Hidden In Darkness (A Seven Realms Book Book 1)

by S. J. Stewart

  “Aye.” Ridhor nodded. “I’ve never heard anything so wonderful.”

  “Zura’s laugh.” Orren smiled lightly.

  They all nodded in agreement.

  Silence built around them, their minds wandering.

  “Still,” Andrei grinned slowly. “Fated mates.”

  “Aye.” Ridhor nodded. “So long as we don’t mess this up.”

  “Can you mess up being fated mates?” Andrei’s brow creased.

  Orren considered his question. With Melas, nothing was set in stone. If there was anyone in all of existence that could flip the bird to Fate and carve her own path, it was Melas. “I have no doubt when it comes to Melas, we could very easily mess everything up.”

  Grunts of agreement came from the guys.

  They would have to tread carefully. She wasn’t happy hearing everything from Fen today. Realizing she was the one responsible for things she gave them shit for. She was pulling to them, which only backed up everything Fen said about them being fated mates and she was fighting against that tooth and nail.

  “Don’t push,” Orren said finally, getting to his feet. “We have a few days before America. I imagine there’s a reason you wanted to wait instead of just going right away?” They hadn’t addressed it yet, and he hadn’t wanted to question Ridhor. He protected Melas and Zura with a fierceness that told him whatever decisions he made would be the right ones.

  Dragging the pad of his thumb under his jaw, his eyes met Orren. The intensity there told him they were about to have a very serious conversation. More serious than them trying to get Melas and Zura to stay with them. “Quite a few beings have gone missing. Sirgren is among them.”

  Shock rippled through the room and Andrei let out a string of Romani curses under his breath.

  “Someone took Sirgren?” The idea someone could kidnap a Chimera rubbed them all the wrong way. The Greek Myths did little to depict how fierce they were. The three-headed, fire-breathing monster wasn’t one to be trifled with, the three of them wouldn’t unless they absolutely had to. Luckily Ridhor and Sirgren were close, which made him a useful ally.

  “Who else?”

  Ridhor thought on it for a moment. “Quite a few shifters, though none as troubling as Sirgren. We have quite a few from the Shadow Realm and Demons missing as well. It seems someone—” He paused knowing they all had the same thought. “Is amounting an army, against their will.”

  “How would he control them. Compulsion? The best way to do that would be the dreamscape.” Andrei looked at Orren. “Maybe a Succubus?”

  It would be the best way to compel someone to do their will. Though an old enough Vampire would have no trouble compelling people either. The likelihood of a Vampire working with someone outside their hive was slim.

  Orren frowned.

  “If someone compelled Sirgren, we’re all in trouble,” Andrei said the words hanging between them. “Do you have a thorough list of all the missing beings?”

  Ridhor shook his head. “It’s impossible to keep track of lower Demons, Elves, Sirens, any low-level being in the realms who go missing, but it would make sense for them to grab a good deal of them. They are so many a few hundred wouldn’t be noticed missing. They would be great foot soldiers to lead an attack.”

  “Expendable,” Orren noted.

  “Aye.”

  If Thiriel was amounting an army, the realms would soon feel the ripple of his delusion. He was about to make some waves. Orren would do everything in his power to be sure the five of them kept their heads above water, no matter what.

  “I’ll have to do some digging in the dreamscape. Hopefully, I can find the more notable ones like Sirgren.”

  Ridhor nodded. “I will make a list.”

  “Start as soon as possible. I’d like to have a better idea of what’s going on before we head to America. We don’t know the area as well. I don’t want to be caught by surprise.”

  “Agreed.”

  Andrei clasped his hands on Ridhor’s shoulders as he passed him. “Well, since the pair of you will be busy, I think I will go and find Zura. I need something to lighten my mood.”

  37

  ANDREI

  Zura sat on the floor by the coffee table, Melas behind her on the couch. There was a slight crease between her brows as she stared out in front of her, thick in her thoughts, completely ignoring the book open in her lap.

  Figurines lined the coffee table and Zura moved them around making noises. There was a tall woman in a flowing gown with white hair, a tall man with a crown on his head and a fur-lined cape, Dragons, several horses, Centaurs, and an assortment of animals. Her eyes flicked up as she saw Andrei enter the room, smiling softly. “Hey Andrei, want to play?”

  Without hesitation he dropped down beside her on the floor, reaching out to take a few figures. “Who do we have here?” He ignored Melas, knowing she needed time. Time he would happily give her.

  “This is the queen.”

  He nodded, picking the figure up to look at her. “Every successful hierarchy needs a queen.” he agreed.

  “She’s the Dragon Queen.”

  Andrei’s eyes widened. “Did Ridhor tell you the story of the Dragon Queen?”

  Zura nodded. “He tells me sometimes when I can’t sleep. These are her protectors. The Werewolf, the Demon, and the Centaur.” She points to the wolf, the man in the cape, and the horse. These were figures Ridhor must have gotten for her in town, so they weren’t as intricate or beautiful as the ones he could make her.

  “And these?” He gestured to the remaining figures.

  “These are all her loyal subjects. Ridhor told me a true queen doesn’t rule with fear or power but with love. If you’re loved by your subjects they won’t ever betray you.” She smiled. “These are all her subjects who love her. She is fair and noble.”

  “What a wonderful queen.” He nodded, impressed. “Is that how you would rule the realms, Zura?”

  “Of course. Everyone deserves a queen who loves and cares about them.” She smiled. “Right, mama?”

  Nodding absentmindedly, she let her eyes wander to Zura. “Of course, baby.”

  “Everyone should feel loved and protected.” She turned, her emerald eyes meeting Andrei’s. “Do you feel loved and protected?”

  He pursed his lips in thought, trying to think of the right way to phrase this. “There are different kinds of love. I do feel protected. Being a Vampire means I have skills that will almost always protect me.”

  “Except against mommy.” She laughed.

  He laughed too. “Except against your mommy. I don’t think anyone has skills enough to protect them against your mommy.” All he wanted to do was turn around and look at Melas, but he knew she was still feeling the weight of what they discussed and he didn’t want to add to that with his heavy gaze. Instead, he directed all his attention to Zura. “My brothers add a bit of protection too and a bit of love. Though, those stubborn mules pretend they don’t need love.”

  Zura wrinkled her nose, dropping her voice to a whisper. She curled her finger at him, drawing him in. “Ridhor needs lots of love.”

  Andrei threw his head back and laughed until his eyes threatened to tear, then took a deep breath. “He really does. The big brute.”

  They played together, moving the figures around the table. After a while, Andrei reached into his pocket, pulling out something he’d been carrying around for Zura. He figured right now would be the perfect time to give it to her, since Melas was here and if she didn’t want her to have it, she would let him know.

  The chain was thin and gold. A lone feather hung from the centre, encased in a small glass orb. It wasn’t a large flight feather, but a small downy one. Shimmering in the light as it twirled inside the glass, floating on a breeze.

  He held it up, turning his head for the first time to look at Melas.

  Letting the question flash through his eyes he waited for her to nod her approval.

  Holding the necklace up to Zura he smiled lig
htly. “Back when I was a boy, before I knew about how much magic was in the world, my mother wore this around her neck. She would often tell me of a world where magic was everywhere. Magic and shadows.” He paused, his eyes haunted as he was pulled back in time. Shaking his head to clear it, he turned his golden gaze back to Zura. “This was hers. It’s meant to keep you safe.”

  “To protect me?”

  Andrei nodded. “We could all use a little extra protection.”

  He clasped the necklace around her neck and watched as her little hand wrapped around the pendant. “It’s beautiful. Thank you!”

  He smiled down at her while she continued to play.

  His heart felt so full sitting between the two of them. Even with Melas still brooding, his heart swelled, full of contentment. Leaning back, he let Zura tell him stories as they played together.

  It all felt right.

  Fated or not.

  38

  MELAS

  Melas was wondering what she did in a previous life for peace to constantly evade her. She felt bedevilled by some supreme being, tormented for her part in something long forgotten. It burdened her, pressing in on her chest making every breath she took feel shallow and stolen.

  It seemed a funny thing, to be so haunted with no memories. Typically it was your memories that haunted you, she felt oppressed by her very existence.

  Sighing, she ran her fingers up her temples and scratched at her hairline. The exultant feeling filling her after her night with Ridhor had long waned leaving her feeling once again empty and wary.

  Busying herself by sorting the clothes on the bed, she tried to clear her mind, return it to the singular focus of keeping Zura safe.

  A light rap on the door behind her and the scent of metallic spice filled the air. “Did you need any help? Orren is playing with Zura. It’s making me both jealous and bored.” He pouted, walking over to stand beside the bed. His eyes roamed over the clothes set in piles. “You know you don’t have to pack any of this stuff, right?”

  “Yeah. Ridhor told me. I don’t see the point in spending money on new clothes when we have these. Especially since Zura and I don’t have our own money.” She folded a pair of Zura’s leggings, putting them in the duffel.

  Andrei frowned. “Ah, money. Such a human worry.”

  “Is this where you tell me I’m not human, despite all the signs pointing to just that? Including me worrying about money.”

  He chuckled lightly, the sound pouring over her like honey; thick and sweet. “You have me there. We spend all this time trying to convince you of something we seem so sure of, even though all the little things point to you being human. Though, I would like to point out having memories hinting you may be human should only further convince you you’re not. It wouldn’t make much sense to hide all your memories and keep ones that tell you you’re human unless you aren’t.”

  Andrei’s logic struck a chord. Having being human be the only thing she felt sure of should make her question it, but she clung to it instead. Desperately grasping this buoy of information to keep from drowning in the unknown. Information that was now less true. One thing she thought she knew for sure, she now realized was just another clever trick to protect her and keep her in darkness.

  “Come now,” Andrei watched the way her brow creased slightly, her obsidian eyes seeming to look somewhere unseen as she kept folding clothes, shoving them into the duffel. “Don’t get all melancholy now. We have time to figure everything out. Don’t get discouraged.”

  “It’s been months of not knowing. Months of having no idea who we are or how we ended up here. I keep waiting for a bit of light to show me all the dark recesses of my mind where my memories are hiding. Every time I wander around in there, I’m stumbling around blind. There’s nothing but darkness. Blank spaces where I know parts of me used to be.” The dream only made things worse. She would rather have nothing at all than a small taste of something. She was left standing there, running her tongue over the roof of her mouth trying to place the taste with just a ghost of flavour.

  “I’ve lived a lot of my life in darkness and I’ve learned it’s never as vast as it seems.” Andrei smiled weakly, taking a small step towards her to try and close the space without getting too close.

  He did that lately. Stood just close enough to press himself up against the protective bubble she kept around herself without pushing his way in. Hoping if he stood there long enough, just within reach, she would close the space herself.

  It was unlike the Andrei she knew. She wondered what changed.

  The sudden change should make her uncomfortable. Another thing she didn’t understand. Yet, somehow it brought a sense of peace.

  He was letting her know he wanted to be close, without forcing it.

  Andrei grabbed a cute little knit sweater of Zura’s and held it up. She shook her head and he moved it to the side and began helping her sort and fold everything.

  They did this for a while, in comfortable quiet.

  “I can’t even begin to relate to your situation. For the whole of my life, my memories have been burning holes through me, scorching me to remind me of moments I thought I long left behind.” He ran his fingers against the fabric in front of him, keeping his eyes ahead, avoiding her gaze. “It’s an odd thing, being human and then becoming—” He held his hands out in front of him, his fingernails darkening and lengthening. “—this.”

  His hands shook slightly before he curled them into fists, the length of his nails digging into the flesh of his wrists until they drew blood. Blood so deep it looked black seeped out of his wrists before he relaxed his hands. His nails returning to their usual length and the deep holes in his wrists closing up before her eyes. He ran his tongue quickly along his skin, erasing all evidence of blood before he continued sorting clothes.

  “Typically when you’re reborn, your sire will bring you to the Dark Realm. The beings there are better capable to handle you when you’re young. This wild thing so hungry and feral. My sire was a cold, cruel being. He blamed the humans for a lot of his shortcomings. Thought it would be funny to leave me where I was. At the time, my family was in Valahia. We were always travelling, seeing the world as we moved from city to city, surrounded by nothing but our community, our music, our laughter.” He sounded so far away, sadness darkening his eyes. “I was to be married.”

  Her heart leapt at the admission. It was hard to imagine Andrei with a wife. He had this rakish way about him that made Melas have a hard time thinking of him as anything but a bachelor.

  Picturing him surrounded by family, a wife, made him seem more— what? She wondered. Human?

  “Her name was Kezia.” He smiled lightly at the memory. His golden eyes flashing lighter for a moment. “We’d known one another since infancy, our families often travelling together. It made sense and she was beautiful. She had this way of smiling any problem away. It truly was a gift. She was a gift.”

  “Andrei,” Melas reached out a hand, resting it gently on his shoulder. She didn’t like the battle going on behind his eyes, the demons dancing there, threatening to pull him in and consume him. This memory was a painful one, it was heavy. It made his shoulders sag under the weight. A hungry memory threatening to devour him the longer it stayed close to the surface where people could see the cavern of guilt it created in his cracked and broken heart.

  It pained her. As much as she wanted to pretend these three men hadn’t stolen tiny slivers of her heart, they had. She knew it now, when she saw the way Andrei’s face was blank but his eyes were ablaze. A match of pain and suffering struck inside him, threatening to catch his whole world on fire.

  She wanted to douse it. To care for his scorched soul, try to mend it in some way.

  It scared her, but not enough to pull back.

  She was helpless to step away from him now, when he looked like she could lose him to the memory holding him in its skeletal grip, sinking into the fleshy parts of his soul and threatening to drag it to a place she would
never see it again.

  Turning his face, he rested his cheek on her hand but didn’t look at her.

  “The story that made you who you are today is yours. You don’t have to rip open old scars for me.” Parts of her wanted to know everything she could about all three of them. She wanted to turn over every rock and shine a light in every shadow. Knowing them better would make all of this less ominous. Allow her to keep them a little closer instead of holding them at arm’s length.

  People were made to harbour such darkness inside them. It barely seemed fair. Some being created them to withstand a threshold of pain that could completely scorch them from the inside out, turning them to ash. Some walked around with nothing more than ash inside them. Not allowed the reprieve of death as they walked through the rest of their life tormented by demons that should have destroyed them, but became their only company. It was easier to keep the company of your demons than risk dulling the light of someone blind to the monsters you fought every day.

  If we are to burden anyone, we burden ourselves. Wearing a mask of a person who knows what it’s like to dance in the light while so consumed in darkness, they don’t even remember what the heat of the sun feels like anymore.

  She’d never been a religious person. How could she be? She had scars on her soul so deep, she didn’t need her memories to remind her of the pain and torture living there. What sort of deity would wish that on anyone?

  Surely, not a god paving the way for you to be with them after your dying breath. No torturer wanted to live with their victims when their time was spent, when they suffered a wrath they hoped would destroy them. What an awkward eternity that would be.

  His lips brushed her knuckles, his breath causing a shiver to dance up her spine. “It scares me sometimes to realize I would rip myself completely open for you. Bare my blackened soul to you. Let you take it in while it destroyed me. I thought I knew what it was to love someone. What a fool I’d been.”