Page 123 of In Between Darkness
“That’s no way to speak to your father.” His dad strides towards him, and Ryder retaliates by spitting in his face. He remains calm and pulls a handkerchief from his pocket, slowly wiping the saliva from his stern face.
“You’re not my father, not anymore. You’re dead to me.” Ryder’s words are harsh as they scrape off his tongue.
“She’s made you weak,” he snarls, swiping him viciously across the face. “I miss the days when you would just shut up and do as you were told.” He hits him again, harder this time. I cringe and look away.
“I’m glad Mum is not here to see this,” Ryder taunts with gritted teeth. “Because she would want you dead.”
Darryn looks like he has reached his boiling point; his tight lips lift to reveal tightly pressed teeth as he hits Ryder again with more force.
“STOP!” I scream at his cruelty. Ryder takes the hit like a champ and spits out blood from his mouth. His lip is split, and his eye is bruised.
“I’m okay, Asha… don’t worry about me.” His eyes find mine like two boats colliding in troubled waters.
“You’re dead when I get out of these chains,” he snarls at the man who has lost the title of father. His words are made up of everything Darryn lacks: passion, emotion, and feeling. And I know he means it.
“Not me. But maybe her.” The corners of his lips curl into a smirk as he approaches me. “When the serum works, you will obey me.” He points to Ryder, and I wish I’d bitten his finger clean off when I had the chance. “And I will order you to kill her.”
The room falls silent, forced to bask in the horror of his words.
“We just need her blood first.”
Two more soldiers approach me with a needle. My fists tighten in anger, knuckles white with tension. My skin feels hot like it is burning, and it flushes redder and redder as the blood rushes to the surface. It’s now or never. I ignite my Gifts, exploding into a rage as I push through the searing pain in my wrists and break the cuffs that held me hostage. Thinking quickly, I Influence both soldiers into the wall, their bodies flailand smash against the hard tile, landing on the floor with a thud. Four more soldiers run in, but I don’t let them make it past the door. I hurl a large ball of light in their direction and watch as the flames eat away at them one by one before turning to Darryn and Miss Worthington, armed with a fierce orb of light and a shadow of darkness.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Miss Worthington says.
I can barely see her through the red haze. The flames have a mind of their own, they are hungry for revenge and sizzle like molten in my veins. I am about to erupt. But through the burning embers I see an image that stops me in my tracks, that tames the beast within me. Nala. They have Nala.
Chapter Forty-Nine
My mind is in battle, fighting with me, wanting so badly to release the hell that simmers under my skin. But they have Nala, dragging her into the room unconscious, her feet scraping against the polished marble floors. I will try to snuff out the flames for her.
Her limp body bumps against the door frame, a dull thud echoing in the otherwise silent space. Her arms and feet are bound by rope, and her head is lolled to the side, as her weight rests in the arms of Charlie.
“See, I took a little precaution,” Miss Worthington says, and my fists return to their clenched state. “Charlie here has been my eyes and ears for a while now.” Her words eat through the tension in the air with razor-sharp teeth.
“Charlie?” I call out in disbelief; this sense of betrayal cuts deep. “Nala loved you… How could you?” Sorrow dulls my words as I think back to the excitement Nala had felt when she met Charlie. All the fangirl moments and blushing… and it was all a lie.
“He’s a Deceiver, Asha; I can see his true face,” Ryder interrupts, and my blood boils again. The fire reignites in my palm, and I fantasise about watching him burn.
“Being with you two the past few months has been hell. But every touch, every kiss, every putrid show of affection let me get in there,” Charlie replies, pointing to Nala’s head. His lips move in time with his words, but it does not sound like Charlie.
I feel like I am staring back at a stranger. A stranger with resentment in his eyes. “Which ultimately led me to you.” He points at me with a sinister smile.
“You’ve done an excellent job, my son.” Miss Worthington smiles at Charlie, and a twisted piece of the puzzle slots into place. I don’t say anything for a moment, just stare back in shock.
“Son?” Anger seethes through my veins; this deceit somehow feels more personal now.
“You heard correctly,” Miss Worthington affirms. “The Suns took him from me when they found out he was a Moon. With our new army, we will claim the revenge we seek.”
She stands behind Charlie, proudly resting her palm against his back, and I feel sick.
“This is just the start… sorry you had to be collateral.”
I scoff at her pathetic apology and fight the urge to rip her throat out. Charlie smirks at me and turns back to a limp Nala. With stiff fingers, he lifts her head up into his hands, squeezing her cheeks tightly, then lets go like she means nothing to him, her head dropping violently again.
“DON’T YOU TOUCH HER!” I scream, readying myself to unleash the bullet of light in my hand.
Ryder tries to shake off the soldiers pinning him down, but they are relentless.
