The Lightest Dark (The Dark series Book 1) Read online

  The Lightest Dark

  By Avery Sweet

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  This book is dedicated to my husband and my son. You guys drive me nuts, but I wouldn't have it any other way. You’re my heart.

  Also to my mother and my brother. Haven’t seen you in a while, but I’m still inspired by the time we spent together. You’re fat ;).

  Prologue

  She's on the roof again.

  How I enjoy her night of second watch where I observe her, taking in every detail I can absorb. Her long hair surrounds her, such a deep red it could be a pool of blood. Her flawless white skin looks luminescent in the light of the full moon, so soft it would be like silk against my fingers. I long to run them through it as I kiss her senseless...

  Her silvery blue eyes are closed, revealing her lashes that are so long and dark they make the other girls here envious. Her nose is small, round and a bit crooked, but it gives character making her all the more perfect. My eyes travel down to her lips. They are the color of pink roses, full and lush, her bottom lip just a bit fuller than the top, and they're parted slightly.

  I’m grateful for the heat when I see she's wearing her favorite T-shirt, pulled taunt against full breasts and loose near her rounded hips and narrow waist. A pair of cut off denim shorts scavenged from the remnants of days past show off her bare feet and shapely legs.

  How I long to have them wrapped around me as she screams my name in ecstasy…

  I close my eyes, the image vivid in my mind. Her skin glistening, her cheeks tinting pink as she bites the corner of her lip, trying to suppress the scream of pleasure as she reaches her climax. She still gasps my name like a whispered prayer, her nails biting into my flesh as I push myself deeper, loving the way her muscles contract around me before finally reaching my own release…

  A voices break me from my musings. I open my eyes and a noise of disgust almost leaves my mouth, but I suppress it at the last second for fear that they hear me. She’s speaking with the other night guard. Randy, I believe his name is.

  It vexes me.

  Why would my sweet angel lower herself to be at the same level as this insignificant populace?

  She acts like an infatuated puppy, happy for the scraps of attention they give only for her to be forlorn when they take it away. They take advantage of her sweet naivety, telling lies of how she is lesser than them, but if she keeps at it she might someday be on their level. It’s as if she does not know any better.

  She is above them and yet she acts as if she needs them to breathe. They will take all that is good in her and raze it. I will not let that happen. I will save her from them and she will be mine alone. It will be me she looks at with stars in her eyes as she gives herself to me.

  My sweet angel…

  Before long you will be with me and only me, but first you must be taken from here. I cannot have you soiled by the wickedness of this society anymore, lest it taint your sweet light. Their kind is a poison and must be cut off at the source before it’s too late.

  You will protest at first I’m sure, but in the end you will see what I have done for you and thank me. I turn away, heading back to the place I call home for the moment. I need to escape the discordant sound of his voice lest I do something I’ll regret.

  You will belong to me, but until then I must remain patient. I remind myself of what still needs to be done before I can have you for my own.

  Things are beginning to fall into place and it won’t be much longer now.

  Soon…

  Chapter One

  So the year is 7286.

  The end of the world has come and gone and it wasn’t anything like everyone thought it was going to be. They thought everything from fire and brimstone to natural disasters, but it turns out humanity had almost destroyed itself entirely from the inside out.

  It started out slowly.

  Small fights about trivial things breaking out between people, then families, then towns, then cities started to join in the fray until everyone was entangled in a fight that had no meaning anymore. Everyone was fighting just to take apart and destroy things and it didn’t end there.

  Fighting about everything, from stealing food to killing, started to escalate beyond anything anyone could keep under control. First- as the once plentiful food supply started to wear thin- it was whether to kill animals, or humans. Then as time passed and there was no longer any kind of order, no one questioned it, they just did. It made no difference which. It continued to escalate to the point that everyone was either fighting to survive, or to kill.

  It was total anarchy.

  As the fighting continued over the years, technology dwindled, communication became scarce and it wasn’t long before demons, the things thought to be fantasy made themselves known. Demons and the fallen started to rise and take over. They were led by Belial who was rumored to be king among them, second only to one though no one knows who could be above him in the underworld besides Lucifer himself.

  There have been rumors that it was someone of another realm, but nothing concrete has ever surfaced. If they existed they kept themselves hidden from humans, or at least the ones I live amongst. All I know of is Demons.

  They say they have only one rule.

  They must be invited in and they have many ways to get you to do it. Everything from a beautiful mask to simple tricks. The more skilled, observe and take on the appearance of someone among your friends, or family. This is what they teach us to be wary of.

  History teaches us that amidst the fighting they flourished. They fed off of anger and violence and killed, maimed, raped and tortured without mercy. They took what they wanted and gave nothing in return. Only those few humans with the ability to adapt and change with their surroundings survived.

  It wasn’t long before the last of humanity had realized its mistake, trying to salvage what was left of us to prevent extinction. Soon communities had started to form, rising from the ashes of a collapsed civilization.

  We began to thrive again, our bodies and minds evolving so that we were able to endure our new environment. New abilities developed so that we might fight the demons rather than cower and run. With each new generation came new abilities and as our numbers grew, so did the need for leadership and guidance so as not to destroy what we had salvaged.

  The council was born.

  Seven of the most knowledgeable and powerful were selected to guide our people and help to decide what would be done for the good of all. They in turn had founded the Guardians. Those with dominant abilities, or strengths to protect the weaker among us.

  Search parties were formed to scavenge the land once a month so that we might grow our own foods and generate other necessities. We scavenge fabrics, plants, books, and whatever else might be considered useful to the communitie
s from among the refuge of a former civilization.

  Though not much is left, there are still things we find among the rubble. Buildings buried whole so that the old is preserved enough to be of some use in the present. Hard to spot, but a treasure trove if you're able to see them.

  Soon it was mandatory that those strong enough who reached the age of eighteen, whether male or female, be sent to scavenge the lands and bring back what they could as a form of training. A way to view what the world outside our walls had become and to help them understand better what it is we’re trying to protect.

  Well... at least that's the bull they've been trying to feed us since birth. Personally I think it has more to do with finding ways to keep us occupied so we don't go crazy and kill each other again, but that's just me. Wrong or right I’m entitled to my opinion even if I’d never in a million years voice it aloud.

  My name is Calista Masters, though most just refer to me as Cali. I’m 5”5 with dark red hair, blue eyes, and a mean left hook. At the moment, I’m laying down on the second tier roof of our watchtower. It’s on a building that used to be a school, or so I’m told.

  Like I hinted before, I've never been one to believe everything they tell me. Some of it is just too far fetch if you ask me, but then again some of the best truths are. So they may be telling the truth to an extent, but I’m sure some of it has a more beneficial effect on us lower level humans than the rest.

  Whatever the story, I just keep my head down and try to keep out of trouble. Try being the key word. Anyway, our entire town is based around this school. I think I heard one of the council members refer to it as a college once. From what I've read about them it seems like it could be true.

  Then again it could have been a really large asylum. Not really any way to tell now. The only thing I know for certain is that we're in an area that's referred to as Florida, or at least what's left of it.

  About two years after the fallen and the demons started to rise so did the water level of the ocean, but that's a geology lesson and I'm not about to get into that. Not exactly my best subject, and it’s boring anyway.

  In any case, the building helps house quite a few people. We’ve erected stone walls nine feet high and topped with barbed wire on the outermost region of what we consider our community, or compound as I- and everyone else- like to call it.

  There are four watch towers located on the top tier of the five story building. I’m not sure how big the school is, but I know it takes at least twenty minutes to get from one end to the other. At least at a normal pace. I’m sure there are more than a few here who can run it in a minute, or less.

  Those who wanted a bit more privacy than what the side by side rooms of the larger building provide have taken refuge in the surrounding buildings. Everyone pitches in to help repair the major stuff like walls and roofs, but anything else you’re on your own.

  Unless you have something to barter of course. They still get the protection of the watch tower though since only those who can see for miles, regardless of the time of day, are given guard duty.

  I’m one of the lucky few, though some nights I don't feel it's all that lucky. It’s too hot to be indoors right now since I’m not one of the ones that have working electricity. I do have indoor plumbing though, so I guess I lucked out there.

  Thinking about how hot it is in my house, I’d rather take my last few minutes of freedom to relax before I have to sit in the south tower until noon. Hence the reason for me being on the second tier roof.

  The humid night air is broken momentarily by a light breeze playing against my skin, cooling me. Ah, how I love the moon as she shines down on me, lending me her strength. I hear a sound coming from my left, but my eyes stay closed. I know who it is. There’s no one else who would look for me considering I’m not exactly well liked among my peers here.

  Probably why I’ve been assigned second watch of the night, every other day. Most people only have it for one night a week. Second watch starts at two in the morning and that’s ten minutes from now.

  That’s how my schedule’s been for the last three months since my eighteenth birthday. As I get older and work my way up the ranks that may change, but I’m content with my cards for now, even if it is a horrible hand I've been dealt.

  “Hey Tristan.” He settles himself beside me, his leg touching mine just slightly. He's quiet for a few moments, but soon the silence starts to bother him. He never could stay quiet for long. “So how was it today?”

  A small chuckle escapes me as I open my eyes and turn to my best friend of seven years. My eyes taking in every detail in seconds. It was how I became a part of the guardians in the first place. My ability to see what others couldn’t. At least most of the time anyway. Today I was doing well in that department, though that’s been known to change at a moment’s notice.

  I get a strange feeling as I look him over. Tristan has a pair of sunglasses perched on the top of his head. His shoulder length dark blond hair is tied back with a few strands falling into his hyacinth colored eyes when he usually keeps it loose. Not to mention his usual five o’clock shadow is gone. He’s wearing a pair of dark blue jeans that hang low on his hips and a plain black hoodie with a pair of combat boots...

  He never wears shoes. Alarms are sounding in my head at that, but I ignore them. I let it go figuring he’ll tell me what’s going on sooner rather than later, instead pointing out the obvious. “How are you not sweating bullets right now? It’s like 95 degrees out.”

  “You’re not sweating either. Besides you know I can tolerate the heat. This is nothing compared to what I’m used to and you know it. Now answer the question and stop dodging.”

  I laugh as he calls me out. I don’t know why I even bothered. He always knows when I’m dodging and unlike me, I know he’ll pry until I answer. Kind of a double standard, but it is what it is. “They seem to think that my…skills are a necessity to the upcoming supply run since Trace is out of commission. Short of dying, getting seriously injured, or maybe kidnapped by aliens there is no getting out of it.”

  He frowned, “Did you tell them why?”

  I sighed, “Yeah. They seem to think that a hunch,” I made quotation marks with my fingers, “about an attack happening tomorrow is entirely paranoia. I have nothing to prove it but my word and I haven’t been in the guardians long enough for that to count for anything. When I told them you agreed with me they said they would believe that when you came and said it yourself.”

  I rolled my eyes as he laughed. “That’s great. I’ll be sure to get right over there.”

  I gave him an incredulous look, “You’re not serious are you?”

  He smirked, “Why? What’s wrong with me going to the main house and vouching for you?”

  “Because the last time you went and vouched for me I think every female in the entire compound sent me death threats.” He started laughing. I was not amused. “They seem to think I’m not good enough to be your friend, let alone someone you vouch for. They expressed their distaste by shredding some of my clothes and trashing my room on three separate occasions. I had to wear your old clothes for a few weeks if you remember. I think that’s the only reason my new ones didn’t end up the same way.”

  He saw my face and calmed down a bit, “Oh come on. It was not the entire compound. Besides, I’d hardly call throwing paper everywhere trashing your room. Not to mention I found you some awesome new clothes the run after that.”

  “That’s not the point and you know it.”

  When I started to stand up and head to the higher post to relieve Randy, he got up faster than a normal human eye could see and grabbed me around my waist, pulling me close. His 5”11 muscular frame pressed against me, causing an unusual shiver of unease to go down my spine as he leaned in to whisper in my ear, “You are better than every last one of them, inside and out. As for the council,” I felt him shrug, “they’re all fools for not listening.”

  I shook off the feeling as his words registered. “I would say
tell them that, but I think maybe it’s time for a different approach. They keep giving me shit and taking my abilities for granted. I say let the attack happen. If they blame me, I’ll throw it back at them. They were warned.” I broke free of his grip and started walking again.

  He didn’t stop me this time. Instead he fell in step beside me, lost in thought. “If that’s what you want to do, I’ll support you.”

  I could hear the doubt and it irritated me, “Thanks for the vote of confidence. Just do me a favor? When the shit hits the fan make sure my brother is okay? I’d really rather not have to worry about what destruction he’s up to while I’m gone. I haven't heard anything today so I'm assuming he's saving his energy for something that's going to push the limits.”

  He stopped walking, so I turn to see why. The look in his eye had me taking in a quick breath. I could literally feel the air getting hotter around him. “They didn’t tell you?”

  I frowned. I’m sure the confusion was all over my face, “Who didn’t tell me what? What’s got you so angry? I just asked you to look after my brother tomorrow. If that’s a problem I’ll talk to Gavin, or Alexander.”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath as I felt the heat begin to recede. “They have Ryan in lockup again. They told me that you said to keep him there. He needed to learn a lesson.”

  I clenched my teeth. The words, "Who said it?" Came from my lips sounding a bit fiendish as I felt my hands tighten into fists. You don’t mess with my brother. It was a guaranteed fight with me and everyone knew it.

  “I’ll tell you, but you have to calm down first. It’ll do you no good to go charging in there like a bull demon with a red flag in front of it.”

  “I don’t give a fallen angel’s wing! Tell me who!”

  He sighed, “Evan.” I stormed off to see Randy and let him know I was going to be a little late relieving him. There was no argument about it, though I think that had more to do with my attitude than anything else.