Darkness Fades

  "Sylas, run," I order as I stick my hand out to protect him.

  He doesn't budge and I'm about to shove him back when the vampires suddenly lower their heads and cower back. One braver one comes running up towards us, but then it veers quickly to the right and takes off with the others.

  I give Sylas a puzzled look from over my shoulder and he shrugs.

  "They probably caught your scent," he says, yet he doesn't sound completely convinced. We've been attacked before together. My scent doesn't always repel them so easily.

  Still, I nod and then we start running again down the path and over the hill to the outskirts of where the vampires have migrated. It's like we're herding them away, forcing them to run.

  Every once in a while, one will turn back towards Sylas like it's about to attack him, but then quickly darts forward like it's afraid. They head out to the flat land and finally they're a safe distance away.

  I stop and so does Sylas, watching them cry in the distance. He looks at me funny and then we continue to walk. "Maybe my scent isn't normal," he says with a confused look on his face. "Well, normal for me."

  "What do you mean?" I ask as I hop from a large rock to a smaller one.

  He matches my move breezily. "Well, think about it. I had changed into an abomination. The vampires are afraid of them. Maybe I still have the same smell as when I was changed."

  "You could be right, but if that's the case, I wonder if it will be permanent."

  "Maybe. I wonder if there's a cure for that."

  "Do you want there to be a cure for that?" I ask. "It's kind of convenient."

  He wavers. "Yeah, I guess, but still... those things smell disgusting." He sniffs himself and pulls a puzzled face. "I honestly can't smell anything, except dirt."

  I lean over and sniff his chest. "You smell fine to me."

  He bites his bottom lip as I lean away. I can tell that he wants to do something to me; maybe kiss me like he did back when he was changing. I take off before he can do so, knowing I could easily get caught up in his kisses. He jogs after me, smiling to himself.

  We maintain a rapid pace and make it back to the cave before daylight. Sylas insists that he can make the rest of the journey in the daylight and that he'll keep his jacket on to protect himself. I argue for a moment then I hear Monarch's words echoing in my head once more.

  There are other things more important than Sylas and Aiden. You need to realize that you can't save everyone. Not if you are going to save the world.

  His words haunt me. I shake my head to try and clear it, but it doesn't work and I hear them again.

  There are other things more important than Sylas and Aiden. You need to realize that you can't save everyone. Not if you are going to save the world.

  "You're right, we should keep going," I tell him, not liking myself that much at the moment.

  His lips curve to a pleased grin. "I think you are finally starting to understand what you need to do."

  "Maybe." Or maybe Monarch's just stuck in my head.

  Sylas draws his hood over his head and tucks his hands up into his sleeves. We start moving again as the sunlight casts against our backs. Sylas slows down a little, but not enough that it makes me feel like I'm lagging. Finally, after racing around rocks, going uphill and downhill, we arrive at the colony.

  There are two guards posted on top of the wall created from scraps of car. It's the same two that were there when Aiden and I left. They stand up on the wall, pointing their knives at us as we approach.

  "Stop where you are, both of you," the guard closest to us threatens, raising his knife in a threatening manner.

  Sylas and I both stop at the bottom of the wall and stare up at them. The one guard hops down in front of us, landing with a grunt, then holds his weapon out as he circles around us.

  He walks up to me, eyes roving my long, black hair and short height. "I remember you. You're that Kayla creature that left here not too long ago." He eyes me over again as Sylas's jaw tightens and he inches closer to me protectively. "Mathew told us that we're supposed to let you back in when you return."

  His scrutinizing gaze diverts to Sylas. He aims the tip of the knife at his chest. I'm worried Sylas will retaliate, however he tips his head down away from the sun.

  "But you're not the same guy who was here before," the guard says suspiciously. He pauses. "He can wait here. We don't know what he is or what he wants." He shoves the weapon into Sylas's chest and the blade glazes through the fabric of my jacket he has on.

  Before I can blink, Sylas smashes his elbow into the guard's face then, without missing a beat, he thrusts his knee into his wrist, steals the knife and flips it around so it's aimed at the bewildered guard's face.

  The guard on the top of the barricade lets out a scream and then I hear the sound of a ringing bell. I'm not even sure where the hell it's coming from, but I do hear a rustle of commotion from the other side of the barricade. Sylas continues to stand, pointing the weapon at the guard's throat who doesn't dare move. The other guard jumps down and points his knife at Sylas.

  I'm deciding whether to knock Sylas out or the guards--which way would make things easier--when Mathew arrives at the top of the wall. He peers down at us with his pale eyes, taking in the situation, then turns and very unsteadily climbs down. The guard with the weapon aimed at Sylas says something to him in a low tone when he approaches us.

  Mathew shakes his head and shoves away the knife the guard's holding then smiles at me. "I'm glad you made it back and that you brought Sylas with you."

  Sylas is startled, but he still keeps his head down because he has to. "How do you know my name?"

  He ignores Sylas's question, eying the knife in Sylas's hand still pointed at the guard. "Let me apologize for the way the guards treated you. Sometimes they get a little too protective of our colony, but then again, I can't blame them."

  Sylas hesitates, his muscles stiff, then finally he turns the weapon back around and hands it to the guard with an irritated look on his face.

  "I'll let it go this time," Sylas says in a low tone. Even though I can't see his eyes from below his hood, the warning in his tone causes even me to shiver. "But next time I won't."

  The guard takes the weapon, glaring at him, yet he doesn't say a word. He quickly climbs back up the wall and the other guard follows.

  Mathew motions for us to follow him and we all climb up the wall and down the other side. As we move, I notice that Mathew looks different then when I saw him just a couple of days ago. His eyes and skin seems to be much more pallid and he really struggles to get up that wall. I wonder if he is starting to change faster now.

  Mathew picks up his walking stick and then we head down a dirt path towards a building. "Did you find the papers, Kayla?" He looks at me inquisitively, waiting for my response.

  I pat Sylas's pocket. "They're right here," I tell him.

  Relief floods across his face as his legs shake in the attempt to bear his weight. "Good. Let's hurry inside my lab and see if I can make sense out of them."

  The word lab sends a red flag up in my head and apparently in Sylas, too, because he slams to a stop, grabbing my arm and pulling me back.

  "Wait just a minute... you knew my name..." He trails off, muttering under his breath. "Yet you can't really see my face beneath the hood."

  "Because I could tell who it was," a familiar voice rises behind us, causing Sylas and I to spin around.

  My jaw drops at the sight of Aiden standing behind us with his hood pulled down and a dark smile on his face. "Glad to see you're back to your old self, brother."

  Aiden stares at us as we remain silent, looking back and forth between the two of us like he's waiting for us to say something. We don't because we don't know what to say; what's going on? Why is he here? Does he remember telling Monarch about the papers? Or maybe he doesn't even understand any of this?

  "Aren't you glad to see me?" he asks.

  I manage a fake smile, deciding that I'll play along u
ntil I figure out what's going on. "Of course I am, but... what happened to you? Sylas and I tried to find you after we were separated."

  "I managed to escape the abominations," he says. "I went back to the cave and waited, but when you didn't show up, I decided that maybe I missed you and you'd come back here." He gestures at the town that surrounds us. "So I came back, too."

  I'm not buying it at all, though at the same time, maybe that's what he thinks really happened. Especially after what I heard Monarch say to Gabrielle in the street about him telling the truth against his own free will.

  Aiden assesses Sylas with his brows dipped together. "I thought you changed into an abomination?"

  "Apparently, their bite doesn't change Day Takers like we thought," Sylas lies. I'm glad he does. "All that happened was that I got sick... Kayla found me hidden inside one of the buildings."

  He looks skeptical as sunlight bathes over him, reminding me what he is. "Well, it's good to know that you're both safe... and alive."

  He's not lying, which isn't what I expected.

  Mathew clears his throat behind us. "I don't mean to break up this little reunion, but I really need to get to work on the cure if we want to have any hope of deciphering it."

  He doesn't wait for an answer from any of us; he simply turns and walks across the path towards a two-story brick building that has two more guards by the door.

  Sighing, Sylas and I follow him while Aiden stays behind us, making me uneasy and on high alert. I'm not sure what's going on; if he's good, bad--what the hell he is at the moment, since he's always all over the place.

  The guards look at us from the corners of their eyes as we walk by, but do not bother us. Mathew leads us inside of the building where we walk down a narrow hallway and into a room at the end, a few guards following at our heels. Everything inside the room is white, and there are glass shelves with bottles of some liquid on them. It reminds me of the room Monarch worked in; the one where I received all of my injections. I tense when I realize this.

  There's a table in the center of the room, shiny and made of metal, which Mathew walks over to. "Can I see the papers?"

  I glance at Sylas, wondering what we should do. He wavers, looking at Aiden and then at Mathew, knowing we don't have much time. I can tell Aiden and this room is making him nervous. Still, he takes the papers out of his pocket and puts them down on the table.

  Mathew picks up the stack of papers and thumbs through them. He shakes his head as he begins to place them into separate stacks. As he continues to place the papers into various piles, Aiden looks around the room, seeming bored, while Sylas watches Aiden with a look that says if he makes one move, Sylas will hurt Aiden badly. The problem is, I'm not so sure Sylas is stronger than Aiden anymore.

  "There, that should do it," Mathew says. He quickly picks up the stack of papers and starts reading them over. "I'm going to need a bit of time to go through them." He has an intense look on his face as he reads whatever's on them. "You might want to go check on Maci, too, Kayla. She was asking for you." He sets one of the pieces of papers down. "She's in the next building over."

  I'm hesitant, yet I head to exit the room, knowing I should go check up on Maci and Greyson. Aiden and Sylas both continue to hover near Mathew, each refusing to leave, then at the same time, they both turn towards me. Sylas follows me out, however Aiden continues to hang back, his eyes focused on the papers that are spread out upon the table. Even though I'm hesitant to leave Mathew with the papers, I'd feel better if Aiden wasn't around him.

  "Aiden, are you coming with us?" I ask in the fakest polite tone I can muster up because there's no way I'm leaving him here with Mathew.

  Aiden glances over at me, eyes cold, but walks after us. Suddenly, I can breathe freer.

  That is, until he stops and says, "I'm just going to wait here until Mathew is done... I'm not sure if we can trust him anymore."

  "Or is it because you want the papers?" I ask. "After all that stuff you were saying back at Cell 7, I'm not so sure I can trust you."

  "You can trust me," he says. I can't tell if he's lying or not. "But I have to say that I'm sort of hurt that you don't seem happy that I made it back here okay."

  "I am," I lie. "How did you make it back, though? How did you escape the abominations so easily?" I want to say something that will allow me to see if he's lying, whether he's really bad or if deep down he's still good, yet under the control of Monarch.

  Aiden gives me a dry smile, like he can see right through my bullshit. "I ran." He's telling the truth.

  "And you didn't run into any problems along the way?" I ask.

  He shakes his head, seeming confused. "No... well, other than those abominations. It was a pain in the ass to escape them."

  I shake my head, frustrated, because everything he's saying is true. I move to head to the door, but Sylas doesn't follow, so I stop and turn back around.

  He keeps his eyes on Aiden. "You know what; I think I'll keep my brother company."

  Aiden shrugs. "Okay, if you want to."

  Sylas casts a glance at me then slides down onto the hallway floor, leaning back against the brick wall, giving me a look that lets me know he'll keep an eye on things before returning his attention to his brother. "I haven't seen you since I was captured. We have a lot of catching up to do, don't you think?"

  Aiden nods and then sits down across from him. I reluctantly leave them and hurry out the exit door at the end, wanting to check up on things quickly so I can get back, wanting to be near the papers so I'll know they're okay. Two guards standing there with knives in their hands watch me as I hurry past them and out onto the path. I pause as I stare at the few buildings in the area; I can't tell which one Maci's supposed to be in.

  I glance back at the guards. "Can you tell me where Maci and Greyson are by chance?"

  The guards gape at me blankly. "What are you talking about?" The taller, more slender one with brown hair says.

  "The little girl that came here with me... she fell off a cliff and was hurt," I say, unsure if they know what I'm talking about.

  A flash of recognition crosses the slender one's face. "Is that what happened to her?" he sneers. "Or was it something you Day Takers did to her?"

  I'm not in the mood for this shit anymore. I take a slow, measured step closer to him with my arms to my sides, my shoulders square. He cowers back against the wall--they both do. "If you know what a Day Taker is, then you know what I can do," I say in a firm tone. "So shut up and point the way to where I can find Maci and Greyson."

  His finger shakes as he points it to a small stucco building across the path, nestled beside another building and some trees. I turn away and make my way over to the building, resisting the urge to go back and punch him in the face. I can't help noticing the people I pass by. Most of them are either staring at me or whispering to each other, feelings of hate and fear radiating from them as they quickly jump out of my way, clearing a path for me. I can't help wondering why I'm trying to save people. They despise and fear anything that is different from them. Then I remember the words Aiden said to me earlier.

  If everyone's the same, then how can someone be considered perfect when there's no imperfection to compare them to?

  What am I doing thinking that way? I shake the thoughts out of my head and walk to the stucco building the guards pointed to, people clearing out of my way until I have open land in front of me. When I reach the door, I can hear voices giggling from inside, which makes me feel just a little bit better.

  I open the door and walk inside, immediately startled. Maci is sitting inside with about a dozen other children while, at the front of the small room, is a young woman with blondish hair streaked with blue that matches her pants. She has black boots on and a white button-up shirt. She's telling some kind of story to the children about something called ponies and a lot of rainbows.

  The room is actually pretty colorful; the walls this alarming shade of green and covered with pieces of paper that have draw
ings on them.

  The children are all smiling at her as they listen to the story, and in the middle of the crowd, is a red headed girl. Maci. She looks like she's enjoying herself. When she turns in my direction, she jumps up from her seat, smiling.

  "You're here!" she exclaims, running over and wrapping her arms around me. The rest of the children follow her, looking equally as happy. I'm shocked when they circle around me, joining in the hug Maci offers me.

  I'm instantly reminded why I need to save the world again.

  Chapter 19

  The young woman in the room tells the children that they need to sit back down. I look up at her, expecting to see her eyes filled with hate like the rest of the people in the colony, so I'm surprised when she smiles at me with kindness in her eyes.

  Maci grabs my hand and pulls me towards the door. "Come on, Kayla. We need to talk."

  She leads me outside the door and around to the back of the building. There's an alleyway that is surrounded by walls and the only way out is the way we came in. Then Maci lets go of my hand and starts humming as she skips around in a circle.

  "Why did you bring me out here?" I ask her as I look around the empty alley.

  "Because I am supposed to." She shrugs as she kicks at some pebbles on the ground.

  As usual, I'm confused at what she's talking about. "Can you tell me why you're supposed to?"

  "Not yet," she says. "But soon."

  I sigh. I wish she could just tell us what we're supposed to do instead of letting us know she knows. Things would be so much simpler. "What were you doing back in that building?"

  She stops skipping and her eyes light up with excitement. "That was a school. They teach the children how to read there."

  "They teach people to read here?" I ask, stunned.

  She nods her head with enthusiasm. "They teach lots of things Kayla. It's different from our colony where the Highers are always controlling things and hiding things."

  "I don't doubt that," I tell her. "Since they don't have Highers here."

  The sound of yelling suddenly interrupts us. I wonder if this is why Maci brought me back here, to hear something. The yelling is coming from around the corner, in front of the building. I start to take off to see what the commotion is about, but Maci grabs my arm and draws me back.