Dark Wish (The Starlight Gods Series Book 1) Read online

  Jeffrey, his second in command, was six feet, wearing a typical black suit, his arms behind his back. His long silver hair was tied up in a neat pony tail. He wore black pointed shoes and his white tie was tucked neatly within his vest. His violet eyes looked dull and haunting. He was a mystery to me, always appearing just as our Owner required his aid. I would describe him as a butler, but such a term didn’t quite fit his qualifications. A loyal partnership would better describe it. I knew for certain Jeffrey wasn’t obligated to be by his side. He stood beside the Owner with his own convictions, which frightened me. Who would want to help someone like the Owner? He wasn’t the man I knew two cycles ago, the man before Elaine.

  I watched as the Owner finished his applause, taking a moment to view the scene.

  “I leave to have a relaxing evening and return to this lovely entertainment. Boy oh boy, isn’t this surprising? I never would have guessed you lot would take the opportunity to run away. I take care of you all, don’t I? I think this is so heartbreaking to watch, isn’t that right Jeffrey?” The sarcasm dripped off each word, like a thick molasses.

  “Yes Sir. Should I dispose of them?” He asked, his arms falling to his sides. He wore creamy white gloves, his right hand rising to his left, ready to remove the silk material when the Owner lifted his hand, signalling him to stop.

  “No, no Jeffrey. Why don’t we play Hide and Seek? I think that would be marvelous.” He replied, clapping his hands together.

  Upon his command, the entrance gates came crashing down, blocking the exit. The Owner then glanced my way, clearly assessing my clean appearance, a wide smile forming on his chapped lips.

  “Why am I not surprised? The only person out of you lot to not fight is my beloved Makoto. Of course, she would never betray me.” He announced.

  His hand landed on my shoulder causing me to shiver as I straightened my posture. A wave of power hit me, causing me to waiver on my feet. How could they have been so blind to think they would be successful in escaping from someone as powerful as him?

  I closed my eyes, waiting for the pain to cripple me. However, nothing happened. I opened my eyes and glanced up at him. He was smiling down at me. I swear, I saw a hint of relief in those red eyes, maybe even kindness? It was a mere second before he lifted his gaze back to the crowd before him.

  “Makoto will be first to escape this room. Anyone else who is able to survive the following events and reach my office will be spared. Those are my rules. Reach my office, you win. You can guess what happens if you don’t.” He explained. I felt his hand leave my shoulder and he gently pushed me towards the door, Jeffrey held it open.

  “Now go, my little fox.” He whispered.

  I took a glance at Lily. She did a quick nod, reassuring me she would catch-up. I didn’t need any other reassurance. I darted straight out the door.

  “LET THE GAMES BEGIN!” The Owner’s voice echoed behind me as the sounds of screams and clashing weapons followed.

  I ran as fast as my little legs would carry me. The halls were now pitch black, with only the emergency alarm lights flashing red rays of light. A voice blared across the speakers, alerting everyone that a lockdown had commenced. No one gets in or out. We all knew the protocol.

  I felt someone close behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see Lily not too far behind. I smiled, as a sense of relief washed over me. I was so glad she was safe. We both turned right at the end of the corridor, rushing towards the dinning room.

  Within a minute, we had reached the Owner’s private office. I knew what the Owner had planned.

  The Owner had two offices; his regular office and his private one. The bastard knew only a small portion of us were aware of him having a private office, let alone know where it was. I silently prayed to the Starlight gods that the one’s that didn’t make it would not experience much pain before their deaths.

  Lily quickly opened the door, ushering me in. Once I entered, she closed the door shut before we both made it to the middle of the room, collapsing on the ground. I needed a moment to catch my breath, placing my hand over my chest. I could feel my heart rapidly pounding inside my chest, as the adrenaline continued to spike. It couldn’t be over. There was always a catch when the Owner plays his games.

  “Lily!” I cried, hugging her. She returned my embrace, brushing my hair soothingly, as she continued to cradle me.

  “It's fine, shh. We’re going to be okay. We may receive a little punishment, but everything will work out, okay?” She reassured me, pulling out of the embrace to look down at me.

  I took a deep breath and nodded, rubbing my tear stained face. I couldn’t break down now. I had to be strong for Lily. I wouldn’t allow the shifters who lost their lives to have done so in vain. We would survive this and somehow find another way out. For them. For all of us.

  Fifteen minutes later, myself, Lily, Raphael and four other shifters stood in the big office. We all lined up side by side, myself in the middle, Lily on my right, and Raphael on my left.

  “I’m sorry.” Raphael whispered, his head hung low in defeat. I watched as he shook his head over and over, cursing under his breath. He must have truly believed we would all escape, unharmed.

  I could hear the other shifters chattering teeth and heavy breathing. The shifter on the far left was bleeding all over the sleek white tiled floor.

  The whole office was themed white and red; from the white corner sofa to the ivory white book shelf on our left. The desk in front of me was pure white marble, holding a replica of our facility and a few folders which were neatly piled to one side and on the other side a small red lamp. The chair was a velvet red, matching the curtains that hung on a crystal rod.

  I heard the door open, my body straightened as anxiety surged through me. Lily’s hand grasped mine, squeezing it tightly. This was it, at least not all of us died. Out of one-hundred shifters, only seven remained. I guess that’s better than none.

  “Congratulations, well done.” The Owner laughed, clapping his hands. I watched him stroll to his desk, taking a seat in his velvet chair, sighing. I noticed the blood stains on his no longer perfectly white suit.

  “Honestly, I didn’t think you guys would realize which office I had meant. You should have seen the others’ faces when the other office locked and snakes began pouring out of the hidden openings in the walls. It was brilliant hahaha. As we speak, they’re all chained and being tortured, slowly.”

  I glanced to my sides to see the remaining shifters pale complexions as reality sunk in. Though life had sometimes been a living hell here, we were all a family. Now, our family was dying. Tortured because of one mistake, trying to obtain freedom. I guess it's true what they say; Free plus dumb equals FREEDOM.

  “Jeffrey, make sure once the torturing segment is over, their blood is drained and that they are still alive during the process.” He continued. I stared at the Owner, wide eyed. He can’t be serious. The Owner pulled at his tie, loosening the collar as he let out a sigh.

  My body wavered, my knees gave way, causing me to drop to the ground. I couldn’t handle this much blood shed.

  “Aww, my Makoto. Don’t cry my little fox.” I heard the squeaky noise of the chair followed by footsteps.

  I continued to sob uncontrollably, as the tears fell on the floor. Within seconds, I was lifted and cradled in his arms. The arms of the man who murdered almost all of my family. I wanted to push away, to refuse such comfort. I didn’t want his pity. But I knew if I acted in such a way, it would only lead to more bloodshed. Enough was enough.

  “Shh, little one. Shh. I know, you should not have witnessed such bloodshed. Raphael should have known what would happen when planning this charade with Lark and the other shifters. There, there. Don’t worry, it’s almost over.” He mocked, rubbing my back gently.

  Almost over. What did he mean by that? I peeked a glance at Lily, her eyes were wide with fear.

  “Come now, Winners.” The Owner announced.

  Still carrying me in his arms, th
e Owner made his way to the door, Jeffrey opened and held it, allowing us to leave. I lifted my head slightly, watching the others follow right behind. I could practically feel their despair.

  The Owner carried me into a small room while the others remained outside in the corridor. There were three chairs which took up most of the space, a counter full of buttons and a solid glass window, revealing an empty room on the other side. He placed me down in the middle seat, taking his place on my right. A few seconds later, Jeffrey arrived, closing the door behind him, taking his seat on my left.

  “What's going on?” I accidentally asked out loud. The Owner let out a low laugh.

  “Don’t worry my dear little fox. I want to teach you a lesson. I know how intuitive you are. You knew this was going to happen, but you didn’t tell me. I know, I know, you didn’t want to hurt their feelings, right?” He asked, looking down at me with a stern gaze on his face. I nodded quickly.

  “See, you’re such a good girl. You understand me. You know I don’t like doing this. They’re like my children. No Father wants to punish his child. But what have I always told you?” He asked.

  “Do what you’re told and nothing bad will happen to you.” I whispered, lowering my head in shame.

  “Yes! Exactly. I told you guys to behave while I was gone and look what you all did? Of course, you didn’t participate and thus why you're sitting here next to me and not on that side.” He stated, happily. I lifted my head to see his arm outstretched, pointing to the glass before me.

  I turned my head and gasped. In seconds, I shot up out of my seat, rushing towards the glass. No, no, no, this can’t be happening! I slammed my hands against the glass.

  “LILY!!! LILY!” I heard my voice scream her name over and over, a fresh stream of tears rolled down my cheeks, as I watch the event before me.

  Lily and the others were lined up, chains around their wrists and ankles. They were stripped down to their undergarments. Four guards came into the room, holding a variety of weapons. From an ax to multiple spike balls, the guards neatly placed the weapons on a black table located in the corner of the room. They then stood at attention, their arms straight against their sides, waiting for orders. The Owner ignored my screaming fit, standing up and moving to the intercom, his finger pressing against a red button.

  “Look what we have here. My winners! It saddens me that some of my finest shifters are standing before me. I don’t understand what motivated you to follow through with this act of defiance, but it must be eliminated. I can’t have you tainting pure, innocent minds like Makoto over here.” He stressed, stroking his chin.

  “YOU KILLED MY WIFE!” Raphael screamed, his brown eyes glowing purple. He sneered as his body shook, falling to the ground in agony. The mark upon his chest preventing him – any of them – from acting against the Owner.

  “Tsk tsk, Raphael. You’re still angry about that. I must say, I’m not surprised. Demons do hold grudges. Your wife knew the rules and broke them. She got what she deserved.” He mocked, taking a deep breath before continuing.

  “None of you can defy me. The loyalty marks upon your chests prevent you from doing so. I’ve claimed you! Go ahead and try to fight against me. You’ll merely hurt yourselves trying. My mark won’t allow you to harm me. Didn’t you all agree to serve me? I took you all from the wretched lives you once lived. Yet, this is how you repay me, your master? With defiance. Such actions truly hurt my heart.” He complained, pressing his hand against his forehead, shaking it side to side. He took a deep breath, his arms spreading wide.

  “Now, your reward for winning Hide and Seek. My loyal guards, feel free to do whatever you wish to these fools. Beat them till your hearts content. I don’t care if they are alive or dead. Teach them a lesson so next time, they will think before going against my instructions. I guess that doesn’t really matter now. If they die, they won’t disobey me in the next life!” He laughed as his finger pressed a green button.

  There was a ping noise, signaling the guards to begin. I stood there helplessly, slamming my fist against the glass. I needed to do something, anything. I could feel my angel and demon spirits press against my mind. They wanted to help in some way. I knew I couldn’t shift fully yet, but they could take over and do some damage.

  My demon came forward, taking control. Before, she could even cast a spell, I felt something cold and hard pressed against my head. We froze. My demon moved our head to the left, staring up at a frowning Jeffrey, who was shaking his head in disapproval.

  “Do. Not. Interfere. Demon. You know as well as I, if I wanted to kill your host, I could do it.” He threatened. I heard the click noise and knew he must have taken the safety off the gun he held.

  Guns were his weapon of choice, having witnessed him use the silver weapon to kill off the remaining failed experiments after our trial sessions.

  My demon growled, but retreated, giving me control. I gasped, my body trembling from the exchange. I struggled to keep myself upright as I was assaulted by a wave of dizziness. Exchanging bodies temporarily with your spirit takes a lot of energy, especially for my age. I heard the Owner laugh again.

  “You're so feisty little fox. I love that demon of yours. She is so entertaining. Now, watch my punishment. I think your little friend deserves that much from you, don’t you think?” He declared, putting his legs up on the counter.

  I continued banging on the glass wall over and over, till my little hands began to turn purple. Lily was staring directly at me. Her amber eyes filled with tears as the guard continuously whipped her.

  Within an hour, the four shifters were dead, leaving a bleeding Lily and crippled Raphael. His guard had taken the pleasure of cutting each of his limbs, one by one, starting with his toes and working his way up. Being a shifter sometimes meant faster healing, but unless you had an angel spirit, you could not simply grow back your body parts. We weren’t immortal, there were limits.

  I had watched them whip Lily for fifteen minutes straight; her back was shredded before they took the liberty to rape her.

  I was forced to watch every second, my only way of showing my distress was my repetitive trashing against the glass. I had to watch my best friend suffer, because I was in the same predicament as they were. Constrained to this man by a loyalty mark.

  “Why don’t we finish this? I’m simply famished.” The Owner said. I turned my head as he pressed the intercom.

  “Finish them both.” He ordered, before standing and glancing at me.

  “I’ll give you the privilege of watching your friend die. It’s the least you can do to honour her. I know you won’t defy me, Makoto. My cunning little fox. Such struggles are futile and you know it. So, sit there and witness the results of disobeying me. Engrave it within your mind as a permanent reminder. When it’s done, go to your room and sleep. I’ll need you in the morning.”

  With those last words, he walked out of the room, Jeffrey following his lead. He wasn’t serious.

  A shot rang through the room, causing my body to jolt up. I returned my gaze to see a dead Raphael, blood now flowing freely from his open head.

  Lily was on her knees, her head down. Blood was dripping from her wounds. I continued with my helpless assault on the glass.

  “LILY, NOO, I…I can’t lose you! Lily, Lily.” I couldn’t even recognize my frantic voice, its pitch two octaves higher.

  I started hyperventilating as the guard behind her approached the table. I watched him pick up the ax, inspecting it for a moment, before turning around.

  At that moment, time slowed. Lily lifted her head slowly, her now dull amber eyes staring into my blue ones. This would be our last moment together. I watched her slowly smile, revealing her broken, bloody teeth.

  “Makoto…” I could barely hear her through the thick glass, even with my hypersensitive hearing.

  “Lily, no, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Don’t leave me! I’ll never be bad again. I’ll follow the rules. I won't pee on your side of the bed or steal your favourite books.
Don’t leave me Lily.” I cried out, begging, the tears rolling down my flushed cheeks.

  “Mako…take care of her for me? Can you do that? Don’t die. Survive this…be good without me…Phoenix will protect you, kay?”

  What did she mean Phoenix would protect me? Take care of who?

  “Lily what –” I began, but my words halted in my throat as a sudden wave of heat hit me. Even with a glass separating us, the heat was strong and humid. The guards all pulled back as flames burst out of Lily’s little body. I watched her markings come to life, their vibrant yellow glow appearing on her wounded body as they flared, the flames continuing to rise to the ceiling. Within seconds, a form emerged. I was left speechless as I looked up to see a large phoenix.

  She was beautifully divine. From her majestic flow, to the multiple shades of red, orange and yellow that formed her physical body. I had the opportunity to talk to her twice. She truly loved Lily and was wise, full of knowledge. I realized what Lily had just committed.

  In the shifter world, there were two things that could happen when you received a spirit. You could either accept such a gift given from the Starlight gods, or you could release it.

  Releasing your spirit was the most criminal act you could commit. You would be rejecting the Starlight gods gift, thus making you unworthy of anyone's kindness.

  The person is either exiled, or in the case I had once witnessed, he was killed after days of torture. The spirit that’s released, returns to Starlight, where the gods will gift the spirit to a new host.