We had been home for a week, and I sat alone in the bedroom, in darkness, attempting to fight it. I had been getting a little better at it, but something always distracted my efforts and pushed me back into darkness. The only thing I could control was my eye color. I could look normal and still be in darkness.
“Maybe I’ll use that to my advantage,” I smiled.
And with that, boom, my efforts were back to zero.
Fuck! My brain screamed angrily. Not that it mattered. Those thoughts were easily pushed aside. And the more I tried to fight them, the more defeated the light side of me got. My inner conscience got quieter. I began to accept my fate.
There was a knock at the door. I quickly shifted my eyes and walked out.
As I opened the door, I was greeted by Orion.
“Hello, Mother.” He smiled. “Are you ready?”
“What?” I asked, confused. “Quit your riddles, Orion. What do you want?”
“It’s more like what do you want,” he corrected me. “Aren’t you worried about your husband?”
Marco. Where was he? “Marco can handle his own.”
He held out his hands, conjuring a vision like Marco did. “Are you sure? He’s not looking so good.”
I saw him, unconscious on a stone floor. He looked beaten.
“What the hell have you done to him?” I screamed.
“Jeez, calm down!” He rolled his eyes. “It’s not like he’s dead. Just waiting for a savior. That savior is you.” He grinned. “Well, rather, us.”
“You?”
“Yes. Because once you come to his rescue, I’m going to give you what you desire.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“Power, Mom.” He shrugged. “Something Marco craved all those years ago. Now you both want it. This darkness you feel, it’s meant to be permanent. So, it will be.”
“No, it won’t,” I shook my head. I was impressed. Despite being in darkness, I was fighting quite boldly.
“Here’s the thing,” he said matter of factly. “If you don’t agree, you won’t find him.”
I growled. “Orion, what the fuck?”
He laughed. “Still so funny when I work you up enough to swear.” He gestured toward the door. “Let’s go. Hubby awaits.”
We went to the realm and he led me to an unused room in the HQ. It was all stone, undecorated. The only thing on the floor was Marco, bruised and unconscious. He was still alive and breathing.
“What happened?” I asked quietly, sitting on the floor and resting Marco’s head on my lap.
Orion shrugged. “All I can say is he might have one of those headaches.” He laughed. “At least until I help you both into darkness.”
I laughed, probably louder than I meant to. I shifted my eyes back and glared at him. “Both of us, huh?”
“Y-you…”
I saw Marco’s eyes flutter. “Yes. I-I-I. Surprising, huh?” I placed my hands on Marco’s temples. “How did you get in here?”
“Oh, come on, you think that spell held me back?” He laughed.
“Jade, you shouldn’t have come.” Marco’s voice was raspy.
“Oh, Marco, you know she would never resist an opportunity to save you.” Orion rolled his eyes. “Pathetic. Buy thankfully, it pushes you guys head first into what I will make of you.”
“What are you doing?” I asked him.
He crouched so he was closer to me. “I’m being the destroyer.”
He quickly cast his spell on Marco and I, completely submerging us in darkness and making it impossible for us to pull out of it. We didn’t even want to be pulled out of it.
“It’s not my place to say this,” Orion smiled genuinely, “but congrats. You two are officially realm royalty. The most powerful duo the realm has ever seen. The dark queen and king. Mother, your sage duties are forfeit. Marco, you have returned to who you used to be, when you met my mother. Declan has become your right hand. You have the ability to free or banish whomever you want from the dark realm.” He grinned. “But why am I saying all of this? You already know.”
Marco and I looked at each other as we stood up. Marco placed his hands on my hips, and I leaned into him.
“Based on your expression, I assume you accept this fate.” Orion looked hopeful.
I put my hand on his shoulder. “Of course we do, Orion. You knew we would. Our lightness simply got in the way.”
He hugged me. “Good to see you on the right side, Mom.” He looked at Marco. “And you too. Surely I’ll like you much better now.”
Marco laughed. “Sure. But who knows if I return that sentiment.”
“You will.”
We made our way back down to the main floor, a darkened aura surrounding us. Morgyn turned around and immediately knew the threat we posed.
“Banishment sounds really good right now,” he growled at Marco.
“Yes, it does.” Marco agreed. “But try it, Morgyn.”
Morgyn pulled out his wand. “Gladly.”
He attempted the spell and nothing happened. Orion laughed.
“Now to your new king and queen, Morgyn Ember,” he crossed his arms. “These two hold more power over you and the council combined. Your magic means nothing. Your status means less.”
Morgyn gazed at me, panic in his eyes. “But Jade…”
Something within me stirred, but the darkness forced me to ignore it. “Yes, yes, Morgyn. Shed tears for who I used to be. But get used to me. You’ll see me a lot around here.”
He looked at the floor. “I should have done something to prevent this.”
Orion put his arm around Morgyn. “There, there. It’s not all bad.”
Morgyn glared at him. “I don’t want to hear what you have to say.” He shrugged out of Orion’s grasp and started walking away.
“Say hi to my dad for me!” Orion called after him.
Marco and I stepped away. I walked outside and he followed.
“So you missed this,” I said quietly.
He gazed at me, trying to study my expression. “I feel like that statement is a trap.”
I smiled. “No. Just wondering if you ever missed it.”
“I didn’t until now,” he laughed quietly, wrapping his arms around me. “But it’s different this time, now isn’t it?”
I nodded. “Yes. We’re on the same side.”
“Stronger together.”
“Much stronger together.”
He leaned in, narrowing his eyes. “Jade, the world is ours.”
I closed my eyes. “Mhm. And what will we do now?”
“Whatever the hell we want.”
I giggled as he kissed me.
“My queen,” he smiled.
“My king,” I replied.
We kissed again, that kiss lingering much longer as our darkened desires got the best of us.
“Oh, well that’s not very proper for a long and queen,” we heard.
Marco looked up and smiled. It was Declan who was approaching us.
“I suppose we are untraditional,” he laughed as Declan hugged him. “How are you, old friend?”
“Much better now that you actually consider me an old friend,” Declan joked. “Don’t go soft on us again, alright?”
“No, of course not,” Marco agreed. “I’d rather die.”
A shiver ran down my spine. “No, no need for that!” I laughed nervously. “We will never stray, I’m sure.”
“We still need our final sage,” Declan reminded Marco. “What do you propose we do?”
Marco thought for a moment. “We need to open the dark realm and allow he and Crystal back in.”
“Crystal will be problematic,” I said. “You broke her spell if I remember correctly.”
“Damien can cast another,” Marco shrugged.
I narrowed my eyes. “Right.” Truthfully, I really didn’t like the idea, but I went along with it.
“Spicy, Marco,” Declan mused. “You broke the spell?”
“I’d rather not get into that,” Marco said. “I did what I had to in the moment.”
I grinned. “I would have loved to see it.”
“Oh really?” Marco smirked flirtatiously.
Declan cleared his throat. “May I remind you that being king and queen here isn’t all fun and games. You rule this world completely. All of the balance of power has been transferred to you. You can’t just be chasing each other around like horny animals.”
Marco narrowed his eyes. “I am aware of this. It’s playful banter.”
He laughed. “Sure it is, Marco. You must have forgotten how to curb your lust.”
“Enough.” Marco stared at him.
Declan nodded. “Point taken, sir.”
“Open the rift to the dark realm, Declan,” Marco instructed. “Allow Damien and Crystal out and shut it quickly. We don’t need curious wanderers getting trapped there.”
“Aww, Marco has a heart, then?”
“Declan,” Marco growled.
“Alright, alright.”
I grinned. This was quite amusing to watch. I knew it would only get better once Damien joined us.
Declan walked away, and Marco sighed. “He’s an acquired taste, but he means well.”
“Mhm,” I grinned at Marco.
“Hey!” He laughed, grabbing me and playfully kissing my neck. He did it in a way to tickle and annoy me rather than start something we couldn’t finish.
I laughed and pushed him away. “Exposing my weakness for all to see?”
“As if I’d share?”
“Wouldn’t you? You seemed interested in the idea a moment ago.”
“Shhh,” he stepped toward me. “For now, I’m keeping you all to myself.”
“Good,” I grinned. “We have work to do.”
We went back in, and I overheard the sages talking. As we made our way upstairs, I nudged Marco.
“Vision,” I whispered.
He glanced around. “Of?”
“The sages.”
He nodded and conjured a vision.
“We’re in trouble,” Morgyn said. “Not only is the legend being fulfilled, we can’t find the book that would aid us in solving the problem. Until that book is found, we are stuck like this.”
Simeon glanced around and nodded. “Do you think they’ll cast another mind control spell?”
Morgyn shook his head. “No. Marco has ultimate power now and he knows that. There’s no need to bend people to his will. We are already bent. He would also want to see us suffer, knowing the truth than to not remember anything and be complicit.”
L sighed. “That’s a relief, but do you still think they have eyes and ears everywhere?”
Marco grinned.
Morgyn glanced around. “No, I don’t think so. But even if they do, I don’t think they’ll fret about people speaking out. That doesn’t matter now, especially with Jade. Marco had insecurities the last time. He doesn’t have that now. He is personally stronger, and with Jade, even more so.”
L nodded but said nothing.
They all fell silent with her until they finally separated to go back to sage duties. Marco waved away the vision.
“It’s falling into place,” he said to me.
“What should we do with this place?”
He stood in front of me. “Hmm, look at that hopeful look on your face, my queen.”
I giggled and looked away.
He smiled. “What do you desire then? Another castle?”
“Admittedly, the last one was pretty.”
He stroked my hair. “Then you’ll have it.”
I gazed up at him as his expression turned serious. “Jade, no matter what side we are on, even if we somehow end up on opposite sides, I will do anything for you. I don’t think you fully understand that. I love you with everything I have. Everything I am. Anything you want, you’ll have it.”
I stepped closer with a warm smile. My expression shifted into a grin. “Shhh, I already know.”
We got closer, our lips almost touching. “So what do you want, my queen?”
“To build our kingdom, my king.”
He laughed softly and kissed me. “Me too.”
As he leaned in to kiss me again, there was commotion downstairs.
“What have you all done?” Someone screamed angrily. “Where are our parents? Who is going to stop this?”
“Kyler,” I whispered, devastated. I broke away from Marco and rushed down the stairs.
Kyler and Ethan stood by the door. As soon as they saw me, they ran toward me.
“Oh God, Mom, what did Orion do to you?”
Marco came up behind me. Ethan hugged him.
“Kyler, it’s alright. This was meant to be.”
“You’ve accepted it?” He asked, gazing at me.
I nodded. “Of course. And you and Ethan are the princes of the realm, along with Orion.”
“No!” Kyler cried. “Do you hear yourself? This isn’t the way this is supposed to happen. And you know that if he is the destroyer, and you are the dark rulers, then Ethan and I are the protector and restorer. You know what needs to be done.”
Marco shook his head. “We can’t risk you getting hurt.”
“Then forfeit, Dad.”
“We can’t do that.”
Kyler narrowed his eyes, furrowing his brow. “Then you know what we all need to do. It’s my job to fix this. If you aren’t willing to end this peacefully, then I’m sorry Mom and Dad, Jade and Marco.” He walked away, then turned to face us.
“You are the enemy.”
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