Hidden Darkness (Hidden Saga Book 4)

by Amy Patrick

  Culley grinned, referring to Nox’s surprise re-appearance at the Summer Olympics following his supposed death in a high-speed car crash. No one but Vancia, Ryann, and I had known it was a ruse until he’d walked out on that stage, flanked by celebrities from around the globe.

  “I take it your betrothal is a recent development?” Nox’s gaze slid from Culley to Ava.

  She answered. “Yes. Apparently Thora and Audun have had it in mind for years, but Culley was finishing his education at Eaton, and I was modeling. Now the time is right.”

  “Apparently,” said Nox. “Well, congratulations to you both. I believe you already know my wife?” he said to Ava.

  “Yes,” Ava said, her eyes dropping away from Vancia’s unfriendly expression. “Vancia, please accept my best wishes on your marriage.”

  Vancia didn’t even bother with a smile. “I would. If I could believe anything you have to say.”

  Ava’s eyes flew back to Vancia, wide and horror-struck. The two girls shared a long look before Ava mumbled, “Excuse me,” and skittered away in the opposite direction.

  “You must be wiped out after your trip, Vancia,” Ryann said, breaking the awkward silence that followed. “Let’s get you some food and some saol water, maybe a glass of wine. Or two.” She tugged Vancia toward the table where a feast had been laid out for guests to peruse.

  Culley, Nox, and I all let out simultaneous laughs of discomfort.

  “Well, then,” Culley said. “It seems I have some ruffled feathers to smooth. See you boys later.” He headed off in the direction Ava had gone.

  “How are your feather-smoothing skills?” I asked Nox.

  He smiled at me and slapped me on the back. “Getting better all the time. I hope you’re brushing up on your own since you’re about to be a married man. Let’s go dance with our girls, hmmm?”

  I turned to him, genuinely happy to see him again. “Best idea I’ve heard all night.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Ava

  I’d deserved Vancia’s remark, but that hadn’t made it hurt any less. After what had happened in L.A., she believed I was a traitor, a horrible friend.

  That one hadn’t been my fault. I’d truly liked her and tried to be a friend to her during our time as roommates there. But then Davis had used his Sway on me, and I’d found myself powerless to resist telling him everything Vancia had said and done, including some things she really didn’t want him to know.

  Tonight, I’d have no such excuse.

  No one was swaying me to do what I was about to do—coercing me maybe, but technically I had a choice. I supposed I could defy Audun and just walk out of here, leave Lad and Nox to live and rule in peace, leave the royal couple to carry on with their plans to marry and live happily ever after.

  But then I pictured my mother being kicked out of the Dark Court, sent away to live the rest of her life alone, with no support. I pictured my father’s face and the way he’d cared for her, the way he’d always instilled in me that family should stick together. These people all hated me anyway. I laughed bitterly. Tonight I guessed I’d at least earn their poor opinion of me.

  As Lad and Nox made their way toward the buffet table and their significant others, I hurried to intercept them. Now that Nox’s relationship was bonded and secure, my glamour would be wasted on him. That’s why it was Lad I touched on the arm.

  “May I have a word with you in private?”

  He glanced down at me, surprised, and then I saw concern cross his face. His gaze slid to Ryann, who was deep in conversation with Vancia.

  “It’s about what happened with Vancia,” I offered. “I’m afraid it may affect diplomatic relations between our courts. I need your advice. It will only take a moment.”

  Lad nodded, and then spoke to Nox. “Tell her I’ll be right there, would you?” Giving his attention back to me, he seemed to have second thoughts. “Maybe it would be better for you to speak to Vancia directly.”

  “I will. I just need a word with you first.”

  It wasn’t actually advice I needed. It was his undivided attention… and a little information. Information I could erase from his mind and replace with something damaging.

  I sat at a table near the wall, gesturing for Lad to sit beside me. He took a seat, appearing stiff and distracted. He cast another glance in Ryann’s direction then turned his focus back to me.

  “How can I help?’

  There was that twinge again, that unwanted surge of regret—even before I’d done anything. Still, I pushed ahead. “What is your most treasured memory of Ryann?”

  He blinked. Blinked again. “What? What does this have to do with your quarrel with Vancia?”

  “I’ll explain in a minute. I need an example so I can compare my situation to something—to help you understand.”

  He regarded me with narrowed eyes for a moment, but then answered my question. I was almost sorry he did.

  “There are many, so it’s hard to choose just one. But I’d say it was probably our first kiss.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “Why would you need to—”

  “Indulge me,” I said. “There’s a point to this.” Again, a cold, squirmy feeling passed through my insides at my deception.

  “Well… I had rescued her from a near-attack by coyotes, pulled her up into a treetop with me, revealing my inhuman attributes. I knew I was in trouble.” A nostalgic smile spread across his face as his eyes gazed into the past. “But not as much trouble as I was about to be in. I carried her to a safe spot, got her back to the ground. I was trying so hard to resist telling her anything. I definitely didn’t plan to do it. I’d never kissed anyone, you see. The Light Elves don’t…” He looked at me to see if I already knew.

  “Yes, I know. Go on.”

  “Right. I’d read about kissing in books—also her fault—she’d dropped her little fable and fairy tale book the night she was lost in the woods as a child, and I kept it. I learned to read English so I could communicate with her. Anyway, there she was, gazing up at me—so beautiful I could hardly breathe—begging me to open up to her. Our faces were close together, and her eyes closed, and I could hear her soft breaths. It was the best feeling I’d ever had in my life.”

  The story was so sweet I almost sighed. It was also full of ammunition for my own personal weapon.

  “That’s beautiful,” I said aloud. Then to his mind, I spoke the words that would obliterate every lovely curve of those mental pictures.

  You never shared that first kiss.

  You never found that children’s book.

  You learned to communicate the human way because your father was suspicious and needed you to spy on them.

  You met Ryann and you were curious, so you formed a tentative friendship in order to gather information for the Light Court. You found that you liked her, but you’ve never fully trusted her. Humans can’t be trusted, after all. There are too many of them and too few of us.

  Lad stared at me, unblinking, and then took a sudden, deep breath. “What… what were you saying?” He blinked rapidly now, his head turning from side to side, as if he wasn’t quite sure where he was.

  I had to strike again while he was off-balance. “What’s your worst memory of her?”

  “Um… worst memory. I don’t…”

  “Tell me now. What mental image nearly kills you every time it pops unwanted into your mind? Quickly.”

  Still reeling from my memory-altering glamour, he answered, almost robotically. “Seeing her with Nox. The two of them kissing in her yard on the swing. And then in front of the campfire the night she broke things off with me. She told me she loved him that day. And when I went to L.A. to warn her about her mother and Davis—I walked in on them…” His voice drifted into silence.

  “Walked in on what? What were they doing?”

  He winced, as if giving voice to the words was physically painful. “They were kissing. She was sitting on him. Her shirt was off—his hands were on her.”
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  Jackpot.

  Audun had been correct. He’d heard from his mentor Davis that Nox and Ryann had been romantically involved. And he was right about another thing—those memories were painful enough to drive a wedge between the Light and Dark Kings so wide it would never be bridged. All I had to do was get out the mental crowbar and go to work.

  Listen to me, Lad. Every time you look at Ryann, you will see Nox’s hands on her skin, his head bent over her. You’ll hear the sounds of his lips on her body, and her sighs of pleasure.

  Lad frowned, his eyes tightly closed. He shook his head, groaning. He was fighting me. “No. But they didn’t—”

  Maybe they did. Or maybe they did everything but… maybe she’s given him what she’s never given you—what she’ll never give you now, because her heart belongs to him, and she secretly longs for him whenever she’s with you.

  He moaned, his eyes still shut. “I did catch them in bed the night Davis sent his men to attack us. She thought I was dead, and she was in bed with him.”

  That’s right. What do you think happened in that bed, huh? You know Nox’s reputation—you’ve seen how women react to him. As far as Ryann and Nox knew, your body wasn’t even cold, and they were wrapped up in each other’s arms. I was improvising now, but it seemed to be working. She couldn’t wait for you to be out of the picture, so she could be back with Nox, the one she really wanted. She dreams of his touch, his kiss. How could she not?

  I watched a tear slide down Lad’s handsome cheek and knew I’d succeeded.

  Real or implanted, memories could be so powerful. They worked hand-in-hand with your most glorious life experiences—or your most haunting fears—growing, branching off, painting new pictures in your mind. The result could be a breathtaking masterpiece or a horror show. Thanks to me, Lad’s mental reel was now set on a constant loop of pain and betrayal.

  God, what have I done?

  Shaken, I touched Lad’s hand to awaken him from the near-hypnotic state I’d put him in. He opened his eyes, and stared at me, his expression blurred with disorientation.

  “Thank you for all your advice,” I said, making my tone bright and casual, though sickness swamped my belly. “Shall we get back to the party? Where is everyone? Oh—there they are. Culley and Vancia are getting to know one another, and I believe Nox is dancing with your fiancée. Don’t they move well together?”

  Lad followed my line of sight and literally growled before standing abruptly and stalking out of the ballroom.

  I stood slowly, staring after him, filled with despair. I’d done my job. And now I hated myself.

  A voice at my ear made me startle.

  “I see we’ve been a busy little worker bee tonight.” Culley. And his tone was so smug. “Mommy will be very proud. Care to dance, love? I believe we have reason to celebrate.”

  I turned and regarded his glib expression. “How do you live with it?”

  “With what?” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

  “The aftermath. The destruction.”

  Pulling me into a slow dance, he whispered the answer in my ear. “Try not to focus on all that. It’s better to just enjoy the spoils of war. I know I’ll be enjoying mine tonight.”

  His eyes drifted over to Ryann, who was turning around in a circle on the dance floor, obviously searching for Lad.

  An ice-cold sensation filled my chest. “What are you going to do, Culley?”

  His gaze came back to me, and he gave me a fiendish smile. “The same thing you’re going to do—throw an after-party. By tomorrow… we should both be able to go home.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Ryann

  “Where’s Lad going?” Vancia asked, turning toward the back of the ballroom.

  I spun around to see a glimpse of his golden head as he left through the ceiling-height double doors. “I don’t know. I’ll go check on him.”

  “He’s fine,” Nox assured me. “I’m sure it’s some bit of business. Nobody makes a decision around here without checking with him—wish it was the same in the Dark Court—bunch of greedy renegades.” He laughed. “If he’s not back soon, I’ll go and rescue him. I need you to stay here and prevent a catfight between my wife and Ava.”

  Following his gaze, I spotted Ava and Culley dancing together. Both of them glanced furtively over at our group as they spoke in hushed tones.

  “What happened between you two anyway?” I asked Vancia.

  “She pretended to be my friend, and then she betrayed me. Davis had her spy on me when I went out to California to start modeling. She told him everything I said, everything I did. He treated me like a virtual prisoner after that.”

  “Oh. Now I see why you acted so weird when you saw her.”

  “She told me she was sorry a few minutes ago—you know, mind to mind, but it’s a little late for that. I don’t trust her. You shouldn’t either.”

  “I don’t have to trust her,” I said. “I trust Lad.”

  Vancia nodded in agreement. “You should. But I’d keep an eye on her anyway. Although—I guess I can’t blame her for everything. She said Davis made her talk with his Sway. You know how powerful he was.”

  “That’s true, honey,” Nox said, wrapping an arm around Vancia’s waist and pressing a kiss to her temple. “Only Ryann was able to resist his glamour.”

  “Let’s hope Lad can resist her glamour,” I muttered, watching Ava’s gorgeous red hair swing in a thick curtain as Culley spun her. Her figure was Elven perfection in the clingy black dress she wore tonight. Lad loved me but he wasn’t blind. There was no not noticing that girl.

  “What do you mean?” Nox asked, suddenly keenly interested in the conversation. “Do you think she’s here to spy on him? She’s supposed to be an ambassador.” His glower indicated someone on the Dark Council was going to get their ear chewed off or worse when he got out to California, or the next time he could get a good cell signal.

  “I’m not sure exactly what her intentions are,” I said. “But Lad acts weird around her. I’m sure the sexual glamour isn’t helping.”

  Nox looked at me strangely, his heavy dark brows drawn together, shaking his head. “She doesn’t have sexual glamour.”

  “But… she’s always flirting with Lad. And he’s…” I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know what else to make of the distraction I’d witnessed in him since her arrival. “Are you sure?”

  Nox’s expression confirmed it. And he should know. “She doesn’t have it. And even if she did, you’d have nothing to worry about. The boy is whipped for you.”

  “So true,” Vancia added, laying her head on Nox’s chest.

  “So… if that’s not her glamour—what is?”

  Nox shrugged. “Thora’s never said. When I get to L.A. I can ask her—or Audun—in person mind to mind. Before then, we could try asking Ava, but we can’t be sure of an honest answer.”

  A while later, Lad re-entered the ballroom and surveyed it, catching sight of me. I smiled at him, but his expression stayed stern. His glance went to Nox, then Ava, then he walked over to a group of people and started talking with them.

  Troubled, I left Nox and Ava to join Lad. “I’ll talk to y’all later. Enjoy the party.” As I came to his side, he glanced down at me and nodded then continued the conversation he was having with a member of his Council.

  Since I couldn’t hear their communication, I stood there quietly, waiting, and feeling more awkward around Lad than I’d felt in months. In fact, other than our breakup, things had never been this strained between us. Something was off about him. There was a coldness that frightened me.

  When he and the man finally wrapped things up, Lad turned and looked at me directly. His eyes roamed over me, and for a moment, his face warmed. Then the uncharacteristic frown returned.

  “Excuse me. I see someone I must speak with privately.”

  He started to walk away, but I wrapped my hand around his wrist to stop him. “Lad—is everything… all right?”

&nbs
p; He glanced at my hand on him then back at my face. “Yes, of course. Why?”

  “You just seem… I don’t know…”

  With a flick of his wrist, he broke my grip. “I’m busy, Ryann. I have obligations. You’re going to have to be understanding if you’re to be queen here. I’ve certainly been understanding with you.”

  I did a double-blink, almost speechless with surprise. “What? What does that mean?”

  He stared at me for a moment, then shook his head and blew out an irritated breath. “Nothing. I have to go. Why don’t you find your friends Vancia… and Nox.”

  Stunned, I wandered away and made a plate of food I didn’t actually want to eat. Spooning various items onto the dish, I did a little calming self-talk. Lad is busy. This isn’t a party to him—it’s work. As Nox said, many people needed him. I couldn’t monopolize his time, and I wouldn’t pout about it. This was his life. If I wanted to be a part of it, I had to share him with his people.

  Thinking back over our interactions at the beginning of the evening, I racked my brain for anything I could have done to upset him. Everything had been fine. Lad had complimented my dress, looked at me in that loving way he always did. He had made a remark about me being eager to see Nox, but he was clearly joking, and he’d been as thrilled to see Nox and Vancia as I was.

  A while later when Lad seemed more relaxed, talking and laughing with someone, I approached him again, just to be near him. He all but ignored me.

  I walked away and took a seat at an open table near the orchestra, working hard to keep myself from overreacting. Or crying. Busy or not, he was being rude. He wasn’t acting like himself. It was too much like the worst time in our relationship when he drove me away purposely.

  The chair beside me moved, and Vancia sat down. “What’s going on? You bored with all this Elven nonsense yet?”

  I looked into her eyes, absorbing the desperately needed kindness. “Something’s wrong.”