Fading Into Darkness: The Under Series Book 2 (8 page)

“Hey,” he said walking beside me.
“Hi.” I replied not to enthusiastic, annoyed he had found me, I didn't want him following me or
trying to spend the day with me. I wanted to spend today with Kenzie alone, not with Cam's little
shadow watching me.
“Where you going?” he asked.
“Kenzie's.”
I looked sideways at him trying to think of a good excuse to get rid of him but nothing sprang to
mind. We walked passed the cottages and I saw Kenzie in the distance with his feet up on the patio
table outside his cottage. Emmett speeded up in front of me and opened the small white gate.
All the cottage looked the same and weren't numbered, I only knew which one Kenzie lived in from
the patio set and the wind chime hanging on the wall outside. I walked passed Emmett and along
the small footpath towards the cottage, Kenzie smiled at me then shot an annoyed look in Emmett's
direction. I sat down at the table and Emmett pulled a chair back next to me. I was still trying to
formulate a plan to get rid of him.
“Hey Kenzie. Do you mind?” Emmett asked, already helping himself to a cigarette from the packet
on the table.
“Sure.” Kenzie said leaning over tapping his cigarette in the ash tray.
“So what have you two got planned for today?” Emmett asked.
Kenzie shrugged, so Emmett looked at me and I shrugged. Emmett took a drag on his cigarette
watching me. This was awkward and I think Emmett knew I wanted him to leave. Which only made
him sit there longer.
Emmett held the cigarette out to me. “What?” I asked looking at the cigarette then back at him. It
really annoyed me when he did this. He was used to smoking and offering it to whoever was close
by and he'd always offer it to me as a joke. But it was starting to grow old.
“You keep looking at me, thought you wanted some?” he said smiling.
No what I wanted was for him to leave, but I didn't say that instead I did something completely out
of character and took the cigarette from him and took a drag on it.
“Thanks.” I said holding it back out for him to take, blowing smoke out my nose. Emmett hesitantly
took the cigarette back the smug smile on his face had quickly vanished.
“The last time I did that I think I was fourteen. Carly and I had stole some of my mom's cigarettes
and we smoked them behind the shed.” I said laughing about the memory, when I suddenly realised
what I had said. I was so taken back by it, it came out of nowhere and was gone in a second. Who
was Carly? Emmett tensed up as though I'd said something wrong. Kenzie on the other hand looked
amused by it and had a faint smile on his lips as he pushed his drink towards me. I gulped the
lemonade down to wash the taste of smoke away.
“I don't know why I said that. It just came out of nowhere, just like that.”
Emmett leaned in front of me looking at my face. “Do you remember anything else?”
“No.” I shook my head.
Emmett sat back and his face showed a sign of relief which quickly changed to a smile.
“Ruby's getting her memory back. This is great.” Emmett said, but he didn't sound too pleased
about the whole thing. He sounded like he was faking it.
“And you helped her,” Kenzie said clapping his hands. “well done Emmett.” Kenzie was joking but
Emmett's face dropped in seconds and he looked as though he wanted to throw up.
He stood up and pushed the chair in. “You two have a good afternoon. Let me know if you
remember anything else.” He smiled at me but it wasn't a friendly smile it was a worried smile.
Kenzie dropped his legs to the floor and watched Emmett until he was out of sight.
“Well you certainly got rid of him,” he said smiling. “Do you remember anything else?”
“No I only remember the girl. Her name was Carly and I remember what she looked like. Don't
suppose you know anyone with the name Carly?”
“Nope.”
“Em didn't look too pleased about my flashback, something tells me he doesn't want me getting my
memories back. Which really means Cam doesn't want me getting my memory back. He's hiding
something from me,” I said watching Kenzie carefully, he was twisting his cap towards the front.
I knew when he messed around with his cap it was because he felt uncomfortable or didn't want to
answer my questions.
“And something tells me you know but you can't tell me.”
He looked up at me from under his cap but didn't say anything, he didn't need to he had given me
my answer without even speaking and he knew it as he winked at me before he stood up.
“Come on, I'll make you lunch.”

“Hey Cups, ready for the flip?” Kenzie said holding the frying pan out.
“Don't drop it like last time. I prefer them without the gritty floor dirt.”
“Here it goes.” Kenzie flipped the pan up and the pancake went up into the air, I watched as it flew
up and came back down landing in the pan.
“That one's mine. Just encase the next one ends up on the floor.”
“One time Cups, one time and that was only because we'd had a little too much to drink.”
Kenzie slid the pancake onto the plate and handed it to me. “One pancake for madame.”
I hopped up onto the counter and squeezed the lemon juice onto it and added some sugar.
“Have you had anymore flashbacks?” he asked.
“No, nothing.” I said rubbing my temples trying to concentrate on the image of the girl in my head
but nothing new was surfacing.
“Kenzie can I ask you something?”
“Hmm,” he said pouring his pancake mix into the pan.
“Does Cam like me?”
“Of course he likes you.”
“I don't mean in the adoptive sister type way or friends sort of way. I mean do you think he has
feelings for me?”
“Why what happened? Did he do something that's upset you?” Kenzie asked stopping what he was
doing to look at me.
“What no. I didn't mean he'd done anything to me. It was the way he was speaking to me yesterday.
I get the feeling he likes me more than just friends.”
“Huh, would it be a bad thing if he did have feelings for you?” Kenzie asked.
I popped a piece of pancake into my mouth and didn't answer him straight away.
“I haven't thought about it. I mean I don't think about it or Cam in that way.”
“Maybe you think about someone on the third floor instead? Hey Cups!”
“Shhh!” I said playfully smacking him.
“I think it's safe. I don't think Cam can hear us from this far away.” he said trying to turn his
pancake.
“You know I’m not the only one that's noticed you've been spending a lot of time on the third floor.”
“I like it up there. I don't know I feel more at home up there.”
“I've seen you with Senka outside a few times. The way you two say goodbye,”
“And I say goodbye to Cam and you exactly the same. A kiss on the cheek or maybe the quick peck
on the lips, everyone is like that round here.”
“I didn't mean the kissing thing. I’m just saying I’ve never seen you walking Cam out to work.”
“What are you getting at? You're saying I’ve been a bit over the top? Senka and I are close but we're
just friends.” I said. But I knew I was lying. I didn't think Senka was just my friend and I didn't
think he wanted to be just friends but at the moment that's all it was.
“Do you like Senka?”
“I know I miss him when he's not here. I don't miss Cam in the same way though.”
“I think you've just answered my question.”
“You think I’m wrong? Do you think I should be returning Cam's affection because of what he does
for me and the way he looks after me? He treats me like a princess.”
“Because to him that’s what you are. But no I don’t think you should return anything if you don’t
want to. If you like Senka, then you like Senka there’s not much Cam can do about it. Not unless he
wants to lock you up in your room forever and throw away the key. Anyway Senka is one of his
best workers. I’m sure Cam knows all about it, you know how Emmett likes to gossip. If Cam
wanted you all to himself he would have made sure of it but he's letting you get on with whatever
you want to do behind closed doors.”
“But why? If he has feelings for me wouldn't he ban me from seeing Senka?” I asked.
“Well he could, but I don't know how long that would work for and it wouldn't exactly put Cam in
your good books which is why I think he's letting you do your own thing. Which is a huge deal for
Cam. I've seen the way you are with him, there aren’t many that speak back to Cam or question him
like you do and you're the only one he lets talk to him like that.”
“That’s because he just expects everyone to do as they're told because he thinks he's some kind of
king in this place.”
Kenzie grunted a laugh. He didn't say anything else or ask any other questions. He washed the
dishes and I dried.
“Kenzie, what does
'the mark of Under'
mean?”
“Where did you hear that?”
“I overheard one of the servants saying something about it.”
“Which servant?” he asked searching my face.
“I don't know there’s so many. I can't remember who it was. Does it have something to do with this
tattoo?” I asked rubbing at my tattoo.
Kenzie moved over to me and took my hand and rubbed his thumb over my tattoo.
“Why do we have the same tattoo? You, me, Cam, everyone that lives on the third floor has one. I'm
not blind even Emmett has one. Why do I have one?”
I pulled his wrist over to me and moved his bracelets along to get a better view of his tattoo, it
blended in with the other symbols and patterns on his arm. “Look they're identical.” I said holding
the back of my hand next to his wrist. He pulled his arm away and readjusted his cap.
“Ruby I want to tell you but it's complicated.” he said fidgeting.
“What's complicated?”
“I hate this,” he said quietly to himself opening the fridge. “there are so many things I want to tell
you but I can't.”
“Why? Is it because of Cam?” I asked.
He took out a bottled water and unscrewed the cap.
“Ruby you have to understand. I've known Cam for a really long time he's like family and this,” he
said looking around. “this is my home. But yes there are certain things I'm not allowed to talk about
with you.”
“So there are things Cam's not telling me?”
“You're very special to Cam, you mean everything to him. Everything he does or has done is
because of the way he feels about you. He only wants to keep you safe. But yes there are things he's
not telling you. Things I can't tell you, as much as I want to. I have to think of my sister this is her
home as well. I know Cam, I know what he's like. There would be punishment for anyone who
talked to you about stuff we have been specifically told not to.”
“Like your work and the way you always ignore my questions. It's because Cam's told you not to
talk to me about it, isn't it? Is it just you or did he send out an email to everyone?” I joked I knew
there wasn't even a computer or laptop in sight inside the manor.
“Something like that, yes.”
“Is that why the servants don't talk to me because they don't want me asking questions that might
get them into trouble?”
He didn't say anything but by the way he avoided me and looked at the floor answered my question
for me.
“It's okay Kenzie, I wouldn’t want you to get into trouble because of me.” I said calming down a
notch.
“Ruby I want to tell you but I can't...”
“Kenzie it's fine. I'll just have to figure it out on my own. Maybe I'll ask Emmett I bet he knows
everything.” I smiled, it was a joke we both knew Emmett would tell Cam everything.
“That would be a safe bet.” Kenzie said returning my smile.
“Would Cam really punish someone for telling me something they had been told not to?”
“Like I said I know Cam and I know what he's capable of and I would prefer to keep my tongue in
my mouth.”
“What? You're joking right? Cam wouldn't cut off your tongue. Would he?”
“You don't know Cam as well as I do. I've seen what he does to people that betray him.” He put his
water bottle down and moved along the counter next to me. “Ruby you can't tell Cam we had
this...”
“Conversation,” I said finishing the sentence for him. “What conversation?” I added.
So Kenzie had confirmed my doubts about Cam. He was keeping things from me. It made me
wonder if any of the stories he'd told me were true. I was more convinced than ever that I'd
definitely not grown up here. I think I had been bought here for some reason, but why was I so
important to Cam?
After lunch we stayed in Kenzie's room. His room was on the second floor of the cottage and it was
the smallest. But he'd somehow managed to cram a bed, a desk, a closet and a dresser into it. There
was even a small TV set up on the floor with a retro games console that he loved playing on. The
walls were lime green and the floor was wooden with a big blue bean bag positioned in front of the
TV. Above his bed and desk were shelves full of old games for his console. His desk was cluttered
with sci-fi novels and funny looking trolls with brightly coloured hair. There was also a large cuddly
panda that always sat on his pillow.
Kenzie sat with his back against his bed playing on his console, chucking nuts into the air and
catching them in his mouth. I sat on his bean bag flicking through a games magazine not really
paying attention to any of it, I was too busy trying to figure out his Rubik cube.
“Grrr! This thing is so frustrating.” I said twisting the edges.
“Give it here,” he said holding his hands up. I chucked it to him.
“Watch carefully.”
I moved over and knelt on the floor next to him.
“See this, watch this part here.” he said twisting it. “You need to make a white cross like this,” he
slowly moved the pieces so I could see. “then you move this like this,” he continued showing me
the moves until he was done and the Rubik cube was complete. “And bingo.”
“Wow!” I was impressed.
He twisted it some more and messed all the colours up again.
“Here you try it.”
“Yeah right.” I said taking it from him.
I looked carefully trying to remember the patterns Kenzie had shown me step by step. Kenzie would
tut at me if I was about to make a wrong twist. I was surprised at how close I came to completing it
having only been shown once.
“You need to move this round here and this bit needs twisting that way and twist this bit back.” he
said pointing.
“I did it,” I squeaked. “I'm taking this with me when I leave. This thing will keep me busy for hours,
just have to figure it out on my own now.”
“Just remember the patterns.” he said picking up his controller.
I helped myself to a handful of peanuts from the bowl and thought about the pretty girl I'd seen this
morning.
“Kenzie do you know anyone called Hazel? Brownish red hair in a short little red dress.”
I looked at Kenzie waiting for his response but he had stopped pressing buttons and was blankly
staring at the TV screen.
“I saw her coming out of one of the boys rooms upstairs.” I continued still waiting for him to
respond. “Kenzie,” I said trying to get his attention but he didn't move and his eyes looked vacant. I
picked up a nut from the bowl and chucked it at his head, it bounced off the brim of his cap.
He blinked and looked at me. “Sorry, what? Did you say something?”
“Err yeah but it's not that important. Are you okay?”
“What? Yes, no I'm all good. Shasta just called me. She needs my help with something.”
“Really I didn't hear a phone ringing?” I said looking around not that I'd ever seen a phone
anywhere here or in the manor. I looked at him waiting for him to explain what he meant but he
switched the TV off and stood looking at me like he was in a rush.
“Okay well I'm going to take off.” I said.
He nodded watching as I backed into the door. “I'll let myself out, I'll see you at dinner all right.”
He smiled and turned his cap around to the back watching me close the door. I stood outside his
bedroom for a moment wondering why he was being so weird and I definitely hadn't heard Shasta
calling him. I got halfway down the stairs when I remembered I wanted to take his Rubik cube back
with me, I turned and jogged back up and opened his door.
“Hey Kenzie I forgot.....,” I said to an empty room.
I walked in and picked up the Rubik cube off the floor looking around with my mouth practically
hanging open not quite sure what to make of it. I looked out the window, there was no way he
jumped out there wasn't even anything to climb down on. It was as though he had vanished into thin
air. I felt a bit lonely standing in his room without him not knowing what was going on so I quickly
left and made my way back to the manor.