Dark Divine

Chapter 5

Magnus stared at her clear blue eyes. Her expression ranged from confusion, to panic, and then to deep sorrow.  Sadness seemed to swallow her whole, and all he wanted to do was take it away and show her what if felt like to be happy.

Her eyes moved behind Magnus and landed on Kalan.  They widened a bit, but she did not seem to be afraid.  s**t, he was so focused on Alina, he had forgotten the i***t was still in the room.  Kalan was keeping a respectful distance from everyone, but he was making no effort to disguise his absolute distaste for her.

“You should have let him finish me, Magnus.” She said.  “I don’t know why you wouldn’t do it, but the world would be a better place without me in it.  There is nothing for me here or where I came from.  I accepted it a long time ago, but it seems that you have not.  I do not require a champion.  It would be better if you would just let me go.”

“You are not responsible for the curse that runs throughout your body, and it doesn’t define who you really are.  Anyone that gets to know you even a little bit would know that. I can’t allow you to just be put down like a dog, Alina.  I just can’t.” He had grasped her tiny pale hands into his large ones.

“Some things just don’t belong in the world, and it would be kinder to give them a dignified ending to their torment than to let them continue to live through it.  Would you not put a lame horse out of its misery?  Wouldn’t that be the kind thing to do?  I would think that I deserve at least the same amount of consideration as an animal.”

“Is that what you really want, Alina? What if things could change for you and you could live a normal life?  Would you give that up without even trying?”

“False hope is yet another form of torment, Magnus.  It might be what you want, but that doesn’t mean that it could ever happen.  What if it’s just not possible and it doesn’t come to be?  What would then be left for me but utter hopelessness and yet another shattered dream?

“Down in those pits of hell, before they sent me here, I tried.  In order to keep them from using me to do their dirty work, I did the few things I could think of to just stop it all.”

Magnus gave her a shattered look.

“Even when I tried to starve myself in that cell, the only rebellion I had any control over, they would use magic to force feed me until I started eating again.  Every shred of my dignity has been taken away from me, even my choice of living or dying was never my choice.”  She closed her eyes and turned away from everyone.  She had said enough for one day, and that was all she had in her.

Kalan ran out of the room far out of reach from Magnas.  Magnus slowly left the room and closed the door behind him.  His shoulders drooped and he looked defeated.

Alina turned to Sebille.  “Thank you for your kindness and your healing.  You have such a warm heart to do that, and to make me feel accepted, even though you know it isn’t good for you to be associated with me.”

“Oh, dear.”  Sebille sniffled softly.  “I don’t mind helping you.  You are such a bright spot in the darkness that you came from.  You aren’t going to do anything rash, are you?  It would crush Magnus, and me as well.  I know Magnus is going to find a way for you have a good life.  I’d swear by it.”

Alina gently hugged Sebille and sighed.  “Ok, Sebille.  You and Magnus sure are wearing me down.  I don’t want to cause anyone pain.  I mean, all I’ve ever really done IS cause pain, but you know what I mean.  No need to chain yourselves by my side.  I’ll be ok for now.”

Sebille smiled sheepishly.  “Just give us a chance, ok, luv?  Let us all get to know each other and just see what happens.”  Alina smiled and nodded her head.  Sebille gave her a pointed look, then quietly left the room.

Alina sighed and slipped into bed.  What a strange day, she thought, and closed her eyes.  At least she was in the most comfortable bed imaginable.  Life wasn’t so bad at the moment.  Within seconds, she was out.

Kalan walked outside of the compound at a brisk pace.  This was what he did when he needed to think, and damn, he needed to think.  He felt so ashamed of his behavior earlier that evening.  He had thought that Magnus was under some kind of demonic spell, and that girl bewitched him in some way.  Gods, he was glad she was still alive. 

If he had succeeded in killing her, he would have had the blood of an innocent on his hands.  And he’d never be able to look Magnus in the eye again.  s**t, he was afraid to do that now, even.  What a mess.  Now, he was a mess.  Everything was a giant festering mess.

How could that dark fae with the most foul power he could think of be so childlike?  She lived practically in the depths of hell, with evil all around her.  This had to be the most extreme case of nature over nurture he had ever seen.   She was definitely not a product of her own environment.

He had been in shock in that room, watching her with Sebille and Magnus.  She truly wanted to rid the world of herself.  That wasn’t an act.  Besides, nobody every got one over on Sebille.  She could smell bullshit from a mile away.  No.  This girl was special.  The council was going to freaking flip.  Yeah…  this was a mess.