Tempting Darkness

Kalen frowned and appeared to be thinking. He went to speak before closing his mouth. A dark expression crossed his features before turning on his heel and walking off.

My stomach sank, wondering why the sudden change in his attitude. Surely, he didn't believe what Darius had said, but then again, I didn't really know any of them well enough to judge their behavior. A kick to my leg pulled my gaze away from a retreating Kalen. I hissed at the sudden pain radiating up my leg.

"Get up, and get to your next class!" Darius spat at me. The look of pure hatred on his face made me cringe away. My eyeballs pulsating in my head, along with the pounding headache, and all I wanted to do was find somewhere to lie down and rest for a bit. Climbing to my feet, I staggered. The ground felt like it was moving, and my vision blurred. Touching the back of my head, I winced, quickly pulling my fingers away to find blood had stained them.

"I said, get to the next class!"

I flinched at his closeness and forced myself to move. "What time is it?" I asked as I tried not to limp. Each footfall caused pain as the rocks stabbed and sliced my tender feet.

"Lunch just finished," Lycus answered, and I nodded. My stomach growled hungrily at the mention of food. I couldn't believe I had been out here for hours. Zac had just left me there. That thought stung a little at the knowledge that not a single person here cared if I suddenly dropped dead.

"Where are your shoes?" I didn't bother answering Lycus, and Darius growled behind me when I stopped to glance back at him.

"I don't know where I am going," I admitted. Let alone what class I had next.

"The mess hall. Now, get moving," Darius snarled. Lycus moved toward me and gripped my arm. Tobias and Darius both growled at him.

"For f**k's sake, Darius, look at her feet. She can barely f*****g walk."

"Well, if she didn't skip classes, I may have given her shoes," he retorted.

"I didn't skip. I fell off because of that jerk-" I argued but stopped, not seeing the point in debating my tardiness with him.

"Because of whom?" Tobias demanded, and I glanced at him to see Darius glare at him. Tobias quickly looked away and added nothing else when my feet suddenly went from under me. I shrieked, not expecting it, and Lycus grabbed me, scooping me up in his arms. "Lycus!" Darius roared, and I felt the energy rush out of him, which made me suddenly want to run. Terror filled me, and I wanted Lycus to put me down before Darius did something. Lycus just held me tighter and started walking when I smacked into Darius's chest while in Lycus's arms. Lycus stopped, staring at him.

"She can walk," Darius told him, but Lycus held his gaze unafraid of him while I pushed closer to Lycus. The movement was not missed by Darius, who glared at me.

"She is done for the day," Lycus said, his voice even as he barged past him, walking around a furious Darius.

Everything ached. There wasn't a single part of me that didn't hurt, and I had never felt so relieved to be locked back in my room; I would take this prison cell over not having to face those men again. Lycus had placed me on my feet just inside the room before shutting the door. He'd locked it. I heard the door click and heard him storm off up the hall.

He didn't say a word to me, yet I could tell he was second-guessing getting me out of classes after we got back to the castle. Every time my skin touched his, he would tense like he couldn't even bear the thought that any part of me was near him. His jaw was tense as he climbed the stairs before placing me in the room and leaving. I kind of hoped I could see Kalen. I couldn't understand the strange vibes I got from him.

Like I needed to protect him, but from what? Like he was fragile somehow. I noticed they were super protective of him, but I wouldn't hurt him. I had no magic to even if I wanted to. It fizzled out, and until they either gave me some, which was unlikely, or I managed to sneakily obtain some, I was utterly defenseless, and that thought scared me.

As I moved toward the bathroom, pain rippled up my legs. It caused agony through the bottoms of my feet, but I needed to clean them. I winced when I placed my foot on the cold tiles, my foot sliding as my blood stained the tiles, making them slippery.

I made my way over to the bathtub and sat on the edge, planning to rinse them under the tap and assess the damage, when the door suddenly opened. I looked up to see Kalen step in with an angry-looking Lycus. Lycus quickly glanced out the door into his room before shutting and locking it. Lycus moved to the door leading into my room, and I jumped up in a panic when he closed and locked it also. They were locking me in.

"Woah, woah, calm down. I won't hurt you. Neither will Lycus, see?" Kalen said, pulling bandages from his pockets and alcohol wipes and showing them to me.

"Just hurry, Kalen. If Darius comes in and finds you with her, he will lose it," Lycus told him.

"Since when doesn't he, Lye? He gets angry if I am out of damn sight for more than five minutes or if I don't text him every five bloody minutes," Kalen mumbled. Lycus sighed but perched himself upon the sink basin while I glanced between the two of them.