Chapter 17: Chapter Fourteen—Embracing the darkness: Part I

I sat, spinning my pen around my fingers as this long class dragged on. Danelle kept trying to pass me notes, and Covic sat by May with a look of discomfort. May was radiating annoyance, as she had for the past months. However, her face fell into a frown a couple of times before a rush of dread flooded her expression. This was new, and I wasn’t sure what the thought process was here, but it clearly was multi-layered. Covic looked over every so often, pleading for help. I left his eye gestures unreturned. This class would soon be over, and this awkward exchange wouldn’t happen ever again.

“You’re dismissed,” the teacher announced. May and I shot up so fast that she ran to my side, causing me to stumble as we stared at each other.

I froze in place, as we stood still for what seemed like an eternity, not wanting to be the first to speak. “Excuse me,” May responded, and I stepped out of the way, letting her pass with her books tightly pressed against her chest.

Covic came over, putting his hand on my shoulder as I sighed. “Have you, um, done the thing yet?”

My gaze turned to him. “No, I haven’t seen her in about three months, but for a couple of minutes in the hallway and a few quick lunches. Plus, I’ve had a child in my apartment.”

Covic gave me a long pause. “You could just go to her place?”

“I’ve been unbelievably busy, and I think she lost interest. I am not going to push something I don’t have time for.”

Covic was… unusually concerned. This bothered me because what I said didn’t deserve that response. “Oh, okay,” he mumbled, giving a nervous cough.

“Why are you looking like that?”

“Nothing,” Covic said, walking past me. Danelle waved bye to me, running her nails down my arm, and blew me a kiss before following her brother.

Sighing was becoming almost as common as breathing at this point. I couldn’t let the trend end as I proceeded to exhale before making my way to class. Rachel ran up next to me in the hall. She was like a little puppy who was happy to see me at every moment. The notion of her affection was flattering, but I did nothing that I felt deserved it. Most of our interactions involved me being irritable about… everything. Not directed at her, but I am sure it caused tension in the air.

“What are we eating tonight?” Rachel asked with a big smile.

At times, she had turned me into a chef, or rather, a delivery boy. Edwin said she would live with me, not that I would be room service. Rachel at least did clean well, which was good for me, since I hardly had time to do it. Sure, I could have asked Edwin for a maid, but I held guilt for not just doing it myself.

“I feel like I’m going to get in trouble for feeding you sinful food,” I laughed, and she pouted.

Rachel hugged her book to her chest. “Stop making me feel bad—they agreed to let me live with you, and that means I’m allowed to do what you do.”

“Did they say that?” I asked, knowing it was less agreeing and more her telling them—I had seen little interaction between her and the church, but Edwin had said she threw her influence around without restraint.

“I doubt they care, and no, I am saying it.”

I raised my eyebrow. “Mhm, I am pretty sure they would not be okay with you straying from your vegetarianism”

Rachel gave a little huff as we walked into the classroom, taking a seat in the back corner of the tiered rows. She used to sit in the middle of the front row, and everyone would distance themselves, probably out of fear. They considered The Divinity to be a god, but that was debatable. The Demon Lord wouldn’t be a problem if that were true. My perception of the word had been shattered after coming to the Archon Domain, but I still was sceptical of these fairytales to an extent.

There was no interest in sitting next to me before, but now Rachel was stuck to my hip. Her company wasn’t painful, but I never got any alone time—not that I had much. Before Rachel moved in, May and I had a little talk. And by little, I told her I might not have time to hang out, and she responded with, “well, I didn’t want to hang out, anyway.” I understood the reasoning for her anger, even if I disagreed. She had to understand why I was upset, yet we couldn’t be in a conversation long enough for us to resolve our relationship. The friendship was dead to her, but she still very much wanted on my side even after all these months of silence. It made all those I love yous before seem like nothing. Even with her toxic traits, I missed May; my affection was unconditional.

“Are you okay?” Rachel worriedly looked at me. “I hope I am not wearing you out.”

“You’re fine. It’s just—”

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“Things with May?” she interrupted with a frown.

I rested my chin on my palm, staring forward. “Yeah. I miss her.”

“Do you want me to talk to her?” Rachel offered.

“Thank you for the offer, but there is no talking to May and no offence, but it’s hard to take advice from a twelve-year-old.”

“fourteen, and yes, my advice is usually good,” she huffed, looking forward.

“Better than Jolene.”

“See! I am always right,” She tossed her pen at me. “You should talk to her, though.”

“I don’t know if I’d go that far. And Should I get her something… like flowers? A gift? Am I giving in to her poor behaviour?”

“She is the kind of girl who would rather have your attention than gifts,” Rachel said before going quiet. I saw goosebumps run up her arm and her eyes flicker a burning white before falling back to green.

I put my hand on her shoulder. “Rachel. What’s wrong?”

She snapped back to reality, jarred. Then, swatting my hand away aggressively. “Sorry, the Demon Lord used its magica.”

“How close?”

Rachel’s face slowly moved to my direction. “I do not know. Edwin thinks it could be anywhere on the planet.”

“This isn’t the first time?”

She shook her head and we sat in silence as the rest of the class went on.

There was nervousness in Rachel’s posture. The reaction was mutual; fighting the Demon Lord right now seemed unrealistic. This, however, was a fuel I used to keep up with my classes, academically and physically. The Demon Lord and I were on an even playing field, and I just had to outwork them. My birthday was only a few days away from the actual resurrection date. I would have to have the power to defeat the Demon Lord on my own to ensure we put Rachel in the least amount of danger. After the last Lord’s death, faith was low in defeating this one. Faith, destiny, fate, I didn’t need it—I would be ready on my own.

Mistress Lowe turned to the class after drawing a long-winded flowchart. “Your element is a converter of anima. As anima passed into the element, it creates a form of matter—”

Rachel drew my attention from the lesson by sliding a drawing to me. It had two hands reaching for the other. One was an illuminating white colour, and the other was pitch black. The point that the two fingers touched caused a light flushing black smoke away.

She looked away. “It’s a gift. You said you draw, well so do I.” She coughed, clearing her throat, “it’s customary to return a gift when someone helps you.”

“When did I help you?”

“You gave me some freedom from the church, even though I know what Edwin is doing—I am allowing it,” she answered, walking past my chair as she decided the class was done for her, and the teacher of course, said nothing. Edwin was ignorant if he thought she wouldn’t see through this façade.

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