Darkness Fades

"Hi, Kayla." She acts as if she's innocent and hasn't done anything wrong.

  Anger fires through me and I hop off the cot and storm towards her, ready to beat the shit out of her. "Don't 'hi, Kayla' me."

  She pulls out a long knife and aims it out in front of her. "Relax and let me explain."

  I stop a few feet in front of her, eyeing the knife in her hand, knowing I could stop her from stabbing me if I really wanted to. "Explain what? How you lied to us; tricked us into believing you, only to lock us up?"

  She keeps her knife pointed out and steps back, putting space between us. "That's not how it is. This was only a precaution to make sure that there's no chance that any of you will attack our people."

  I can feel the truth radiating from her, but I'm still skeptical. Plus, I'm still not over the fact that she stabbed me with a needle. "If that's true, then why did I see a Higher with you earlier?"

  Her brows dip. "A Higher? I'm not sure what you mean. There are no Highers here."

  Anger consumes me. I ball my hands into fists. "I saw him before I was injected and knocked unconscious."

  She shakes her head and opens her mouth, ready to speak, but we're interrupted when the door creaks open and a man walks in. His hair is white like the outer part of ash, he has creases in his skin and his clothes looks old. He carries a stick that he leans on, as he hobbles as if it's hard for him to walk, yet his pale eyes make me wonder if it's all a trick.

  I've lost all my trust, and in a flash, I lunge forward, snatching the knife from Nichelle's hand and quickly skittering around her. Then, I dive for the Higher, grab his arm, and twist it behind him as I move around him, putting the blade to his throat.

  He drops his stick in a panic. "Oh, no."

  "Kayla, no!" Nichelle shouts with her hands out in front of her. "Don't hurt him."

  The Higher tips his head back and looks up at me and I'm surprised by his fearless expression. "Well done, Kayla. Monarch has turned you into exactly what he had hoped for."

  I press the knife closer to his throat, but he still keeps calm. "Then you know that I'm not afraid to use this to finish you off."

  "I'm sure you aren't, but I'm not a Higher," he says evenly. "I'm just an old man that was bitten a long time ago."

  I don't want to believe him, yet my little gift lets me know that he is telling the truth, even though it's confusing the shit out of me--everything is. "What are you then? You have the eyes of a Higher."

  Nichelle inches closer to us, her hands still out in front of her, her movements calculated and cautious. "Kayla, please put the knife down. This is Mathew and he's here to help you."

  Mathew motions his hands at Nichelle, ushering her back. "It is okay, Nichelle. Kayla has a good reason to not trust us. We didn't exactly give her and her friends the best welcome, did we?"

  A trickle of blood runs down his throat from where the blade is pressing. With reluctance, I remove the knife from his neck and back away, letting him go. I have my answer; if he really were a Higher, he would not be bleeding, he would heal. I shove him over next to Nichelle and she catches him in her arms.

  "Both of you better explain where my friends are and what is going on," I demand.

  Nichelle shoots me a glare as she examines Mathew's neck while he fights to get his footing. "Are you okay?" she asks him and he nods.

  Nichelle still checks the wound then pulls out a cloth from her pocket and hands it to him. Mathew takes the cloth as he picks up the stick and puts his weight against it. Then he presses cloth over the wound to stop it from bleeding.

  As I watch them, I can tell that there is a bond between the two of them, almost like Nichelle treats Mathew as if he is her father.

  "You are good at what you do," he says to me. "And I'll explain everything I know. But first, how about I take you to the rest of your friends? I'm sure that they're just as anxious to see you as you are to see them."

  Again, I know he speaks the truth, but for some reason, I feel wary. Still, having no other choice, I nod and follow him out the door with the knife clutched in my hand, not ready to fully trust them just yet.

  Chapter 12

  They take me down a hallway and into a large room, keeping close to me like they think I'm going to run or something. Inside the room sits a wooden table with chairs down both sides of it. There are no windows and the only light comes from the candles placed sporadically about, the flames flickering and dancing.

  Leaning his weight on his stick, Mathew limps to the end of the table and takes a seat. He motions for me to take a seat next to him as he sets the stick down on the ground. "Please, have a seat."

  I waver, looking around at the empty room while hovering near the door. "I thought you said we were going to meet the others?" I still have the knife, holding it out to the side, and Mathew eyes it with interest.

  "You don't have to worry about it, Kayla. It's okay to put the knife away; we aren't going to hurt you." He smiles at me as he crosses his arms on the table. "I've sent for someone to bring your friends here."

  I plaster a fake smile on. "I think I'll simply hold onto it, just in case." I select a spot at the table a ways away from him and pull out a chair, sinking down into it. Nichelle goes to the opposite side of the table and takes a seat right next to Mathew. We wait in silence, eyeing each other down; Mathew trying to look comforting while Nichelle looks annoyed.

  Finally, the door opens and a man enters with Greyson and Aiden to the side of him. They both look confused, looking around, but show no signs of being harmed. Aiden doesn't have his hood on and his hands are out, making me wonder if they came from inside the building or if darkness has arrived

  "Please, have a seat," Mathew says, gesturing at the table.

  Aiden's eyes land on me and he rushes over to sit beside me while Greyson walks to the other side of the table and takes a seat opposite of Mathew.

  "Where's Maci?" I ask Aiden.

  "They patched her up and she's resting in a room," he answers, staring Mathew down with a cold, hard glare. "Who's the old guy?"

  Before I can explain, Mathew clears his throat. "First, I want to apologize to each of you for the way we welcomed you. You need to understand that it was only done to protect the people of this town. We needed to be positive that none of you had been infected by the virus." He pauses and directs his attention at Aiden. "Or that any of you would be a danger to us."

  "If you thought we would be dangerous, why did you bring us here?" I interrupt, putting my arms on the table, reminding them that I still have the knife.

  Mathew's pale eyes glance at the knife then at me. "I didn't expect you to arrive with others. It surprised me. Also, when we saw the wounds and blood on Maci, we needed to make sure she wasn't bitten; that none of you were."

  I place my knife on the table and fold my arms. "I can understand that. We all want to protect those we belong to."

  He nods in agreement. "Exactly." A bead of sweat drips down from his forehead and he wipes it on his sleeve. I remember that Nichelle told me earlier that Mathew had been bitten. I wonder if he is changing, if he is putting his people at risk right now.

  "Nichelle told me you were bitten," I say. "Yet you haven't changed. How is that possible?"

  "That isn't the reason I brought you here," he replies, looking pale and worn out. "When I worked with the doctors at the colony, we were experimenting with our medications on animals. It was difficult to see what kind of results we were getting. So Gabrielle and Monarch began stealing children for our experiments. They rationalized their antics by telling themselves they would only steal children who had been neglected or abused in their homes."

  Aiden's eyes flicker with rage. "That's bull. Sylas and I were never neglected or abused by our parents."

  He gives him a sad look. "I'm not sure how come the two of you were chosen, but after they stole you, they had to slow down on the amount of children that they were stealing. Your parents did a massive search trying to find you. Everyone at the colony worried we'd
all be found and then locked away."

  Aiden jumps up, toppling his chair over. "Stop lying."

  Nichelle instantly jumps up in front of Mathew, putting herself between Aiden and him. "Watch it. I'm not afraid to take you out."

  Aiden laughs sardonically, throwing his head back. "Like you could."

  She glares at him, her voice dropping low with a warning, "Want to find out?"

  Aiden laughs again, but it fizzles out and he lets it go, picking up his chair. "So you knew about everything? You were a part of it?" he asks Mathew. "How can you stand to live with yourself after the torture you put all of us through?" He's shaking from head to toe and I can tell he's about to do something based on his anger.

  I gently place my hand on Aiden's arm. He glances at it as I pull him back down in his chair. "Easy, okay? Let's hear what he has to say."

  Mathew's expression is full of remorse as Nichelle sits back down in her seat. "When I found out how bad things were," he says. "The horrible experiments and torture that were being conducted, I didn't stay. I left the colony and came here. But it was already too late to stop the cycle of what was going on. All I could do was try to prepare myself, and as many others as possible, for what was going to be inevitable."

  "Cedrix told me that the world is this way because of greed," I say. "Can you tell us what happened? How the world became this way; how the vampires came into existence?"

  He looks surprised. "You know Cedrix?" he asks. I nod. "He's one of the few doctors that tried to put an end to the madness before it became worse."

  "I knew him," I tell him. "We all did... but he's not alive anymore."

  Mathew's eyes fill with anguish and he lets out a deep sigh as he looks down at his hands. "I'm sad to say that I'm not surprised. Death is more common than life anymore." He returns his eyes to me and they're watery, something I don't understand. "And he was right when he told you that it was greed that started this. He knew exactly how it all started; we all did because we were all part of it. We are all responsible." He takes a trembling breath. "And the reason the vampires came into existence was all because of one little girl named Kayla."

  My jaw drops. I'm shocked, stunned and a little pissed off, amongst other things. Everyone looks in my direction, waiting for me to say something or hurt them.

  I shake my head, my hands starting to tremble. "You're lying."

  "Kayla, please calm down," Mathew says. "I'm not saying you're responsible. The doctors kept trying different injections on all the children. Usually they would end up dying or worse, turn into something that was half-dead, half-alive. However, when the injected you, it was as if your body became stronger and adapted to each serum they tried. Monarch decided to turn you into a perfect soldier. He didn't allow you to make any connections with children. There was a day in the lab when he thought everything was perfect and he tricked you into biting someone."

  I can remember sinking my teeth into someone very well. "Gabrielle," I say quietly.

  "Yes, and that day started the change," he explains. "Gabrielle immediately knew that he was changing into something; something stronger and more powerful than he had ever imagined. The rest of the doctors became excited and envious; they wanted to experience the same thing. So they injected themselves with the virus. The shot was called the fountain of youth; it would provide eternal life to those who took it. By this time, I'd left the colony, but from what I understand, the virus was marketed to the elite within the next few weeks. These elite groups of people became known as the Highers."

  "But something went wrong with the virus?" Aiden asks, pushing up the sleeves of his jacket.

  Mathew nods, reclining in his chair. "It wasn't too long before the Highers developed a thirst for blood and started feeding off humans. In addition, there was something about the Highers' bite that caused people to forget they'd been bit. But the humans could only endure so many bites before they became infected and turned into what we now call vampires. As you know, their bite is deadly and immediately infects their victim, causing the disease to spread as they turn."

  I remember the Highers feeding off the vampires, and so this doesn't make sense. "But why did I see the Highers feeding on the vampires?"

  "Human blood no longer fulfills them. There's something different with the composition of the vampire blood that allows the Highers to maintain their looks and strength. There's a rumor going around that the Highers are becoming immune to the effects of the vampires' blood and they need to come up with a different solution or their race may end."

  It's all starting to make perfect sense. The bite of Gabrielle. The Highers feeding on the vampires, but why does it feel like something's missing?

  "When I was captured by Monarch and Gabrielle they told me they needed me alive to save their race," I tell him. "Why?"

  "I'm not sure... it would make sense, though, since the vampire's blood is beginning to lose its effectiveness for them." He pauses. "They're probably trying to go back to the original source again. Start over and find another cure." He clasps his hands together in front of him, contemplating something. "Whatever happens, we must make sure they don't capture you again. We can't risk them finding a cure if they are beginning to weaken."

  I note Mathew's pale eyes again. "You never did explain to me why you look like a Higher," I point out with wariness.

  "Before I left the colony, I injected myself with one of the viruses that I believed to be a cure from the bite of a vampire. It had no effect on me until I was bitten a few weeks ago." He spreads his hands out to the side of him. "This is what has happened since then."

  Aiden leans forward in his chair, his leg pushing against mine from under the table. I wonder if he's doing it on purpose or if he even knows he is. "So, you are trying to tell us that you were bitten by a vampire weeks ago and are still alive? Because I find all of this hard to believe."

  Nichelle shoots Aiden a harsh look, her jaw tightening. "It's true. We had some vampires break through our barricades. We lost many of our people." She looks at Mathew with pride. "Mathew tried to defend the town, but was bitten on the leg."

  He returns her grin and she directs her attention back to Aiden, her eyes darkening. "A few weeks have passed and here he stands, not infected at all."

  Mathew looks at her sadly. "I haven't turned yet, but I can feel it coming. It's only a matter of time."

  "What do you mean it's only a matter of time? How can you tell?" Greyson asks curiously. He's been so quiet through all this, I almost forgot her was there.

  Mathew seems uncomfortable with the question and shifts in his chair, moving forward then deciding to lean back again, as though he can't figure out what to do with himself. "I started hallucinating that my skin was falling off. I've actually had to check in the mirror several times to make sure it's not real."

  Aiden raises his eyebrows at me, bumps my knee from under the table and then whispers, "Do you really believe him?"

  I'm not sure. I'm not sure of anything anymore.

  "Are you sure that you're not putting anyone at risk; that you're not changing?" I ask Mathew.

  "Mathew wouldn't put anybody at risk," Nichelle snaps. "He's always been the one who tries to help others."

  Mathew puts his hand on Nichelle's and gives her an affectionate look. "Nichelle's right. If I think that I'm becoming dangerous to anyone, I'll make sure the right thing is done."

  Greyson looks at Mathew with disappointment. "So your change has only been delayed. Does that mean that there's no cure?" He frowns.

  Mathew takes a folded piece of paper out of his pocket then he puts it onto the table and smoothes out the wrinkles. There's something written on it, but since I can't read. I don't know what it says.

  "Not too long ago a man came in search of me," he says. "He claimed to be sent here by Monarch, and he told me that Monarch wasn't sure if I was still alive, but if I was, he was to deliver this paper to me. From what I remember of Monarch's handwriting, I'm pretty sure the man wasn't lying and
Monarch did write this." He taps his finger on the paper.

  "What does it say?" I ask, glancing at Aiden, wondering if he can read it.

  "Apparently, Monarch had a change of heart and wanted to reverse the damage that he caused," Mathew explains. "He finally discovered a cure and wrote it down. He was afraid that he'd be caught, so he hid the information in his office at the colony."

  I know what papers he's talking about. The one's that Sylas and I found earlier. I'm not sure why Monarch would tell Mathew about it when he was so careful to make sure that he removed all my memories and put them into Aiden, so that his plans to save the world would stay hidden.

  "Why did he tell you about it?" I ask Mathew with caution.

  "He told me about everything in this letter... his plans for an army of Day Takers and how you're the only Day Walker. He wanted a backup plan to make sure that there was someone else that knew about the cure. I guess, because I wasn't happy when the virus was created, he assumed that I'd want to make sure a cure was found."

  "So what we need are those papers that are hidden?" Aiden asks, raking his fingers through his hair, leaving it sticking up everywhere. "If they are still even there."

  "They're there," I tell them. They all look at me inquisitively, waiting for me to explain further.

  "How do you know?" Nichelle asks skeptically, glancing at the knife in front of me.

  "Because I've already found them," I tell them, putting my hand over the knife, ready to use it if needed.

  "You have them?" Mathew asks, his eyes lighting up.

  I shake my head. "I had them. But when Sylas and I were attacked, I dropped them."

  "Do you think that Gabrielle has them?" Aiden asks, frowning.

  I bite my lip, deliberating. "I don't think so. There were other papers scattered all over the room to begin with, so I'm pretty sure that no one even noticed when I dropped them, but then again, I can't be one-hundred percent sure." I can't be one-hundred percent sure of anything.

  "Then we should go get them," Nichelle says with way too much enthusiasm. "If we hurry, maybe we can make the cure before..." She trails off as she glances over at Mathew.

  She's right. We should go get the papers and bring them back. Mathew is one of the original doctors. He has a better chance of understanding what Monarch wrote down. He may be able to make the cure. Besides, even though I don't want to think about it, there's a chance that if I go back, I can find Sylas. I hate that I'm getting my hopes up, though, when deep down I know it's never going to happen. Sylas is gone.