speak, I just keep going. “My other half is a huntress of the Vale. From what Sapphire told me these women used to hunt the evil in this world, and she told me that they even hunted demons. Not all of them, but the ones who were bad. She also told me that a woman of the Vale would never bed a being that they hunted. So here I am, left with so many unanswered questions about my family. How does it make sense? It doesn’t, right?”
It doesn’t, at least it doesn’t to me. Sapphire told me that they don’t sleep with the beings that they hunt, and from what I understand—huntresses go after Demons. Maybe not all of them, but they still hunt them. Good lord, I’m already confused.
“What do you mean your other half is Vale?” Darkness pipes up. Confusion and anger are written all over his face. Just as I’m about to respond back his expression changes and his eyes expand. He takes his hand over the horn protruding from his half of their body and begins to speak.
“A long time ago the demons of Xeha went to war with the Vale. Thousands of us were killed in battle because the Vale had weapons that could kill a demon with one scrape. These weapons could penetrate the thick skin that covers our body, but it didn’t matter whether it went through our flesh or gave opened our skin as small as a papercut would. One slice and we were done for. At the time the demons were thought to be indestructible. I’ll admit, we let that get to our heads a little bit. No one was able to kill us, that is, not until the Vale found a way. We’d barely made it out, a few of us were commanded to return to our posts but before we were able to leave my commander came across a woman who was so badly wounded. There was no doubt in our minds that she was on the verge of death. I remember watching as he threw her over his shoulder and dragged her through the portal to Xeha. I can remember being stationed outside the dungeon cell she was held in. It took her weeks to heal and when she was well enough the commander would go in and torture her for hours and hours, trying to get information out of her about the Vale. He wanted to know everything. Their whereabouts, how they found the weapons to destroy demons. I don’t know how it happened but after months of constant visits from the commander she finally broke. She told him where the women of the Vale were, and our army went in and killed every single one of them without a second thought.” Darkness gets quiet before he looks at me, staring me deeply in my eyes.
“You were one who marched to slaughter them, weren’t you?” I ask, and yet I already know the answer. He doesn’t even have to reply. His expression filled with guilt is answer enough.
“Yes. They were my enemy, and I was theirs. In those days all that mattered was survival. The women of the Vale wanted to kill us all. They wanted to kill me...it didn’t matter who the demon was. We were all deemed evil, Haven. The thing is, not all of us are. There are always a few good amongst the bad, just like there is a few bad amongst the good.”
I nod, completely understanding where it is that Darkness is coming from. He isn’t wrong, and out of anyone, I really understand what he is saying. I’ve experienced so much throughout my short life, but the one thing I do understand more than others is that people are not always what they seem.
“So, how am I half demon and half huntress if it was unheard of for them to be with one another?”
Darkness makes a grumbled noise as a response, and all I can do is stare.
“What is it?” I ask, knowing that there is something he isn’t telling me.
“I may know who your parents are.”
Chapter 22
Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens. -Anonymous
Darkness
It’s not that I may know, it’s that I do that bothers me so much. It eats me alive. That’s funny, isn’t it? I’m a fucking demon and knowing who her father and mother is literally burns my insides alive.
Ragnor was many things to me. Once upon a time he was my greatest friend and ally. He is the commander of Veirks’ army, the King of Xeha. Their relationship had always interested me. Ragnor is the epitome of pure evil, my name may be called Darkness, but I am light compared to him. Now Veirks on the other hand, he might be the ruler of Xeha, our deemed King…but he is nothing like most of us who had resided there. He is kind, calculating and maintained order for as long as he could. I can’t help but wonder what madness is going on with demons pouring through the portals.
I know too much than I care to admit. Now, in this moment I wish that Haven had told us anything else. I don’t wish to share what I know about her father, or the horrible things that he had done to her mother, because I was there to witness all of it. Haven is no stupid little girl, so I assume she must be catching on...I hope that she is, because it means I won’t have to dive into too many details.
The moment Ragnor brought that poor woman into Xeha, I knew shit was going to go south. I knew that he would take it much further than just capturing one of our enemy. It would get personal, it would get ugly - and it became much worse than that. He would beat her into an inch of her life on the daily, reveling in the screams that would pour from her mouth. Until one day she didn’t scream anymore. I didn’t hear her scream again until I saw a child being taken from that dungeon, a newborn. She had lost hope in every sense of the word, until her daughter was born. The second she was born, Ragnor had ripped the child from her mother’s arms. That child was Haven, and my gringhan has no idea of the part that I had played.
He wanted to keep the girl. I didn’t care to know why, I knew enough about how twisted he had become that I knew I would never allow that to happen. I went straight to our King, to Veirks and told him of what I knew. That Ragnor had taken things too far with the huntress, that there was a child and we needed to handle the situation. So, I did as he told me.
I took care of it.
Veirks had opened a portal for me to Earth, and I had laid her at an orphanage. It was the safest place for me to place the child, that is what I told myself. Something had felt so wrong in leaving her there, and now, as I stare at the very child I laid on those steps…I can’t help but wonder if I knew she was my gringhan all those years ago. She hasn’t told me of all the pain she has been through, but I can feel it. I can sense it all, and it was my one job to protect her. I failed her at that.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? You can’t just say that to me and then decide to shut your damn yapper!” she snaps, staring deep into my eyes, searching for the answers that I know she so desperately wants.
“Your father is a monster. Your mother is a good woman or was. I don’t know what happened to her. Veirks...I don’t know what he did with her.” I admit, wishing that I knew more. I’d give anything to be able to tell her something, to tell her whether her mother is dead or alive.
Fuck. I should have never answered Veirks’ call, but he was my King and when he needed
me I would always be there. Jett doesn’t even know I had left. I have blocked the memories, so he would have no idea, and it will forever stay that way. I know much more about Soraya then Jett does, and I don’t know if that will ever change.
Soraya is the princess to Xeha, her father is Veirks. They have been fighting for centuries, but a little over fifty years ago it had become catastrophic. Truth be told, when he had called me back to Xeha twenty something years ago, I almost didn’t go but I am so glad that I did. I was there before the war, I watched as all the huntresses were murdered and then as he toyed with the last remaining—he tortured, beat and raped her until Haven was born. Jett had lost almost two years of his life, and I had been a diligent soldier. It was my duty to serve my king, something that I knew Jett would always understand. He feels the same about Ecbert.
I didn’t go back after I put Haven on those fucking doorsteps. I couldn’t and seeing as Veirks didn’t open a portal for me, well, I figured that meant I’d done my job. I made it look like it was just another day for Jett when I let him take control over his body again. Truthfully, I wanted to rest after being in control for so long. I needed to. I also needed to do anything I could to forget about that child, only now I realize she has always been much more than a child to me.
I can’t tell her all of this, not yet. Maybe not ever.
***
Haven
He vanished out of the room in less than a minute. It doesn’t matter, though. We’ve got somewhere to be anyways. Honestly, I’m not too nervous about whatever we encounter today. I’m sure you’re probably thinking I’m nuts right now, and you wouldn’t be wrong. I’m batshit insane, but that’s never stopped me from doing what I’ve wanted in the past and it won’t stop me now either.
We have one objective: to close the portals leading to Xeha. I can’t just sit back and deny that I’m not curious to know more about this place, especially considering it’s my home, that it’s part of me. So many other paranormals grow up differently, knowing exactly what they are, where they’re from and who they will be. I knew none of this, so maybe this trip to Xeha has turned into more than just saving everyone on the planet. Maybe, just maybe I have selfish reasons for going now too.
I go to grab my crossbow and exit the castle, heading straight into the center of town, hugging my coat firmly against my skin. There’s no way that it could keep me warm, it was more for show. It didn’t help that it was three sizes too big for me, either. I take in a deep breath, staring out into the open. Watching as people find comfort in the safety of Norvka. It’s almost as if they have forgotten all about the madness outside of this place, or of the hundreds...or maybe even thousands that are suffering. I shake my head as the thoughts eat at me.
It was just yesterday that I found out what the Vale was, and about what being a huntress means. I know that I don’t truly understand it, but what I do understand is the jist of it. Although, you must admit, it is kind of funny.
I’m half demon; half of me is the exact creature I am destined to destroy. The two parts of me that make me whole will forever be at war with one another. I can’t express the joy I felt in killing them, in knowing that I was helping people. I want to do it again. In fact, I may crave it. But is it surprising? It is in my blood after all. Being a huntress is part of who I am, and I don’t know what will happen after we close the portals, but I doubt all these demons will return to Xeha. I don’t care so much about the good, but who I do care about are the bad. I care about the ones who only want to bring destruction and agony here. I won’t fucking stand for it, so instead of returning to Xeha they will end up incinerated. Maybe I’m thinking too far ahead, but I just can’t help it. Finally, for the first time in my life...I know who I am, or maybe I’m just starting to understand myself.
For once, I just want to be who I’m destined to be, and my awakening has given me the ability to do that.
I guess I must just be the best of both worlds, a demon and a huntress. Now that I think about it, that’ll keep Jett and Darkness very happy.
Chapter 23
The first casualty of war is innocence.
-Anonymous
Darkness
“Where’s your gringhan?” I hear Mist ask from behind me. I turn towards her, seeing her straight hair fan out over her shoulders, down her back until right above her ass. She’s the smallest little thing, with the biggest rack I’ve ever seen. Tell me how that shit happens. I can’t help but wonder if it’s a water nymph thing, all of them have huge tits.
“Stop thinking about my boobs. It’s rude,” she grumbles sassily, as she shakes her finger at me. Shit, I forgot she can read minds.
“Since you’re the mind reader, shouldn’t you know where Haven is?”
“Have you ever thought I don’t want to be mixed up in that mind of yours? The things you’ve seen would only give me nightmares,” Mist cackles at me before rolling her eyes.
I nod, agreeing with her.
Both she and I walk side by side along the wide corridors of the castle as we head in the direction of the main entrance. “She’s probably outside.”
“Yes, her fierce spirit is ready to get on with this day. She is a good match for you my friend. I think she will give you a run for your money,” Mist tells me, pressing a hand to my shoulder and giving me a squeeze.
I can’t comment to Mist’s words, all I can do is remain quiet, yet I agree with her.
“Have you changed your mind on coming with her and I?”
“Oh, no! I’m not about to turn into a puddle down there. No way, no how,” she laughs alongside me as we approach the castle doors, I push the thick wood forward as we continue our trek. The cool air hits us, and immediately I am wondering if Haven is wearing a coat. I’ll beat her ass until it’s red if she isn’t.
Silence surrounds us for the few minutes it takes to get into the center of town. Like always, I know when Mist is holding something back. I’ve never been able to pinpoint it exactly, she is the mind reader after all. I suppose it’s just intuition.
“What is it?” I grumble, looking at her from the corner of my eyes.
“You shouldn’t worry so much about her you know. She’s anything but weak, the girl knows how to handle herself and you just need to give her enough breathing room to do it. If you suffocate her...things will not end well for any of you.”
I stop dead in my tracks, and truly take a moment to assess Mist. I fucking hate that she can read minds, but for the part of her that has the abilities of a seer; I loathe it. I don’t want to know about my future, or what will come my way, yet here she rambles on in riddles, expecting me to know exactly what it is she’s saying. “Spit it out. I want to know what you mean.”
“You always do, but you know I can’t just tell you. I’m giving you a warning, and it’s up to you on whether to listen to me. Just...give her breathing room. You all will need it, especially them.”
“Stop talking in riddles and tell me what you mean.”
“I can’t do that. You already know what I’m talking about. You keep thinking about it enough, you think your big head would understand what I’m saying. It’s no matter, you’ll figure it out soon enough. You did bring the Chains of Grim with you, right?”
I would never forget such an important thing. The Chains of Grim is going to be the only thing that will keep her bound to me when we are within Xeha. Eons ago, we would use these chains for prisoners in Xeha. They were pointless, though. All they did was confine a prisoner to a guard, and they found out ways to alter the chains in ways that would benefit them. I don’t see Haven making the same stupid decisions, she knows how important it is for her to stay bound to me. If she becomes untethered, I could lose her forever and I’ll be damned if that happens.
Both Mist and I approach the town center, where I see Haven staring off across the landscape. We haven’t hit dawn yet, but I am sure she is waiting to see the sun rise. Quickly I gather the chains and wrap my arms around her, she jolts as I secure it aro
und her waist and legs, making sure that there is no way she could slip from my grasp.
“I thought you were kidding about this” She hisses, shaking at the chains binding her to me. I take the other end and secure it on my belt, locking it exactly into position.
“You should know I don’t joke.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot Jett is the one with the funny bone!” Haven smacks her knee and smiles at me. I can’t help but let a smirk cover my lips, that smart ass attitude of her always entertains me. Well, that and it gets her in trouble. Which I plan on rectifying in the bedroom.
I look around, surveying the area and take note on how not a single soul is here from the high order except Mist and myself. This is much like her though, she would never be able to live with herself if she didn’t see me off. Haven or I for that matter. We all know the seriousness of going back to Xeha. If things don’t go according to plan, both Haven and I could be trapped there for an eternity. I would say that I’m hopeful we won’t; but I am not a man who has much hope. What is destined to happen will, and Mist has taught me that over the years. I can only try to get our asses out of Xeha as soon as possible. We just need to get there first.
Chapter 24
Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt. - Sun Tzu
Haven
Darkness and I had left the second he chained me up like his little pet. I knew that he didn’t view me that way, but I felt like it. In my mind, being on a leash means you are below someone. But I need to look at it differently, like I’m precious to him and not this little minion. I think we all know the last thing I would ever be is a minion. I can’t hide that it’s difficult for me to accept I am precious to him, well...to both of them.
Darkness yanked out two vials of an orange liquid from his pants pockets, he handed me one and downed the other himself. I simply followed suit, but before I had finished my vial he had grabbed onto my hand and the next thing I knew we were somewhere else. Bye-Bye Norvka, hello, wherever we are.