The Darkness

That night when she dreamed, she wasn’t greeted with the nightmare that had been plaguing her since she obtained the mark. She was laying in her bedroom and she would have believed she blinked if it wasn’t for the cold, empty feeling that filled her room. She sat up and looked around her. Aviry was sleeping next to her like he was before she fell asleep, the tv was playing except the sound was slightly muffled. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary except the little girl that stood next to her bed.

The Nain Rouge.

“Hello Nikita.” The Nain Rouge greeted with her cold, distorted voice.

“Nain Rouge. To what do I owe the pleasure.” She sighed, a dreading feeling set deep with Serafina’s bones.

“A darkness is spreading within.” The Nian Rouge walked around Serafina’s bed and sat on it.

“Within me?” Serafina couldn’t help asking, remembering that the prophecy stated that she would be a slave to darkness.

“Within everyone,” The child corrected, “they will be the end of everyone- gods and Fae alike.”

Serafina’s head tilted as she examined the Naian Rouge, “You’re scared.”

The child flinched slightly and spoke in a shaky tone, “I have seen many disasters and wars over the years but this will be like no one’s has ever seen.”

The Nain Rouge, though a watcher of disasters and wars- a documenter if you will, she was still a child. She was allowed to be scared about some things- to be a child- but like Serafina she couldn’t because she had to keep people from making rash decisions out of fear- to guide them.

Serafina held her arms out to the child and the Nain Rouge look at her sceptically before slowly moving so that Serafina could embrace her.

“It’s okay to be a little frightful,” She whispered against the girl’s hair.

“You know what you have to do, don’t you Nikita?” The child said after a moment of silence.

“Yes, I do.” Serafina confirmed.

“If you do it, you won’t make it out alive. But you know this as well, do you not?”

“I know this.”

“Soyou’re willing to make that choice?” The Nian Rouge looked up at her and Serafina nodded.

“Yes. Because it means everyone will live and be happy- my death will not be in vain.” Serafina whispered. She wasn’t trying to convince herself or anyone else because that is what she truly believed. If everyone else- Kai, Aviry, Lorenzo, Naiana, Talo, every person she has ever met- got to live she would be happy, even if she couldn’t see their happiness.

The Nian Rouge set her head back down and whispered, “You truly have a soul of white. I’m sorry for what will become of you.”

Serafina said nothing and just kept holding the girl. Serafina only hoped that once she died, she would get to see her children once more. That was all she wanted, to be the mother she couldn’t be. And she couldn’t help but think that her daughter would have been just like the girl that laid in her arms in that moment.

She woke up to her phone ringing.

“Hello?” She answered, groggily.

“Serafina, someone ordered a hit on the castle,” Her advisor’s voice came through the other line. With that she was fully awake and sat up, her eyes almost glowing with rage.

“Who,” She asked this knowing all too well who would be stupid enough to try a dumb move as declaring war against her.

“The Dark Queen. That’s not all- she’s got the light to side with her as well. And Kai got caught in the crossfire,” He explained. Serafina gripped her phone so tight that the screen started to crack and her hand bled.

“Will he live?” Her voice was tight and clipped.

“The doctors don’t know; his life is hanging by a thread.” Serafina saw red.

“Shut down the portals and make sure no one leaves or enters Hel, not even the spirits. Understood?” She ordered him.

“Yes, should I do anything else?” He asked.

“No. It’s a pest problem I have to deal with personally.” She growled.

“Serafina, don’t kill anyone,” He begged her.

“Can’t make any promises.” She ended the call and looked back at Aviry who was now awake.

“What are you about to do?” He asked her.

“First, I’m going to kill my brother and then my sister,” She told him, throwing her blanket off and storming out of her room. Aviry followed behind her to make sure she really didn’t kill Lorenzo. She stormed over to his room and started banging on the door as hard as she could.

“Lorenzo get your pale ass up and face me you little bitch!” She screamed at the door. Aviry muttered something along the lines about her not being able to talk about someone else being pale.

“Lorenzo you got 5 seconds before I break your fucking door down and beat your ass worse than I planned to!” She banged on the door harder and almost hit him in the face when he suddenly opened the door.

“Fuck! What do you need at 4 in the fucking morning!” He growled at her.

“What is all this goddamn bloody noise, I put up with not sleeping when you two were babies. Let me fucking sleep!” Talo and Naiana came out of the room and yelled at them.

“This little bitch’s kingdom just joined up with the fucking Dark to fucking attack my castle,” She yelled, gesturing to Lorenzo.

“What?”

“Why the hell would I allow that”

“She stole your brownie batter ice cream,” Aviry spoke up and everyone looked at him like he was crazy, “What? Hali and Serafina have divided the house for less.” Serafina had to admit that he wasn’t wrong.

“Wait hold up, you’re the one who took my ice cream?” Talo asked.

“Beside the point dad. Why would I let my people join up with the person who literally stabbed my sister, Serafina?” Lorenzo asked her.

She sighed and calmed herself down, “We have both been absent for too long and Hali believes she can use our absence to claim hold over our kingdoms.”

He nodded, “I will gain control of my people.”

“I will deal with that Dark Bitch myself. Seems I’ve let her sit on my throne too long and she’s gotten comfy.” She left him with that and they both left to get dressed.