Dark Matter

by Christie Rich

  “Please stop,” I found myself pleading. Something inside me couldn’t bear to see either of these men hurt. “I don’t want you to fight over me.” Why did my voice sound so fragile? I refused to be weak, so I straightened my spine and stared each of them in the eye.

  Finn looked sharply away from me, but Heath matched my gaze. He wasn’t about to relent.

  “Look,” I said. “I don’t know what is going on between the two of you, and I don’t even care. I need to get out of here, and neither of you is going to stop me.”

  Heath smirked, raising his brows. “That’s what you think.”

  “Enough,” Cassie yelled. “You two can have a pissing match some other time. I can’t even breathe down here. Get us out!”

  Finn glanced at her and his expression softened. His concern for her eclipsed his anger for Heath and she was pulled lovingly into his arms. He looked briefly at me before he turned toward Heath. I thought I saw regret in his eyes, but I could have been imagining that.

  His tone was soft yet firm. “You have bested me, brother. The Elemental is yours.” Then he just walked away with Cassie in his arms.

  I gaped after them. Cassie looked over his shoulder with an alarmed expression on her face. Even though I didn’t like the situation, this was for the best. I mouthed for her to go. She shook her head, but I just turned away from her.

  I peeked up at Heath through my lashes not knowing what I was going to do now. I wasn’t strong enough to fight him, and I was pretty sure he knew it. My only hope was that he wouldn’t want to take me like this.

  He held his hand out toward me and said simply, “Come.”

  I considered him but was frozen where I was. I had never felt this deeply conflicted. He had fought with all his strength to win me. Why? Was he out for power like Jett, or did he have something else in mind?

  Bruises were already forming along his jaw-line, and he ambled over to me with a slight limp when I didn’t immediately respond. There was really no use in resisting him while we were down here; besides, I needed to conserve my energy for a time when I could actually escape. I stepped forward and placed my hand in his.

  I was completely alone now.

  Would I ever feel a sense of community again? Tears trickled soundlessly down my face. If he noticed, Heath didn’t comment. I was absolutely shocked when he started after Finn and Cassie. I had expected him to lead me back the way we had come.

  The tunnel opened up into a cavern that split three ways. Heath removed his shirt and ripped a strip off the end. His skin glistened golden in the dim light. His chest muscles bunched as he handed me the cloth. My heart raced faster. I couldn’t draw my gaze away from him. I was so sick of feeling like I had no control over my own body. I nodded warily in thanks and put the cloth to my nose.

  He ripped another strip from his shirt and stepped behind me. With the stealth of a practiced hand, he pulled my hair up, fastening it into a sloppy bun. I felt his fingers gently working at my nape and was barely able to suppress a shudder. I swayed a little from the feeling of his skin against mine. Out of nowhere, his emotions blasted into me as if they were my own.

  Heath was doing his best to protect me. The strangest part was he felt so possessive of me that I wanted to back away from him, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. There was something strange about the connection I felt with him that hadn’t been there before.

  I glanced up ahead toward Cassie and Finn. That was when I realized what had just taken place. Finn had given up claim to me in more than just words. I looked sharply at Heath. He was as serious as I had ever seen him. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I had to get away from him. He was now lord of Fire, and I was in terrible trouble.

  The tunnel finally opened up into another cavern. Stalactites hung low in columns reaching longingly toward the stalagmites below as if they were star-crossed lovers. I found it sort of sad that only the slow drip of time would be able to unite them. The stones glowed softly and made the path easier to see but hardly easier to traverse.

  I kept trying to glance around Heath, but he was too massive to get a good view. Where had Finn and Cassie gone? They couldn’t have been that far ahead of us.

  Heath whirled around and faced me. I nearly ran into him. “Would you like to move ahead of me Rayla?” He asked. He seemed a bit annoyed with me, but I didn’t care.

  I shrugged. “Where did they go?”

  “Took a different route,” he said simply.

  Panic squeezed my insides into a tight fist. How could they just leave me alone with him? I didn’t know anything about him which was not helpful at the moment. I couldn’t read his expression at all. I didn’t want to lose hope, but how was I going to get out of this? I was pretty certain Heath had found a way around my barriers. Was it possible that he could succeed where Luke had failed? “Where are you taking me?”

  His deep eyes searched mine intently. He didn’t exactly seem like a bad person, so why did he scare me so much?

  “I haven’t decided yet.” His hand reached for mine.

  I balled my fingers into a fist and pulled my hand behind my back. The movement was completely instinct. I didn’t want to feel his skin against mine any more. I didn’t want my heart to respond to his nearness. Simply put, I didn’t want him to have power over me.

  He clenched his jaw. His lips went rigid. “Can’t you see I am trying to help you? We need to get you out of here. It’s not safe for you to linger.” He held his hand out toward me again and looked at me expectantly.

  As I saw it, I doubted I could find my way out of this place alone. My lungs were starting to ache in a way that had me nervous. I wasn’t sure what I should do, but I placed my hand lightly in his. He clamped his fingers around mine firmly. I could feel the tension oozing off him like a small fog. My scar tingled, but didn’t hurt when our skin touched. In fact, now that I thought about it, I hadn’t noticed my scar much since I came here. I tried to make a mental connection with him again, but a solid wall barred me from sensing his emotions. The only other lord that had been able to keep me out of his mind had been Zach.

  The tunnel had so many twists and turns it felt like we weren’t getting anywhere. I still held a hope that at some point I wouldn’t be so aware of Heath—that he wouldn’t affect me this much—but it was slowly turning to despair.

  We traveled for a long time. I was covered in sweat and dust. My eyes felt heavy and my body weak. I didn’t want to show him how fragile I really was, but if I didn’t do something soon I would probably pass out. As it was my vision was going dark around the edges every few feet.

  From what Cassie had said, I had been asleep for a couple of days. It had been at least that long since I had had anything to eat or drink.

  Heath set a steady pace, and I struggled to keep up. He sidestepped a rock I didn’t see in time. My shoe caught the edge and I tripped, sprawling forward. He whirled around and caught me before my knees could hit the dirt. I wanted to scream. I hated being this pathetic.

  He pulled me up and studied me. His concern for me was clear in the set of his eyes. “What is wrong with you?”

  I cringed. “I’m okay.”

  One corner of his mouth twisted up. He stared straight at me. “You think me a fool?”

  I raised my chin. “I don’t think anything about you.”

  He cocked his head and smiled widely. “Liar.”

  “Jerk.”

  He laughed and before I could protest he lifted me into his arms. One part of me was so relieved I didn’t have to take another step that I could have cried. The rest of me was so angry I had to rely on him to save me that I wanted to hit something. Hard.

  I’d never been the damsel in distress type, and it nearly killed me to know that’s how I appeared to him. The last thing I wanted was his help, but I needed it. I tried to stay rigid, but I found myself relaxing into him after a while.

  The further we got away from the castle, the cooler it became. I was beginning to shiver de
spite the fact that I had put my jacket back on. Heath pulled me closer without saying anything. I rested my head on his bare shoulder, ignoring how smooth his skin felt underneath my cheek.

  We finally reached another door. Daylight streamed through tiny cracks around the frame illuminating the dust motes that swirled around us. My lungs ached for more of the taunting bursts of fresh air that managed to cut through the sulfur. He set me down and studied me.

  I cleared my throat and shifted uncomfortably. After several moments of silence, I couldn’t take it anymore. “What?”

  With the subtlety of a practiced seducer, he licked his bottom lip that was only inches from mine. “I’m finding this to be a rather difficult decision.”

  Well, that was vague. A myriad of possibilities snaked through my mind trying to entrance me. “How’s that?” I managed to ask through the onslaught of images that refused to just go away like I wanted them to. This was bad enough without me making it worse.

  He tilted his head. “I expected more of a fight from Finn. My victory earlier feels rather…hollow.”

  I nodded in acknowledgement, but I didn’t feel the same way. “I know this is going to sound weird considering all that has happened, but I think I’m glad it went the way it did.”

  A teasing light came into his eyes. “Are you yielding to me then?”

  I rolled my eyes. “As if.”

  His smile suggested I had just made him the happiest man alive. “That’s what I thought. At least our battle won’t be so short-lived.”

  His answer startled me. Was I actually glimpsing a part of his character? Something I could use to my advantage?

  He lived for fighting. Simply put: he was a warrior in desperate need of a good smack down. Maybe I should suggest the Ultimate Fighter Championship? I’d watched a few fights with Travis when I’d been bored out of my brain. I stole a quick glance. Naw. There’d be no contest with him in the cage.

  I resisted the urge to lick my parched lips. “I hope you like losing.”

  His eyes roamed over me and a self-satisfied grin curved his mouth. He let go of my legs then pressed me back against the frigid wall. I told myself I was only trembling because it was freaking cold not because he was near me. He tucked my hair behind my ear and leaned into me. I wasn’t about to let him claim any ground so I locked gazes with him.

  “One always has to be willing to lose to be able to win…in battle and in life. I wonder. Are you willing to lose, Rayla?”

  Chapter Seven

  The pulse of my heart set a staggered rhythm in my ears. That was a good question. Was I willing to lose all to fight Heath? Did I even have a choice in the matter? I couldn’t live with myself if I just let him claim me. What about the feelings I still harbored for Zach and Luke? I gave him a serious expression. “I am.”

  He let an honest smile curve his mouth. “Good.” He came closer, hovering, making me wait for his next move. Our breath mingled before he pressed his lips to mine.

  For one blissful second I considered letting him kiss me, but I could allow him to have any part of me. Okay, so I may have gotten a little carried away when I sank my teeth into his lip.

  He didn’t make a sound, but he did pull back. His eyes never faltering from my gaze, he touched the line of blood flowing down his chin, quirking a brow. “You fight dirty? We’ll see how long you can keep it up.”

  I was worried about that too, and I didn’t want him to see any weakness in me. I hadn’t meant to really hurt him, but I wasn’t going to apologize. Pushing with all the strength I had left, I shoved at his chest. “Get off me.”

  With a chuckle, he stepped away casually and opened the door. Snow blasted into me. My teeth started chattering immediately, but I wasn’t going to grovel to get something warmer to wear.

  I rubbed my arms brusquely, walking ahead of him. He grabbed my elbow. The perpetual smirk was still on his lips. “So you’re stubborn too. Good to know.”

  I yanked my arm out of his grasp and began walking again. He caught up to me effortlessly.

  “You would rather freeze to death than ask for help?”

  I glanced at him but kept going. That was all the answer he was getting. Suddenly, I found myself covered from head to toe in fur. I kept my relief to myself and trudged ahead. I still had no idea where he was taking me, but I figured anywhere away from the tunnels was better than slowly roasting, freezing, or suffocating.

  We came to an absolute dead end after laboring through miles of snow. Nothing but icy cliffs surrounded us. I whirled around and glared at him.

  His hair appeared nearly black in this light only adding to his dark charm, but I refused to get distracted by his obscenely good looks. “What’s the point in giving me warm clothes if all you’re going to do is keep me out here forever? I’ll freeze anyway.”

  He shook his head. He was still shirtless, and I was sure it was to make me uncomfortable. Steam rose from his skin as snowflakes melted into rivulets that raced down the valleys of his torso. How was it then that I couldn’t see even one lousy goose-bump? Being immune to the cold was an unfair advantage.

  He sighed. “I have come to a decision. I know you are trying to save the lord of void. I might be willing to assist you…”

  Was I really hearing him correctly? He was going to help me? He was honestly the last person I thought would.

  “For a price,” he finished.

  Of course. I frowned. “What’s that?” If Heath was asking for payment, it wouldn’t be something small.

  “I haven’t exactly decided yet, but trust me you’ll know when I have. There are a few things to take care of before we can go. We need to attend the ceremony tonight and make it look good. One thing is critical. They have to think you escaped. With the security measures currently in place, I may have to enlist help to get you away from the castle.”

  “Who?” He couldn’t be thinking of Levi. At least I hoped he wasn’t.

  “I have a few friends that will most certainly want to assist in this effort.” When I stared at him dubiously, he said, “I know it’s probably hard to imagine, but I did have a life before you came into it.”

  I ignored his distraction attempt. Something about the way he was looking at me told me there was more to the story. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “I believe you are acquainted with at least one of my friends. He comes in handy from time to time.”

  I shook my head. Why was he being so cryptic? “Just tell me who it is.”

  “Gibbit.”

  My eyes flew wide when realization hit me. “Where you the one that hired him to get me fae-nipped?”

  He looked at the ground, a naughty smile tugging the edges of his mouth. When he glanced back up at me, light played in his eyes. “That’s your first mistake. You assume I am the only fae that has a stake in your future.”

  I thought I knew, but I had to ask. “Who else?”

  “Ainessa…among others.”

  I groaned inwardly because I didn’t want to let on how much it bothered me that people I didn’t even know were conspiring against me. “Are you working with her?”

  “I wouldn’t say we are collaborating if that is what you are asking, but we do have similar goals in mind.”

  “What exactly are your goals?”

  He folded his arms across his chest. His gaze didn’t waver when he answered me. “To claim you.”

  Another helpful answer. “Yea, I already got that part, but isn’t there something else behind your desire. Is it my power you want?” I asked bluntly.

  “I don’t have political ambitions if that’s what you’re thinking.”

  A strange thought struck me. He loved the chase. I knew that about him already, but what if that wasn’t his only motivation? What if he was merely trying to prove himself? At this point, I didn’t care what his reasons for helping me find Zach and Luke were. I needed to get out of here, and I would take any assistance I could get.

  The stories I had read about the fae se
emed absurd to me now. People being stolen and forced to dance for eternity. Petrified townsfolk leaving food out to appease the fickle whims of the brownies, as if those blessed souls could ever hurt anyone. They don’t even like human food. Changelings? Uh, there are no fae children to exchange. Exaggeration after exaggeration, but who was behind it?

  Although, if I was being fair, I had no idea how I would recount my story in a few hundred years. I could see myself embellishing a bit to make the whole thing sound better. I was sure I wouldn’t remember everything that was going on, either. Maybe that was why Lily had written her journal. I still kind of thought she might have started it after she was returned to the human realm based on the glaring differences between her experience and my own.

  From how I understood it, memories of fae life tended to fade rather quickly when Elementals are returned to the human realm. How had she been able to recount what had happened to her at all?

  I was a bit excited that I was going to be able to see Gibbit again. The little troll had been a pain in my backside back at school, but he could be useful to me here. I wanted my book, and he was going to give it to me even if I had to compel it out of him.

  I sifted through drawers of jewelry, looking for just the right thing to bribe him with. I had picked out some of the better pieces to choose from, but the dress I was wearing tonight didn’t exactly come with pockets. I only had a few minutes until Lysanne would be here to help me get ready, and I was finding it difficult to decide on a necklace. I was already wearing a beautiful garnet bracelet that I was quite sure was goblin made from how delicate it was, and I had slid several rings onto my fingers. My dress was blood-red and sleek. Heath was the one that picked it out. The nerve of that man was epic.

  He had wandered in here a few hours ago as if he owned everything in the room, including me, with a garment bag tossed casually over his shoulder. I had been in the sitting room trying to figure out where that button Finn had pushed was, just in case. I was on my knees when I heard a slight rustling. Shoving my hands behind my back, I whirled around. He only laughed at me.