LAILAH
FOURTEEN
The rest of the day was filled with fun, laughter, and quality time with each other.
This is what it was like for me and my family during the holidays, and I didn’t realize how much I had missed this in my life.
After the tree was decorated, we played games until it was time to start making dinner.
Chadwick had us all working in the kitchen, giving us our own assignments.
Once he figured out that I was no stranger to cooking, he had me working on a few of the more involved dishes.
It was enjoyable to learn a new style of food and the tricks they used for ingredients I hadn’t worked with very often.
Finally, it was time to sit down and eat.
“Père, we never use the formal dining room,” Grace commented with a slight frown.
“Well, Goose, we never have this many people, and with the meal we made, it might be harder to manage sitting in the living room,” Chadwick said, setting down the last serving dish.
Grace nodded her head and took a seat next to me, cutting off Parker at the same time.
“Ah, I was going to sit there, Grace,” Parker complained.
“You get to be with her all the time. I, on the other hand, have no idea when she will come back to visit,” Grace stated as she placed her napkin in her lap.
Parker opened his mouth like he was going to argue, looking between me and the fifteen-year-old who had just outsmarted him. Letting out a heavy sigh, he moved on and took the seat next to Jay.
Grace turned to me with a slight frown. “How do you manage having so many boyfriends? I would think trying to deal with five needy men is a lot of work.”
I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing at her sincere tone, like she genuinely wanted to know the answer.
“I’m still figuring that out myself, Grace, since this is new for me still.
Some days I’m better at it than others. Although, I was reminded the other day that it’s not just on my shoulders to keep up with what everyone needs.
We all have to communicate and share when a little extra attention might be needed.
Otherwise, we do end up spending a large amount of time together as a group. ”
“Personally, I think I’m going to stick to only one boyfriend,” Grace said with a nod of her head as she grabbed the platter of food in front of her.
The rest of dinner was pleasant, and once it was finished, we all helped out once again, cleaning up.
Ben asked if we could watch a Christmas movie, and everyone thought it was a great idea.
Snuggled up between Brayden and Micah with a blanket, I couldn’t help but drift off to the sounds of Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Ben’s movie of choice.
“Well, look at this. Little Synergy has Bonded with another one of her Knights. I hate to tell you this, but you’re going to have to work a lot faster on that if you want to save yourself,” the Dark Lord purred in my ear.
I was back in the void where he liked to taunt me, making me feel abandoned and alone.
I was getting sick of it.
“I know what you’re doing with the serum, the new perfect hosts it creates for your demons,” I shot back.
The Dark Lord chuckled, sending shivers down my spine. “You only know what I want you to know, child. Just because you’ve learned this tidbit doesn’t mean you have a clue as to what I have planned for all of humanity.”
“Why do you keep pulling me here to talk to me? Every time I give you the same answer, and then you threaten me. What’s stopping you from just removing me from the equation?”
I felt the tip of a claw run along my jaw, causing me to hiss as it cut into my skin. “That was very short-sighted of me, wasn’t it? I do have a problem with controlling my temper. You, my Little Synergy, just seem to bring out the worst in me. I’m not used to people telling me no.”
“That didn’t answer my question.”
“Oh, but didn’t it?”
“My answer is never going to change, no matter what you do,” I growled as my frustration grew.
“Tut, tut now. I wouldn’t be making such bold statements; they always have the habit of making me want you to prove it.
You say that nothing could ever change your mind.
What about these men you hold so dear? No, that’s too direct—their families?
Oh, I know! Your family,” the Dark Lord taunted.
“Would you really let them be taken and used, left to rot? You see, for them, I wouldn’t use the serum.
No, I would want you to watch them decay right before your very eyes. Doesn’t that sound like fun?”
Fury like nothing I have ever known burst forth, my powers reacting to my anger. The darkness was suddenly filled with golden light, creating a protective bubble around me. Tendrils of darkness tried to pierce the barrier, but they sizzled against the light, drawing back.
“I will not let you lay a finger on any of the people I love! One day soon we will find you, and we WILL stop you. I’d stake my life on it,” I screamed, hands fisted at my sides, shaking in anger.
Looming in the darkness, I could now see the Dark Lord’s face, his eyes pools of darkness, teeth razor sharp.
He let one claw-tipped hand scrape down along my barrier, testing it.
I knew he could break through it if he wanted to, since I wasn’t at my full potential with only two Knights bonded to me.
The Dark Lord tipped back his head and laughed, the sound shaking the ground I was standing on. “You ask why I don’t kill you? Because if I can turn you, oh, how you would be the perfect weapon to have at my side. Never have I seen someone so pure who also harbors the blackest evil in their heart.”
I wanted to argue, to tell him he was wrong, but with a flick of his wrist, I was thrown out of the darkness and back into reality.
“Someone better tell me what the hell is going on!” Chadwick bellowed.
Opening my eyes, I saw that I was now surrounded by a shield I had made in the darkness, Brayden clutching me to him.
“Lailah, you need to wake up. Please, Angel. I need you to come back to us. You are safe. We have you,” Brayden murmured over and over in my ear.
“The Dark Lord must have pulled her into another conversation. It’s the only time it happens these days,” Hudson explained to his father.
“That doesn’t make sense. This place is warded against any demon activity. He shouldn’t have been able to get to her,” Chadwick argued.
Shifting, I slowly sat up, pulling out of Brayden’s arms, and the barrier dissipated as I took a few deep breaths.
Everyone in the room had eyes only for me.
Ben and Grace were standing huddled by the entrance to the kitchen, fear written on their faces.
Hudson was standing next to his father, a hand on his chest as if he was holding him back from coming to me.
Micah was sprawled out on the floor with his hair sticking out like he’d been electrocuted, and his clothes even seemed a little singed.
Glancing around the room, I found that the shield had left burn marks in the couch and floor where it had been.
“What happened?” I gasped.
“We would all like to know the answer to that question, Lailah.” Chadwick’s voice was hard.
I tried to understand that he was scared and that what happened could have hurt someone, but I couldn’t help but feel hurt by the anger and distrust in his eyes.
“Father, as I tried to explain before, the wards you have set up keep demons from entering, but that’s not what the Dark Lord does to her.
Lailah survived an attack from a Greater Demon, and even though she was cleansed, it didn’t remove all the venom from her system.
It seems that she can be pulled into some sort of limbo where the Dark Lord talks to her.
We have tried many things to keep it from happening, but until we all Bond, we aren’t strong enough,” Hudson explained.
Chadwick looked at me, eyes narrowed. “Are you telling me this is a common thing that happens?”
I shook my head vigorously. “No, the Dark Lord has only started talking to me in the last week. I think he knew Hudson and I bonded and was upset about it, because this time he was much more aggressive in taunting me.”
“I see,” Chadwick said, relaxing slightly.
“In light of this information, I am going to take Ben and Grace back to their mother’s.
I don’t think it is a good idea for them to be around this.
They have not been brought up knowing about the Elementi.
Although I have a feeling that will change after this incident. ”
My stomach dropped, and guilt started to squeeze my heart at his words. He was right. I was dangerous to people around me who didn’t know the hidden darkness in our world.
“No, please wait. We will go,” I said, standing.
Hudson and the others looked like they wanted to argue with me.
“This is Christmas Eve, and you need to spend it with your children. Hudson will stay here, and the rest of us will find a hotel to spend the night in. I’m sure Ben and Grace will have lots of questions, and Hudson knows everything that’s going on.
He will be able to help you. None of us have unpacked, and it’s safer to be just us while I’m clearly unable to control what happens with my powers. ”
None of my guys seemed happy with my decision, but I wasn’t going to be moved on this. This was the world that we of the Elementi lived in, with our eyes wide open to the dangers. Hudson’s siblings did not, and it wasn’t fair to them—so we would leave.
“Thank you, Mr. Lacy, for an amazing day. I am so utterly sorry that I have caused a disruption to it.” With that I bowed my head, gathered my things, and walked out the door, lugging my suitcase with me.
Moments later, my luggage was taken from me, and I looked up to find Jay.
Looking into his wise, gray eyes, I knew he understood what I’d done and that he was supporting my choice.
I could only imagine with the missions and other things he has done working for his father, this was a simple call.
To me, though, it just showed me that no matter how much I wanted to pretend, I couldn’t live a normal life with these simple, happy moments. Not until the Dark Lord was defeated.
I didn’t need to look behind me to know that the rest of them had followed me, and from the sadness in my heart, I knew Hudson had stayed liked I asked. He had just gotten the chance to have his family back, and I damn well wouldn’t be the reason he lost it again.
With a little bit of research, we found a hotel we could stay at.
We got connecting rooms since they didn’t have a room large enough to fit us all.
They decided to leave the door open between us, but they all ended up in the room I was staying in.
Jay sat in the armchair by the bed, Parker was laid out with my feet on his chest, and Micah and Brayden were on either side of me, leaning against the headboard.
The TV was on, but the sound wasn’t turned up since no one was really watching it.
Micah took my hand and lifted it to his lips, pulling my gaze to him. “You okay there, Cookie Monster? I’m sure that was a hard choice to make.”
I closed my eyes and let the tears I’d been holding back trail down my cheeks. “He’s right. Until this is over, I shouldn’t be around people who aren’t prepared to deal with the mess we bring.”
“Trouble, I hate that you think that. Was this a shitty situation—yes. Doesn’t mean it’s your fault,” Parker said, giving my feet a squeeze.
“Do you mind telling us what the Dark Lord wanted this time?” Brayden asked.
I really didn’t want to tell them what happened because I knew how they would take it. The fact they can’t protect me while I’m trapped in that dark world with him ate at them. Why should I add fuel to that fire?
“It was nothing new, he just wanted me to know he knew I’d added Hudson into the mix and that it still wouldn’t be enough. The upside is that because I’m stronger, I was able to put up that shield… not that it helped much, but it didn’t leave me in the dark,” I shared, shrugging my shoulders.
I could feel the doubt coming from Brayden. He knew I was holding something back by the way I was acting. This is when having someone so tuned into your emotions was more of a hindrance.
“Lailah, you know you can tell us anything, right?” Brayden pushed, giving me the chance to come clean.
Resting my head on his shoulder, I nodded.
“I do, but sometimes saying more is not always going to be helpful. He wants to show me just how much power he has, and every time I tell him no, it drives him crazy. The Dark Lord is used to getting his way, but I’m the wild card that gets to choose what side I want to fight for.
Every time, he tries to pick away at things, trying to see what he can use against me.
Unfortunately, this time he hit on something, and it made me lose my temper and show him he had something to work with.
So he proceeded to taunt further until he found the perfect place to sink his claws into. ”
“What was it?” Jay asked.
I took a deep breath, not wanting to admit it, but I had to. They needed protection. “My family and you guys.”
“I hate to say this, but I’m surprised he didn’t go for that sooner. If he pays attention to you at all, he should know that the people you hold close to your heart are your weakness as much as your strength,” Jay pointed out.
“True. If he hadn’t made me that mad, I wouldn’t have created the shield. I did it once before when the avalanche was happening, but I’d never tried it in that dream world. Nice to know that some tricks can be used in both places,” I mused.
The room fell silent again, as we were all lost deep in thought.
“What do we do now?” Parker finally asked, unable to take the quiet any longer.
“Go back to Ryevick. I need to get working on my training, and it’s safer there for whatever is going to happen with the serum. The one thing I don’t doubt the Dark Lord on is following through on his threats.” I sighed. “Something is going to happen, and we aren’t going to like it.”