The Dark Trials I - Ch. 03

Chapter 3

The bar was dark and relaxing, just how Valerie liked it. A woman stood on the stage, singing a fast tune as she strummed her guitar, the patrons on the dance floor in front of her. Valerie smiled as she looked at the dancing crowd. She sat next to Kim, another Nephilim working for the organisation.

"Want a drink, or you rather get food in your stomach first?" Kim asked, brushing her own red hair behind her ear. Her blue eyes scanned the room instinctively, always searching for potential threats. When she looked back at Valerie, she smiled.

Valerie smiled back but shook her head. "Just the drink right now."

After all that had happened, she felt she needed it. Maybe she could sleep a little better tonight. Even if she'd met with him again, her troubling dreams of the wraith and other strange creatures had intruded on that meeting, causing her to wake up more than a couple of times. By the time morning had arrived, she'd barely managed to get two hours of sleep.

They walked together to the bar and ordered their drinks, with Kim getting fries. Valerie envied these warrior types who never seemed to be too troubled by anything they had to deal with. When they sat back at their table, Valerie took a few sips of her drink before turning to Kim. Her faction - the one that Sam also belonged to and raised in - had taken some interest in what had happened and they were now working with the organisation to get to the bottom of it.

"Have the Nephilim found anything?" Valerie asked in a low voice.

Kim shook her head.

"We caught the others involved but they did the same thing as the wraith. Offed themselves before we could get information," she murmured back. "But that still tells us one thing - whatever this is, the Night Queen is definitely involved. All of them were from the Night court. And they wouldn't do anything like that unless they have someone to really be afraid of."

Valerie stared back at her drink. That awful dread in the pit of her stomach kept growing every day, but she still wasn't close to any answers.

"Don't worry. Whatever this is, we're pouring all we have into finding and stopping it," Kim said. Valerie looked at her, unsure. Even if the organisation was vast and spread across their world, would they really be able to if the dark fae were too terrified or too loyal to talk?

As she thought more about this, another song began playing. At first, she didn't pay attention to it, but then a male voice began singing to the slow, relaxing tune. His voice seemed to reach across the room, warm and inviting, slowly pulling her out of her reverie. Valerie looked up at the stage.

A man stood there, holding onto the microphone as he continued singing, his band playing behind him. Phones were out, their flashes turned on as the crowd waved them back and forth. The man's dark eyes swept over them, his brown hair framing a familiar face, though Valerie couldn't remember where she'd seen him before.

"Val?"

Snapping out of it, Valerie realised she'd stood up. She glanced back at Kim, who looked at her questioningly.

"You okay?"

Valerie opened her mouth to answer but then looked back at the man on stage. Right at that moment, he looked straight back at her. And his eyes seemed to glow a bright orange for a split second. He held her gaze for another moment before turning away to look at the crowd. Valerie's heart raced, unsure if she'd imagined it.

"Val," Kim's voice broke through again.

Valerie blinked and turned back to her. Kim raised her eyebrows, a small smirk playing on her lips.

"Shut up," Valerie said, though she laughed a little.

"I didn't say anything," Kim said, raising her hands in surrender.

The song ended just as Valerie shook her head and she looked back at the stage. The man thanked the audience while they all clapped. As he walked off the stage, he glanced back at her a couple more times before turning away and speaking to one of his friends. A moment later, he disappeared into the crowd.

Valerie looked at the spot where he'd been, and all she could feel was the warmth filling her. That night, she slept like a baby.

***

The next day at work went by in a blur of anxiety. She stood in front of the bathroom mirror, repeating the same soothing words to herself that she always did - that she could get through this day. She almost laughed at herself; she could face monsters and had even gotten used to it to some extent, but human patients and coworkers who demanded too much were somehow the biggest cause of her stress and dread.

No more news was shared with her about the dark fae situation, and Valerie suspected that they were leaving her out entirely. Home was the same as always, with everyone keeping to their own corners of the house. Valerie lay in bed, staring at her phone. There, on the bar's website, were all the live performances that were going to happen for the rest of this week. Including his.

Erik Cole and his band. His next performance was on Thursday night. And apparently the last one.

Valerie sighed and put down her phone, still thinking of what had happened on Monday night. She wanted to know more about him, definitely wanted to know why he seemed to have been just as drawn to her. She would go there tomorrow night and hopefully talk to him.

"Val?" her mum's voice came just as she opened her door.

"What's up?" Val asked tiredly.

"... Just wanted to say good night," her mum said after a moment.

"Night, mum..."

Her mum stood there for a couple seconds longer. Before she could ask what more she wanted to say, she closed the door and left. Turning on her side, Valerie looked out her window at the moonless night sky.

***

Music blared through the club as she sat there, waiting. Valerie had arrived early, since work had finished about two hours before Erik was supposed to perform. By herself this time. Definitely no Kim, she thought, smiling at her friend's reaction. She'd ordered some food, had a few non-alcoholic drinks and made herself busy on her phone in the meantime.

When he finally walked on stage, Valerie looked up from her place at the front most table - one she'd been lucky enough to snag before anyone else.

Introductions followed, and Erik's eyes fixed on her a couple of times before looking away, his smile widening just a little more. When he began singing, Valerie listened, her face in her hands as she leaned forward. The next time their eyes met, the world around them seemed to fade, and suddenly it was like he was only singing for her.

When he finished, he broke away to acknowledge the rest of the crowd. The spell broke and Valerie blinked, looking around at the others. No one else looked at her. Erik sang two more songs, the more upbeat tempo filling the air, still glancing towards her now and then.

"Thank you, everyone!" he said after the last song. "You've been an amazing crowd! Sadly, this is my last night here, but I can't wait to be back, hopefully in a few more months."

"WE LOVE YOU!" a man screamed and everyone laughed, Erik and his bandmates included.

With a final thank you, more cheers and claps following, he walked off stage. Valerie made her move then, trying to get through the crowd in the direction he'd walked in. A part of her felt that this was insane, that maybe she'd finally lost it, and they would call security on her. That she might actually be seen as an obsessed fangirl.

Then again, she didn't really have to worry about all that. She looked around and Erik was nowhere to be seen. She'd lost sight of them. Shoulders falling, she made her way to the bathroom, trying to act like that's where she'd been heading to in the first place.

***

When she finally came out of the bathroom, she sighed. If he wasn't gone before, he definitely would be now. Dejectedly, she made her way to a farther table, ignoring the woman now singing on the stage. On her phone, she searched up Erik to see if he was going to be performing anywhere else, but she couldn't find any other events. Valerie grimaced. This was her only chance before he went away and she'd blown it.

"Hey," Erik's now familiar, warm voice said.

Eyes widening, Valerie turned towards it. There he was. Standing there, smiling. As if they'd known each other for a lifetime.

"This might sound a little weird," Erik said, laughing nervously as he joined her. "But you look familiar. Just wanted to come over to see if I'm not imagining things."

"I... no. I feel like I've seen you before, too."

"Oh," Erik laughed again. "So, guess I'm not crazy. I'm Erik, by the way."

"Yeah..." Valerie replied. "I mean, I know. I saw them advertising you on their website."

"Right."

They fell silent for a moment, looking at each other. Valerie cleared her throat.

"My name's Valerie," she said, averting her eyes as she blushed.

"Valerie," Erik said. When she looked back, he seemed to be in deep thought. Looking back at her, he smiled. "Hey, do you want to get out of here? Get some fresh air."

"Sure," Valerie replied with a small smile.

Outside, a cool breeze passed by as they walked through the city, exchanging stories - where'd they'd gone to school, their lives outside of it, their friends and family. Neither had any of those in common. As far as either of them knew, they hadn't ever met before this week. She'd been surprised to learn he was born only a day before her.

But they kept looking at each other, lost in their own thoughts. That undeniable sense of familiarity between them only grew. They stood by the harbour now, staring out at the ocean. Erik looked back at her.

"Well, even if we've never met before, I have to say it was nice meeting you now..." he said. He opened his mouth but paused, seeming to hesitate for a moment before speaking again. "Um, this might sound... a little crazy. But I think I've dreamt about you. Ever since I was a teenager, actually."

Valerie stared right back at him, eyes widening a fraction. It didn't sound crazy at all, somehow. As she kept looking back, she remembered the faceless man in her dreams. The warm aura surrounding him - the same one that seemed to be coming from Erik now. None of this could possibly be a coincidence, and she wondered if her psychic senses were telling her all this.

"Was it... on a beach?"

Erik's eyes widened this time. "With white sand and palm trees?"

Valerie swallowed but stepped closer. "Where we found a seashell once and you gave it to me, telling me to hold on and not give up hope?"

"The blue seashell," Erik whispered and Valerie's heart raced, the memory rushing back. The time where she'd tried to kill herself, the unbearable sense of loneliness gripping her far too much. They were fourteen. That's when she'd first sensed him in full force, with him holding her in the private space of her mind, telling her not to give up hope.

Tears stung her eyes and she looked away. "How is this even possible?"

"I think you already know," Erik murmured, touching her hand. Valerie looked back at him.

Something about his demeanor had shifted, then. His eyes slightly narrowed, he looked back at her knowingly, as if wanting her to stop pretending that this couldn't be real. Like he'd known exactly what was happening this whole time.

"You're psychic," Valerie said.

"We both are. I think that's how all this started in the first place. Just not sure why the two of us."

Valerie was at a loss on that front, too. Maybe it was just fate. But then, what kind of fate was it when they'd only met in person now, and only for two nights. Only mere hours, after having all those dreams for nine years?

"So, what will we do now that we know this isn't some crazy dream or delusion?" Valerie asked.

Erik gave a small smile as he turned back to look at the distant horizon. "I don't know. Exchange numbers?"

Valerie couldn't help letting out a laugh. Erik did the same.

"Okay, then."

They exchanged phone numbers and Erik smiled.

"It's a damn shame I have to leave tomorrow morning. I'll definitely call the moment we land."

Valerie grinned. "Promise?

"Promise. It was great to meet you for real, Valerie."

"Same here..." Valerie replied, looking away sheepishly. He laughed again, then they parted ways.

That night, in the comfort of her bedroom and the privacy of her dreams, she met with him again. This time, he was no longer the faceless man she could just barely hear. He stood there and they spoke, their voices and features clear as the daylight that surrounded them.

"I'm going to call this our Avalon," Erik remarked as they both sat on the white sand.

"Why Avalon?"

"Why not? We're both half-fae, after all."

Valerie blinked in surprise.

"Wait, you don't know? I saw the way your eyes flashed that first night. Your eyes glowed an amber colour. Mine do something like that, too. Same with my mum. She told me about my heritage when I asked her. She's a halfling like me."

Valerie shook her head, turning back to stare at the water. "I... didn't know."

She thought back to her dad. His own eyes on the very last day he'd been alive - the one detail she still remembered clearly to this day. She wondered if her mother or siblings were the same, but she'd never seen anything supernatural where they were concerned. Not that she'd noticed, given the ever-growing distance between all of them...

"Valerie? Are you okay?"

"No..." she replied, wiping a tear. "I need to go. I'm sorry."

Before she could hear his reply, she snapped awake. The sun streamed into her room, but she could only lay there, thinking about everything she'd just found out. Something else occurred to her. That Sam and the others might have known all this time but never told her. Valerie clenched her bedsheet tightly. She would confront one of them the moment she saw them.

***

The next day at the clinic, she caught sight of Sam walking to his office upstairs. Excusing herself from the front desk, Valerie followed. He was about to enter his office and close the door but stopped when he saw her.

"I need to talk to you," Valerie said in a clipped tone. Sam frowned but ushered her inside.

"What's up?" he asked worriedly after closing the door.

Valerie crossed her arms. "I found something out about myself."

"What?"

"That I'm half-fae."

Sam's eyes widened as he simply stared at her.

"Did you know?" Valerie asked, her eyes piercing his.

"No, Val. I didn't."

"What about the others?"

"No. Someone would have said something if they did."

Valerie stepped forward, anger rising. "You're lying. How could you not know when you all scouted me way before you got me to join."

"We never had a reason to think you were anything other than human," Sam said. Sighing, he brushed his fingers through his hair. Then he looked up again, frowning. "How did you find out?"

"I..."

But Valerie stopped short, unsure about how to explain everything that had happened with Erik. She looked about her for a few moments, then back at Sam. For the first time since confronting him, she second guessed herself. He seemed to be telling the truth. And besides, what reason could he - or any of them, really - have to hide her own heritage from her?

Valerie took a breath. Then, she told him about everything he needed to know about Erik, only leaving out the more personal things. Silence followed after she finished talking.

"... Oh, wow," Sam said at last. They sat next to each other now and Valerie narrowed her eyes.

"Really? That's all you have to say?"

He laughed a little before looking at her again. "What you described... it's strange. And rare."

"Rare?"

Sam nodded. "I think you two... you're actually soulmates. It's been known to happen every now and then when specific cosmic events happen."

Valerie stared back, dumbfounded. "Soulmates?"

"Yeah. You said the two of you were born around the same time. That the two of you were psychic. And when you met him in real life, that's when it grew stronger."

Valerie thought about all she'd learned. What Sam said made sense, but the amount of crazy things happening these days were starting to overwhelm her a bit.

"It's a lot to take in, isn't it?" Sam asked, looking worriedly at her.

"You have no idea..." Valerie said. She smiled apologetically at him. "Sorry I went off at you."

"Don't worry about it," Sam said, waving his hand. "But... don't tell anyone else this. What we're dealing with right now... if this is revealed, it might put Erik in danger, too."

"Right," Valerie replied. Swallowing, she stood up to leave.

"Wait, Val. Can I have your blood tested, just to make sure?"

Valerie looked back at him, unsure once again, though she shook that feeling away. Sam hadn't held back on explaining anything that was happening. She should trust him, at the very least. He was part angel, after all. She allowed him to draw some blood, then left, mind still reeling from all these revelations.

The next time she met Sam a few days later, he confirmed that she really was half-fae. One that hadn't transitioned yet.

"Transition?"

Sam nodded. "It's basically the fae version of hitting puberty. They call it the Change. It only it happens in your early twenties. You're around that age now. All fae are considered neutral, not technically part of any court, until something in them awakens and shifts. A little like metamorphosis, really. Even if they were born in one of the six courts, there is a possibility they can become a different kind of fae and become members of another court. It's all up to nature."

"But... Erik and I... both our eyes flashed different colours. And I feel like he could belong to the Summer court based on his aura. So, doesn't that mean we already... Changed?"

"No. What you saw and felt simply could mean he's about to become one, though. What about you? Do you feel like you're being drawn to a certain element?"

Valerie thought about it, but the answer was there, right at the forefront of her mind. That strong pull towards the earth. The one that drew her to flowers and trees, made her want to collect stones of various types, relish the feel of the sand and earth beneath her feet when she walked barefoot.

"I think earth draws me in more than anything."

Sam smiled. "Guess you belong to the Spring court, then."

Valerie smiled back. She wouldn't want it any other way.

***

Weeks pass without any more incidents. The last time they'd heard from Bryce was that it was all quiet on their end and Sooyoung was still safe and sound. Not even one more attempt at her life, though John said this didn't really mean anything.

"He's probably right," Erik said. They sat across each other at a table by the beach in their shared dream.

Valerie had to agree. Why waste any more effort trying to kill someone who'd told them everything she'd known already?

She looked over at Erik. It still felt surreal, finding out he wasn't part of her imagination. All the times in her childhood when she'd felt him trying to comfort her. She'd never had any real friends back then, her extremely shy nature keeping her from seeking out the people she'd wanted to be friends with. Instead, she'd settled for the people who somehow she'd ended up with, but never really liked any of them. Just silently tagged along, trying to find somewhere she'd belonged. Admittedly, not much of this had changed in her adult life, either. At least, not until Sam, Kim and Bryce.

"You're reminiscing too much again," Erik said with a small smile. Valerie snapped out of it, then laughed. She'd honestly forgotten that he could sense her thoughts, especially here. Another strange factor in this whole thing.

"What about you?" she asked. "Were you as lonely as I was growing up?"

"Eh, I had a few friends here and there. Dad left when I was really young and mum had to raise me all by herself," Erik said, a flicker of sadness crossing his face. Then he shook his head. "Besides my aunt, she was all I really had. But I guess at the end of the day, family is more important and real then any friend could be. Friends mostly just drift in and out of your life, don't they?"

Valerie shrugged. "I guess... but what about us? Do soulmates count as family?"

"I guess we do," Erik answered, shrugging as well. Valerie smiled.

"But what about your dad?" she asked.

Erik frowned. "He was a jackass. Abused us a lot. I never want to be like him, but sometimes I feel like he left some kind of darkness in me. A monster just beneath the surface. Later on, I thought he might have been a dark fae, but mum said he was human. Just a very bad one. At least, my mum's a Summer fae, so I guess I'm not completely hopeless."

A moment passed by as they looked around the sunny beach, then Valerie looked down at her wrist. The one she'd very nearly cut open that one day, when there'd been nothing but fighting and arguing in her house and something seemed to have taken over her. Some strange sense of deathly calm as she walked upstairs and into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. As she'd taken a pair of scissors from a drawer and sat on that cold floor, pressing the sharp edge to her wrist. And then, Erik had stopped her.

His hand rested gently on her arm, and she looked at him, tears in her eyes. He swallowed as they stared at each other, the sun setting in front of them. There was light in those eyes, and she knew for sure that he was more like his mother.

"I'm... I'm still glad you were there to stop me. I don't think I ever thanked you for that. Stopping me from doing something that would have destroyed not just me, but the people around me too," Valerie murmured, those tears running down her face. She placed her hand over his.

"You don't need to thank me. I'm just glad you're still here."

The next thing she knew, she'd leaned in and thrown her arms around him, crying uncontrollably. He only held her, not saying a word.

***

More reports came in from the other organisation factions all over the world. More people went missing under supernatural circumstances. Of the dark fae variety, as it turned out, but no one was surprised any more. Just worried. The dark fae had wreaked havoc before, but never like this. Never this much, since even they felt agreed it was best to keep somewhat under the radar to avoid being discovered by humans. They had signed the Accords, after all. To keep some semblance of peace with the human world. So, why were they doing their best to destroy all that now?

They all sat in Dr Noora's office silently, mulling over all this. John and Sam next to each other beside Dr Noora, who sat at the head of their table. Next to Valerie, Kim and Bryce looked through the reports one more time, their brows furrowed. Even Sooyoung was here. She'd been getting in touch with the people she knew in the Summer court and had told Bryce more halflings had been going missing there, too. Only those who hadn't Changed yet.

"I've been looking into their backgrounds," Kim said. Everyone else looked at her. "They all have something in common - they come from broken families or are outcasts in some way."

Valerie blinked. "Even in the Light Courts?"

Sooyoung sighed. "Sadly, yeah. The light fae may not be as savage as the dark fae are, but a lot of them still hold some prejudices. Especially towards halflings. Most pureblood fae just have this way of looking down on humans no matter what."

"But still... wouldn't the light courts do more to protect them given what's going on?"

Sooyoung looked right back at her. "The purebloods, yes. The halflings don't matter as much."

Valerie stared around the room open-mouthed, but everyone looked sombre.

"Well, if they don't," Bryce said fiercely. "Then, we should. We should contact the others and see if they've figured all this out and do our best to track down those halflings that haven't Changed. Warn them about what's happening. My coven can get in touch with other covens and help cast protection spells on as many as possible."

"That's easier said then done," John said, rubbing his eyes. "It's not like we have people keeping track of how many halflings are born every day or how many have Changed. And we can't exactly go around taking blood to test people we suspect could be one."

His eyes fell on Valerie, then look towards Bryce. By now, Sam had told them what Valerie was, citing that they needed to know.

"I know you really want to do something about this, but it won't be possible. At the very least, help protect her," he said and gestured to Valerie. Bryce did not look too happy but nodded anyway.

It was then that Dr Noora spoke for the first time.

"We may not be able to do what Bryce asked for, but we can try. If you do come across those you think could be halflings, Changed or not, cast your protection spells on them. Better safe than sorry."

Bryce smiled. "I was thinking the same thing, anyway. We'll let the covens know."

As they were dismissed and began walking out of the room, Valerie fell into step with Sooyoung.

"How are you holding up?"

Sooyoung kept looking ahead, unsmiling. "I still have nightmares... but I'm alive. I... don't really want to talk about it right now, though."

"... Right. We'll be here if you ever do," Valerie said. Sooyoung just nodded and as they left the long-closed clinic, she followed Bryce to her car.

***

Work the next day was the same as usual, though now Sooyoung had been brought in as one of the new receptionists. She did okay despite everything. Bryce had said she'd insisted on it, just to have something to distract herself with. Valerie couldn't blame her, though she herself would count the seconds until she could leave, go home and to sleep, so she could hopefully see Erik again.

Home life wasn't much better. Mum stuck in front of the TV. Siblings in their rooms. Valerie looked all around. Even if the house was clean and pristine, there was nothing but silence here. Silence that she didn't have the energy to break because she knew no one else would be willing to help her break out of it. How had they ever let it become this way?

Lying on her bed later that night, she finally closed her eyes and slowly fell sleep.

***

The grey sky was the first thing that caught her attention. Then, the waves crashing against the rocks and the wind blowing around a little faster, bringing a slight chill with them.

She found Erik standing by the water, looking out into the distance, his arms wrapped around himself.

"Erik? What's wrong?"

"Someone I knew went missing last night. A halfling," he said.

"I'm sorry... do you know anything about it? I can ask the organisation to look into it."

"Would that really help?" he snapped and Valerie blinked in surprise. She'd never seen this dark side of him, even if he had told her a little about it. "They haven't really gone out of their way to protect us, have they? Always us who end up at the bottom of everyone's priority lists, right?"

"Erik..."

He turned sharply to her and Valerie jumped back. The look in his eyes, one of so much fury, had her heart racing. He didn't soften as he approached. Valerie gasped when he gripped her arms tightly.

"You feel it about to start, don't you?" he said, his voice a rough growl that didn't sound anything like the soothing tone it always had been. "That darkness. Surely, you can. I can sense it, too. It's coming, Val. It's about to claim us all, and we can do nothing to stop it."

Valerie stared at him, completely speechless. As she looked into those eyes, the world around them became a storm. And his eyes began to darken until they were nothing but pitch black. Chills ran all across her skin.

Erik leaned in, his mouth inches from hers as he whispered to her.

"Save us-"

She jolted awake at the sound of several knocks.

No.

NO!

"Val! Wake up, already!" her mum's grating voice called.

"Okay, dammit, I'm up!" Valerie called back, trying desperately to keep the hysteria at bay. As her mum walked away, she tried to reach out for Erik again, but he wouldn't answer her. Not even when she tried to call his phone.

That dread wracked her body in full force. She called Sam instead, trying to tell him everything that had just happened.

"Val, calm down. You're not making much sense right now. Meet me in my office as soon as you can and we'll talk."

"But-"

"Val," Sam said gently. "There's not much we can do if I can't understand what's going on. Come here as soon as you can, alright?"

Valerie swallowed, wiping her tears. She willed herself to calm down. "Okay... okay. I'll see you soon."