The Dark of the Core

Reunion

A small whimpering could be heard nearby. Devin exchanged a glance with Vince before they both took off in the direction of the sound. It was not long before they came upon a dead end where the whimpering was getting louder. They cautiously stepped forward past a big blue rubbish bin where they finally found her. She was lying against the brick wall next to the bin all curled up. They both could both see the blood stains and bruises on her soaked body. Her face was twitching in pain and her body was shivering slightly.  Devin quietly crouched down next to her resisting the urge to throw his arms around her.

“Skye…” He called softly and stretched a hand out hovering over her shoulder, not touching it. Vince gave a small growl of warning from behind him reminding him to be on his guard. Devin had just nodded his head when Skye, as if sensing his presence opened her eyes into the tiniest of slits. After seeing that he was really there, her eyes widened even more showing blood red crimson eyes. He heard Vince gasp from behind him in surprise. Skye’s mind went blank and the world around her became a blur except for Devin. Is he real…or am I dreaming…?

Devin hesitated wondering what to do next when Skye shocked him by placing a bloodied hand on his own. Her touch was feather light almost as if she hadn’t touched him at all. “Let us bring you home.” Vince said gently trying not to scare her as he stepped up beside Devin. At the word ‘home’, a gasp escaped Skye’s lips and she sat up while trembling even more. Devin shot a glare at his surprised brother and turned back to Skye. “No, I don’t want to go home! I don’t want to go!” She cried under her breath looking at Devin and Vince with panic-stricken eyes.

Devin quickly nodded his head in understanding to her words. “Okay, we won’t bring you home.” He could see the look of disapproval on Vince’s face but ignored it. “Where would you like to go then?” Devin asked, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder but she jumped out of his reach. His eyes fell briefly on the red bite mark on her neck and he felt the anger well up in him again. He took a deep breath to calm himself. 

"Please don't hurt me, don't touch me." Skye cried out as she watched him, her eyes blurry with tears and she held her wounded body, looking and sounding like a wounded animal, her cries of desperation enough to make Devin and Vince's hearts’ break into a million tiny pieces. Vince quickly turned away while Devin swallowed deeply the lump that had somehow formed in his throat. 

“Skye…” He called her name softly, not wanting to scare her. “I will never hurt you. I just want to get you somewhere safe.”

There was no reaction or reply from Skye. She just kept watching him as if afraid he was going to do something to her, even though she knew he would not hurt her. Finally she gave a tiny nod of her head. Devin didn’t know what she was agreeing to but he slowly and hesitantly raised his hand again. Skye shut her eyes tightly and braced herself for his touch. However, when nothing happened after a few minutes that seemed like hours, she opened her eyes again to see Devin clenching his fist and looking down at the ground angrily. She felt sort of sad seeing him so frustrated and knowing she was the cause.

 “You…”

The word escaped her before she had time to think about it. Skye had no idea why she had said that. She just felt so safe and secure with Devin. As soon as he met her eyes, she quickly turned away. She desperately wished he would say or do something but nothing happened. Finally after a few moments, she took a deep breath and placed her hand on Devin’s clenched fist. The contact made both jump slightly and she quickly took her hand away only to have him catch it midair. Immediately she pulled back in fear causing Devin to put his hands up trying to show her he meant no harm. 

Skye took another breath to steady herself before nodding. “Can you take me home with you?” She asked quietly, biting her lip. When she heard no reply, she looked up to see Devin looking at her with an odd look. However before she could question it, his expression changed as he nodded. 

“I’ll have to carry you though. I doubt it will be…comfortable for you to walk.” He said, choosing his words carefully.

Skye’s eyes widened slightly and she started to hyperventilate, horrifying memories invading her mind again until Vince called her name. She turned to him timidly. 

“Skye, we are not going to hurt you.” He said softly trying to reassure you. 

“I know…” She replied in a shaky voice, surprising both Devin and Vince. “It’s just…” She swallowed deeply while closing her eyes tightly trying to block out the images. 

“Hey…stop.” Devin called softly causing Skye to open her eyes to look at him. She stared at him for a few moments before looking briefly at Vince then back at Devin. 

“I’m ready…” Devin was right in the sense that her body was too weak at the moment to move at all. Devin knew Skye was still afraid but she wanted to get away from that place so he didn’t say anything. 

“Try to think about something else.” He offered while moving closer towards her. Giving a curt nod of her head, she closed her eyes tightly trying not to think about Cayleb. Instead she thought about Devin and the concern she always sees in his eyes for her. She felt Devin move his hands until one was on her upper back while one hooked under her legs. She tensed up instinctively upon his touch. Quickly she forced herself to think of every memory she has had with Devin so far. Every moment he cared and comforted her made her body relax bit by bit. When she was lifted into the air and Devin started walking away, Skye gasped.

Devin watched as her hands flew to her neck in panic and found it bare except for a swollen patch of skin. He knew exactly what she was looking for before she even spoke. 

“Necklace…” Skye muttered while straining her head to look around on the ground. Devin also turned to observe the ground and saw his brother doing the same. He prayed that Vince did not find it first for there would be hell to pay once he witnesses Skye’s memories. Unfortunately, Devin was too late as he saw his brother bend towards the ground to pick up something.

“Is this it?” Vince asked wrapping his hand around the dark crystal pendant along with Skye’s discarded school bag. As soon as he came in contact with the crystal, he let out a surprised gasp. Different images started invading his mind and he realized that they were memories. He could recognize Skye in each one. Each memory that played made him feel even more nauseous. He saw the faces of Alex, Heather and one familiar guy with blond hair he saw at Mizuya last time. The memories were playing way too fast for him to catch up when suddenly they were gone. He turned to see Devin staring at him with an unreadable expression. In Devin’s hand was the pendant and Vince saw how his brother avoided touching the crystal. However, Vince was still trying to recover from the shock of what he saw. As his mind replayed everything till the end, he stumbled back slightly as the last face he saw popped into his head. He turned to look at Skye in surprise just as Devin was hooking the necklace around her. No, she couldn’t have…

Devin ignored his brother and turned around with Skye in his arms. He had avoided touching the crystal, uncertain of how his own self-control would hold. He had only taken a few steps when he felt a hand clamp firmly onto his shoulder. Before his brother could speak, Devin shrugged Vince’s hand off roughly. 

“Later, brother.” He said over his shoulder, all the while keeping his eyes on Skye. She had her eyes closed and her hands clutched the pendant tightly, a relieved expression on her face. Perhaps it was his imagination but Devin could have sworn he saw the colour return to Skye’s cheeks as soon as she touched the crystal again.

***

Skye didn’t know she had fallen asleep until she opened her eyes and found herself in an unfamiliar setting. At first she thought she was in Annenion but it was not yet time. It was dark but with her demon senses and the moonlight streaming in through the open window, she was able to make out the room she was in. It was definitely larger than the room she occupied at the Lowes. However, it did not instil the same fear in her. The room, although dark, made her feel oddly comfortable. She sat up on the bed causing the blanket on her to fall to her waist. She raised one hand to rub her eyes and realized that it no longer had dried blood on it. The bruises were obvious though and she could still feel the pain. Her other hand was still clutched around her pendant so it must have been difficult for it to be cleaned. There was a huge bandage on the left side of her neck where Cayleb had bitten down on her. She could still feel the pain and bit down on her lip to prevent more tears. Gingerly, Skye raised the crystal up into the moonlight. It gleamed slightly showing some redness on its edges.

After spending a few moments wiping her blood off the crystal, Skye moved the covers off her and placed her feet on the ground. She slowly made her way out of the room feeling the dull yet familiar ache as she walked. On the way down the stairs, she could hear voices talking and a television in the background. As she got closer, the voices stopped. Skye also froze in her step wondering how they knew she was there when she didn’t even make a voice. Footsteps approached her and she felt her heart beating wildly against her chest. Just as she was about to turn around and run back up the stairs, Devin appeared in her vision. Skye breathed a sigh of relief but did not move from her position. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of her before he straightened up. He seemed as if he wanted to ask something but decided against it. Instead he outstretched his hand towards her as an invitation. She looked at it in confusion wondering what he wanted. However, Devin just gave her a small assuring smile. Hesitantly, Skye placed her hand under his hand. His grasp was soft as he led her slowly into the living room where she saw Vince, who gave her a wide smile and another man who had his back to her. Somehow just the presence of the man was able to intimidate Skye as she felt herself shrinking backwards.

“Skye, you know my brother, Vince.” Devin said as he motioned to Vince who immediately ran up to Skye. 

“How are you feeling, buttercup?” He asked cheerfully though with concerned eyes. Skye found herself staring at him in surprise. No one had ever given her a pet name before. It makes me feel… Quickly, Skye shook her head mentally. It will never happen again anyway… She looked down to the floor and gave a small shrug. Before Vince could speak, Devin glared at him causing him to stop. 

“That person is Eavis.” He continued pointing Skye in the direction of the other man. “He is my…father.”

Skye turned and wondered why Devin was so hesitant in admitting the man was his father. Is there some sort of issue between the two of them…?  Biting down on her lip, she turned to Eavis just as he was turning around to face her. As soon as their eyes met, both took a step back in surprise. Skye would have gasped if her throat had not felt so constricted. She had never met the man before in her life yet she could see her own resemblance to him. The straight hair she hid under her wig was the exact same pitch of black. Though his eyes were violet, the rest of his face had the same roundness and shape as her own. She could not help wondering if perhaps this man was related to her in some way.

The sight that beheld him when he turned around was enough to send him stumbling backwards. It was like looking into a mirror of himself. The girl had similar facial features like him. Though he had to admit the crimson eyes were rare, his attention was brought solely on the black crystal hanging around the girl’s neck. That was what surprised Eavis the most. He could still remember the last time he saw that crystal. It was also the last time he saw the two most important women in his life.

The air was filled with screams and the tearing of flesh. The smell of blood lingered everywhere making even the demon himself nauseous. However, his goal was set, his decision final. No one will take the woman he loves away from him. Even if he has to give up his own life for her, he wouldn’t mind. After all, he already gave up his ability just to protect her from the pain of sadness. Soon the screams stopped and all was heard was the marching feet of his army. He was now almost certain that his enemy had no more troops remaining, making them vulnerable. He was proved wrong when his army and him emerged from the forest.

The first thing he saw were golden arrowheads pointing at him then his eyes locked onto the men with spears behind. There were too many for him to count. The sight had caused his whole army to freeze. They were trapped and most likely to die yet he had not even caught a glimpse of her beautiful face. The fight started before he could comprehend. It was a furious battle on both sides yet he just wanted to get to the middle of it. He wanted to see that hateful face and smash it into pieces.

His claws had just pulled another head off a soldier when he felt a hand pull him forcefully away. He did not recognize the hooded figure as they entered the forest to be alone. After a few moments of running, the hood dropped to reveal long luscious brown hair. Without thinking, he pulled her to his chest and kissed her passionately on the lips. She was surprised but gradually melted into him. He found it odd how she kept her hands within her cloak.

“Eavis, will you do anything for me?”

There was no hesitation or doubt in his answer when he replied. She only nodded her head before pulling away her cloak to reveal a small sleeping baby. However, he had no time to speak as she pushed it into his arms frantically.

“You have to leave. Please keep our daughter safe.”

She then proceeded to hook the he had infused his powers with around the baby girl. He asked her what was happening but she just shook her head while pushing him away. Suddenly he saw two of his most loyal subjects enter the forest looking for him. The two brothers quickly ran to him to make sure he was alright. However, before either of them could speak a bright light surrounded them. Just as darkness consumed him, he heard her voice for the last time.

“Keep her safe…”

He remembered that the pendant was clear as day when she had given it to their child. Shaking himself from his flashback, Eavis quickly moved towards the girl causing her to stumble back in fear. His hand stretched out towards the necklace around her neck but she quickly hid behind Devin cowering. 

“Where did you get that necklace, girl?” He asked somewhat fearful of the answer. Both Devin and Vince had stepped forward protectively for the girl. Eavis was shocked to even hear Devin growling while baring his teeth. In all his years, Devin had never shown one ounce of disrespect to him. This girl was definitely not normal.

Skye hesitated as one of her hands flew to the pendant around her neck and clutched it. Why does this man want to know…? “I-I’ve had it with me since birth.” She said, deciding to be honest with the strange man. “Annabelle said it was just a piece of useless…junk that my parents threw in with me.” While speaking she had missed the smirk Vince had exchanged with Devin during her talk. Apparently they both knew what word she had replaced in her sentence.

A low growl was the only response to her words and it made Skye cringe. She didn’t dare to look up into the trembling man in front of her. 

“It is not a useless piece of junk.” Eavis hissed trying his hardest to control his temper. He did not miss the concerned looks on both Vince and Devin’s faces. 

The girl shook her head agreeing with him. “O-Of course it isn’t! I treasure it a lot…It has helped me…” Skye said softly then she realized she had spoken too much and bit down on her lip hard. Devin probably thought she was crazy and she couldn’t blame him but…why should she care what he thinks? Why did his opinion matter so much…? 

“I’m sorry…” She apologized, feeling the tears threatening to fall. She glanced up briefly and blanched as she saw the scene on television. The headline read: Beast still on the Loose? It was accompanied by a censored picture of a maimed body. The sight caused Skye to feel sick and disgusted. Ignoring the pain in her lower half, she turned around and ran out of the house.

Devin looked worriedly from Skye to Eavis then to Vince and back to the front door. He hadn’t noticed the way she stared at the television but Vince had. Without a word, Devin quickly followed after her. After seeing Devin leave, the rest of Skye’s words replayed in Eavis’s head. ‘I’ve had it with me since birth.’ Immediately Eavis cursed under his breath surprising Vince who had never heard him swear before. 

“Are you alright, master?” Vince asked clearly concerned as he attempted to place a hand on Eavis’s shoulder. Eavis shrugged him off roughly and turned to glare at him causing Vince to flinch away. 

“What do you think? I might have just become my one and only daughter’s nightmare!”

***

Murderer...Failure...

The words kept repeating themselves over and over again in her head. It was sprinkling lightly when she had first ran out of the house but now the rain was pouring down hard around her. Skye running until her tired feet gave way underneath her. She fell towards the ground with a cry and did not bother to get up. The rain pattered down silently around her and she wished it could just wash her existence away. She had just closed her eyes when she heard the sound of running footsteps. After a few moments, Skye found herself wrapped in a familiar warmth. She did not move away from the touch, in fact she revelled in it. Her eyes opened a fraction and she looked straight into Devin’s eyes. He was no longer wearing his glasses which allowed her to see his real eyes for the first time. She was surprised to see that his eyes were a blue in colour, almost electric, and they were filled with concern for her. Skye felt her breath catch in her throat. Besides Faith and Diego, no one had cared for her so much before and she was at a loss of what to do.

Devin continued rubbing circles on Skye’s back soothingly. He could tell she was weak mentally and physically. She seemed to be deep in thought as she stared at him. 

“You shouldn’t be near me...” Skye said softly while pushing herself away from Devin. Immediately she missed the heat of his body against her soaked body and it puzzled her greatly. His brows knitted together in confusion and he attempted to move towards her but she shook her head frantically. “Y-You don’t know! I’m bad for you!” Skye continued saying, feeling she was near breaking point. If she did not stop soon, she was bound to tell him the truth. 

Devin had to hold himself back from sighing in frustration. “I seriously don’t care! I told you I want to be your friend! You didn’t force me, Skye. It was my choice.” He said firmly reaching his hands out for her but she jerked away. 

“No, I’ve killed people!” She shouted then gasped at the realization of what she had just done.

Tears streamed down her cheeks causing her eyes to hurt more. She had finally said it. Now he would leave and want nothing more to do with her. Maybe he would even turn her over to the police. This is what she wanted yet why did she feel so disappointed? 

When a few minutes passed and he didn’t say a word, Skye spoke again. “Don’t you get it? I’m a murderer.” She said softly, the guilt stabbing her painfully. 

All Devin could do was just to continue staring. He had no idea what to say or do in a situation like this. He knew she expected him to be surprised and disgusted but how could he? She seemed so broken and resigned. He did not have the heart to judge her. After all, he had done much worse things in his life. Instead, he leaned forward and pulled her tight to his chest. She gave a small cry of surprise then she started to sob uncontrollably.

Minutes passed before her sobbing gradually died down though Devin did not release her. Skye moved her hands up and hesitantly held on to Devin’s arms. “I guess I will be heading to hell then...” She said attempting to lighten the mood while snuggling closer to 

Devin. His hands tightened around hers slightly. “You won’t be alone. I will be in the fiery depths with you.” He said though he was sure she did not understand the honesty behind the words.