Dark Nora

Chapter 5

Dark Nora

(Point of View Nora)

 

As I watched Astaroth’s back descend further and further from me, I was overcome with a deep rage.

 “Do you truly expect me to just accept that?” at the sound of my voice, Astaroth quickly turned on his heel, eyes wide in surprise.  I myself was shocked by my sudden outburst, furrowing my brows I hesitated from speaking further. What’s gotten into me?

“My, my, looks like someone has a temper.” Astaroth, fully recovered from the initial surprise, stood with a mocking smile. Unwilling to let him phase me, I mustered up the courage to speak once more.

“I want answers. Not in an hour, not over dinner, not tomorrow, now!” With each word I was able to put more power in my voice. I wasn’t sure entirely where this confidence came from, but I liked it. As if I were amusing, Astaroth began to chuckle softly to himself. Once again, he stood at arm’s length, his smile did little to console me of his intentions. The lights of the city streets cascaded onto his face, causing his smile to appear more brilliant. The red and green hues dancing playfully in his eyes, for just a moment, I was mesmerized by him.

Neither one of us spoke, we simply gazed at one another, as if we were two animals sizing the other up. Taking this moment, I began to study his features. He had sharp chiseled features, his grey eyes were like a deep fog, blinding my vision and muddling my judgement. His lips were thin and sultry, always upturned in a mocking grin.

 There was no denying it, he was beautiful, though beauty aside. He still wasn’t one I’d consider an ally, nor would I consider him an enemy. I noticed I had stared far longer than I had intended, he must’ve noticed as well, for he furrowed his brows an unpleasant scowl on his face, probably. I felt heat rise to my face, quickly averting my gaze I mumbled a small “never mind, breaking from his gaze, I shoved past him continuing to the closest restaurant.

As I passed by a small convenient store, I caught a glimpse of my reflection, my black hair spiraled in a messy disarray and my cheeks were flushed a deep pink. Averting my gaze, I quickly ran my fingers through the tangled mass in attempts to tame the raven locks. Coming alongside a small restaurant, I quickly bounded through the doors, with Astaroth at my heels. I could hear the small chime of a bell as we entered. Immediately the smell of coffee and freshly baked bread filled my nostrils, the soft dim lighting set a warm yellow hue over the atmosphere, cascading along the large windows.

Moving past me, Astaroth made his way to one of the booths in the far back, all the while charming the middle-aged waitress who had come to greet us. Silently, we glanced through the small menu, I was reluctant to start any kind of conversation after our odd exchange outside. Taking a small glance over my menu, I could see Astaroth with his forefinger placed over his upper lip, a serious gaze as he looked over his own. After moments of silence the waitress took our order, her cheery voice filling the silent void between us. With a satisfied sigh, she fluidly walked away carrying with her the scent of lavender and rosemary.  Repressing a sigh, I absently began to play with the ivory cloth that lay on the table. The feeling of unease settled over me, my eyes beginning to wander. Casting small glances from object to object, stopping just long enough to land on something of interest. Finally, my eyes met with sharp grey ones, cutting through me like a knife I sharply inhaled.

“You’re quiet.” He spoke softly, his deep voice echoing off the walls of the small café. Unable to come up with a suitable response, I merely stared back at him. Reaching for his glass, he slowly spoke, choosing his words carefully.

“I apologize for how I behaved our first meeting. I presume you aren’t used to such unpleasantries.” The words themselves held no malice, but his eyes danced with humor as he looked me over. Sipping from his glass, he continued to eye me like a wolf observing its prey, searching for a moment of weakness. With little resolve, I slowly built the courage to speak.

“How did you do what you did �" the first time we met?” my voice was hoarse from being silent for so long, making my inquiry less than audible. Hearing my question, Astaroth raised an eyebrow.

“Now, why would you want to know a silly thing like that?” setting his glass back into place, he stared at me dubiously. A feeling of irritation peaked its head at his remark, my shoulders slumping in exasperation. With furrowed brows, I pierced him with a vicious glare, my hands clenched into fists. As I opened my mouth to speak, the waitress materialized with food in tow. With a genial tone, she broke the tense atmosphere. With a few parting words, she once again disappeared leaving behind the same lavender and rosemary scent in her wake. Ignoring the steaming plate in front of me, I stared intently at the man sitting across from me, his grey eyes returning my glare.

“I hardly see why you’re getting so riled up. If I were you, I’d control that temper of yours.”  With a smug look, Astaroth began to dig into his meal, the mention of my temper set me back. I never even thought over tonight’s events, I’ve never been one for violence and yet, that other woman gained so much pleasure from it. He must know about her as well, otherwise, what purpose does he have in being here? With new resolve, I slammed my palms onto the table, the table wear clinking due to the disturbance. Astaroth eyed me, with an irritated scowl.

“Answer me this, do you know what happened to me earlier? I know you were there!” An overwhelming feeling of desperation washed over me, forming a small lump in my throat, I felt the sting of tears threaten to spill.

“Please, I need answers.” Despite my attempts of hiding my distress, it was clear that he heard the hopelessness in my plea. Standing, he silently tossed money onto the table, and with a wag of his finger, urged me to follow him. Quickly gathering my things, I followed him, my short legs attempting to match his long stride. With the chime of the bell, we left the small café behind us.

 

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After walking for quite some time, Astaroth suddenly stopped in front of a small cemetery, observing my surroundings, I realized it wasn’t too far from home. Glancing warily, the night sky and glimmer of the moon gave the barren graveyard an ominous feel. With cautious steps, I continued to follow Astaroth, I noticed he walked much more carefully than before, as if he were searching for a specific tomb stone. Skimming name to name, I felt a prick of paranoia begin to set in. I found myself walking much more closely to Astaroth, though still managing to keep some distance between us.

Looking above me, I saw a crystal-clear night sky, here and there I could spot a few stars, but the sky was ultimately a sea of blackness. The sound of leaves rustling along the stony grounds, along with the occasional chirping of crickets filled the night air, making the graveyard appear even more foreboding. Abruptly I ran into something solid, due to my distractions, I had been completely unaware that Astaroth had halted his movement, earning me a fierce glare. Upon further observation, I noticed he had stopped in front of an ivory colored mausoleum, it was a small circular building, with a giant dome for a roof. It held small engravements along its sides written in what I presume to be Latin, small stairs led the path down towards a giant iron door that had rusted due to age.

“I see he went all out.” a satisfied sigh escaping his lips, Astaroth sauntered to the large door. Placing his hands on the small latches, he tried to pull the door open, but it refused to budge. With an exasperated look, Astaroth looked over at me, brows furrowed.

“Do you recognize this place?” With his inquiry, I felt my eyes narrow as began to think back. Looking intently at the strange mausoleum, I sifted through memories where I may have seen it. It being so close to my home, I know I certainly must have glanced at it, but that was the gist of my contact.

“Answer me this Nora, do you know your mother’s name?” at his question I felt the blood drain from my face, glancing once more at the building, I bit down on the rising fear that this may in fact be where my mother was buried. My father had never given me the privilege of knowing my mother’s name, nor did he share or have any pictures of her. With a shaky breath, I attempted to keep my voice calm.

“Do…do you know my mother’s name?” at my question, Astaroth merely pulled a small photo from his breast pocket, handing me it with little care.

The picture was of a young woman. She had long lavish black curls and striking blue eyes, though it was just a mere picture, her smile showed that she exuded nothing but happiness and grace. She wore a luxurious red gown that practically glowed against her pale skin, next to her, I saw a face I recognized. It was my father, only much younger. He had longer hair that reached his shoulders, his usual scowl was replaced with a proud smile.  His eyes cast downward, looking at the woman beside him lovingly.  This was my mother? Turning the small photograph over, I noticed two names were written in elegant cursive.  Gabriel Parker and Robin Duvall, June of nineteen ninety-two.

“Am I to assume from the tears, that this is your first time seeing a picture of your mother?” at the sound of Astaroth’s voice, I was slowly brought back to reality. Touching my fingers gingerly to my face, I could feel my cheeks were wet with tears. Embarrassed, I quickly wiped the tears away with the sleeve of my sweater, slowly, I looked over to Astaroth. His facial expression gave nothing away, though I was confused as to why he had this photo, I was more worried about why he brought me here in the first place.

Without any further hesitation, Astaroth stood once more in front of the door. With reluctance, I followed him, as I stood next to him, I could hear him whispering quietly to himself. He was speaking rapidly, in a language I didn’t understand. His eyes closed tightly shut, a small red hue forming between his enclosed hands, my eyes widened in surprise, a small gasp escaped my lips. With his eyes still closed, Astaroth placed his hands on each side of the iron door, a slow metallic clink causing the door to shake. Just as quickly as the red hue appeared, it vanished, leaving the iron door slightly ajar. Speechless, I merely stared, mouth agape at him. Nudging the door open, he grabbed a small zippo lighter from his pocket, lighting a nearby torch.

“Well, come on. You wanted answers, didn’t you?” with this last retort, Astaroth disappeared into the dark tomb, leaving me behind.

 

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Following blindly, I stepped cautiously into the tomb, the smell of dust and stale air filled my nostrils, as if the room hadn’t been touched in years. One by one, Astaroth lit the other torches, slowly filling the room with its soft golden hue. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I could see that the circular walls were barren, only the now lit torches created any décor. In the middle, lay a Victorian style coffin, it was of red mahogany with silver lining along its trim. Seeing the elegant coffin, I froze, in comparison Astaroth stood much closer to it, peering intently at the lid.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I joined Astaroth on the opposite side, upon closer inspection, I could see that the lid of the coffin was made of glass. Before I had the chance to look away, I could see the decomposed skeleton of my mother. The initial shock causing me to place my hand over my mouth in attempts to prevent any sound from protruding from my lips. A large hand was placed unto my shoulder, looking up, I could see Astaroth staring down at me, his expression was void of any emotion, but his eyes peered at me with something close to pity. Seeing it, I swiftly swatted his hand from me.

“Don’t look at me like that!” with tears stinging my eyes, I choked on my words, anger bubbling inside me. Staring back into the casket, I swallowed the pain and fear I felt. As I looked more closely, I could see she had her hands placed gently at her side, her skeletal body wore a laced vintage dress that frilled at the bottom near her ankles. Exhaling a shaky breath, I turned to find Astaroth idly touching the area I had swatted his hand away, his brows narrowed in displeasure. Mumbling to himself, he stared icily back at me.

“Are you quite done with your dramatics?” he spat at me with clear annoyance, quickly crossing the small tomb he sat nearby a torch. I took that as a hint and sat down opposite of him afar the tomb. Mentally shaking off the shock I still had, I was able to calmly think over the questions I still wanted answers for. With new resolve, I stared determinedly into Ashtaroth’s grey eyes.

“Will you answer my questions now?” my small voice echoed off the walls, filling the once quiet space. At my question, Astaroth bowed his head waving his hand urging me to continue. Inhaling deeply, I asked the first question that came to mind.

“How do you know my father?” Astaroth smiled at me, raising an eyebrow, with a small chuckle, he slowly began to speak.

“Your father and I, we have history. You see, your father, he fell in love with a mortal woman, that being your mother.” The more Astaroth spoke, the more malicious his words became.

“With love casting its blinding spell over you dear father, he had asked of me, to hide his scent from the Underworld. Thus, this created an opportunity for your precious daddy to live a normal life with his mortal lover.” Speaking in a matter of fact tone, I could not find a reason why I shouldn’t believe him. Though admittedly, it did throw me off hearing someone speaking so nonchalantly about the “Underworld”.

I’m not sure how long it had been since we had entered the tomb, looking outside, I could see it was still late in the night. Astaroth didn’t seem phased by my questions, nor did he seem like he was becoming bored of them. Most of my questions had been revolved around my father, his background, their connection, and such. But my biggest question remained.

“You were there, when that woman took over me. Do you know why that’s happening?” Choosing my words carefully, I managed to ask the question I had been holding back for quite some time.  Arching his brow, Astaroth slowly stood to his full height, feeling small compared to him, I stood as well. I had not once felt the need to feel more in control of a situation before, but something about Astaroth made me feel like I had to appear more dominant, that I was the one who held all the cards in my hand. With slow movements, Astaroth place a hand on his chin, fixing me with his eyes.

“That, my dear little cambion, is something even I do not know the complete answer to.” As if admitting this were hard, Astaroth furrowed his brows deep in thought. Admittedly, I was disappointed to hear this, heaving a heavy sigh, I slumped my shoulders. Today’s events finally weighing on me.

“I can however, give you my own personal theory.” Hearing this my spirits instantly perked up, sensing this, Astaroth wore a mocking grin.

“I believe, that you hold two different personalities inside of you. One being the normal Nora, or shall we call it your “Human side”. The other is your true self, let’s call her, “Dark Nora”. Pausing long enough to coax my reaction, Astaroth slowly brought himself closer to me, so that we were standing only a short distance away. With an even tone, he spoke once more.

“You see, I believe that your demonic side, dark Nora, is trying to escape. Every time you experience something emotionally and or mentally draining, she has the ability to take control. Thus, your true demonic self, is able to reveal itself for small fragments at a time.” Hearing his words, I wanted desperately to deny his idea, but given the information I have learned over these few days, and what I had personally experienced. I could not deny, this was the closest thing I was at getting any type of answer. Only time would truly tell, if this theory was accurate.

With that, Astaroth began blowing out the small torches, causing the room to slowly dim. Realizing this was a hint that Astaroth had nothing further to say, I slowly made my way to the door, Astaroth following at my heels. Thinking over all that I had learned tonight, we made our way back to my home, the streets draped in the blackness of the night sky. Neither Astaroth or I made any attempt at further conversation, but I wouldn’t say the silence was unpleasant. His bag made a gentle tinkling noise with each step he took, making the walk seem more rhythmic.

As I neared the gates, Astaroth cleared his throat. With reluctance I looked up at him, readying to thank him for walking me home. Before I could, Astaroth spoke.

“One more thing.” Listening to his deep voice, I could hear a hint of annoyance in his tone. With a puzzled expression I looked into his eyes.

“Stay away from those three.” With this he had begun to walk away, grabbing onto his bag I managed to stop him, his face plastered with a scowl.

“Stay away from who?” with this Astaroth merely smiled as if I had told a joke, with a laugh he answered me, clear disdain dripping off each word.

“Those tiresome demons and demon hunter, I will give you this warning once.” As he spoke Astaroth grabbed my chin, causing me to instinctively flinch and reach for the hand that held my chin in place. His lips were so close to mine, I could feel his breath as he spoke.

“They are only here to use you, you are nothing more than a prize, whether that be your death or your blood. Remember that.” Roughly, he released my chin, unable to move, I watched as his silhouette descended from me. Rubbing my chin, I made my way to the house making sure to lock the door behind me. As I crawled into my familiar bed, its warmth enveloping me, I felt myself instantly succumb to the soft whispers that sleep promised.

 

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(Point of View Astaroth)

 

            After parting from the girl, I found myself thinking deeply over what had transpired. From the café, to the mausoleum, I had not once been able to meet “Dark Nora”. Though it were disappointing, I felt my shoulders sink in relief.  It has been years since I had exuded so much power in such short periods of time, though it all be necessary, I can not say for certain I would have been a match for “Dark Nora’s” wrath. Although, if my theory were true, it must have taken immense strength for “Dark Nora” to take over the wheel. If I were able to meet her in Nora’s subconscious in her weakened state, it’d create the perfect opportunity to gain “Dark Nora’s” trust. Back tracking my steps, I made my way to Nora’s home, a new plan set into place.

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            Standing in the dark room that belonged to Nora, I could see her still sleeping form lazily draped along the bed. Her raven mane sprawled messily about her, covering her face. The sound of her peaceful breaths resounding in the small room, it seemed she somehow managed to sleep with ease regardless of today’s events.  With soft footsteps I made my way to the desk that was arranged neatly by her bed, sitting on the hard surface, I simply stared at the young girl sleeping beside me. Closing my eyes, I attempted to sense the dark entity that lived deep in Nora’s subconscious. After a few moments, just waves of darkness flashed through my minds view. Suddenly, the glint of red eyes filled my vision. With a smirk, I knew I had found her, inhaling deeply, I prepared myself for the journey into Nora’s subconscious.

 

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            Once I entered Nora’s subconscious, I was greeted with a never-ending darkness, quite like the room I created for Nora our first meeting. The only difference, was that I was not the one in control. If dark Nora deemed it necessary, she could easily kick me out or hold me captive inside her own darkness. As I began to search the room, I tried to feel out her power, to sense where it was that she was hiding.

“Come now, I know you aren’t hiding from me?” with a mocking tone, I attempted to coax the little demon out. When I received no response, I simply stood in place.

“If you wanted me gone, I would’ve been gone by now. Come, let’s talk.” Attempting once more to ease her out, I heard rustling behind me, turning on my heels I was met with crimson red eyes. Looking her over, I could see their appearances were drastically dissimilar. Where as human Nora, at first glance, seemed rather plain, dark Nora exuded sensuality. Her hair spiraled messily around her, the long locks curling around her slim shoulders and waist. Her crimson red eyes, were graced with lavish lashes, making her seem almost doll like, her lips stained red, a mocking smile dancing on her lips.

“How rude of me, not being a proper host.” As she spoke, she raised her brows at me, her voice filling the room. Instantly, I noticed her voice was deeper than human Nora, not by much, but enough to be able to distinguish between the two.

“Well, that wasn’t so hard was it.” Hearing my words, I heard dark Nora click her tongue at me, a humorous gleam in her eyes. Slowly, she began to step closer to me, curiosity of me clouding over her features. Reaching out to me, she placed her hand upon my shoulder, closing her eyes for a moment, she whispered softly to me.

“You do not feel like I imagined you would…strange.” Though the words seemed innocent, I questioned as to the meaning behind them. Furrowing her brows, she violently shoved past me, her little experiment seemed to be over.

“Well no matter, what is it you want with me? I’m assuming this isn’t a welcome party.” With her haughty tone she sauntered away from me, moving in a fluid motion, it was mesmerizing.

“On the contrary, I’m here to help.” I spoke slowly, putting emphasis on my words, I could see she didn’t fully trust me, for she arched a brow, folding her arms over her chest. I knew that dark Nora was going to be harder to intimidate, she had the personality of someone who was not easily manipulated, she was undoubtedly an alpha.

“I know how badly you wish to be freed from this…lovely home you’ve built. I’m here to make a deal.” Hearing my words, she merely frowned at me, her eyes narrowing. I still was unsure of what I could do to help the switch, but all I needed was her belief.

“Tell me, how do you expect that to happen?” with blatant irritation, she glowered at me, her pretty face scrunched up in an unpleasant scowl. Taking a step towards her, I tilted her chin the slightest towards me, little did I know the mistake I had made. Her eyes flashed in shock at my touch, though she did not move away from me.

“We weaken her mental state.” Speaking in a matter of fact tone, I spoke to her as if she were a child. Clearly displeased, she swatted my hand away. Seeing that I was losing my chance to hold her attention, I hurried my words.

“Send her into a spiral of shock, only then will you have the perfect opportunity to take over, permanently.” Dark Nora remained silent for a few moments, her head hung to the side as if she were in deep thought. Finally, she once again peered at me, seemingly happier than before.

Closing the distance between us, she looked deeply into my eyes, her crimson red ones pulling me in. I halted my breath, her rose scent wafting around me, enveloping me in a sweet caress. Grasping my shoulder with her slender fingers, a wide smile spread along her face.

“What’s this?” her silky voice mocked me, pressing herself against me, I could feel her lips at my ear.

“Do you really expect me to trust you, Astaroth?” hearing her melodic voice whisper my name, shocked me, not once had I introduced myself. Keeping my face void of emotion, I merely stared at her, her eyes danced as she smiled at me.

“I think you’ve overstayed your welcome.” With this she roughly pushed me. I could feel her shove affecting me both mentally and physically, she was shoving me out of Nora’s subconscious. As the darkness began spiraling around me, it became difficult to breathe, but I could faintly hear a few parting words.

“Don’t you fret. We will meet again one day.”