The Darkness

Niana pulled back quickly and straightened her dress, wiping the tears away from her face, “I’m so sorry, I’m just- you don’t know how glad I am to see you.” She looked into Serafina’s eyes, “You don’t remember me do you, Nikita?”

Serafina looked at those around her before bowing her head, “I’m sorry, I don’t.”

Niana lifted Serafina’s head with her finger before nodding, “It’s okay. All that matters is that you’re alive and you are safe.”

Niana turned back to Lorenzo before gasping, “Oh, your father would like to know you two are back.” She grabbed Lorenzo’s and Serafina’s hands.

“Our father?” Serafina asked, looking at Lorenzo.

“Talo.” Niana told her while leading them to where their father was residing.

Serafina’s mouth dropped open. Not only was she related to Lorenzo but her mother was the Goddess of Death and her father the God of Life.

She followed Niana without a complaint as she led them to a closed door. She pushed the door open and the three walked into a black and red office.

A man with black hair was filling out paperwork from behind a desk.

“Hello Father,” Lorenzo announced walking up to the man.

Talo looked up and smiled at Lorenzo, standing up and giving him a hug, “My son. You didn’t announce that you were coming today.”

“I wasn’t planning to but something came up,” He laughed, hugging the god back.

Talo looked up from his son’s shoulder and his eyes fell on Serafina, causing her to freeze. His smile dropped and a look of shock crossed his face.

“Nikita?” Talo whispered and Serafina looked over to Niana. He let go of Lorenzo and walked up to Serafina, grabbing her by her arms and looking to her eyes before hugging her.

“Talo, she doesn’t remember,” Niana told him, setting her hand on his back. He pulled back from Serafina to look at his beloved and then looked back at Serafina.

“I’m so sorry.”

He smiled at her and caressed her face, “You have nothing to be sorry for. You are still our daughter no matter what.”

Serafina could feel herself smile at Talos sentence. Aside from Kai she never really felt as if she had a family. When she was with the Dark Meakus and Lamia were no more than her predecessors, they set her up for taking the throne and that was it.

These people, even though she didn’t remember them, welcomed her without wavering, accepted her as their daughter.

“Well, should we have lunch, since we are here.” Lorenzo offered.

“That’s a great idea, Lykos, and Nikita can tell us about her time on earth.” Niana smiled, throwing her arm over Serafina.

“Actually, my name is Serafina,” She told them, feeling uncomfortable with them calling her by a name she wasn’t well-fixed with. The two looked at her and nodded ,accepting that as her new name.

“So Serafina tell us about who you really are,” Niana asked as they began to eat lunch.

Serafina took a bite of her sandwich and set it down, “I’m Queen of Hel and I am a hybrid between a Mesmur, Fury and Siren. also was born or reborn into the Dark royal family.”

“How did you come to be Queen of Hel?” Talo asked her.

She gave a nervous smile and an awkward laugh, “I died, actually. The Dark Queen, my younger sister, wanted the crown so she stabbed me in the back. When I died my soul went to Hel and I was imprisoned, for whatever reason I can no longer remember. I met a boy- the king’s son- and when I saw what his father, I was doing I challenged the king for his crown. And then I melted his brain and forced him to take his sword and cut his heart out and place it by my feet.” She took a sip of the tea they provided and gauged their reactions.

“What did you make of the boy?” Lorenzo asked, having never heard the story before.

“That boy was Kai. I adopted him as my brother and I will have his coronation as Prince of Hel held soon.” She directed at first to Lorenzo and then to Talo and Niana.

“And the Dark Queen, you haven’t gotten revenge?” Niana asked, her cheerful mood turned dark.

Serafina took her head, “Doing that would set my people back 3,000 years and besides I have more pressing matters than dealing with the Dark Queen.”

“But she killed you, she should be punished,” Niana protested.

“She is being punished. I am the rightful heir to the Dark Throne and I can take that black jewelled crown away from her by law. She knows this and is afraid that I’ll really do it, giving me complete control over her whether she knows it or not.”

Talo smiled at her proudly yet said nothing. She then realised that Lorenzo knew who she was from the very beginning and didn’t tell her.

“Excuse me, is there a weapons room here?” She asked the Deities.

“Yes, would you like Thanatos to show you?” Niana asked her.

“That would be lovely,” She smiled at them and stood up, tapping Lorenzo’s chair, “Get up.”

He looked at her before sighing and setting his drink down. With the click of Niana’s fingers Thanatos was leading the two to the weapons room. When they entered the room Serafina trailed her hands over the different weapons, having never seen such a beautiful knife collection in her life.

“Why are we here, Serafina?” Lorenzo asked from the entrance.

“You’re technically my brother, correct? Well, instead of yelling at each other, me and my siblings have a different way of settling disagreements. Choose your weapon,” She picked a dagger and ran her finger down the blade to test its sharpness before grabbing its twin.

“Would one of you like to choose the rules,” Lorenzo asked as he picked up a regular long-sword

“Fight until one gives, no shifting, controlling, singing, or using your Fury. Do you agree to these terms?” Thanatos announced.

Serafina shrugged, “Fine by me. Lorenzo?”

“I agree. Though I find this whole thing to be dumb and immature.”

Serafina used his fleeting distaste as an opening to swing her dagger but he caught it in time. He staggered back at the force of the block but remained on his feet. He searched her face for any sign of what she would do next, but like a true warrior she remained emotionless and kept her eyes on him as not to give away her next move.

She swung again, aiming for the same spot, using that knife as a distraction. Her other blade sliced at his abdomen and nicked his skin.

He hissed and aimed his sword for her neck. She ducked and did a flip away from him. He touched the bleeding cut and looked back at her smiling face.

The two were equally skilled at combat, so the game of swing and block went on and on, but Serafina had stamina and that gave her the advantage when Lorenzo started to tire out.

She ducked another one of his attacks and kicked her leg out, knocking his feet out from under him. He hit the floor with a thud and groaned, having not landed properly.

“Do you give, Lykos?” Talo spoke when Lorenzo didn’t get up.

“I give,” He said with a breathless laugh.

She smiled and held her hand out to him, pulling him up and grabbing his shoulder and pointing her blade at his abdomen which caused him to tense up, “Next time you withhold information as big as this, I won’t go easy on you.”

She patted his shoulder and walked away from him

“Wait, that was easy?!” Lorenzo shouted at her.

Thanatos walked up to her and said, “You are really something, Serafina.”

She took the water bottle he was holding out to her and said, “Damn right I am.”