Chapter 16 - Umbrakinesis: The ability to manipulate darkness and shadows

Cons’ POV

After Jon came over and took Zelda, I danced with Neve. “Where’s Edur?” Neve smiled and nodded towards a nearby wall, he was holding onto it and hunched over.

“He said the spinning was too much for him.” I chuckled. “Is Jane okay?” I sighed.

“She says we shouldn’t worry about her.” Neve nodded.

“She worries about us so much, yet can’t handle the fact we worry about her too.” I nodded. We danced in silence for a while before Neve stiffened, I followed her gaze to a figure rushing past the outside of the dance; Jane. “I’ll go check on Edur,” Neve said, inviting me to go check on Jane. I rushed after her, she was moving fast. She disappeared into an alley by the castle.

“Jane?”

Janes’ POV

I ran into a dark quiet corner, I sat on a pair of steps and dropped my head into my arms, everything Diomedes said I couldn’t help but think he was right.

“Jane?” My head shot up, Con stood at the start of the darkness and started making his way towards me, I stood up. “What’s going on?” He was getting right in my personal space, I reached forward and grabbed onto the front of his jacket, I tried to pull away but he pulled me closer. I thought about what Diomedes said about him and really tried to push away. “Just let me be here with you.” I was suddenly overcome with emotion, Con wanted to be here with me no one was forcing him to be.

“What do you feel towards me?” He tensed, I had to ask, Diomedes was wrong he didn’t love me but I wanted to know what he did feel.

“I don’t know, but I care about you, you feel like my family but there’s something different about you, I don’t know what that means, I just want you to be okay.” I rested my chin on his shoulder and brought my hand up to his face. I touched his cheek with my nose.

“I feel the same way,” I whispered in his ear. I lowered back down. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” I exhaled and dropped my head onto his shoulder.

“For everything, it would have been better for everyone if I had never left Darkwell-”

“You're kidding right because I’m starting to think you're the best thing that ever happened to me.” I blushed. But he wasn’t done. “You saved my life, and yes it’s been non-stop since I met you, but that’s just who you are, you have to know I’m so thankful you came to Ironside.” I moved my hands from his chest and wrapped them around his back.

“When this is over we’re going back to the Vale, I’m not giving up on you having a family-”

“You all are the only family I need, you're stuck with me.”

“You know I’m perfectly fine with that.” I pulled away, but I worried about his future with this family, his life wouldn’t be easy. He kept a firm grip on my hands. “I’m not going anywhere.” He exhaled, he looked exhausted. “Come on Conrad.” I let him keep one of my hands as I led him back to the castle, I led him to a spare room and put him to bed, he was on the verge of passing out. “I’ll be right down the hall.” His eyes were already closed but he nodded. I leaned down and kissed his hair. “Night Conrad.”

Cons’ POV

I woke up in an unfamiliar bed, I sat up and I remembered last night and smiled. Jane seemed upset, probably about Valery, and I was able to make it a little better. I really felt like this was the only family I needed. I finally changed out of the suit and made my way down the stairs, a giant black dining table sat at the bottom, at the far end of the table sat Jane. She was flipping through a small notebook. “Morning,” I said, Jane looked up, then her eyes seemed to rest between me and her book.

“This family can be trying.” She stood up. “Con I want you to be able to live a normal life, a long life, I’m starting to worry more and more that you’ll get hurt if you stay here, that all of you will get hurt.”

“Why are you saying this like it’s your fault? This isn’t your fault Jane.” She still didn’t meet my eyes. Jane’s eyes shot up over my shoulder. I turned around to see Tristan standing there at the bottom of the stairs.

“I want to go talk to Diomedes,” Tristan said, Jane and I exchanged a glance.

“You want us to come?” Jane asked, I frowned, I didn’t want Tristan talking to Diomedes ever again, I’m not sure I want to talk to Diomedes ever again.

“Yes,” Tristan said. I sighed. Jane led us through town, and down into the cells. The morning air was misty and stung my face slightly, it seemed like smoke piled at your feet. Jane exchanged words with the guard while I and Tristan held back, Jane nodded down the hall. When we turned the corner his back was to us, his head turned slightly.

“Back so soon?” He said, I just swallowed.

“We’re here to talk,” Jane said, He fully turned towards us. Tristan ran forward and grabbed him through the bars.

“Why’d you kill her?!” He screamed I couldn’t believe it, Jane and I pulled him away, guards came running, Jane waved them off, Tristan collapsed in my arms. Diomedes simply flattened out his tattered shirt. This was a different man, different, darker, than the one that tried to kill me.

“I am a leader, I am this world's savior, I am going to stop the darkness from spreading any further.” He glanced at Jane, and she was tense, then his gaze turned to me. “And you just don’t know how to die properly, all those attempts on your life, you need to get out of the way and let the people that matter talk.”

“I guess that means you don’t matter anymore, let’s go,” Jane said, and we turned to leave.

“N0, you will listen to me, I know what’s coming, I will kill you, Jane!” He yelled, that was the last thing we heard as we walked out.

“That wasn't as productive as hoped,” I said, Jane sighed.

“He didn’t even care about her, about me.” Tristan kept a firm grip on my arm.

“He’s lost his mind, I don’t know what game he thinks he’s playing,” Jane said. Jane and I took Tristan back into the castle.

“What do you think he meant by darkness?” I asked, Jane shook her head.

“It sounds like something out of religious texts.” She said, She left her jacket floating behind her, I followed her out to a Pure Point. She took a deep breath and sat on the ledge. “Do you think they’re even real?” She asked, turning to face me. I should have known better.

“I don’t know, Chiffron and Crepuscular seem to be on everyone’s mind.” I started feeling light-headed, I leaned on Jane.

“Woah you okay?” I didn’t respond, I laid down on the rock. “Con?!” I heard chains, and a lot of yelling, a claw fought the chains binding their wrist, a piercing laugh cut through it all, a bright figure appeared, too bright to look at. I opened my eyes and I saw I was off the rock and on the grass, Jane was laying next to me, I sprung up.

“Jane?!” I shook her shoulders. I felt her forehead; she was burning up. Her eyes shot open.

“Con.” He breathed. “Are you okay?” I sighed, as she sat up.

“I’m fine, but you’re burning up.” Her hand quickly raised to her forehead.

“No, I'm not.” I swatted her hand away, she was right. “Did you see anything?” I swallowed.

“I saw what the Night Shadows legend claims.” Jane nodded.

“So did I, what does all this mean?” I shook my head.

“Let’s figure this out later, right now I just want nothing to be happening.” I stood up with Jane, she nodded.

“I want you to stop getting pulled into my hurricane.” I stopped her.

“Jane, please stop blaming yourself, no matter what anyone says or you think, the only people that control their actions are themselves, you protect all of us, Jay, let us take some of the weight back.” Jane got closer to me.

“You Conrad are something different, something special, you’ve become my best friend, this weight will fade with time, but always understand I carry this weight because it’s mine, I chose this.”

“You’re my best friend too Jane.” She rolled her eyes.

“You idiot is that all you took from that.”

Janes’ POV

The night began to fall and I couldn’t stop thinking about what Con and I saw, The Night Shadows vision, but I couldn’t believe it. Chiffron was the good one, I had to brush this off, for now, there were way more important things to worry about. I heard a thump against my wall, I quickly stood up and grabbed my sword out of habit, I had to relax, I heard a scream sounds later, I rushed out of my room, Tristan's room was right next to mine, the door was open and wasn’t ready for what I saw on the other side. Diomedes held Nora by the throat as Tristan lay disregarded on the ground. I froze, tears streamed down her face, she looked at me and tried to speak, before she fell limp next to her son. It was just me and Diomedes he couldn’t fit through the windows, I was his only exit. “How?” I whispered this wasn’t supposed to happen, not to them. I felt my eyes burn and my arms raise in flames. Diomedes met my eyes and he looked terrified. “I know now why you didn’t run, you didn’t see what I am with your own eyes.” I launched flames at his head, they caught the side of his face and he screamed, I rushed towards him as he grabbed Tristan water and threw it on his face splashing me in the process, my fire died slightly, he grabbed Tristan's bathwater and drenched me, I couldn’t see as the pain ripped down my body. “Get out!” I screamed, he stumbled back and rushed out of the room. I looked at Tristan’s body next to mine, I was soaked in his blood, the worst part is it helped the burning subside. “I’m so sorry, I couldn’t save you, I couldn’t do it.” I heard people rush by, I had to get up, I had to kill him, I closed Tristan and Nora’s eyes with my blooding hands. “I can’t fix this.” I grabbed my sword and climbed out of their blood, I rushed down to Neve’s room, I saw feet laying in the doorway. “Neve!” She and Edur stood hugging. “You both okay?” Neve nodded.

“Edur saved my life, that guy broke it and said he was going to kill me, but Edur hit him in the back of the head.” I breathed a sigh of relief.

“We have to get out of here.” They followed me down to Con’s room. His door was open and no one was in there. We rushed down the hall, down the stairs, and out the door. Con was kneeling on the ground next to another body, the body was completely burned, I slid on my knees to him. “Con, are you okay?!” He shook his head, as he stared at the corpse, I saw bruising around his neck, but no blood. Edur and Neve stood behind us.

“Jane,” Edur said, I turned to see a group of people running out of the front gates. I stood up, I was going to chase them on foot if I had to. Con grabbed my wrist.

“Don’t you dare,” Con said, Neve and Edur started to look over Con, I turned back but they were gone into the darkness.