Dwellers of Darkness (Darkness Series #3)

by Brown, Stacey Marie

  His lids only narrowed.

  “Guess someone’s lost his sense of humor in the last three years.” My eyes were not ready for quick movement and barely caught how rapidly he was up and flying at me. I flinched and looked away, preparing for his attack. Two breaths later I realized nothing had happened. I opened my eyes and turned to look at his hulking body standing over mine. Wrath shook through his taut muscles, flexing and twitching under his skin. His eyes were so bright green they were almost neon.

  “You have no idea what I went through these past years,” Eli breathed out heavily, “while you were off with your boyfriend...” He trailed off, stepping away from me, huffing out of his nose. “You still reek of sex. Of me.”

  I flushed. He could still smell himself on me? Humiliated, I pulled my jacket tighter around me. “Sorry, it was a little hard to shower when locked up in the Queen’s dungeon. Plus, I only take showers every four years, not three.”

  The pupils of his eyes stretched out, and his nose flared. “Don’t push me right now. My patience is extremely thin.”

  “Wait. You’re mad at me? Are you kidding?” I bellowed, grimacing as I tried to stand up. My ribs still ached fiercely. “How dare you be mad at me when you were the one who had sex with me and then told me you killed my mother? Why would you say that? What kind of person does such a horrible thing?”

  Like a boulder, his heavy presence loomed over me. “A person like me I guess.”

  Biting back my emotion, I shoved at his chest. “You are sick.”

  “I’ll never deny that.” His large hands wrapped easily around my wrists.

  “Why?” My words barely came out. “Why would my tattoo warn me against you, and Lorcan, if you didn’t kill her? Did you lie about that, too? Tell me what involvement you had with my mother.” I couldn’t stop my tirade. “Your touch was never as painful as Lorcan’s, but now it’s almost completely gone. Please. What is going on?”

  He dropped my arms, rubbing his face absently. “Brycin.” He scrubbed at his face harder. “You nee—”

  “Ember?” Another voice cut him off. My mom stepped out from the trees. She had dark circles under her eyes and cuts all over. Her clothes were torn and dirty. “Are you all right?” Her eyes and tone were sharp. I could tell she was more concerned about Eli’s effect on me than my wounds.

  “Yeah, Mom, I’m fine.” I backed away from Eli.

  She gave a slight nod, but her eyes darted suspiciously between Eli and me. “I wanted to check on you.” She stepped closer to my side. “Also, the Dark Dwellers were anxious to gather when you woke up.”

  I nodded and turned to go when I realized no one was following. “Are you guys coming?”

  “Give me a moment. I would like to speak with Elighan alone.” Her cutting glare never fully left Eli.

  Uh-oh. This can’t be good.

  Eli didn’t flinch but crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. The hostility between them was profound, especially on my mother’s side. Eli had lied about killing her, but why? I needed to know what in the hell was going on.

  I hesitated, my scrutiny darting between the two. “How do you guys know each other? What happened between you two?”

  My mother’s attention finally turned to me. “Ember, this is really not the time.”

  “When is the time?” I flung out my arms in question. “Why can’t anyone ever just tell me the truth for once?”

  “Ember.” My mom’s tone hit the scary warning level I recalled from when she got angry with me. “This is not the time or place. Please, give me a moment alone with Elighan.”

  I started to complain but stopped myself. How did she do it? She had the ultimate power to instantly turn me into a five-year-old again. My mother had never needed to use glamour on me. All she had to do was give me her narrow-eyed, jaw-pinched look of disappointment and disapproval, and I was a goner.

  I stomped away in a huff. Very teenage of me although, technically, I wasn’t a teenager anymore at least here on earth. When they were almost out of sight, I turned around. I couldn’t hear them, but it was clear they were arguing, hands gesticulating, and their faces pinched by seriousness. Whatever it was I would find out, eventually.

  Walking into the ranch house felt familiar even though it had been over six months to me and over three years to them. Everything looked and smelled the same.

  “Ember.” Kennedy jumped off the sofa. The force of her arms wrapping around me almost caused me to fall back on my butt. “You’re okay. I was so worried about you.”

  “I’m okay. As you know now, I’m not easy to keep down.” I laughed.

  “Yeah.” She stepped back, frowning. “About that... part of me really wants to kill you. The months of agony you put me and Ryan through. When you disappeared from the party. . .” She looked away blinking. “We blamed ourselves.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “I understand most of it was out of your control, and you felt like you were protecting us, but don’t you ever do it to me again.”

  I looked at my feet, feeling like a scolded puppy. “I won’t. I promise.”

  “We will talk later.” There was no question to this statement, and I nodded in response. Kennedy was small-boned and only a few inches over five feet. She had long, silky, brown hair and brown eyes usually encircled by glasses. Ken was also the sweet one in our group. She let me and Ryan vie for dominance, but she was actually our leader. With one word or look she could silence us.

  “Ember, glad you’re awake.” Cole stepped in from the kitchen, his stubble had grown out into a full beard. All these guys were so damn sexy it was wrong. “And alive.” The rest of the Dark Dwellers mulled around behind him.

  “Hey, guys.” Despite all the issues and complex relationships I had with the group, part of me fought wanting to run over and hug them. I was aware I had actually missed them, which generated an uncomfortable emotion within me. I had hoped the feeling I had when I saw West was a fluke—the sentiment they were my family. Dammit—it wasn’t.

  “Where is Eli?” Gabby scanned the room.

  “He’s outside talking with my mom.”

  Cole nodded, and his face clenched in a frown. “We’ll have to start without them.”

  “The Queen has West,” I blurted out. There was no good way to say it. I would prefer to rip the bandage off and get it over with. But none of them showed the shock I expected.

  Cole bobbed his head again as fury flickered in his hazel eyes. “Jared told us you saw him in the dungeon, and Lorcan was the one who turned him over to her.” He rubbed his chin harshly. “We’ve been searching for him for over three years. We can usually feel each other, like Eli can with you. Our awareness of West disappeared six months before you vanished. We thought Lorcan killed him.” His fists tightened as they gripped together, cracking his knuckles. “We’ve learned through you and West our ties are cut off when you go into the Otherworld. We’ve never had a reason to find this out before. We were in the Otherworld till we were all banned. Then we couldn’t go between the worlds. Because you have returned, we are aware of this failure.”

  “I tried to get him out. I hated leaving him there, but he had a spiked collar around his throat. I’m sure it’s charmed. I promised him we’d come back for him... for him and my dad, Ryan, and Josh. It killed me to walk away without them.”

  “I know, Ember, but it was the only thing you could do. Don’t worry; we do not abandon our own.” Cole’s lips strained into a slight smile. “Good or bad you are one of us now, and along with West, your friends and family will not be left. We will get them out.”

  “Thank you.” His words meant more to me than anything. I had help now. I would be able to get them back.

  He shifted his head, his long, auburn hair falling into his eyes. Owen, Cole, and Jared all had the same eye and hair color, and their family resemblance was strong. Cole turned to address us. “Have a seat. We have a lot to discuss.”

  While people moved and settled in the living r
oom, the familiarity of the smells, the overstuffed leather sofas, and homey feeling seized me. It made me want to curl up on the couch and sleep, feeling protected and safe.

  Cooper headed to me. “Hey.”

  “Hey, Coop. Good to see you.”

  “Yeah, same. Though it has been longer for me than you.”

  “So I’ve been told.”

  Gabby sidled up on the other side of me. Her dyed, black hair had grown out to her chin. The ends looked like they had been dipped in florescent green paint. “Never thought I would say this, but I’m actually glad to have you back.”

  My eyebrows hit my hairline.

  “I know, color me shocked as well. Things have not been pleasant around here the last three years.”

  “That’s putting it mildly.” Cooper snorted. “The asshole owes me a new bike.”

  “What happened?” I flicked a glance from Cooper to Gabby.

  “Eli is a jackass at the best of times.”

  “Yeah, Gab, and you are such a sweetheart,” I jabbed.

  She rolled her eyes. “I may be a bitch but compared to your boy...”

  My teeth clenched. “He’s not my boy.”

  Both Cooper and Gabby guffawed.

  “Look, I’ve never claimed to be your biggest fan, but if you can get Eli to be a little more bearable, I will throw you a fucking parade.” Gabby crossed her thin, toned arms.

  I threw up my hands. “You are Dark Dwellers. Being a jackass is an inherited personality trait. How bad could he have been?”

  Cooper brushed his surfer-blond hair back. “You would be surprised. I’ve never seen him this way. We are dark and, yes, major jackasses, but he hit levels of darkness which even scared us. That’s saying a lot. He became reckless and barely stayed in his human form. If he did, he would get drunk and purposely seek out fights with other biker clubs. He sometimes started to shift in front of them. We’ve had to get him out of extremely sticky situations. Sheriff Weiss even put a warrant out for his arrest.”

  Sherriff Weiss. The name generated resentment, which gripped my muscles. The mutual hatred of each other was epic. He caused me nothing but grief and misery. What pissed me off the most was he’d been right in his assessment of me but wrong about why. He was certain I started the fires at school. And I had, just not the way he thought. My powers invoked strange things to happen around me all of my life. Light explosions were only one of them.

  “We’ve become Eli’s permanent babysitters. Our Second has been on a downward spiral, and the only thing we can attribute it to is you.” Gabby pointed at me. “And by your smell, I can understand why he’s become such a tyrant.” Her nose wrinkled.

  If I felt humiliation when Eli brought it up, this took it to an entirely new level. The floor was not big enough. I wanted the earth to swallow me whole.

  “You hadn’t figured it out?” Cooper gapped at Gabby. “It was pretty obvious after he returned that night.”

  “Honestly, I didn’t really want to think about the two Sasquatches humping each other in the woods.” Gabby shrugged.

  “Shut up!” My hands covered my face. I was embarrassed enough.

  “Yeah, guys.” At the sound of Eli’s gravelly voice, all three of us spun around. “I think shutting up would be wise.” His tone was jarring like someone chewing on ice. Cooper and Gabby quickly dispersed to the other side of the room, abandoning me.

  Cowards.

  Cole yelled over the crowd, “Everyone is here, so let’s get this meeting started.” Eli and I didn’t move. Our eyes sealed on each other.

  “After you.” Eli’s tone was unpleasant as he nodded toward the sofa. Trepidation filled my lungs. Pivoting, I hurriedly vacated the area and headed to the couch where Kennedy and Jared were.

  My mom sat in the corner, her watchful eyes still switching from me to Eli. I hadn’t even noticed her come in. She had always been good at slipping in and out of rooms almost undetected. She played a lot of practical jokes on me as I grew up. As a little girl, I looked at my mother like she had superpowers.

  It turned out she really did; she was a Fairy, a noble Fay. An “encounter” with a high-Demon had produced me—a hybrid creature known as a Dae. Daes were outlawed in the Otherworld, and almost all had been hunted down and killed. The Queen led most of the Otherworld to believe we were evil and would only kill and destroy. Daes were powerful, probably too much so. But her desire to have us eradicated was enhanced by a prophecy hinting a Dae would kill her with the Sword of Light. I could hear Lars’ voice in my head, reading the text:

  By one of the Light, Darkness will take its revenge.

  A bloodline that cannot be repressed will rise to power.

  A descendant will take the throne.

  Blood will seek to kill you.

  She who possesses the Sword of Light will have the power.

  The prophecy was a thorn in my side. I had always thought the Queen was after me merely for my powers, but her incentive to capture me went beyond this because the prophecy may or may not be about a Dae. For good measure, she wanted to cover all her bases.

  Cole took his place at the front of the room. “There’s a lot to catch up on, and many things we need to discuss, but let me address a worry you might have.” His attention turned to me. “We have redone the security ward around the property. There will be no repeat of Lorcan coming for any of you again.”

  Lorcan’s name brought feelings of hatred to the surface. I longed to hunt him down and kill him. At least I didn’t have to worry about him returning to the ranch and trying to kidnap me or take Kennedy again. I had run out of friends and family for him to threaten me with.

  “No longer can any of them get in here.” Cole shifted his stance. “But the enchantment only warns of unknowns trying to get in, not out. Only the six of us Dark Dwellers are part of the spell, so if you others wander off the property, we won’t know, and you might not be able to get back.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Cal’s voice came from the window. He and Simmons flew in and headed for me.

  “Pixies don’t count,” Eli quipped from the wall where he leaned. “Sub-Fae never count.”

  My hand immediately went to my forehead. This was not something you said to pixies.

  “Wh-wh-what?” Simmons puffed up with offense, buzzing toward Eli. “What did you say, sir?”

  “He said we don’t matter, Simmons.” Cal’s annoyed voice filled my ear as he landed on my shoulder.

  Eli’s lip curled up. “What’s wrong? Did I offend thee, little man?”

  Simmons huffed and blustered from Eli’s rudeness. He pulled at the plastic sword, a swizzle stick, attached to his pants. “You have, sir. I challenge you to a duel.”

  Eli snorted with laughter. “I’ll go get some kid’s action figure so you can fight something more your size.”

  Even from across the room I could see Simmons’ face redden as Eli riled him more and more. “Eli,” I cautioned. “Enough!”

  Eli sneered at Simmons but kept his mouth shut.

  “Simmons, you’re not fighting anyone. He’s just trying to provoke you.” I waved Simmons to me. Cal had already settled on my right shoulder, ignoring Eli’s needling words.

  Simmons grumbled and came to me. Of course, when he tried to land, he slipped and fell into my lap, which only roused his ire more. He was a ball of rage. Even Cal was smart enough not to comment on his landing skills. Simmons stomped off my lap and sat on the sofa arm, crossing his arms, sulking. He thought of himself as the best flyer in the realm. He was. He simply had a problem with the touchdowns.

  “Okay, can we get down to business now?” Cole looked at the ceiling, trying to keep himself calm. “Ember, we would like to eventually add your blood to the spell. You are a part of us now, and it would be good for you to know how to get back. Kennedy, Lily, I think you both know it is safer if you don’t leave or know how to get back here if you do.”

  “I think it’s wise,” Mom responded. “I don’t think you need Ember’s
either. If we leave, believe me, we won’t return.”

  I cast my mother an exasperated look.

  “Let’s allow Ember to decide.” Cole’s response was icy.

  “Okay,” I broke in, turning to my mom. “I think we have more important items on the list. We need to come up with a plan to rescue Dad, Ryan, Josh, and West. Let’s concentrate on them and, for a moment, let go of whatever issues you guys have with each other. I get it. Fay and Dark Dwellers don’t like each other. Get over it.”

  A strange silence befell the room. Magic and tension swirled and slammed into each other like clothes in a washing machine.

  Mom cleared her throat. “You’re right, Ember. Their release is the most important thing.” She directed her statement toward Cole.

  He studied her for moment, and then nodded. “Agreed.”

  “I think the first thing you should do is tell this poor girl what she really is.” My mom swept back her long, auburn hair. Every head jerked in her direction. I knew instantly who she was speaking of, but Kennedy looked around the room trying to locate the subject of Mom’s comment.

  “How did you know?” I asked. Even the Queen hadn’t detected Kennedy. How did my mother?

  “I smelled her.” Mom’s hand immediately waved back and forth. “I mean, I sensed it coming off her. Her powers won’t stay dormant forever. She’s coming of age. Before, ignorance was best, but now she is a part of this, and she can only protect herself with the truth.”

  My gaze darted to Kennedy who still glanced around with a confused expression. Her eyes grew wide when she noticed everyone watching her.

  “What? What is going on?” Her anxious countenance turned to me for solace. “Ember?”

  I looked at my hands twisting together on my lap. “Ken... uh... this isn’t going to be easy to hear or accept...”

  “You’re a fuckin’ Druid,” Eli spat and shrugged at me as I gaped. “What? Now she knows, and we can move on to acceptance.”

  All attention turned to Eli.

  “Seriously, what is your problem?” I glared at him. “You don’t blurt something out like that.”