Dark Matter

by Christie Rich

Last night I had been dreaming about Zach. I smiled, remembering the feel of his skin under mine. Happy that I could conjure his image easily now that I wasn’t with Heath anymore. But there was something else lingering in my mind that I didn’t want to remember. I breathed in heavily as it came back to me. Something had been there with him, twisting my dream into a horrible…

  Despair settled into my chest. I hadn’t been able to save him. That thing had surrounded him and almost gotten me in the process. What was it anyway? I had felt it drawing life from me as if it were a leech.

  The moment before the blackness had consumed me, I had seen Zach’s expression. He was in excruciating pain, yet he was only concerned about me.

  I wiped my face on my sleeve and looked around. I wasn’t sure where I was. It was a cave of some sort. I was lying on a pile of blankets. The humid air was suffused with a strange odor. It was a cross between BO and meatloaf. At least that’s what my brain was processing at the moment. I didn’t really want to know what it was. Let’s just say it wasn’t a pleasant odor.

  The room was brimming with stuff. Most of it looked like it had been pilfered from the garbage dump. There were several piles of tattered clothes. Another that looked like used books. Another that appeared to be broken toys. Then there was the jewelry scattered in tangled heaps.

  Gibbit. I remembered now. He had saved me from being bound to Heath, but where was he?

  Light filtered in through the doorway across from me. I could see a small table, some pots piled up in a precarious stack that looked as though it was moments from toppling over.

  A rattling sound startled me, but it wasn’t close. I listened more intently waiting for it to happen again. I didn’t think it was coming from the kitchen or whatever that room was next to this. My muscles groaned in protest when I tried to sit up. I didn’t care what my body wanted. I had to find Gibbit. He was the only one that could help me get some food. I didn’t know what I was going to offer him, but I had to try. Zach needed me, and I would be useless until I could figure out how to handle my growing hunger.

  I thought about trying to find Cassie, but I didn’t want to interrupt what was bound to be an amazing honeymoon. Regret tickled my throat as I thought about missing our conversation. I was happy for her. I really was, but there was a hidden tinge of jealousy that crept in the depths of my heart. It wasn’t that I wanted Finn. I didn’t. I just longed for what they had. Funny since a month ago, men were the last thing on my mind. Now all I could do was think about Zach, or Luke, or, blast him, Heath.

  “’Bout time you got up, lazy bones,” Gibbit said. He was leaning on the jamb almost inside the doorway, but not quite. He seemed at once timid and nervous, but there was resolve in his strange eyes. Could I really trust this creature? He still hadn’t told me who hired him.

  “What happened to me?” I asked.

  His orange gaze settled on mine. “I tried to rouse you several times, but might as well have had a vacant sign hanging from your neck.”

  Try as I might, I couldn’t find any deceit behind his words. That being said, I still didn’t trust him all that much. “How long was I out?”

  “Three days, I think.”

  I groaned. Why didn’t time work the way it should anymore? I was surprised he hadn’t just taken me to Ainessa. Maybe there was more to him than I had first thought. “What exactly happened to me?”

  He shrugged. “You should not do that, miss. Many things could have happened with you being hunted and all.”

  I ignored the hunted part. What was new about that? I needed to know how I had found Zach. “Like what? How could Ai…” I closed my mouth before her name fully escaped. Gibbit glared at me like high-beams on a semi.

  He gave me a disgusted shake of his head. “I’ve already warned you about using the names of your betters.”

  Seriously? This troll needed a lesson in self confidence. “What makes them better than me, or you, for that matter?”

  His eyes did a weird flip thing as if they went completely around in his head. It gave new meaning to rolling your eyes. “It’s just an expression.”

  I blinked at him. “Well, I don’t like it.”

  His slash for a mouth lifted into a razor sharp grin. “Did you actually think I do? I put up with it because I have to. It ain’t no more than that, so get that silly smirk off your face, girl. We are both in trouble, and I, for one, don’t want to be found. We needs to get out of here.”

  “But, where would we go?”

  A sly smirk found its way to his mouth. “I’ve got places she don’t know about.” He ambled over to me and tugged on my arm. “Come on!”

  My stomach took the opportunity to let me know how long it had been since I’d eaten. I had to ask before I fainted. “Gibbit, I need food. Please, if you have some.”

  He laughed. “Got it covered, mistress.” He patted a little satchel that was looped through his belt.

  That was it? I felt hungry enough to eat an entire whale. I gave him a wary look, but started to follow him into the next room. I’d be okay until we got to wherever he was taking us. Just before I reached the doorway I noticed a little leather bound book lying in that gigantic heap of discarded tomes. I let out a squeal, rushing over to it. Gibbit moved so fast, I hadn’t thought it possible.

  I still beat him to it. I cradled the book in my arms and pulled it against my chest possessively then whirled around.

  He glowered at me before he waved me off. “Twern’t any good anyway. Don’t know why you bothered. I would have given it to you if you’da asked.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  I nodded slightly in mock placation. Sure he would have. And I was a green gorilla.

  Gibbit’s face twitched into a grin, and he shook his head at me. “We don’t have time for this, miss. We’d best be heading out, but first…” He reached into a pocket and withdrew my ring. He raised it to his mouth and actually bit the metal, caressed the ruby once then handed it to me.

  This was new. Since when did he give jewelry away? After I wiped it off, I sputtered out a “thanks” and slid the ring on my finger then waited. Nothing. Again. How was I supposed to know if it worked? It wouldn’t matter either way. I didn’t have any better options.

  I had to duck to get through each doorway. Despite the smell, that I now realized was him, I sort of liked his house. It felt homey. Time had worn the dirt walls smooth. The air was warm, but not overly so. We had passed a cozy living room that held a child sized sofa. Books were stacked to the ceiling in tidy rows. A ladder rested up against the wall. It was the only room in the house that seemed to have a bit of order to it. After that he led me to an open area in his little cave.

  My entire body sighed when I was able to stand up straight. I stretched backward until I heard an abnormal crack and just like that the pain in my left shoulder went away. Gibbit was already way ahead of me. He turned back to glare. I hurried to catch up to him.

  We came to a dead-end. I bit back my whining. Didn’t he know where he was going? My stomach wasn’t going to wait much longer.

  He tapped the wall a few times. A tiny ember glowed where his fist had struck. The rock sizzled as though consumed by acid before a hole appeared. It grew larger until it was big enough to walk through. We emerged into another set of tunnels. Somehow, I didn’t mind being in these. I felt a sense of peace, but I wasn’t sure if it was because something here was actually protecting me or if it was because I had been out of it for a while.

  Gibbit did the same thing several times and each passageway led to different looking corridors. One even had a vein of gold above my head as big around as my leg. It stretched as far as I could see.

  I stayed right by his side. He moved fast for how little he was. Occasionally, he would look up at me to give me what I supposed was his reassuring smile. I wondered if he had ever looked at himself in the mirror when he did that. It was a little bit creepy with his razor sharp teeth sparse as they were.

  He kept silent the entire way. I
didn’t really know what to say to him so I did the same. I held the book snugly under my arm. I was going to have to ask him if he had actually read it. I kind of thought that he had which made me wonder what he had been searching for.

  He reached out a halting hand. I almost overlooked it and nearly ran into him. Instead of a glare like I expected, he smiled. He raised a finger to his lips, indicating that I should keep quiet. This time, he put his ear to the rock and closed his eyes. He stayed like that for what felt like forever, but it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes. I shifted on my feet trying not interrupt whatever he was doing. I saw his chest finally release a big breath.

  He tapped the rock one more time and led me through the newly formed doorway. When I turned around the wall was solid. Had all of the openings sealed back up like that?

  “Where are we?” I whispered.

  “You don’t need to know that. All you need to understand is that you are safe, for the time being.” He reached into his bag and pulled out a tart. I tried to be polite and not snatch it away from him, but it took a lot of effort. He handed it to me with a smile. It was in my mouth, and I was chewing before I even thought to say thank you.

  He shrugged my appreciation off as if he was uncomfortable with it. Without another word, he started down the hall walking with a slight limp as if one of his legs were longer than the other.

  I caught up to him and asked, “Don’t you know how to accept a thank you?”

  “You’ve no reason to thank me.” He looked at the ground. “I did this to you.”

  I had already tried to get angry about that, but he had saved me, so I couldn’t. There had to be some good in this little troll even if no one else could see it. “I’m not mad at you, if that is what you’re worried about.”

  He bristled at me, but I couldn’t figure out why. Yes. He had screwed me royally, but I had the distinct impression that Ainessa would have done something really horrible to him if he hadn’t.

  “What did she threaten to do to you?” I asked.

  He stopped, turning slowly. He eyed me warily for an uncomfortable few seconds then shook his head. “With her, it ain’t what she actually does. It’s what she don’t do that hurts. She won’t authorize my trade agreements no more unless I do something for her first. She has forced me into this life and many more like me. We are all slaves to her in one way or another.”

  After my encounter with her in the fire realm, I was doubly afraid of Ainessa. I could only imagine what she would do to Gibbit if she found out what he was doing. “I don’t want you to get into trouble for helping me.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “I’m willing to take that risk.”

  “Why?”

  His stumpy hands curled into fists. “She can’t be allowed to terrorize us any longer. We’ve petitioned the courts, but no one cares about us lessers.” He raised his eyes in a hopeful expression.

  Oh. I was supposed to solve this for him. He wasn’t any different than the other fae I had met so far. They expected that I was just going to fix the problems they had been fighting forever. Why would all of these people trust me with their future? They didn’t know anything about me.

  I shook my head and walked up some stairs then through the doorway into what looked like an old-time parlor. My heart felt lighter knowing we were above ground again, but there was a new heaviness to my already weary soul. I told Gibbit that I needed to lie down, and he showed me to a cheery looking room. It smelled of fresh paint and dust. When I looked back at him, he was nudging a paint can into the closet. I gave him an appreciative nod.

  The walls were the color of morning sunlight. A trundle bed was overflowing with brightly colored pillows and a comfy rocking chair was nestled in the corner. The pink curtains were shut.

  He didn’t comment when I pulled them back. Blinding light filtered through the dirty glass, but several dark spots littered the lawn. I pushed my nose closer to make sure I wasn’t imagining this then groaned.

  Twenty or so hellhounds were, absurdly, playing in the yard. If I hadn’t already nearly been eaten by a pack, I would have thought they were just a different breed of domesticated dog. I pulled away sharply when one of them sniffed the air and fixed his glowing yellow eyes on me.

  I whirled around and gaped at Gibbit. He smiled a bit sheepishly then walked out the door. I chased after him.

  “You can’t be serious. Why would you bring me here?” The borderlands scared me more than any place I had ever been or imagined. It was the thought of the unknown that ate at my brain. Styx had told me there were much worse creatures than hellhounds here. I didn’t want to think about that possibility.

  He pulled his arm out of my grasp. “This is the safest place for you to be right now. No one can find you.”

  “Why isn’t that as comforting as it should be?”

  He just walked away from me without responding. He was hiding something, but what?

  I found my way back to my room and plopped on the bed. I wasn’t about to sleep now. I had work to do. I opened Lily’s journal and quickly found my spot.

  My wedding day was probably the oddest of my life. So much had happened since I came here, and yet it had only been hours. A group of women took me to a large room with a pool inside. They made me undress and ushered me into the water. It felt strange against my skin as if it was seeping into my insides. When they were finished primping and prodding me, they took me onto a terrace…

  Been there, done that. The fae are anything but original.

  My captor found me there in the middle of a vast crowd of strangers. His eyes lingered on me and a smile formed on his lips but his eyes held no emotion at all.

  The strange woman came forward. He called her Tabitha. She looked at me and a pleased expression settled over her features.

  I was trembling from head to foot but no one seemed to notice. Tabitha addressed the man at my side, saying, “Taveon of Uldran, having been found a suitable match for this Elemental, she is now yours.” She took my hands and addressed me next. “Daughter of Air, we take you as our own. Your gifts become our gifts. Your desires become our desires. Your life becomes our life. You are one with us, in purpose and in heart. May your strength magnify your house and all that dwell within. May your union be unbreakable. May you grow together as the vines of the valley and the roots of the earth. May your hearts beat as one. May the creator bless your union.”

  This was similar to what had happened with Cassie’s bonding, but not exactly. What was the difference? Was it because Cassie didn’t have power of her own? Was it because she had not been claimed by any particular Element? I began reading again, but the whole thing troubled me.

  She took my hand and placed it into his, saying, “Until the bond is ended.” The whole mass of people raised their faces heavenward and repeated, “Until the bond is ended.”

  Particles of light swarmed around us like a million tiny embers. The air grew thick with energy that pushed at my skin. I shut my eyes tight and tried to curl into a ball, but Taveon wouldn’t let me. He held my body in a solid embrace. His fingers lingered under my chin then he lifted my face toward his. My heart sounded like hoof beats in my ears. As his lips approached mine, I said a silent prayer for help, all the while knowing no one would be coming for me. This was my new life.

  The warmth of his kiss spread through my entire body, and I found myself aching for him in a way I had never known.

  This was getting so intimate, I skipped ahead a little. Okay, truth here, I peeked at a few things. I continued reading for hours and even though I was completely engrossed in Lily’s tale, I was beginning to think Gibbit had been right about the book. I only had two pages to read and I hadn’t found anything I would consider helpful. Her descriptions, as before, were a bit distant in some places as if she only remembered a few of her experiences vividly.

  Lily had grown accustomed to the fae realms rather slowly but eventually fell in love with her bondmate. I had been right about one thing. Tav
eon of Uldran was Taylor. I was surprised that he was actually pretty good to her. She explained some of the things she had done with him. Most consisted of court appearances, but sometimes they had been called to perform other tasks in the mortal realm.

  She never said who was doing the calling, and it left me wondering who could possibly be orchestrating fae life. I turned the last page and sighed. I had expected more. What was I supposed to do now? I closed the book, running my fingers over the cover one last time.

  A jolt of electricity ran up my hand and through the rest of my body. I dropped the book like a hot coal. What had just happened?

  I stared at it, waiting for it to morph into a hideous beast or something worse. Using all my will, I shook off my fears and reached for the book with tentative fingers. My hand still hurt, but I was too curious to not pick it up. I nudged the leather with the tip of my finger. Nothing happened.

  I sat down by the book and grabbed it before I changed my mind. The cover was still smooth and the pages all looked the same, except, what was that?

  The fivefold symbol was now on the last page. It hadn’t been there before. My fingers found their way to it, and I traced the circles like Roger Wayne had back at Notre Dame. Air, Fire, Water, Earth, Void. My eyes filled with tears at the mere thought of Zach.

  I snapped the book closed.

  A woman stood before me. I would never forget her face, but the last time I had seen her, she had been much older.

  Sister Mary Margaret was very beautiful when she was young. Her hair had been a waist length veil of copper. Her eyes were just the same, except the lines had been erased. She was wearing a flowing green gown and gazing at me as if waiting for something.

  “Lily?” I asked. My voice was tremulous and soft.

  She smiled at me. “You have found my book, I see.”

  I blushed. I wasn’t sure why exactly.

  “Oh, how exciting. I was hoping something like this would happen. What is your name,” she asked brightly.