Alamir: Blood of Kaos Series - Book One

by Nesa Miller

  She tried to smile, failing miserably, and took Spirit’s hand in hers. “It was my first assignment. I did the training. I served my time and waited, watching as every newbie who joined the clan was sent out. Some had joined at the same time I did, and some came later. At that point, I knew something was going on, so I started asking questions. Not long after, I received an assignment. I was so excited.”

  “But now?”

  “Nothing makes sense. Midir provided irrefutable proof I’d been ousted from the clan, but Dar had just promoted me into the Warrior Caste. He gave me his sword, his personal sword, and his cloak. He told me I was a Lady of Kaos. You know what an honor it is. And that was after Freeblood. Why go to all that trouble only to kick me out?”

  Spirit squeezed her hand. “Sounds like Lord Darknight has a few problems of his own.”

  “Perhaps, but it comes down to me to find out why I’ve been ousted from the clan. Once that’s done, I’m hoping Dar will open some doors to the demon realm, find me a lead. While I do that, I need Faux tucked away with a clan who will protect her, as well as keep her out of trouble.” Inferno came into the room, quietly handing out the refilled mugs. She held his concerned gaze. “I could think of no safer place, no more caring a clan than UWS. I hate to ask for such a huge favor, but I didn't know where else to turn.”

  “Take her to Darknight and be done with both of ‘em,” he said. “Ya have no business messin’ with demons, her included.”

  “Everything I’ve done since turning Alamir has been for my family. I won’t stop until I find the one who murdered them.”

  “Not had yer fill of the dark side, have ya?”

  Etain came to her feet, needing to move. “A lot depends on what happens with LOKI. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about Faux.”

  Spirit went to Etain and wrapped her in a loving hug. “If you’re that determined, we’ll help any way we can.”

  Inferno seemed to sense the importance of the moment and joined in, holding both women in a protective embrace. “At least she’ll be one less worry on yer mind, lass. Whatever happens, ya have a home here...and so will she until ya come back.”

  “Not that I don’t appreciate it, Inferno, but-”

  “Hey! An orgy, and I wasn't invited?” Faux sauntered around the room, tail swishing, a smirk on her face. “You people are full of surprises.” She picked up Etain’s mug, sniffed it, and downed the contents.

  Etain’s gaze stayed Inferno’s sharp retort. “There you are, Faux. Have a seat.” She gave the couple one last reassuring hug, then turned. “Let’s talk.”

  “I’m not in the mood.” Faux walked to the window, watching Inferno and Spirit exit through the front doors.

  Etain joined her. “There are things you need to know.”

  Her lethal tail swished. “I know more than you think I do. One, you’re a pain in my ass.” She turned, looking her in the eye. “Two-”

  “Aye, I know. You won’t be told what to do.” Etain swallowed a flash of temper. Losing it wouldn’t save this demon from her impulsive nature. She remembered something her dad would do when a client proved difficult. Shrugging, she sauntered back to the sofa. “Okay, I see your point.” She leaned back into the cushions and propped her arms along the back. “So, you’ll be ready when he shows up.”

  Faux turned her head. “When who shows up?”

  “You don’t know?” she asked, eyes wide in innocent surprise.

  Faux shifted, placing her hands on her hips. “Why are you fucking with me?”

  Their eyes locked in a childish power game Etain hoped would give her an edge.

  “Fine. I'll bite.” Faux plopped down in the chair across from the sofa. “Is this about Dar?” She crossed her legs and wrapped her tail over a shoulder, twirling a strand of hair around a forefinger. “Is he coming to this boring little party?”

  Etain leaned forward, hands in front of her. “He’ll show up if there’s a need for it. But there’s a few things you should know first.”

  “If this is another discourse on the pros and cons of who I am and how I live, I’d prefer to do it while intoxicated.” Pushing out of the chair, she left the room.

  Having no choice, Etain followed. She breathed in the warm scents of the Welsh country kitchen. “I love this room.”

  “Well, maybe when you grow up, you can have one, too.” Faux topped off two mugs and slid one across the granite-topped island. “Here's to that little bitch called fate.”

  Etain raised her mug in salute and drank. The elixir had a stout bite, settling her nerves and boosting her resolve. “Basically, you’re here because of Dar and me.”

  Faux eyed her over the rim of her mug. “Sounds like you lost more than just your marbles.”

  Etain gave her a strange look. “I met Dar a couple years after coming to the Alamir…after Darth. There wasn’t a Council of Ambassadors then, and battles between clans were ugly.” She took another drink. “Darth taught me how to work the streets, what to avoid, what to capitalize on, how to survive.”

  Faux lowered her mug. “You? Lived on the streets?” She sat on a barstool. “You worked the streets? Hell, Etain.” She snorted a laugh. “What was the worst you had to do? Dance on a street corner, sing a little song?” She shook her head, swallowing another mouthful of ale.

  Faux had always treated her as though she were a princess who relied on others to do everything, and maybe that were true when she had had a real family. But at fourteen, she had no idea how the real world worked. Her education since becoming Alamir had been unrelenting and tough. Her life as a princess was long gone.

  “Nevertheless, I was pretty good at avoiding clashes, clearing out before things got too heated, but sometimes my sense of timing…” Biting her bottom lip, she said, “That needed some work. You know the story. The day I was on the wrong street at the wrong time, and ended up with a sword through my gut.” She cast a caustic gaze at the demon girl. “Kinda like your tail.”

  Faux avoided her gaze and busied herself refilling her mug. “Yeah, yeah. You lost a lot of blood. He gave a lot of blood. You almost died. He almost died. What does all that have to do with me?”

  She could see through her blasé attitude. “Well, once we both recovered, we spent the night in conversation…debate, really. He has a rather different view of the Alamir world.”

  “Conversation? That’s it?” Faux seemed disappointed.

  “He was a perfect gentleman.”

  “Ha! No such thing as a perfect gentleman.” Faux smirked. “Not if he’s any good in bed anyway.”

  “Not everyone indulges in…whatever it is you indulge in.”

  Faux gave her a genuine laugh. “Trust me. One way or another, they do. You’ll learn that someday. How long were you there?”

  She shrugged. “I’m not sure. A few days maybe?”

  “Something had to have happened.”

  Etain gave her a long look. “This is a brutal world we live in. Battles are fought blade to flesh, hand to bow, brawn versus brains. Dar explained how the Alamir live in a modern time, yet modern weapons have no power against the magic they wield.” It was her effective avoidance of other avenues of discussion. “In the days after, he taught me the warrior ways of his people and how to wield a sword.”

  “His people? You mean his clan?”

  “No. LOKI is Alamir. Dar is Krymerian.”

  “What the hell is that?” Faux appeared amused by the new word, pronouncing it in different ways. “Kry-mer-ian. Krymer-ian. Kry-merian.”

  “Krymerian,” Etain repeated. “Inferno told me they’re a race as old as time. Warriors born of Kaos, created to face some great evil.”

  “That’s where he gets it. Lords and Ladies of Kaos. I guess evil won. I’ve never heard of Krymerians.”

  “Dar’s the last.”

  “Seriously?”

  She ran a hand through her hair. “By nightfall, what little energy I had left was spent on a quick supper and collapsing into bed. Mornings c
ame early at Dar’s, and the days were long.”

  Faux stared at her. “A man like that, and he never tried anything?” Etain confirmed it with a nod. “Men of strength usually take what they want, to hell with whatever your wishes may be. But, then again, maybe women don’t interest him…in that way.” She shrugged. “Okay, he kept his hands to himself, yet he’s the reason I’m here?” Her brows raised in question.

  “My last night there, we argued. He was so angry with me, saying I wasn’t ready. I told him if I was going to be a part of the Alamir world, I needed to be in it. Drained, I went to bed. My only thought was to find some semblance of peace. The next thing I knew, a rude, dark-haired woman with horns and a tail was shaking me. Morning had come, bringing with it the promise of a controversial day.”

  “Are you making this up?”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “I don't remember any of it.” Faux stood up. “How could I be there and not run into him?”

  “We looked for him, but what we found was a note. He’d gone to avert further bloodshed in another skirmish between clans.”

  “I just appeared…like hocus pocus?”

  “I believe you’re a direct result of Dar and me sharing blood.”

  “I still don’t get it.”

  Etain recounted the events in Mexico, including the visit from Midir and the struggle between the brothers. Faux stared at her.

  “What?” Etain asked.

  “Am I brain-damaged or something?”

  “I don’t think so. Why?”

  “I don’t remember Dar. I don’t remember Midir. I do remember you, me, and Freeblood staring at each other like idiots before you chased him off.”

  Etain shrugged. “You and Freeblood were trapped within some kind of green glow. It looked like you were in a trance.”

  “Ugh, green? I was glowing green?”

  “Midir’s trick. It’s probably best you don’t remember.”

  Faux became thoughtful. “So, Dar’s not the last.”

  “Hmm, I guess not.”

  “Have you ever thought about what that could mean?”

  Etain rolled her eyes, anxious to get on with her story. “What?”

  “All this time, you’ve never known about Midir, right? Well, what if there are others…living among us, lying low?”

  “For what purpose?”

  Faux shrugged. “I don’t know, but what if?”

  Etain sighed. “When you figure it out, let me know.” She ran a hand through her hair. “Anyway, listening to Dar and Midir’s story, I saw similarities with ours. I figured, with the changes in me and the power of his blood…”

  “I'm, like, your dark side?”

  “Kinda, but nothing even close to Midir.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “What caused his sudden interest?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Inferno walked in, stopping at the door. He looked at Etain, then Faux, and back. “Everything all right in here?”

  “Aye. We’re good.”

  “There’s something ya need to see.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder.

  “What is it?” Etain asked.

  “Ya just need to see it.”

  Once outside, the unusual stone formation in the center of the courtyard was the first thing they saw. Etain frowned. “I don’t remember this being here.”

  “Aye, it wasn’t,” Inferno said, circling the rock. “It’s a strange sort.”

  Etain recognized the stone. It resembled obsidian, smooth with a rainbow sheen. At first glance, the stone seemed opaque, but if one continued to gaze into its depths, a secret horde of crystal shards appeared. “I’ve seen it before. It has to be from Dar.”

  “Whoever it’s from, there’s a ring on top.” Faux reached for the bauble. “What the...?” She tried again. “It’s all shimmery. I can’t touch it.”

  Spirit looked at Etain. “If it comes from him, I can’t imagine it being for anyone but you.”

  “Come read the inscription, lass,” Inferno cut in, “and Bob’s yer uncle.”

  “Inscription?” She walked around to Inferno.

  Etain, this is the last of my gifts. Use it wisely and it can come to save you. Be ye well and forever a dear friend.

  She warily peered at the ring on top of the stone. “How am I to use it wisely when I don’t even know what it is?” As Etain effortlessly picked up the ring, a loud humph came from Faux.

  “Let me have a look at it.” Spirit scrutinized it closely, pointing out the lavender glow and dark metal veins. “It reminds me of a Tiffany stone.”

  “What’s that?” Etain took the ring from her outstretched hand.

  “We use it to help with psychic communication. A Tiffany is lavender, like this one, but it doesn’t glow. It’s said to give the wearer strength to face change.”

  “Let’s hope this one does the same.” Etain placed the ring on the middle finger of her right hand. “I have a feeling we’re gonna see a few soon.”

  Several days later, Etain received a request she knew would not sit well with her family. “Spirit, Inferno, we have to leave.”

  Relaxing in the grounds, Inferno looked up from his newspaper. “Already?” He glanced at Spirit. “We thought ya were gonna stay a wee bit longer.”

  Etain sat across from the couple. “It won’t be for long.” He raised a curious brow. “It’s Dar. He’s asked I…we come see him.”

  “Asked, my ass. It was a summons,” Faux said, rubbing her temples.

  He leaned back, set the paper aside, and crossed his arms. “He says come, and ya go runnin’?”

  “That’s what I said.” Faux plopped down in the chair next to Etain, tail swishing back and forth.

  “It’s only out of respect for my chieftain.”

  “I thought ya were out of that den of snakes.” At the look on her face, he said, “Tell me ya have the sense to meet him at the LOKI castle.”

  “That’s not where he is,” she said, pushing her hair from her face.

  “Bloody hell, Etain.” Inferno came to his feet. “Yer not going alone. He doesn’t have the right to demand ya do.”

  “I won’t be alone. Faux’s coming with me.”

  “For fuck’s sake.” He threw his hands in the air. “Have ya not learnt anything from all this?”

  “Etain, are you sure you should go?” Spirit asked.

  She looked down at the ring on her right hand, twirling it on her finger. “He wouldn’t ask if it weren’t important.” Her gaze met Spirit’s. “It could have to do with my status in the clan. I need to find out.”

  “The bloody wanker could come here. I don’t like it, Etain.”

  “Don’t worry, folks.” Faux attempted to ease their minds. “I may look small, but I pack a serious wallop.” A fireball lit in one hand as she stroked the tail languishing over her shoulder. “And our little Etain has learned a few things in her travels. Between the two of us, we can handle an overstuffed Krymerian.”

  5

  Sólskin

  Appearing in Dar’s home world, Etain and Faux were surrounded by total devastation. The once beautiful land smoldered amongst the ruins of the old castle, scorched and blackened, green trees now ash, rose gardens destroyed.

  “Ouch. Someone was pissed off.” When Faux noticed tears in her sister’s eyes, she experienced an emotion she’d never felt before. Compassion. Feeling awkward, she draped an arm over Etain’s shoulders. “Maybe he’s dead.” The pointed tail patted her on the back in a show of consolation.

  Etain swiped at her tears, pulling away. “Look around. Tell me what you see.”

  “A bunch of rubble and burnt stuff.”

  “What do you not see?”

  “Uh, well… Dar?”

  “How long do you figure it’s been like this?”

  “I don’t know. I’d guess it just happened. Surprise attack?”

  “Look closer.” She kicked at a burnt portion of wall. “See? Weeds have already begun to sprout. This didn’t jus
t happen. And there aren’t any body parts or blood. Dar wouldn’t have gone down without taking a few with him.”

  “Oh, okay. Now you mention it...” Faux kicked at a few stones. “But if they were demons, would there be any bodies to find?”

  “Maybe not. Can you feel Dar’s presence?”

  Faux shook her head. “Even if I did, I wouldn’t know it was him.”

  “Let’s see if there’s anything that can tell us what happened here. You take the area over there. I’ll take this section.”

  During her investigation, Faux stumbled across what must have been the armory. Remnants were everywhere, some were gold-colored, others silver. A few pieces were of a metal she had never seen. Moving on, her next find was a pair of black gloves finished in silver and decorated with two unusual stones… One in the palm, another on the back. There was also a strange writing etched into the leather. Their relevance unknown, she tucked them in her belt. Maybe it’ll mean something to Etain.

  The sisters met where the great hall once stood. Faux held the gloves out to Etain. “Any idea who these belonged to?”

  “No.” Etain held her hand out. “Let me have a look.” After a close inspection, she said, “They must’ve been dearly loved. You see the writing here around the cuff? It says, To the light of my heart.” Turning the gloves over, she pointed to the underside of the cuff. “They were created for a certain person.” She then pointed to the rune in the palm of the glove. “This stone has the rune of power carved into it. The rune of the burning light. It can cast a powerful spell that allows the caster to burn anything. Now, this one on top… I think it’s a naming rune. It’s so the gloves know their owner.” She gave them another good look. “Judging by their size, they probably belonged to a woman. The name is strange and I can’t read it fully, but the last part says ‘goddess’.” Etain handed the gloves back to Faux. “If I were you, I'd leave them here.”

  “How do you know?” she asked, eyeing Etain with a new respect.

  “I told you me and Dar talked.”

  “Yeah, for a long time. Does this Dar wear a pocket protector?”