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

wipe my memory three times and it didn’t work. If I’d seen something like that before, it’d stand to reason I’d remember, right? Of course, my memory is sketchy back when I was a kid. Who knows if it’s real or just the stylings of a four-year-old’s overactive imagination? I always thought my dreams weren’t real.”

“She has a point,” Brax said.

“What do you mean, you thought your dreams weren’t real?” Aldrich asked.

“I…” Wilder’s words came back to me. Tell them about the meds. “I take pills. For my hallucinations, my mood… I have for most of my life.”

Brax humphed and Greer’s eyebrows rose.

“It’s possible the human medication has blocked any ability she might have,” Ramona said. “When was your last dosage?”

“A few days ago,” I replied warily.

“I suggest we test her,” Ramona said to the others. “We can extend the delve for immunity and blocks, as well as a standard Light test.”

Greer nodded. “Proceed.”

My heart leapt into my throat as the chair began to recline. It didn’t stop until I was lying flat on my back and all those scary thoughts I’d had about having my chest cracked open flooded back.

I watched Ramona’s every move as she turned and picked up a strange silver device from a tray and slipped it onto her hand. It appeared to be a shiny round disk, with loops on the back for her fingers to slip through. The metal fit snugly into her palm as she held it over me.

I was offered zero explanation as she began to move it along my body. The device never once touched me, her hand hovering strangely in the air. After a moment, I fancied I felt something. A hum ringing in my ears and a slight vibration through my fingertips.

A jolt of electricity zapped through me and I gasped, unprepared for the abrupt jolt. My thoughts muddled and my awareness shifted.

Mummy! Daddy!

Shut up, you little brat.

The voices echoed through my mind, the world tinged with rings of purple.

“There’s no sign of demonic tampering,” Ramona confirmed, her voice echoing from far away. “And she indeed possesses Light, though it’s been subdued. It’s most likely due to the medication she’s been taking, but I can’t confirm that until her system is completely clear.”

“What did you do to me?” I asked as my wits started to come back. It felt like I’d been out for only a second, but it must have been a while. Whatever that little silver disc was packed a punch.

“The disorientation is normal,” Ramona said to me. “It will past in a few moments.”

“Tell her,” Aldrich commanded.

“I believe you were never ill, Scarlett,” Ramona said, dropping some of her surliness. “What your doctors thought was a mental condition, was merely your Light manifesting. Without anyone to guide you, it was a logical conclusion.”

“You mean…?” I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or ask for another round of pills to stop the hallucinations from spreading to my lymph nodes.

“There’s nothing wrong with you,” she said as the chair came back up. “And there never was. Apart from a strange immunity to some forms of Light manipulation, I don’t see any medical reason you should continue to take those pills. I would recommend a full physical to confirm with one hundred percent clarity, but that’s up to you.”

“Then it’s as we expected,” Aldrich stated. “The Infernal was tracking her because it caught the scent of her dormant Light. Nothing more.”

He looked disappointed, but I was ecstatic. It meant I could get out of here and go home with Jackson. I wasn’t implanted with a secret weapon, I wasn’t possessed by a demon, and I was definitely not stark raving mad. This was real and I wasn’t sick. All this time I’d just been a mad as hell teenager that’d been pissed off that her parents had been killed.

“Does this mean we can go home? Me and Jackson?”

Greer nodded. “As long as you don’t reveal what you know about the Sanctum.”

I snorted. “Who would believe me?”

“Your friend will be required to have his memory altered,” Aldrich said. “He is not immune, and we have to abide by the Codex.”

“Codex-schmodex,” I declared. “As long as he’s safe.”

“He’ll wake up tomorrow and be none the wiser,” Brax confirmed.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Scarlett,” Greer said. “You may go.”

“Wait… That’s it?” I asked, my eyes wide.

“That’s it.”

I stood, not sure how I should feel. Perhaps used might be an adequate word, but the lack of answers left me empty. Sitting on the sidelines, I waited as someone went to fetch Jackson. In a few minutes, we’d be out of here and on our way home. So why did I feel so slighted? It didn’t make any sense.

When we finally passed across the threshold of the Sanctum and stepped into the human world, I glanced back but I never saw Wilder again.

9

When we arrived home, Jackson shuffled upstairs like a zombie.

Five minutes after he had his memory wiped, we’d been let out of the Sanctum, bundled into a black cab, driven home, and that was it. Our adventure was over.

Staring up at Jackson’s bedroom window, I wasn’t surprised to find it’d been fixed. I guess I should be thankful he had his soul restored along with the pane of glass Wilder had shattered. The only payment I had to give was enduring their tests and creepy round of questioning that revealed I was different, but not really. Useless Scarlett had been kicked out again.

Sighing, I went upstairs, checking every shadow for puffs of black smoke. When I peered into Jackson’s room, he looked lost sitting on the end of the bed. I wondered if that’s how I looked after Wilder had attempted to screw with my memories.

“Hey,” I said, leaning against the doorframe. “You hungry?”

Jackson perked up and smiled. “Starving.”

His reaction relieved a little of my anxiety. “I’m going down to the kebab shop. You want your usual?”

“Yeah. You want some money?” He patted his pockets and his expression dropped. “I can’t remember