Catching Temptation (In Darkness She Fades (Book 1) (17 page)

Over the edge, I spot my family
huddled together in front of the Peterses’ front door. The Peters, the biker
gang, and to my surprise, Victoria and Whelan battle the other demons in front
of the theater.

Whelan saved Victoria.

He constantly glances at
Victoria, while fending off the other demons. Victoria belongs to him.

Craven stands closest to my
family. I turn to my right and realize I stand next to one of the stone
gargoyles. I stretch out my hand and rest it on the gargoyle’s ugly head. My
fingers are unnaturally long. They look like a giant bronze spider on the stone
statue. Then, Silus’ voice fills the air.

“Awaken!”

I watch in horrified fascination.
The statue cracks and stone, thin as glass, falls from the gargoyle’s leathery
skin.

The thing speaks in a hoarse
tone. “Master, what do you wish of us?”

Us? I glance at the other
statues. Those little gargoyles were throwing stones at me on the first day of
school. I knew it!

Again, Silus’ voice echoes
through the air. “Kill the slave demons.”

The sound of cracking stone
erupts from every edge of the theater roof as all of the gargoyles awaken. With
a screech, they soar down to the street to assist the goblins with their prey.
A gargoyle swoops and attacks Mr. Dredfield; a twinge of anger grows in me. I
thought they were going to try to save everyone. They said if Jenkins is killed,
everyone will return to their human selves.

A cackling laugh comes from the
direction of the old-fashioned doorway leading back into the theater house. I
scream while Silus’ voice, full of mockery, echoes into the night air.
“Jenkins...you’re looking well.”

Jenkins’ face glows in an unholy
sort of way. He snarls. “I can see Temptation betrayed me, but not to worry.
I’ll take a piece of her when I am done killing you. Although, if you promise
to behave, you could be my pet again.”

“You’re the only one who’ll die
tonight Jenkins and don’t worry about Temptation. I’ve already claimed her. She
belongs to me.”

Outrage swells up inside me.

Jenkins laughs. “No, she doesn’t.
You forget, goblin.”

I can feel Silus’ anger increase.

“You drank my blood from the crystal
and when you pumped your venom into Temptation, part of me went into her, too.
I know she’s watching us – through your eyes.” Jenkins leers at Silus. “I can
feel her. She’ll never be submissive to you. Either way, it won’t matter
because you’ll be dead before dawn, and she’ll be under my control.” Jenkins
lunges forward and slashes at Silus with his clawed hands.

Silus jumps, twists in the air,
and aims his fist at Jenkins’ skull. A cracking sound echoes, while a sharp
pain travels up my hand and on top of my own skull. I gasp. “I see you’re still
slow, demon.”

Jenkins sneers at Silus. Black
blood drips from his nose. “You barely touched me.”

I snort. Bull crap, my head feels
like it was hit by a ton of bricks.

“I might not be as fast as you,
crossbreed, but I can still hurt you in other ways. Let’s see how loyal
Temptation is to you when you cannot even save her family.” Jenkins sprints and
leaps off the balcony roof.

Silus does not hesitate.

I can feel his heart spike with
fear.

He hurdles over the ledge,
snatches Jenkins in mid-air, and then slams him through one of the theater
windows.

Jenkins’ claws grow longer and
his fangs drip a sickly white liquid.

Silus mimics his actions. They
circle each other like predators. Silus lurches forward and slashes at Jenkins.

Jenkins blocks Silus’ attacks.

The darkness of the room would
have been blinding to me, however, Silus’ sight is perfect in the blackness.
Through his eyes, everything illuminates in shades of gray and platinum. The
objects touched by the moonlight, like Jenkins’ swirling violet-red eyes,
sparkle with an otherworldly beauty.

Jenkins’ unnatural grin stretches
out even wider. “Why don’t we leave Temptation out of this one?” Before Silus
can respond, Jenkins dives, and sinks his teeth into Silus’ skin. Blistering
pain runs through my veins as I hear Silus’ painful growl before losing all
sight.

Minutes pass. The night breeze
caresses me, beckoning me back to reality. My eyes flutter open. The skeletal
tree branches wave overhead. I shift my sore skull off the tree root and
realize I can transfer my body more freely. Hoisting myself up off the ground,
I snatch a nearby tree limb for support. My head throbs, but my mind soon
focuses on the one thing I need to do. Help my family escape. I locate the opening
of the woods leading to the road. As I rub my neck, I cringe, and withdraw my
palm. Wetness covers it. Even though I cannot see it in the dark of the night,
I know it is blood. I untie the black lace sash from my waist and bind it
around my neck, careful not to cut off circulation. At the road, I hurry over
to my vacant motorcycle, and haul it to a standing position. Swinging my legs
over, I kick the bike into life.

Once I get a view of Rosewood,
the roars of the battling immortals bid my heartbeat to quicken its’ pace. The
flickering lights of the town are like an old battlefield of the past. Unlit
shops remain undisturbed as I pass. The run-down gas station comes into view on
my left. Dark figures fly overhead. I speed up; glad not to be the one hunted
by gargoyles. Dead bodies are everywhere. The goblins are winning. Applying the
brakes, I stop at Mrs. Peters’ home. The biker gang is blocking the entrance.

Craven extends his pale hand
toward me. He helps me up the broken stairs. “You shouldn’t have come,
Temptation. The Goblin King wanted you to stay where you would be safe. You
need to go back. Hide in the goblins’ cove.”

I do not agree. “I’m not going
anywhere without my family. I gave Silus and his goblins their freedom. I want
mine. I’m taking my family and leaving Rosewood.”

The biker gang bares their fangs.
“You’re not to leave Rosewood. Your family can once the battle is over. When
the king kills Jenkins, the spell will be broken over Rosewood, and everyone
will be free to leave.”

“Every tormented soul except me,
right?”

The leader tips my chin up with
one long pointy finger. “Do you think after causing this kind of change we’ve
been dreaming of for well over a century, we would allow you to leave? Don’t
you realize what you have done for us? You have given us the chance to unite
the goblins and demons under one leader! Silus is both goblin and demon, thanks
to you.”

“But why do I have to stay? If
I’ve done something so great for your kind and the goblins, then why would you
imprison me?” Tears form behind my eyes at the unfairness of it all.

Craven slants his spiked head. He
stares at the bite mark on my neck and answers, “He chose you for our queen.
With you, we’ll have a link to the human world and a better knowledge of it.”

I try to argue more, but no words
emerge. The thought of marrying Silus, is both exciting and horrifying.
Everything is happening too fast. I cannot think straight.

A thunderous crash echoes out
from the town square and shakes the ground like an earthquake. Somehow, I know
Silus is there in the town square. A moment later, a large Ferris wheel rolls
down the street parallel to Main Street. Hanging lamps smash to the ground.
Without thought, I jump off the stairs and sprint toward the street leading to
the carnival.

Craven blocks me from continuing.
“My orders are to keep you safe. Get back to the theater house!”

A sharp pain enters my chest.
“Silus is in trouble.” I move past Craven with inhuman speed.

Silus has a lot of explaining to
do.

The square is the epicenter of the
battlefield. I dodge flying metal. It was a part of the Spider-leg Twirl. The
carnival rides are torn down and being used as weapons. I hear a grunt along
the side of the buildings. A collapsing ticket booth pins Remorse to the
ground. The drama teacher, Mrs. Kindal, picks up a metal bar from a broken
ride. She raises it, clearly aiming for Remorse’s head.

He sneers up at her. “I’ll not
fear ya in death!”

I bound forward. Mrs. Kindal
swings the bar down. I shield Remorse with my body and snatch the bar in my
bare hands. Pain shoots down through my palms.

Mrs. Kindal’s eyes reflect the decades
of insanity built up in her mind. “I never liked you Temptation. Always in the
way. Always disrespecting our master. You’re no better than those filthy
goblins you freed.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
I say and yank the bar from her hands. I shove Mrs. Kindal back with my feet.
The bar extends out in front of me like a sword. It shakes while I say, “I
suggest you leave before you’re killed. I don’t want to kill you, even though
you’re no better than Jenkins.”

“Stupid brat!” Mrs. Kindal
lurches forward and rams herself into the metal bar. The metal sinks into her
stomach, but she drives it further into her own flesh. Mrs. Kindal claws at me.
I try to duck her blows. Mrs. Kindal strikes out and slashes my shoulder.

“How dare ya hurt our queen?”
Remorse drags himself out of the rubble and pounces on Mrs. Kindal. “Get outta
the way, yer majesty!”

I project the bar away and
retreat. Remorse exposes his needlepoint chrome teeth. They drip a white
liquid. He sinks them deep into Mrs. Kindal’s neck as she makes a final attempt
to attack. Her hellish scream causes me to clutch the spot on my neck where
Silus bit me. Remorse remains latched to Mrs. Kindal’s neck like a wildcat
attacking prey. Her eyes roll in the back of her head and she drops dead to the
ground.

He shuffles away from her to
stand next to me. “Ya should be at the theater house. Whatcha doin’ ‘ere?”

“Silus’ is in trouble.” I study
the warring creatures. “I don’t know where he is, but he’s been hurt.”

“There be nothin’ ya can do. Me
master be powerful enough to defeat Jenkins. But he’d be pleased ta know ya
care–”

“You’re mistaking my intentions,
Remorse. I want to leave Rosewood, but Craven said I can’t.” I frown at Remorse
when he gaffs my response.

“Yer not ta leave. And that be
the end of it.” Remorse forces me toward the theater house.

“No.” I slip out of his gnarled
fingers. Dashing back into the carnival battlefield, I ignore Remorse’s pleas.
Through the crowd, I dodge debris, and avoid the dead carcasses. I can feel
panic arise in Silus for fear of my safety.

Strong arms cage my body and lift
me into the air. As I hold the bronze arms on my abdomen, the town square
passes under us. We are fast approaching the theater house. A large window
breaks open and we land in a Victorian room, which resembles a stylish living
room. The room holds only dim lighting. Voices applaud us from the walls.

“Glad to see you made it out!”

“We were worried for awhile.”

“We’ll keep you safe here, your
majesty.” A sun on the wall beams at me.

“I’m not your queen,” I say to
the idols, “and I’m not staying here.” I pivot in Silus’ arms, glaring up into
his eyes with open defiance.

Amusement replaces his concern
for my safety.

“There’s nothing funny about our
situation, Silus.”

He throws his head back and
laughs. “Temptation, you’re the most fun I’ve had in over two hundred years. I
do think I’ve fallen in love with you.”

“A hundred and fifty of those
years don’t count because you’ve been locked away.”

Silus laughs even harder.

“I want to escape from Rosewood.
I’m not a thing, I’m a person. You can’t keep me as a prisoner!”

His facial muscles flex into
seriousness. “What will you do if I release you? Go to college? Start a family?”
His loving emotions change to jealousy, burning like dry ice against my heart.
“Forget about me?”

I decline to meet his line of
questions.

“Do you really think your aunt
will allow you to stay with her family, after all this?”

“Families don’t abandon each
other. They’re not perfect, but they’re also not cruel.”

Silus stares in thoughtful
contemplation at my unyielding determination. “You might be safer outside of
Rosewood.”

Hope swells in me. “So, you’ll
let me go?”

Silus grins and leans closer. “Yes.
But don’t think it will last forever. On the winter solstice, an eclipse will
happen. During that eclipse, all barriers between worlds will be broken. I’ll
come to retrieve you then – with or without your consent.”

I shove his arms off my waist.
“You’re nothing but a beast!”

Silus laughs. “And you’re a
beauty. We make the perfect fairytale couple.”

I do not resist a snort. “This
isn’t a fairytale, it’s a nightmare. Besides, last time I checked, fairytales
are happy and joyful with handsome princes and princesses.” My disapproving
eyes square him off. “You’re no handsome prince and I’m no princess. We’re both
far from ever becoming those stereotypes.”