Alamir: Blood of Kaos Series - Book One

by Nesa Miller

  A deep voice spoke in her mind. I am coming.

  Lord Darknight, chieftain of the LOKI clan, stepped from the shadows. “I have come for what is mine.” He walked to the sword, effortlessly pulled it from the floor, and picked up the cloak. “You will release my clanswoman and the others.” Dar approached Etain, reaching through the invisible wall in an offer of freedom.

  Etain hesitated. “Am I?”

  “Give me your hand, Etain.” At his command, her delicate hand slipped into his and she stepped from the darkness. “I am sorry for this inconvenience, milady. My brother’s interests are usually more…general in nature. However, since he has made his presence known, perhaps I should share our story.”

  She gave him a look. “Really, there’s no reason-”

  Midir stepped forward, sword in hand. “You have no right to be here. This is my realm. You break the tenets by showing your face.”

  “Tenets?” Dar turned to the man, shielding Etain with his body. “I see. Rules count when they play to your advantage; otherwise, they're a nuisance.” He laughed at his brother’s indignant look. “Put the sword away, Midir. This is not the day for us to die.”

  Dar held his brother’s acidic gaze as he talked to Etain. “Many years ago, there was a boy named DarMidirets, eighth in a long line of men who had carried the same name. His life was not that of a normal child. Blessed by the light on one side, yet cursed by the dark on the other.” He stepped aside and turned to Etain. “As he grew, the priests recognized the behavior of a troubled soul. Should the boy continue as he was, his mind would surely be lost to lunacy. Not an admirable trait for a future king. So, before the boy reached his third birthday, he was taken to the temple. There, the priests separated the evil from the good. In doing this, they created a brother who became the dark to his light.

  “The boys grew up together and were a constant torment to one another. One was called Midir.” He waved his hand toward his dark brother. “The other, Dar.” He placed a fisted hand on his chest. “You see, we are one and the same. If one dies, so does the other. Such is our curse.” He looked at Midir. “I believe that covers the highlights, would you agree?” Not expecting an answer, he turned to Etain. “Forgive me for bringing you into this, milady.”

  She shrugged, glancing at her sister. “Family is something we have no power over. You’re not accountable for his actions. But-”

  “There is more to the story, but now is not the time.”

  Etain raised a brow. “Oh, now is not the time? I have a few-”

  “You are leaving.” Dar faced his angry brother, speaking in his native Krymerian. “Ní thuigim do leas tobann sa cailín, ach fios agam a fhágann tú í a bheith. Níl sí go mbeadh rud ar bith a cheapann tú de dhíth ort. Níl aon chumhachtaí speisialta nó eolas aici. Fill ar do réimse dubh agus fanacht ann (I do not understand your sudden interest in the girl, but I suggest you leave her be. She does not possess anything you think you need. She has no special powers or knowledge. Return to your black realm and stay there).”

  Midir narrowed his eyes. “Agus saoire a ar do thrócaire? Tá tú chomh aineolach inniu mar a bhí tú riamh. ní fheicfidh sí a bhaint amach ar a gcumas iomlán má fhágtar a thabhairt duit (And leave her at your mercy? You are as ignorant today as you ever were. She’ll never realize her full potential if left to you).”

  Hands on hips, Etain glared at the arguing men. “I’m standing right here.”

  “Liom, tá sí an rogha a roghnú (With me, she has the option to choose),” Dar said, unaffected by her statement. “Ba mhaith leat a dhiúltú di go saoirse, agus go leor eile. Geallaim duit seo, deartháir. Tiocfaidh an lá nuair a beidh muid a bheith saoir den chlár seo curse, agus beidh duine againn bás. Idir an dá linn, a fhágáil léi, agus a cairde, ina n-aonar (You would deny her that freedom, and much more. I promise you this, brother. The day will come when we will be free of this curse and one of us will die. In the meantime, leave her, and her friends, alone).”

  She cleared her throat. “I can hear you.”

  Dar suddenly turned, giving her a strange look.

  “Beidh sin an lá rince agam ar do corp (That will be the day I dance on your corpse),” Midir yelled. “Do you hear me? Dance…on…your…corpse!”

  Without further comment, Dar invoked a spell and, within moments, the green glow faded from Faux and Freeblood. Snapped from their trances, they, along with Etain, vanished from the castle. Dar faced his brother then disappeared into the shadows.

  Under a bright moon, Faux gawked at the other two, who gawked in return. “What the hell?”

  “I'll say.” Freeblood stepped back from the circle.

  Etain remained silent, considering the position of the moon. Three-quarters. It was full when we left. “Time is different,” she murmured, bending down to pick up the sword and cloak at her feet.

  “What’s that about time?” Faux asked loudly. “Did you pull another fast one?”

  “Chill, Faux. Give me a minute here.” Etain walked away.

  “Come on, superhero. One minute, I'm sitting on my ass way over there, and the next, I'm standing here with you two eyeballing me. I want to know what's going on.”

  “Shut up, superfreak,” Freeblood snapped, backing farther away. “I don't care what happened. I'm outta here.” He turned, ready to speed off, but a whip of blue light yanked him to the ground.

  Etain stood over him. “Before you go, you will heed my words.” Her eyes matched the glow of the cord. “You will leave here and not return. Ever. You will forget me. You will forget Faux. The mere thought of this part of the world will make you burn with a black fire.” Her authority was absolute, manipulating his memories. The blue cord vanished. “Now, get up and get out.”

  Freeblood snapped out of his trance. He jumped up and looked at the women, no hint of recognition in his eyes. “Whoa, such beautiful ladies. Sorry I can't stay. I have somewhere else to be. Later.” The night swallowed him in an easy gulp.

  A tap on the shoulder made Etain turn.

  “Hey. Remember me? I sure remember you, and I sure as hell won't forget him. What is going on?”

  “I’ll explain, but not here.” Etain wrapped the cloak around her shoulders, then took Faux by the arm. No one spoke as the blue shimmer transported them to a safe place… She hoped.

  4

  Mortal Coil

  The women emerged on the sands of a distant shore as the first rays of morning illuminated the sky. Faux shivered from the cool wind blowing across the estuary, but turned her nose up at Etain’s offer of her cloak. “I can warm myself just fine.” She glowed in a warming shimmer. Noticing the expression on her sister’s face, she said, “Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. Whatever it is you have to say might be worth a laugh.”

  Etain noticed lazy, dark clouds rolling over the sea. “We should get moving. Looks like rain.” Her boots sank into the light brown sand, but once she reached the green grass, the walking became easier. Realizing she was alone, she turned, finding Faux still standing at the shore.

  “What is that?” she asked, pointing past Etain.

  All too familiar with the massive stone structure set back from the shoreline, she didn’t need to look. “It’s Castle Laugharne. Grand, isn’t she?”

  “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  Five round turrets towered over the lush landscape, serving as sentinels to the front and sides of the grey monolith. A backdrop of green forest softened the hard outlines of the castle.

  “Where are we?” Faux asked.

  “In the human realm, it’s known as South Wales”

  “What do the Alamir call it?”

  “The chieftain of the UWS clan lives here.”

  “Someone lives here? It looks more like a prison.”

  Etain laughed, walking back to her. “Don’t be so negative. You’ll love these people as much as I do.” She linked arms with her. “Let down that gruff exterior and try to act at least subhuman for a while”


  “This is gonna suck.” Faux rolled her eyes, but walked arm in arm with her sister. “Are these the people who took you in after…” She hesitated.

  “After I met Dar?”

  Etain seemed to be all right with it, so Faux carried on. “Yeah.”

  “Aye. They have become my family. Now they’ll be yours, too.”

  “What are those?” Faux almost pulled Etain off her feet. Two hairy blurs dashed from the side of the castle at a dead run.

  Etain laughed and tried to pull free from the death grip on her arm. “It’s Felix and Ruby, come to say bore da. Don’t tell me you’re scared of dogs?”

  “Those are dogs?” She cringed, keeping a wary eye on the rampaging mutts. “More like the hounds of hell.”

  “Then you should be right at home.” Etain pulled free, waving to the dogs, laughing at their antics of chasing and nipping at each other. “Shw mae, me friends!” Hearing her call, they resumed their run, overtaking her within seconds. One muzzle black and the other red, the hounds sniffed and snorted, tongues lapping their long, lost friend. “Easy guys, I'm glad to see you, too.” She bent down to accept their kisses.

  Faux wrinkled her nose, standing stiff as a board. “Revolting. Never saw a hellhound act like that.”

  “You’ve never seen a hellhound, period.” Etain laughed. “Felix and Ruby are Irish Wolfhounds. Very friendly and very loyal.”

  Hearing a new voice, their attentions switched to her. “Get away from me. Ugh, you nasty mutts. Get back!” They chased her hands, pushing against her in their efforts to greet the new acquaintance. “Etain, do something.” Jostled back and forth by the enthusiastic welcome, she lost her footing and landed on her backside, tail wrapped around her waist. Felix and Ruby proceeded to smother her with kisses. “Etain!”

  “I'm sorry, but it is quite a sight,” she said, trying not to laugh.

  “Get these…animals away from me, or I'll-”

  “They won’t hurt you.” Etain took hold of each collar and pulled them away from Faux’s heated glimmer. “Come on, guys. Give her a break. She's not really a dog person.”

  Faux sat up, spitting and wiping her face with hands and arms, trying to remove the desecrations. “Filthy beasts.”

  “Hallo.” A young man, coming from the same direction the dogs had, caught them by surprise. “You all right? Usually me hounds don’t-” His inquisitive demeanor broke into a gleaming smile when Etain turned around, still holding the collars. “Crikey!” He rushed up, wrapping her in a rough embrace. “Are ya real? Yer a sight for sore eyes. We thought we’d lost ya, lass.”

  “Oh! Inferno!” Etain let go of the dogs, hanging on for dear life as he swung her around, both of them laughing. “Okay, okay. You know I’m real. Put me down.” She straightened her clothes and smoothed her hair. Giving him a smile to rival his own, she gave a proper greeting. “Bore da, Inferno. How y’all doing?”

  “Diwrnod i'r bren. A memorable day indeed. Damn good to see ya.” Felix and Ruby added their sentiments to the mix, barking and tails wagging. A movement from behind the dogs caught Inferno’s eye. “Who ya got here?”

  Etain purposely stood between them. “Inferno, this is Faux.” She turned her head. “Faux, this is Inferno, chieftain of the UWS clan. He and his lovely wife are the proud owners of this breathtaking estate.”

  “Yeah, great. United we stand. Just what I need.” Her tone mirrored her opinion of the dogs’ greeting. “Shouldn’t those things be on a leash?”

  Etain whispered to Inferno. “I would prefer you keep your distance for now. She can be…difficult.”

  He smiled, nodding. “We have leashes. We use ‘em on trespassing strangers who don’t like dogs.” Faux’s head shot up, eyes full of venom. Inferno guffawed. “This is their home, lass. You’d do best to remember that.”

  Inferno and Etain headed toward the castle. “Come, Felix, Ruby.”

  Faux eyed the man as she brushed the sand from her clothes. Another Alamir asshole. She figured he was in his late twenties, maybe early thirties, and about five-ten. The cropped brown hair with matching goatee didn’t do much for her, but his muscular build struck a chord. The well-developed muscles of his legs strained against the fabric of his jeans.

  Not a bad backside, despite his smartass disposition. “So… It’s Inferno, right?”

  He turned his head without missing a step. “Aye... Faux.”

  She skipped to catch up. “You sound a lot like a leprechaun I met once. I thought you were Welsh.”

  Inferno chuckled. “Yer here now, does that make you Welsh?”

  Faux gave him an odd look. “No.”

  “There ya go, then.”

  Etain laughed. “Be careful, Faux. He may not be Welsh, but he’ll have you speaking it in no time.”

  “I doubt that,” she said, rolling her eyes.

  “Nothing wrong with learning how the locals speak,” Inferno said. “Shows respect for those who came before ya.”

  Faux snorted, shaking her head. “I’m not planning on sticking around that long.” Taking in the landscape as they walked, she asked, “What do you do around here for fun?”

  Inferno smiled. He looked at Etain, then back at Faux. “There’s a pub or two in the village, but we don't go out much since the wee ones come along. Bloody hell, they're plenty entertainment for the likes of me.”

  “Wee ones?”

  Inferno grinned. “Aye, four of the little buggers.”

  Her brows scrunched together in thought. “Oh. You mean…kids?” His laugh was the most outrageous thing she’d ever heard. Giving him a whatever look, she swished her tail and marched ahead. On cue, Felix and Ruby ran up to flank her on each side. “Holy hell! Get away from me. Go away!”

  Etain chuckled, watching her storm through the grass with entourage in tow. “I was surprised to see Felix and Ruby unescorted by your small horde. Are they out terrorizing the countryside unchaperoned?”

  “Aye, they can be wee terrors, but, no. They’ve gone to visit their gram.”

  “Really? I thought school was still in session.”

  He cast a sideways glance at her. “Aye, it is.”

  “Oh.” Etain frowned. They walked a bit farther. “How bad is it?”

  He stopped, lowering his voice. “Mostly rumblings and rumors at this point. It’s hard to tell with the Bok. They can wipe out everything in the blink of an eye. Ya know the bastards don’t care about age. I’m not taking chances until our information is more concrete. It’s all I can do to keep me head straight with Spirit here.”

  She placed a comforting hand on his upper arm. “Spirit can take care of herself. Heaven knows, I wouldn’t want to meet her in a dark alley.” That made him smile. “Besides, me and my new sidekick are here now. We’ll keep everyone safe.”

  Inferno laughed all the way to the castle courtyard.

  As Faux got closer to the building, she noticed the stones were not just grey but a mix of colors – shades of grey, red, green and a few others. The immense front doors were at least fifteen feet tall and wide enough to accommodate a good-sized tank. As she approached, a smaller door within one of the larger ones opened, a brown-haired young woman emerging.

  “Spirit.” Etain brushed past Faux, giving the woman a warm embrace. “How are you?”

  “Gob smacked is what I be.” Inferno joined his wife as she gave Etain a good once-over. “We thought you were-”

  “Yeah, I know. I have so much to tell you.” Etain motioned Faux up to the door. “Come over here.”

  She hung back like a child who wished to be anywhere but in the company of adults and turned her back on the group. Breathe, Faux. So what if it looks like a prison? Turning her head slightly, she sneaked another peek at the stone façade. God, it is a prison. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. But, I have to admit, she’s said things that need explanation. Once I hear her out, I’m gone. She opened her eyes to the grey skies. As long as I don’t have to deal with hellhounds…or kids.

&n
bsp; Etain shrugged. “Don’t mind her. She'll warm up eventually.”

  “Aw, bless, she'll come round.” Spirit opened the door wider for everyone to walk in. “It’s a pity the kids aren’t here. They’d have loved to see you.”

  “It’s okay.” Etain cast one more glance toward her sister. “Inferno said they’d gone to visit their grandmother.”

  Faux kept her eyes on the estuary, acting as though it were the most interesting view she’d ever seen. Much to her dismay, not only did it start to drizzle, the hounds were just as determined to have her join them inside.

  Faux stomped through the door, Felix and Ruby happily bouncing behind her. Etain hid a smile behind her hand. Spirit chuckled, watching them parade in. Once the coast was clear, she linked arms with Etain. “Aye, it wasn’t easy letting ‘em go, but it was either that or kill me husband, and I didn’t much care to be a widow…yet.”

  Within the castle, his home since birth, Dar crossed a great chamber toward a set of silver doors, the scrape of his black armor rubbing against itself echoing through the hall. A whispered spell made the doors crumble into pieces. Stepping over the rubble, he entered the outside courtyard and faced the building.

  Using the tip of his sword, he traced an ancient symbol of destruction in the dirt, murmuring a powerful incantation. Once complete, he crouched and laid his hand on the symbol. The ground shook. Glass shattered. Walls of stone cracked and crumbled.

  “It is time I moved forward. Leave the past where it belongs.”

  Forcing more of his power into the spell, the walls collapsed. Small explosions ignited fires, spreading through what was left of the castle.

  Dar turned away from the destruction and raised his hand. A thin line rippled, splitting the air. He peered through the portal, finding a land of rolling hills covered with green grasses and lush trees, framed by waters of the deepest blues. He stepped through into the Alamir realm, standing on a precipice overlooking the sea.