A Gift of Darkness

Chapter one of a gift of Darkness

    The Gift of Darkness        

     What if the night came alive and you found out that the creatures of magick and nightmare lived along side of the rest of us?
         
             Would you fear them , or would you bow down and worship them?

     Welcome to this side of Reality.Where Vampires and Werewolves, Demons and Elves dance side by side with the Humans of our time.Welcome to a reality better left whispered in the light of day.

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               Ivy: Part One        
        Ivy stood framed in the shadows of the window, her long, onyx black hair rippled with colors as the vivid lightning lit the autumn skies.Pale, silver blue eyes watched the majesty of the storm as it raged over the city, like a giant demon bound shadow ready to consume the lives within the vast streets.Her body was riggid and taught, tension from a sleepless night coursed through her viens.Ivy gripped the window sill and stared into the night.
         The voices from the lower levels of her estate snaked up to her as servants and guests alike waited out the bad weather from the downstairs lobby.She knew she should be amongst her guests, this was after all her coming home party and gods knew that Jacob, her beloved brother, would only think baddly of her for staying away.But the weather nagged at her, she felt it's anger and it called to her.She felt the fires of the lightning like a soft carress upon her tightly wound protective shields and she shivered.
       Alone with just her thoughts she reached out casually to the power, coaxing it like a lover's sweet promise, calling it to her.It rippled and stirred within and around her, till her long tresses stirred in the wind of the magicks.She felt it snake around her , carving a path inside of her and deeper things stirred to life.Head thrown back she opened the window to the storm and moaned softly at the rapture of it all.Cold, rain misted wind swept into her room, her long colbalt blue dress shifted in the breeze, almost alive in it's dance.Her mind drifted out into the night and she watched with eager anticipation as the grounds of the estate gave way to country roads.In her mind's eye she watched as miles became a bur until finally, high within the mountains that bordered the city, she came to rest upon an old stone cottage.She drifted closer and stared through the panes of the lone window.A figure tossed upon a thin matress, old, worn sheets barely covered his from the sorm power and she watched him shift.
       Quietly her form drfited into his home, through the cracks under the doorframe.She stood like a soft grey swirling smoke at the foot of his tiny bad."Mathew....Mathew" She whsipered softly into his dream tossed mind.Eyes flickering behind closed lids, he shifted to his side."Mathew..I need you.Come to me my love" Her whispers echoed deep into his subconsious and he whimpered.
She smiled softly, knowing her call would be heeded and slowly drifted out into the night.The journey back to her body was quicker, just a thought to connect mind and body once again.She shivered slightly as the comfortable weight settled around her.Opening her eyes she jumped slightly at the figure lounging in the window frame.
       "Ivy.You know better then to trance with so many humans near us.What if one of them had been even the least bit sensitive?Then you would have outted us and we would all be chased from our lovely homes.Back across the seas."Jacob stood framed by the lightning, every inch of his six foot frame well muscled.His eyes were a shade lighter then her own. appearing almost white ice to a casual observer, but anyone looking deeper would know that ice was warmer then what they beheld within his gaze.She turned cold, angered eyes at him."How dare you assume Im amuetur enough not to shield myself.I knew very well what I was doing.We arent Ten anymore Jacob and I have grown in gifts.Now, if you dont mind, leave my rooms."She pointed a steady hand at her door, giving him no room for argument.He bowed slightly, but his eyes never left her's, and the look within them made her shiver.A slow smile spread across his face and something deep shifted within him.He straightened slowly and leaned into her.She almost stepped away but understood this game well.She held herself rigid as he inhaled slowly, taking in her emotions.He closed his eyes then released the breath, he turned quickly, almost too fast for her eyes to follow, then strode from the room.
    As the door closed, she relaxed, washing away the last reminents of her fear.The Beast inside of her brother tested it's limits daily with her.Her own magicks protected for, but she never knew when they would fail and she would become just another victom to him.She held no false vision of her value to him.Though she was eldest by 10 mins, he held no true love for her.He used her as a pawn, since she was the most human one out of her family.Slowly she closed out the storm and straightned her dress, soon her beloved Mathew would come and rescue her, then she would be free from the torment of this family.
          With a frustrated sigh she slowly left the confines of her rooms, moving deeper into the shadows of her Estate. She was 30, a collage graduate and Heiress to a multi billion dollar business. But, she wasn’t content .Her family was an old family with far too many deep secrets and the darkest secret was herself. She believed she was cursed, having been born with a terrible hunger for life, always having one foot beyond the veil and one foot tied to the human world. Her brother always seemed to think of her as weak, she was too human, too soft, and too kind hearted. He had his beast to contend with and he embraced the darkness of his family born gifts with a fire that consumed him and all he came in contact with. She sighed deeply as she walked down the corridors, softly brushing her hands along the railings .Her home boasted three stories, nine vast bedrooms, each with a separate bathroom, a guest house with another three bedrooms and a vast amount of dusty, ancient art from a homeland she never knew. Her Father had offered to take her to this place of her ancestors, but she was a modern girl with modern ideals.
           She came to the top of the grand staircase, watching the guests’ parade below her with the false sense of value that vast fortunes could give you. Her slowly shook her head and for a moment, just a moment almost fled back to the safety and solitude of her rooms. She breathed deeply, and began to descend the stairs, her smile empty but charming. She knew they wouldn’t notice the sadness and tiredness of this life she lived. They would see her wealth and family influence and that almost made her frown.
At the bottom of the stairs she stopped again, watching the glamorous people move across her floors with false convictions. Some of them knew of her dark legacy and always tried to bid for her favor, both politically and power wise. The manipulations they tried angered her. In a world already filled with deceit, humans always tried to out lie, out wit and out manipulate each other. A servant passed by her with a tray of long stemmed glasses. She slowly took two, downing the first glass of red, red wine, then sipping the second. She began to move among the people, her eyes wearily searching the crowds for her brother. A deep, growling laughter flowed from the crowds and she shivered. A small, intimate smile formed upon her lips and she sighed. She followed the laugh and found who she was searching for He posed catlike by the balcony doors, all graceful and seductive. She watched him charm a small crowd of well-dressed women. Each girl afforded his attentions and they giggled softly with each word, each stare and each gentle touch. She watched him laugh again, the sweep of his silver white hair falling across his face, spilling down his broad back to gently touch his ankles. His face was sculpted softly, as if chiseled from a perfectly white stone .A small flush ruined the white on white perfection of his appearance. His name was Jarod, an old family friend who hailed from the old lands. He only appeared human to the crowd, holding his illusions tight around him like a well worn, favorite shirt but she knew the blood thirsty creature that lurked behind the deep emerald eyes. She knew the hunger that seeped out beneath the carefully created smile. One of these girls would loose their lives tonight and she knew they would die willingly, even after the illusions were dropped and they spied his demon. So was the way of his charms, bringing a painful death the willing people and loving every minute of it. With another small laugh he raised his eyes, resting that intense and chilling gaze on her. She blushed without meaning too and wondered for the thousandth time why he persisted in charming her so. His gaze swept the length of her slowly, filling her with heat and untold passions until they came to rest on her eyes. He bowed his head and slowly blew her a kiss, moving from the throng of clutching hands and stalked towards her. She watched him come towards her, her inner voices whispering for her to run and flee from this deranged creature that now stopped before her. He reached out with long slender hands, cupping her left hand in his own. He brought it to his lips, kissing it slowly, his lower lip catching slightly on her hand. His eyes watched her face intently, like a cat would watch a helpless mouse before consuming it. He smiled a true, secret smile and chuckled softly. ” Ivy, I’m pleased you decided to join us. Your brother tells me you have decided to remain here and run the Estate for your father while he is away .I’m pleased by this. I was beginning to think I’d have to chase you across the seas to be by your side.” His voice was deep and intimate, his power spilling from his lips. She closed her eyes tightly for a moment and breathed .One, two, three times she took a deep breath, then pulled her shields tight about her once more. Opening her eyes again she gave him a very unfriendly stare. His graceful eye brows rose with interest and he nodded his approval.” Jarod, you can give up on the charms my dear. I’m not one of your air headed groupies. And I only agreed to run the Estate because if it fell to my brother, he would ruin the place with his partying and friends. I haven’t decided beyond that what I’m going to do. So for now, I’m home.” The last words echoed hollowly inside of her and she gazed around the massive room with a building contempt. He gripped her hand almost too roughly, pulling her into his body as if going in for a kiss. He hissed along her neck, whispering heated words.” Your father is a proud and fare man Ivy, with strong, just ideals. I’m sorry that you’re too modern and too human to understand our ways but, if you disrespect your legacy or your father again, I’m afraid of what he’ll do to you.” He pushed away from her, his anger spilling off of him and into the crowds of people. They turned worried eyes to him as he stalked past them and out onto the balcony .She stood frozen for a second, fear ridding her of her ability to move. She took a deep breath and waited for her hands to stop shaking then moved away from the wall and into the crowd. Bodies pressed against her in their dancing, long skirts shimmered with colors as they swayed in soft circles. She watched it all with a detachment born from a boredom of this life style. She only wanted to run, away from here to the mountains of her beloved.
         She smiled with the memories of their first encounter. He was a freshmen studying biology with a minor in ancient religions. He took to her charm and humor with a grace and dignity that took her heart away. He was tall and slender then, not as defined as he is now. With a boyish charm that won the hearts of anyone he came in contact with. Eyes the color of amber smiled easily whenever she was around. They spent long nights talking of philosophy and religion, of Magick and the things that lurked within the shadows. Though he was human, she came to understand he had latent psychic abilities and a sixth sense that rivaled anyone creature of myth and legend. He told her how he dreamed of the possibility that the creatures of legend existed and how his goal in life was to prove it. At first it frightened her, she feared he would learn her secrets and reveal them to the world. She feared what would happen, if he knew he dated one of those creatures. So, she played at being human, played at his dreams like a child with a toy. It wasn’t until she was graduating that he revealed to her his secret. He was a half-breed, born from a human mother and a Fey father. He had told her that his father had abandoned them after his mother conceived and that he was raised to believe that he was normal. He told the stories of his travels as a young child, when his mother finally revealed his true heritage and took him to the place his parents met. He cried when he told of his mother’s passing and the promise he made to her. He vowed to find his father and to open the eyes of the world to the realms he was denied as a child.
          So moved was she by his tale that in an instant she was talking of her own heritage. Fearful at first of the possibility he would reject her she whispered her story with downcast eyes. He sat silent as she revealed her own demons then he embraced her. She cried and that was the first time they had lain together. It was magickal and she vowed that after he graduated, she would find him and bring him to her home.
          That was two years ago and he had graduated with honors just this past month. Now she would bring her beloved into her world and for once, just once she would feel safe and free to be who she really was.

Reviews

[Shadow Writer]

What a wonderful intro into this new world. You made it feel as if you were standing at the window and peering into this magical new world first hand. Excellent piece and I too would like to read more. Excellent Phantom....

[mirui]

This is a really good piece, I can't wait to read more.