Tasting Darkness

Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 7 - Aleera POV The memories wouldn't stop. | cto learn, through them, that the plague was never meant to be a plague at all. It was supposed to be a cure for Harmony-Fae who were dying off from svirus that spread like wildfire.

Darius being Demonic-Fae was not affected by this virus, they couldn't explain why, neither was his sister.

However, what my father created was never a cure, it was a plague. Xandrius ordered him to destroy it when they realized what they created. After all the things | saw him do, | wasn’t sure how someone like him wanted to stop the unpredictable epidemic outbreak.

And yet, they were hoping to find a cure. However, my father was scheming behind Xandrius’s back, plotting a way to take down the Demonic Kingdom and the Vamperic kingdom. From what | saw, he was adamant to destroy everything, sacrifice as many lives as needed, in his way just to get closer to his goal.

My father becthe very definition of a mad scientist with a god complex.” All of his plans and doings were hidden right under the council's nose.

And Xandrius could do nothing to prove it without implicating himself. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't stop my father, for it was too late to act once he found out what was happening behind his back.

Through Darius’ memories, | also learned why the first plague existed. The sas why Darius’ mother was also immune.

When the Harmony-Fae started getting this mysterious virus, and it proved to be not only dangerous but also deadly, cord blood was taken right after Darius was born. By none other than my father, of course. So | had no doubt he was the one who was responsible for creating the first original strain.

But now, | also knew what Darius meant about him being responsible for the plague being set free. What he meant when he claimed it started with him.

His blood created the plague, and that wasn’t all - my father tricked him. Darius was so blinded by his hate for his father that it was easy to coax him into teleporting into the lab, and retrieve the vials his father ordered to be destroyed.

And my father was there, with a friendly smile on his lips, claiming that Darius was doing the right thing.

He told Darius that if he did that, he would be able to put a stop to his father’s vile doings. Darius was fooled into believing that he could stop his father.

Darius was under the impression his father was the evil mastermind. The root of all evil and ungodly deeds.

Perhaps he even made Darius believe the reason for the vicious disease outbreak was his father.

| couldn’t know every detail, just the memories that were presented to me, but | was sure that my father did far worse.

So, Darius did what my father asked - he retrieved both vials and than he retrieved both vials, and then burned the place to the ground out of anger. Darius hated that place with passion. He was convinced if he did what my father told him to, he would never be strapped to that chair again.

When the second wave hit, he knew it was his fault. And when the council ordered my father to find a cure, once again, Darius found himself becoming another casualty to those experiments. Until one day he had enough.

And again, | watch the world through Darius’ eyes. He is barely a teenager now.

He had spent all day at school and was now getting changed to meet his father, so he can go to the new lab built.

His father scrutinized every move made by my father. There were cameras set up on every desk, notetakers stood close by and copied down every move.

Xandrius was trying to catch him red handed and have justice served for the vile crimes he committed. He knew my father let off the second wave, but the council believed all evidence was destroyed in the fire, believe the lies my father told, and as far as the council was concerned Greyson could do no wrong.

My father had them wrapped around his finger, because no one was hated more than Xandrius the demonic King. And after the building burned to ashes, nothing could be retrieved or taken in as a proof to point fingers at the guilty one.

Besides, no matter how many times Xandrius had done awful things, he was trying to fix this and without him being present, there was no one who would stand against my father. And yet, he couldn’t speak up without the much-needed evidence because then, the council could find out about his involvement in them.

Xandrius believed my father stole them. He had no idea he was keeping an eye on the wrong person. As smart as he was, he didn’t realize that the one who stole what he sought was none other than his own son. It was Darius, all along.

What was even worse was that Greyson loved the power that secret gave him. He thrived in the sense of superiority over Darius.

He liked to use that against Darius. He threatened Darius that ‘if he were ever to say anything, cclean with everything that had happened and who was responsible for the mess - he would tell Xandrius that Darius was the one that unleashed the plague.

So, Darius had no other choice but to go along with whatever my father told him to do, or risk his father’s wrath.

If he were to disobey the orders, Darius knew he put his life at risk. What made everything even worse was that his sister and mother were trapped in the basement until a cure could be found.

A cure that didn’t evist. All he had was another outbreak of a deadly plague that crept over the lands and destroyed the water supplies like death itself, and a secret that tormented him every moment of his life.

| watch as Darius goes to his room and unpacks his bag. He knew that he had two hours before his father would csearching for him. Two hours before, he would be subjected to all kinds of torture. All in the nof science.

But Darius didn’t trust anyone anymore. And how could he? After everything that | watched happening, those awful memories and the things he was forced to do, | couldn't force myself to question his inability to trust others.

Darius couldn't trust a single person’s intentions anymore, and he would be damned if he was the reason a new plague was unleashed.

He set the contents of his bag on the counter as he double-checked the dosages from the book he spent the day reading. When he wasn’t sure if he had enough, he added a bit more to the concoction. | could see tiny specks of sweat breaking out on his forehead. Feel his fear of the unknown and the weight of the actions he is about to take.

He was so focused on what he was doing, so lost in the moment | believe Darius wouldn't hear if anyone were to make a sound in the hall.

But nevertheless, | held my breath and kept watching. | had no idea what he was doing or where he was going with the concoction, but | was dying to find out.

What were you up to here, Darius? What was going through your mind? And most importantly - what were you trying to create in the secret of your room? What were you hiding? Spart ofthought it was all to stop our parents, or maybe he figured out how to save his mother and sister.