Dark Rising, Miya Chanda [ebook reader online TXT] 📗

back of her mind and focus on escape before something she wasn’t quite sure she wanted to do with him happened, but when she looked back up to him, he was studying her intently.

“What are you thinking?”

The birds and the bees and everything else wicked she had been waiting eagerly to try with a man. Oh yeah, and escape.

“What’s your name?” She asked instead.

The question must have thrown him he blinked looking slightly confused. “Uh…Kayden.” One corner of his mouth tilted up into a crooked smile and she could tell he was happy she had asked. Yes, the fake trusting him was working rather well. He pulled his gaze from her, turned and bent over to twist the knob of the bathtub to start the water.

“I’d rather take a shower.” She said

He stopped and looked back over his shoulder to her. “Why?”

She lied. “I always take showers.”

“But wouldn’t a bath be more soothing.” He said. “I have some bubble bath stuff left here by—.” He paused. “You can use some if you want.”

Mira pulled the cotton ball from the back of her ear to look at it. The blood there had dried and the bleeding had stopped and she glanced around to place it into a trash bin but couldn’t find one.

“Here I’ll take it.” He said standing to reach for it.

She dropped the cotton ball into his cupped hand and said. “I would just feel more comfortable taking a shower.” That was the truth.

Kayden simply let out a slight sigh and nodded.

Kayden had led her deeper into the bathroom where around the corner was a large enclosed glass shower she assumed could fit about five people in. He had handed her a plush white towel and wash rag and said if she needed anything he was a heartbeat away before leaving closing the bathroom door behind him.

Now she stood in the large bathroom with no windows half naked, alone and missing home. She took a quick shower, washing her hair and body with the liquid soap available. The showerhead was wide and attached to the ceiling and the water felt wonderful cascading down on her. She got out nearly slipping on the glossy floor, dried herself off and wrapped herself in the large soft towel before gathering her dirty clothes and placing them on the counter between both sinks. The counter was spotless, not even a toothbrush graced the white marble and she wondered if something like him even needed to brush his teeth. Of course he brushes his teeth silly.

There was a soft knock on the door, which made her jump.

“Are you dressed?” She heard Kayden say from the other side of the door.

Mira looked down to the towel she had wrapped around her and said “Kind of.”

He opened the door all the way and their eyes met before he quickly skimmed them over her body, heating her blood once more.

Gods, was this how lust felt.

His eyes were back on her. “My sister is going to swing by with some cloths for you tomorrow morning. I think you two are about the same size. She’s a couple of inches taller than you though.”

He had a sister?

“Here” He held out a black a t-shirt to her. “This will have to do for now. “I’d give you a pair of my sweatpants but I know you’d be swimming in them.”

She nodded and took the shirt from him accidentally brushing against his hand and their eyes met again.

“There is food out here when you finish, you need to eat.”

Food, yes she was starving.

“Plus.” He continued his voice suddenly serious. “We need to talk.”

Uh oh. The high she had suddenly felt with the promise of food quickly derailed into a knot in her stomach. She wondered what it was that they needed to talk about but before she could ask he closed the bathroom door giving her some privacy.

She quickly unwrapped herself from the towel and donned on the large plain T-shirt, only then did she realize she was completely bare underneath. No underwear was not a good thing and she went to go grab the pair she had taken off, then remembered they were need of a really good wash. After having had Kayden’s hands all over her, her arousal had seeped into the cotton at the crotch.
She was going to have to go without for now.

Mira gathered her dirty clothes and headed out of the bathroom into the bedroom where she found Kayden sitting by the fire in furthest leather chairs to her left. She immediately noticed the plate of food sitting on the small table between both chairs. It carried what looked like some strawberries and slices of apple and a sandwich made from a crescent roll, her mouth watered.

“Put your cloths on the bed.” He instructed, “They will be washed by tomorrow morning. Come side down and eat.”
Mira did as he said then walked to the empty chair to sit down eyeing her food the entire time. And as soon as her butt touched to cushion she grabbed the strawberry and bit into it, enjoying the sweet juice and the texture. They set there in silence for a while as he continued to watch her eat.


It hadn’t taken her long to gobble down everything that was on her plate. The sandwich he’d made had been delicious and had cold cuts of ham and turkey cheddar and provolone cheese. And she set back in the chair brushing the crumbs off her lap fully satisfied.

“Do you want more?” He asked.

Mira shook her head. “That was enough, thank you.”

Kayden nodded and shifted in his seat before saying, “We’re going to play a little game. I’m going to ask you some questions and you’re going to give me an honest answer.” He paused and she watched the flames dance in his dark eyes. “Then you can ask me anything you want, and I’ll give you an honest answer. Does that sound fair?

She thought about it for a minute. This was a get to know you kind of game and she wasn’t sure he would be ready for what she would tell him but—“Okay.”

“Great.” He said, immediately moving on to his first question. “Where did I take you from?”

She frowned. Really? That was his first question. “Uh, my bedroom.”

“No, no sweetheart. I mean where is home for you?”

He called her sweetheart. “You took me from a complex in France called Salut.”

His brows drew together. “You’re French?”

“No.” She said “I was born in Canada and grew up with my Grand-mere until I was five. Then I moved into the complex and have been there ever since. My Grand-mere went missing...” Her voice trailed off remembering very little about her Grand-mere before she’d moved.

“And who took care of you?”

Mira stifled a yawn. “Well, there were several people among the congregation that took special care of me. But a man named André, he’s been like a father to me. He had the members of Salut home school me and teach me about their mission. ”

“It’s a religious group?”

Was that a question or a statement?

“Yes, we believe in the Gods of the ancient realms.”

He visibly frowned. “But you’re mortal.”

“We are.” She agreed.

“And your congregation believes in these Gods?

“Yes.” Was it that hard for him to believe?

Then he asked, “You mentioned your Grandma--I mean your Grand-mere went missing after you left, was this something she believed in as well?”

Mira hesitated, thinking back. She unfortunately didn’t remember much about her time with her Grand-mere, only small details like a smells or routined activities. But she vaguely remembered her Grand-mere sitting down with her to talk about the different realms. So--. “Yeah, I believe so. Salut believes in an ancient prophecy that is written into the stars of these realms. The prophecy talks about a coming darkness that will sweep over the lands of these realms.There is a book called the Book of Oracle, which is like our bible, it contains verses that speak of a Divinely Elemental that will stop this darkness from rising.” She knew everything there was to know about the Book of Oracle she’d studied the book every day since she’d been brought to the complex.

Mira glanced back over to Kayden who appeared to be in deep thought. “What is this darkness that Salut believes is coming?” He asked.

Now that she was unsure of. The darkness could be a metaphor for something or a blackness could literally settle over each realm, there was no way to tell. All she knew was that it was her responsibility to prevent the threat from ever being allowed to rise. It didn’t matter what it was. It wasn’t going to happen. “I don’t know.” She said. “It could be anything.”

“Well how do they expect to prevent it?”

“They won’t the Divine will.”

He was shaking his head now, scrubbing a hand over his scarred face. “Fine. Then, how is this Divine suppose to prevent this dark rising?”

Mira answered a half truth. “By offering herself as a willing sacrifice to the Gods.”

Chapter 8

Chapter 8


I set back in my chair, skeptically absorbing everything she’d just said.

I wasn’t familiar with the group/organization/occult, that called themselves Salut, which when translated into English, meant “Salvation”. Ironic though it was, this “Salut” was going to sacrifice an innocence woman to the Gods, -Gods, that in my mind could give two shits about the world to begin with- all so they can prevent a pending dark doom from sending the world to its hell.

I’m not a religious man, and I have never taken well to the religious bible-bumping sort. People can see the world as they want but it seemed to me we had already arrived to a sort of hell on earth centuries ago.

I had seen some awful things since I’d starting working as a Frist Guard. Evil things my men and I have had to hunt down and kill. Demen, Shadow Mage, Demon Wraiths just to name a few. Hell was already here and it couldn’t get much darker than it already was.

My eyes shifted back to Mira. “So you…believe this?”

She frowned, “Of course I do.”

Yes of course she did, it was after all her belief.

I thought about that for a minute longer as she shifted in her seat. This whole religious talk was not what I’d expected when I’d told her we needed to talk. Yes I’d