Dark Descent: The Arondight Codex - Book One by R Nicole (best books to read all time TXT) 📗

waited until a nurse walked past. Once we were alone again, he murmured, “What are you going to do? You don’t seriously trust these people, do you? I know they helped me, but they must want something in return because I don’t think this place is part of the NHS. Do you think they take Bitcoin?”

“I don’t know,” I whispered. “Answers are just more questions in this place.”

“Scarlett…”

“They’re going to test me for powers or something,” I blurted. “Wilder thinks I might have some of that Light they’re so crazy over, which is why I was able to use his sword.”

“Wilder? The guy who almost got you killed?” He scowled, pouting like a sulky teenager.

“Stop that,” I said, swatting his arm. “He saved your life.”

“And it cuts me up that I was saved by a guy like him.” He pouted. “I don’t like the way he looks at you.”

“The way he…? Ugh. He looks at me like I’m a piece of shit on his boot.”

“You’re so clueless,” he murmured, closing his eyes.

“Clueless or not, I’m out of here the second they get their payment. Not that I’m sure I’ve got much to go back to other than job hunting,” I said with a groan. “I’ve missed one shift already at 8-bit and ran out on another.”

“Missing one shift? I think you’ll be fine.”

“That’s if they ever let us out of here.”

Jackson paled. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t want to blindly trust them, but something weird is going on.” I grasped his hand and squeezed. “I don’t know what to do.”

“You’ll figure something out. You’re the strongest person I know.”

“Even with the meds?”

“Even with the meds.”

I groaned and closed my eyes, realising I hadn’t taken any of my prescribed pills for days now. Oddly, I hadn’t had any episodes yet—no flashbacks, dreams, or mood swings—but I’d been comatose for most of it. If they were going to test me, maybe I should say something. Ugh, I was so confused.

“Who is that?”

I opened my eyes at the sound of his surprised question and I glanced up at Romy, who was walking towards us.

“I’m Romy!” she said brightly. “Nice to meet you.”

“Well, her outsides are not like her insides,” he said, his eyes almost popping out of his head.

“Don’t be fooled by the exterior, human,” she declared. “That’s the first rule of demon hunting.”

Jackson glanced at me and I shrugged. This place was full of juxtapositions.

“Are you hungry, Scarlett?”

I glanced at Jackson and he nodded towards the door. “Go,” he said. “I’ll be fine.”

Romy cocked her head towards the other side of the room where the surly doctor I’d met on the way into the Sanctum was writing something on a fancy tablet computer. “Ramona’s a bitch, but she’s a great doctor. She’ll watch out for your friend.”

“See?” Jackson said with a smirk. “I’ll be fine with the surly doctor.”

I rose to my feet, but hesitated. I had that weird vibe again, like something invisible was breathing down the back of my neck.

“Go on,” he prodded. “When you find out what’s going on around here, you can come back and fill me in.”

“All right,” I said, stretching out the words. “Don’t go anywhere okay?”

“Where would he go?” Romy said with a laugh. “He’s tethered.”

“Yeah, Scarlett, I’m tethered.” He poked at the sensors stuck to his chest.

“No, silly,” Romy declared, “you’re tethered.”

Jackson and I exchanged a worried look.

“Hurry back?” he asked with a squeak.

He didn’t have to ask me twice. “As fast as I can.”

8

Romy didn’t let me stray on our way to the kitchen.

We passed more displays of weapons I desperately wanted to look at, but on my fifth attempt, she threaded her arm through mine and practically dragged me through the Sanctum. When we finally arrived, I wasn’t surprised to find the room looked like a medieval banquet hall with all the trimmings, with a touch of modern convenience.

Through the open window, I could see the long galley-style kitchen with stainless steel appliances. There were three long tables that could easily seat at least twenty people a piece and a buffet-style spread of pre-prepared food in the dining room. People moved back and forth along the wall of food while others hurried in and out of the kitchen. It must be lunchtime.

Romy grabbed two plates off the warmer at the end of the buffet and began to fill them with salad, much to my horror. Five varieties of lettuce, garnished with purple onion, carrot, cucumber, those little cubes of crunchy bread, and a slimy layer of dressing. She bypassed the soup, a decent-looking stew, and the pile of bread and rolls, and found us a seat at one of the tables.

“There aren’t many people here,” I said. “Greer mentioned that only a few rooms were occupied?”

“Yeah, the Naturals aren’t what they used to be,” Romy said, setting the plates down. She slid into a chair and gestured for me to sit.

“Why?”

“The world is more accessible, I guess. People can go anywhere and do anything. Why would they want to be stuck in this place and risking their lives when they could be on a holiday in Ibiza?”

“That’s irresponsible,” I muttered. “Do they know there are demons and shit out there?”

“Someone else is taking care of it.” Romy rolled her eyes and pouted. “Becoming a Natural is hard work, Scarlett. Not everyone is cut out for it.”

I could understand that. We lived in a world of fast food, Netflix and chill, and five-second attention spans. Dedication wasn’t something that was nurtured like it used to be. Even I had trouble finishing things I’d started.

Chairs scraped against the tiles beside us and plates were dumped on the table next to ours. Three more Naturals joined us—two men and a woman—and I glanced at them nervously. Romy seemed to be a social magnet and without her, I was sure there’d be a five-meter exclusion zone around my current location.

The woman smiled, flashing her ultra-straight teeth. She was another lean, athletic-type, with flame red hair