Chapter 23 When the Darkness Arrives
WHEN THE DARKNESS ARRIVES
ELIZA
The last place I expected to find myself was here again. Sitting in yet another demonic club beside yet another Enforcer, wearing a dress I hadn’t chosen in a place I barely understood. All while pretending, at least on the surface, that everything hadn’t just fallen apart.
At least this time, I wasn’t on his lap, which, considering everything else, felt like a small mercy at this point.
Not that there were going to be any more laps in my future.
Not after Wye… No, Oblivion, I had to stop thinking of him as Wye.
As if this would help, I thought dryly. Because honestly, it felt like nothing could at this point.
My fingers curled slightly against the fabric at my thigh as I stared out over the shifting mass of bodies before me.
The music pulsed low through the space while ever-changing lights caught against skin, glass, and movement in a way that made it all feel unreal.
It was as if I had stepped into something that existed just slightly out of sync with the rest of the world… which, I supposed, I had.
The last few hours blurred together in fragments, disjointed pieces that refused to settle into anything coherent. After Kiki had left me alone in that room, I had done the only thing I had been capable of doing… I had cried.
Not gracefully or quietly, but in a way that left my chest aching and my head spinning.
The kind of crying that came from something breaking rather than simply hurting.
And when that had finally passed, or at least dulled enough for me to function, I had moved on to the next stage of whatever this was. Which, apparently, had been food.
There had been more of it than I could have possibly needed, rich and indulgent in a way that should have been memorable.
Yet I could barely recall tasting any of it, as I had eaten simply because it was there.
Because it had given me something to do that didn’t involve replaying the look on his face when I left.
After that, everything blurred into nothing, or at least it felt that way, because the next thing I remembered was waking up in that same room.
The light softer, the silence heavier, and a dress laid out neatly across the bed as though it had always been there, waiting.
I hadn’t questioned it, hadn’t had the energy to.
Instead, I had simply sat up, looked around the surprisingly modern room and started getting ready.
This didn’t take long, seeing as my hair was a lost cause anyway, thanks to it drying in a mass of waves that made it look shorter. Normally, I would have wished for my straighteners, but, as I said, I was just going through the motions right now. Besides, who did I have to impress?
No one.
Not anymore.
After dressing, I had smoothed the fabric into place without really looking at myself.
My fingers traced absent paths over the delicate lace that clung to me in intricate patterns.
The deep red material was both soft and striking, fitted close through the bodice before falling into a lighter, flowing short skirt that moved with every step I took.
I hadn’t thought about where I was going or why it mattered, not by that point. Because it no longer felt like I had much choice in any of it, which was how I had ended up here after Kiki had come to fetch me. Then shortly after I had arrived, Bo had sat down next to me, making me hiss,
“Where have you been?” I asked quietly, his small frame slumping slightly as if he were exhausted.
“Explaining just enough,” he replied cryptically, his tone making me frown, as there was something careful in it now.
“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked, looking around as if I half expected to turn around and find Walder looming over me. Thankfully, he was yet to show, and if I were honest, I was kind of nervous for when he did.
“It means I told him what he needs to hear and nothing more,” he replied with a grit of his teeth, making realization dawn.
“You left out the part about Oblivion, you mean,” I bit out, and he narrowed his eyes at me, looking around before telling me,
“I told him that someone didn’t appreciate you summoning me and wanted to punish us both for it. That we are trying to figure stuff out, but until we do, we needed sanctuary, which he granted.”
“And the reason you didn’t say it was Oblivion?” I asked, although really, it was obvious.
“Because he’s an Enforcer and they usually stick together, relic or not,” Bo said, making me sigh.
“And if he finds out, what then?” I snapped, feeling myself losing it, as my hands started to shake. Which was when Bo grabbed my hand, gave it a squeeze and promised,
“He won’t. Don’t worry, I will get us through this.
” I nodded at that, knowing that arguing about it now wasn’t going to help.
Besides, I had another Enforcer to focus on right now, hoping he wasn’t going to interrogate me, as it sounded like he had done with Bo.
I also wasn’t exactly the best poker player for a reason.
Which meant that when Walder sat down beside me, I couldn’t help but tense, as did the rest of the room, making me wonder if it was common practice.
Because the shift was immediate, yet this time not in the way I had expected. As even though the dangerous edge I had seen earlier was still there, now it was somewhat softened. Tempered by something lighter, as though whatever he had been waiting for had finally fallen into place.
Not only that, but he looked different up close, not just because he was now dressed for the evening, but because he was relaxed in a way he hadn’t been before. And while his appearance had shifted toward something more refined, it still fell short of anything as formal as a full suit.
Like the way his shirt was left open and not just at the collar, but enough so that I could see part of his wide chest muscles peeking through the gap when he shifted.
Even the sleeves were rolled back up his forearms as though restraint was something he had long since discarded.
The material pulled slightly across his shoulders and biceps when he moved, hinting at the strength beneath it, while his hair had been tied back into a loose knot.
A few strands fell free to frame his face, which, despite being accidental, managed to soften his features and make him even more handsome.
Effortlessly and dangerously so.
“For once,” he said smoothly, his voice low, edged with quiet amusement as he glanced at me,
“Kiki hasn’t exaggerated. You do look beautiful tonight, Eliza.” I blinked, the sound of my name catching me off guard as my gaze snapped toward him.
“You… know my name?”
His attention flicked briefly toward Bo before returning to me, that same faint smile lingering.
“Bo explained your circumstances to me,” he said easily, as though that alone answered everything.
“I can assure you, you are safe here, and I will aid you in any way I can.” There was something in the way he said it, something calm and certain, that made it feel less like a promise and more like a fact. Which meant that despite everything, I felt some of the tension in my chest ease.
“Thank you,” I said quietly.
He inclined his head slightly, a small, almost formal gesture that didn’t quite match the casual way he carried himself.
“For what your circumstances have brought me in return,” he added, the faintest hint of something sharper slipping into his tone,
“It’s the least I can do.”
Ah, but of course… the relic.
My fingers curled slightly in my lap, my thoughts flickering briefly toward the mirror before I pushed them away. Because right now, his attention had settled fully on me, and there was something unnerving about the way he studied me. Not intrusive, not uncomfortable, but… knowing.
Too knowing at that.
“It looks as though something weighs heavily on you,” he said after a moment, his voice quieter now, more observant than before.
“And something tells me it is not only the circumstances you find yourself in.” I let out a soft scoff, shaking my head as I looked away.
“It’s certainly been a few days, that’s for sure,” I replied, brushing it off, though even to my own ears it sounded weak.
“Then tell me, little dove…” he murmured, leaning closer. His presence shifted just enough to pull my focus back to him as the side of his body touched mine, and his arm rested at the back of my seat.
“…Why do I sense heartbreak in your gaze?”
My breath caught.
“I… what? No, that’s not…” I started, the denial automatic, though it faltered almost as quickly as it came. His lips curved faintly, something almost amused flickering there as he leaned in just enough for his voice to drop lower, more intimate.
“I would say you’re a terrible liar,” he said softly, before continuing,
“But I don’t need to rely on words when I can scent the lie on you.”
My stomach tightened at that, heat rushing unexpectedly to my cheeks as his gaze held mine, steady and unwavering.
“What are you hiding, little dove, um?”
The name sent a shiver down my spine, the sound wrapped in that low, rumbling tone that seemed to settle far deeper than it should have. And before I could react, I felt the lightest brush of contact as the back of his fingers traced slowly along my bare arm.
Not enough to be inappropriate but more than enough to be deliberate. I inhaled sharply, my body reacting before my mind could catch up, and his gaze flicked briefly to the movement, catching it.
“You don’t feel cold?” he asked, his voice quieter now, almost curious. As though there was something beneath it that suggested he already knew the answer. Then, tilting his head slightly, that faint smile returning, he added,
“Or do I intimidate you that much?”