A MAZE OF GREED

Darius watched the sleeping Lisa silently. She was laying on a cold rock platform with her body barely covered by a tattered dress. Not caring about the unclear floor, Darius sat on it, resting his folded hands on the platform and placing his chin on them.

Her warm breath fanned his face as he watched her. Her skin that was matted and covered in scars, looked beautiful to his eyes. He remembered how soft her lips felt against his. Her slim body turned him hard, and his hands itched to do the things he had done before, and she did not like any of them.

Lisa stirred in sleep. She caught a blurry shadow through her droopy eyes. Startled, she tried to scamper away, but Darius's hand shot out, and he held onto her shoulders tightly.

A wide smile broke onto his handsome face seeing the fear in her eyes. After realising that it was Darius, Lisa's heart paced down a little to reach its normal pace.

"Good morning, Lisa!" He said sweetly.

Lisa did not know what time it was. It would not have done any difference, either way, so she only stared at him quietly. But the look in her eyes told him what she was thinking.

At least she thought about him, and that was something, was not it?

"Are not you happy to see me, Lisa?" Darius asked, a little disappointed.

"What do you want?" Lisa did not waste time beating around the bush.

Darius smiled again. "I want to take you somewhere before I tell you that."

Lisa watched him in confusion as he stood up, straightening his pants. He forwarded his hand for her to take. She looked at it as if it was a poisonous snake ready to bite her.

But his face still adorned that smile, and she knew he meant no harm. After living with this man for months now, she had started studying him little by little. Placing her hand in his bigger ones softly, she let him pull her to his chest.

Her breath hitched as their chests collided. His unnaturally dark eyes stared deep into hers as if he was searching for something. After a couple of moments, he broke his gaze as if he gave up searching for that something.

Darius led her out of the dark cell while still holding her hand in his. His cold skin made a shiver run down her spine. She followed him through the long dark corridors than on the stairs, that was at the end of it. She had never been taken to this part and wondered where those stairs led.

She ascended every step matching Darius's pace, which was not slow or fast. It was perfect for her to follow. She lost the count after five minutes, and her feet started aching.

She heaved a sigh of relief when she saw an opening. Walking through it, Darius led her on a terrace. As soon as she stepped on the floor, a gust of wind came crashing on her face. The wind felt soothing against her wounded and hot skin.

Lisa did not remember when was the last time she watched the world from the top. Was it not what she wanted in her life? Reaching the top, and living in peace?

That Lisa felt like a long-forgotten dream. As this new Lisa wanted nothing of that. All she was seeking was revenge!

"Why are we here?" She asked.

Darius led her little more forward till they were standing near the rim of the terrace, its wall reached up to her waist.

"Close your eyes." He told her.

"Are you planning to throw me down?" She cocked her brow at him.

Her tone had no trace of fear, instead, it was full of challenge.

"What if I do?" He mused.

"Then you will get an easy escape from me. And then you will not know how much I loath you and want to end your life desperately." She told him truthfully.

Darius did not feel offended and smiled. "Then I will not do such thing. Now can you close your eyes?"

Trusting his words, she did as she was told. Moments passed in silence... a comfortable one. Slowly a small smile danced on Lisa's lips as she could hear the evening sounds of nature.

Of course, the night was approaching, and that was why this night creature wished her good morning. She should have thought that before. She shook her head mentally at her stupidity.

But, why was she thinking about him at this moment, when she should be thinking about her family and her life?

"You are thinking about me, are not you?" The hairs on her body stood up, hearing his breathy voice very close to her ear.

She opened her eyes and tried stepping behind only to crash in his chest. Darius wrapped his arms around her frame, pressing her back more in his chest. The contact of warm and cold skins felt unnatural yet so very real.

"Darius", Lisa breathed out as his arms tightened more around her torso, and he placed his chin on her shoulder.

The images from the last time swirled in her mind. Her heart changed its rhythm according to his every move.

"I am so happy today Lisa! And it is all because of you." He placed a soft kiss on the side of her neck that made her close her eyes momentarily.

"Wh-why?" She asked breathily.

"Because, I finally did what I should have done long before."

"What did you do?" She was curious.

Darius smiled against her skin. "I killed someone."

Lisa stiffened hearing that. One more innocent soul fell prey to this monster. "Is not what you always do?" She asked instead.

He moved his head in the affirmation that sent tingles all over her body, and she clutched tightly at the rim of the terrace.

"But this time they were werewolves." He answered.

"Werewolves?" Lisa had only heard about the people who could shift into a wolf of their will. She had heard that those were the strong, fierce and barbaric creatures and archnemesis of the Vampires.

"And you know for whom they were loyal to?" He asked.

"n-no."

"Edwin O'Dell!"

Lisa's eyes widened hearing that. She had never met any werewolf or other supernatural creatures except the Vampires. But she had heard her father and the other males of Kinsville talking about them.

Edwin O'Dell. She distinctively remembered people saying his name with respect, unlike the Garfields.

"Yes! I showed that bastard who the real leader is! And it happened all because of you, Lisa. Congratulations that now you have initiated a war between two supernatural powers! You are so fucking amazing my pet!" He kissed her cheek adoringly.

But Lisa was dumbstruck on her spot. Did she initiate a war?

"No, Darius!" She pushed him away from her and freed herself from his caging arms.

Turning around, she glared at him. "You are wrong! I did not do such thing!" She screamed.

Unbothered by her outburst, Darius only smiled. "Yes, you did my dear Lisa! Remeber the time you called me a coward?"

Lisa nodded her head slowly. The night he stained her with his scent and mark, she was outrageous and called him a coward and so many things. But what does it have to do with this war?

"You made me realise what a big fool I was. I am Darius Garfield- the next in the line of being a leader of the Vampire breed. And yet, I was playing a game of hiding and seek with Edwin O'Dell, as if I was accepting his power.

When you called me a coward, I realised that it is finally time, that I should realise my strength and display my power to the whole world. My parents do not agree with my ways. They say they trust me, yet they back down when the time asks for the test of their trust in me.

But you, my Lisa, you have woken up that monster in me, that leader in me. What a leader is without power? And what is the use of that title if you do not get to exercise your dominance?"

Lisa looked at him as if he had gone insane, or maybe he really did. Was anything he was saying was making sense to him? She questioned.

"Darius, stop!" Her eyes turned teary, thinking about the war.

War meant the loss of hundreds or maybe thousands of innocent lives. She did not want to be the root cause of such a heinous crime.

"They all feared Edwin O'Dell, and I always wondered why. Then I realised why. They all feared him because he did not hesitate to show his dominance.

They all have accepted him as their leader, and he does not need to hide behind the face of his uncle.

And look at me- always standing behind my parents and doing whatever they told me to do unquestioningly."

Darius took out all of his years of frustration in front of Lisa. For him, she was his little toy with who he could be himself. She did not judge him, did not expect anything better from him.

She had the same feelings for him since the beginning- HATE! His Lisa was not like those all who respected him for his last name or expected him to do as they wished.

With her, he was himself- Darius. No Garfield, only Darius!

Lisa saw the sudden change in his expressions as his eyes also teared up. "They made me sacrifice many things, Lisa. They made me do many things that I wish I have never done. They told me that all was necessary if I want to be an ideal leader.

And I did all that I was told, yet they doubt my capabilities. No one cares for me, Lisa!"

A tear fell from his eyes, and Lisa wondered if he was the same Darius she hated. He looked so broken and vulnerable at that moment that the thought of wrapping her arms around him to calm him crossed her mind.

She shook that thought aside immediately. She knew better than falling for this manipulative creature's trap.

Darius on the other hand did not see Lisa. The girl who stood in front of him- beautiful and innocent- was Grace and not Lisa.

He closed the distance between them and held her chin in his long fingers. Staring deep in her confused eyes, he said, "I wish I could revert some of my actions, Grace! I wish I could!"

Just like that, he broke down on Lisa's shoulder, and she was left with no other choice than to hold onto him as he cried out to his heart's content. At that moment, Lisa realised that this monster had many undiscovered and untouched layers.

But she was not sure if she wanted to see what lay beneath those layers.