Darkness of Heart

Soft in the silence, Adam rested upon his bed. Several thoughts had kept him occupied over the past few weeks as he slowly made an attempt to continue his life without the love of his life. He still could not believe that Sapphira was gone. Ripped from him by the cruel hands of war, word of her Fate had devastated him into a place of darkness he had a terible time climbing out of.

Then again, part of him did not want to come out of that darkness.

With a sigh, he stared up at the ceiling as the memory of a woman with reddish hair and bright blue eyes crossed his mind. She was a far cry from Sapphira's raven and rose hair and jade eyes, but she seemed to have the same heart. Even more, she had nearly given her life to return his after they were jumped in the park in town just a couple of months ago. Since then, she had crossed his path a few times. His neice, Angel Hope, introduced them at a party she had thrown at the house. Kaida Sorano.

Kaida had offered her friendship, her kindness, and understanding, and patience. She knew full well what she was going up against, but she was willing to take that shaky path with him. He did not want to put her through any possible pain, but she insisted. He could see in her eyes that he was not going to be able to stop her. She was the kind of woman who set her mind and followed through. He valued her friendship as she became his outlet. However, the first time they had kissed, his heart shattered when, for a brief moment, Sapphira's image appeared in his mind. Since then, he kept a small distance between himself and Kaida. They still hung out, but romantic advances had ceased. He just was not ready.

Adam, turned on his bed and reached for a green crystal in the shape of a rose that rested on the beside table. It was the last gift, Sapphira had ever given him. The last thing that seemed to give him a direct link to her. Several times he would gaze into the crystal and see her face. Sometimes, her lily of the valley perfume would even scent the air. He gazed upon the crystal and watched with a heavy saddness as the image changed from Sapphira's carefree gaze to Kaida's thoughtful expression. His hand dropped to his side and he closed his eyes. The crystal had been doing that more often lately and he hated it. It was not that he did not care about Kaida; he did. He just was not ready to let go of his wife's memory yet.

A small yelp passed his lips as the crystal began to take on a heated feeling. Looking down, he noticed a soft green hue around the petals of the crystal; a sign that it was about to show him a vision. Sitting up, he brought the crystal closer so he could look upon it as he had often done, but this time he wished he had not.

The vision was dark with swirling fog and smoke as it seemed to pan over a baren field. It took him a moment to recognize it as his homeland, Eudora, which had been destroyed during a confrontation, Sapphira and her friends had against his ruthless uncle, Lord Theron. As the vision began to clear some, he could see his brother and their friends seemingly locked into place as his uncle brought a glowing black crystal into the air. There was a whistle of Power as what looked like a laser fired from the crystal and raced toward his brother. He watched with unblinking eyes as his brother was thrown to the side and a female scream echoed out from his rescuer. Adam shook his head in shocked disbelief as Sapphira looked down at her chest where blood had begun to appear. Slowly, she fell to her knees and pitched forward and becoming still.

It was too much. Adam shouted in despair and threw the crystal into the drawer of the bedside table before turning and burying his face into his pillow to shed yet another wave of tears. The ache to have her near burned in his chest stronger than ever before. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut as he tried to block out the vision that replayed itself in his mind. Try as he might, it refused to go. Adam threw his pillow across the room with a strangled shout before he pulled himself from the bed and moved to his bathroom.

He knew it was useless to seach for any sharp objects within his room. Ever since his brother's wife, Aurora, found him in his bathtub with slashed wrists and a self inflicted wound to his chest in an attempted suicide, his brother had made sure that all sharp objects were taken from his room and locked away. He grew even more frustrated when he recalled that his brother had done the same to all the knives in the kitchen as well. Adam needed something. He needed anything to release the pain building in his chest. His hands clenched into fists on the marble counter as he looked up at the mirror. For a brief moment, he saw Sapphira in the reflection before he watched blood fall over her sensual lips; her eyes turned a chalky color of green instead of her bright jade. His heart twisted violently within him and swiftly, he brought his hand up to smash his fist into the mirror.

Silver shards shattered and cascaded over his arm and the sink. His fist bled but he cared not. Reaching for the largest of the shards, he tensed as he prepared to feel the first sting of pain as he pressed the edge of it against his forearm. His breath hissed in as the small crimson river began to flow from the wound and drip over the countertop. Still it was not enough. He knew it would never be enough. He needed something more. A lot more...