Dwellers of Darkness (Darkness Series #3)

by Brown, Stacey Marie

  “We are wasting time. One of my brothers is being tortured. We don’t have time to coddle her.”

  My fierce glare pinned him. I hated that a part of me agreed. Time wasn’t on our side. The Queen could decide to kill or torture them at any moment. Aneira’s twisted mind seemed to know no bounds.

  “I’m sorry. What?” Kennedy sat forward, looking at all of us like we had just fallen off the crazy train.

  Actually, it’s not far from the truth.

  Scooting along the sofa, I leaned over, and gripped her hand in mine. “Ken, it is true. I know logically you’re going to want to fight this, but you are a Druid.”

  “I’m a what?” Kennedy balked. She had been adopted and always realized her parents weren’t her biological ones. She knew nothing of her blood relations, but I don’t think she ever expected this.

  I squeezed her shoulder. “Believe me; I understand how you feel right now. It seems impossible and goes against everything we’ve been taught to believe in as humans. But it’s real, Kennedy. There are such things as Fairies and Demons as you know now. I’ll bet if you let yourself think back, somewhere in you, you’ve always suspected you were different.”

  “Different? Different, yes, but a Druid? An actual Druid... no... that never occurred to me.” She shook her head. “Druids are human, right?”

  “Yes, they have magic equal to Fae but are human. They were members of the priestly class of Celtics and had spiritual powers.” Cole could sense her heart rate racing out of control. His commanding tone was calming and soothing.

  “Magical? Spiritual powers? Like what? What are they exactly? What do they do?” Kennedy’s voice hit a higher notch.

  “Each Draoidh family has different strengths, but Druids in general were philosophers, healers, seers. They practiced magic and used enchantments and spells to prepare charms.” Cole responded.

  “Seers?” Kennedy clenched at her shaking hands. I understood why this one caught her attention the most. She had always been “sensitive” to people, almost knowing before they did what they were thinking or feeling. She was in tuned to everything around her.

  “Training to be a seer takes decades, but the gift is in you.” Cole glanced at Owen, jerking his head for him to jump in.

  Owen lurched forward awkwardly. “Ms. Johnson, Kennedy, I concede this is scary, but you need to know how extraordinary and special you are. You are the last known living Druid. You should not even be alive, but whoever your parents were they went to extreme measures to keep you alive by hiding you with humans.”

  Cole rubbed his forehead. “Not really helping, Owen.”

  “I am the last living Druid? What does that mean? Why? Hiding me with humans? I thought I was human.” Kennedy wailed. Jared’s arm went around her shoulder as he tried to comfort her.

  Owen cringed, now understanding his excitement did not extend to her. “Technically you are human, but like Cole said being a Druid makes you special.”

  “Special? How?”

  “For one thing, you will live for centuries.”

  I could feel the panic boiling under Kennedy’s skin. I stepped in before it exploded all over the room and asked, “Maybe if you start from the beginning and explain more about the Druid history?”

  “Of course,” Owen concurred with a nod. “In pre-Christian times, around two hundred years before Christ, the Draoidhean were responsible for religious teaching and practices. Even though they were human, they knew of the Otherworld and believed in the Celtic gods and goddesses. Their sacrifices and connections to the earth made them grow in power. I personally think the gods started to prefer them over the Fae, and it’s why the gods granted them ‘special status.’ The gods enchanted their blood so the Druids could go in and out of the Otherworld freely. Their lifespans were extended. The higher your rank, the more magic power you had and the longer you lived.

  “Just like any group, some wanted to take advantage of this increasing control. The gods did nothing. The Unseelie King also had many Druids working for him and ignored their growing powers. By the time Aneira took the throne, the Druids were more formidable with magic than the Fae. They derived their magical powers from both the Otherworld and the Earth realm. They could create unbreakable spells and curses and hide things even the Queen’s power could not undermine.”

  Owen pushed his glasses farther back up his nose. “The Gaullish were the most powerful of the Druids, which I believe is the blood line you stem from, Ms. Johnson. They were the mediators between the mortal world and the gods, straddling both planes. Aneira feared and hated the Gaullish the most. She tried to annihilate the entire race.”

  “They’re all dead? Why? Because she was scared? How could she get away with something like that?” Kennedy’s questions tumbled out. She had grown up with democracy, justice, logic. The Fae world did not work this way. If the ruler wanted you dead—you were dead.

  There was also another reason Aneira hated the Druids. My stay with Lars had opened my eyes to what lengths Aneira would go. They had hidden the Sword of Light. Aneira thought killing the one who crafted the spell would cause it to break or lose power. It didn’t. Aneira then killed every Druid, but still the enchantment did not break. Kennedy had survived. If Kennedy was from the elite lineage of Draoidhean and her family snuck her into Earth’s realm and hid her among humans, she might be the only barrier between Aneira and this sword.

  “The Otherworld is not a democracy. Aneira rules it, and her word is law. She does not take kindly to those who resist her authority. If they do not comply, she finds a way to destroy them.” Owen glanced to me, then back to Kennedy.

  “So what about these Gaullish? They were my family?” Kennedy still looked like a frightened kitten, wide-eyed and ready to bolt.

  “It’s more a classification of Druids. I do not know for sure what family you come from, but if I were to guess, it would be the family Cathbad.”

  “Cathbad? Who are they?” Kennedy smoothed her long silky, brown hair. I knew her. This was starting to overwhelm her.

  “Cathbad the Battler was a seer and warrior and one of the most influential Druids. He worked for the Seelie King because he could foresee favorable days for warriors to go into battle. As far as I recall, he was a good man and faithful to the core teachings of Druidry. He was highly respected and prominent until Aneira came into power. His position as teacher and royal advisor was stripped from him. Druids fell out of favor and became Aneira’s foes.”

  “And she killed them,” Kennedy finished for him. Owen nodded. Kennedy’s hands twisted together, and she looked at her pulsing veins. “So my blood is blessed with a spell from the gods and goddesses? This is what lets me live longer and enables me to do magic?”

  “Magic has always been in your ancestry, and the gods charmed your bloodline to carry through the generations. If you have children, no matter whom the father, they will be full Druids. The enchantment was to make sure the family’s heritage would never become watered down, so to speak. It will not weaken, and in some cases, it could become stronger. The bloodline runs deep in your veins.”

  “So the fact I can pick up on people’s auras and feel extreme emotions is not because I am some kind of freak?”

  “Well...” I tilted my head. Kennedy slapped my leg but burst out with a laugh. “You walked into that one.”

  “Yeah, I always do. You’d think if I had such great powers, I’d see those coming.”

  “Ahh, Ken, it’s only because you are so sweet. Still hoping for the best out of me.”

  “You’d assume I would have given up a long time ago.” She grinned.

  “Wow. She becomes a magical Druid and gets all sassy?” I feigned hurt. I could sense her calming down, relaxing as we joked, exactly what I’d hoped for. We were us—Kennedy and Ember—still teasing each other. Not a Druid and a Dae with Otherworld abilities.

  “But, if I have these skills, why haven’t they come out before?”

  “Like Fae, you don’t fully acquire
your powers until you come of age, which is around eighteen. Also, you weren’t raised in the Druid life. From birth, Druids of old were taught and trained in magic. You should be showing some signs of your magic by now. At first I thought it might have been some spell your parents placed on you. They wanted you to blend and hide among the humans. But I don’t sense an enchantment on you. I think it is just you impeding them. You were raised not to believe in magic, and the force of the mind is a strong blockade. I hope since you are now aware of what you are, your powers will come out.” Cole shifted back in his chair. “You need to be trained. High Druids are taught for years in one particular art. We don’t have this kind of time, so we will be doing a crash-course starting tomorrow.”

  “Whoa. Wait.” I stood. “She has not agreed to this. Unlike me, I want Kennedy to have a choice in what she does. This is her life.”

  “She can never go back to her old life,” Cole argued. “We are lucky she has not been discovered. Eventually, the Queen would notice, and Kennedy would be killed.”

  “I’m not saying she can go back home. I’m merely saying she has a right to choose if she wants to be involved with this. To be your guinea pig. At least tell her why you are asking this of her.”

  Cole clasped his hands, leaning forward. “Kennedy, we were exiled from the Otherworld by the Queen twenty-two years ago. Before she killed what she thought was the last Druids, she had one create the hex banning us. Only a Druid can undo a Draoidh curse. Until you, we never believed there might be one alive to break it. Aneira is torturing your friends and one of our own. We want to be able to get them out. We can only do this if we can get into the Otherworld.”

  My protective mama bear stirred. “Shit! Can you pull on any more heartstrings there? Tell her what kind of danger you’re putting her in.”

  A hand touched my arm. “I want to do this. Like you, I always knew deep down I didn’t fit in. This is who I’m supposed to be. And if I can help them get back to their home and free Ryan and Mark, I’m willing to do anything”

  Damn, this girl has such a good heart. Why in the hell did she become friends with me?

  Her fierce loyalty to her friends matched mine, so I had no doubt Kennedy would choose to help. My protectiveness still wanted her to have a say. She had a right to decide on her life and not be told what it was going to be. Kennedy and I were so different in some aspects of our personality, but so similar in others. Our love and dedication for family—those of blood or choice—knew no bounds.

  I was also impressed how well she was taking this. I hadn’t accepted my revelation with as much grace. I had thrown up on the floor. Oh, yeah, baby... that was how I rolled. I was the one who ran around like my hair was on fire throwing myself head first into things without thinking. But Kennedy was a facts person. First came knowledge, then she made a plan.

  “When we begin your training tomorrow, we will start with the history and the basics of Druid magic.” Cole stood, rubbing his legs. “I think we should take a little break as we could all use one.”

  A mumbling of consensus passed among the group. Kennedy headed for the door. I heard her tell Jared she needed a moment by herself. He nodded, but his eyes looked woeful as he watched her leave.

  “Going for a hunt if anyone wants to join?” Cole stretched his arms as he left the room.

  Hunt? A giddy reaction propelled me to take a few steps, following him.

  “I do.” Eli turned and glared at me. Don’t you dare follow, his eyes said.

  I stopped. As much as my Dark Dweller was pawing on the inside to go on a hunt, I didn’t want to be anywhere near Eli. Plus, there was something else I needed to do.

  THREE

  Seeking solitude in the depths of the forest, I headed out into the warm, evening air. The rich, comforting smells of pine and redwood reduced my worry. Torin had been constantly on my mind, and I wanted to contact him again. The last time I saw him, he was being hauled off on the Queen’s order in retribution because he secretly helped me. We weren’t as covert as we thought. The Queen was aware of our connection and relationship. Her preferred method of discipline was abuse. She thought of Torin as “hers.” Not only did he desire someone else, but betrayed and lied to her for that person. Disgust rooted around in my stomach at what was probably happening to him. Torin had insinuated she mentally and sexually liked to punish him. I could only imagine the sadistic torture she was doing to him. I massaged my temples, feeling bile mounting in my throat.

  I slipped down a tree truck and anchored myself. Closing my eyes, I concentrated and called for him. With Torin, even when he couldn’t answer me, I always felt him there—as energy, like a life line. Since the Queen had taken him away, I had felt nothing but a cold, dead line.

  My feelings for him had always been complicated and strange, and I knew I couldn’t take it if he were dead. I would feel empty, and it would always torment me. Guilt would weigh heavy on my heart because he saved me from the Queen. I could not lose him.

  “Please, Torin, please don’t be dead. All I need is to know you’re alive. Give me something, please.”

  “Is your boyfriend ignoring you, again?” Eli came through the trees.

  I grunted a sigh, standing up again. “You really like stalking me, don’t you? Is it a cat thing?”

  “I am not a freakin’ cat.” He scowled.

  Scoffing, I leaned my head back on the tree.

  “I love that you make fun of the exact thing you are now.”

  I frowned and replied, “My being part Dark Dweller wasn’t by choice.”

  “It was obviously a stupid one of mine.”

  “Screw you.”

  “Again?”

  Clenching my jaw and fists, I grumbled, “What do you want? Get to the point or get away from me. We seem to have this same conversation over and over anyway. Why not tape one and put it on a loop because I am sick of this shit. Aren’t you?” I demanded. “It is so old. You’ve been nothing but an ass from the day I met you. Since I’ve been gone, you have discovered a whole new level and grown into an even bigger one.”

  “I’d like to think I never stop learning and growing.”

  I was about to go at him with a steamroller of curse words when I stopped. He liked baiting people. He was rattling me, and I was letting him.

  Taking a deep breath, I clasped my hands together to stop them from trembling. I smiled up at him, instead. He frowned as though in surprise, and then the confusion turned to fury. His face tightened. I turned the tables on him with one gesture. With a smile. Now that’s talent.

  He shuffled his feet across the dirt and looked away. “I came here to say that if you are going to dreamscape or dreamwalk with Fairy boy, leave me out of it. I don’t like forced fieldtrips, especially ones where I’m the third wheel. Usually I’m not standing on the sidelines in a threesome.”

  Breathe, Ember, breathe, I repeated to myself. “Since you couldn’t even handle me, I’m thinking those girls got the short end of the stick. In more ways than one.” There were a lot of things I could say about Eli, but being “un-gifted,” small, or not talented in bed were not any of them. Still, hitting below the belt made me feel better because, if anything pissed him off, it was a hit to his over-confident ego.

  A guttural growl originated from the depths of his throat. “I seemed to remember handling you effortlessly, multiple times. Can you say the same?”

  “We girls are good at faking it.”

  His eyes flickered red, and his pupils elongated. I felt mine mirroring his. My Dark Dweller responded to his, amplifying the already charged air between us. The impulse to take him down, tearing off his clothes as I went, was almost overpowering. The need for sex, for him, rattled my brain. Neither of us moved, both breathing in and out heavily. If I moved, I would not be able to stop myself, which would be a bad idea... really bad. Right? I almost stopped caring when I saw his eyes blaze hotter with desire.

  Then he transformed.

  I jumped back, startled by this
swift change. “What the hell?”

  I had seen him fully shift in front of me once when he was protecting me from a blood-thirsty Strighoul. It was fascinating both then and now, as his body burst from his clothes and carved into a sleek, beautiful, and frightening creature. The fur was so black his outline blended with the night. Only his flaming red eyes were visible. He was made for killing, to sneak up on his prey and assassinate them undetected. There was no escaping a Dark Dweller. The moment a victim saw those red eyes, death was only moments away.

  Instead of scaring me, it only intrigued me. The razor-sharp bones lining his back reflected the moonlight. They looked like shark’s teeth. If you fell on them, you would be sliced in half. Eli’s beast-head jerked to the right, sniffing the air. The red blaze in his eyes went green. Dark Dwellers’ eyes only turned red when they were at their most primitive. This was either when they were about to kill someone or when they got really, really horny.

  Even though I was part Dark Dweller, I would never be able to turn into this form. But I had some of their abilities: my pupils shifted and my senses heightened. I also had Dark Dweller instincts to kill and hunt.

  He grunted, and his large sickled claws tore off the last bit of his clothing before he headed in the direction he had been sniffing.

  “What? What is it?” I asked.

  Though he couldn’t use words, it didn’t stop us from communicating. We had this strange ability to transmit our thoughts without talking. Even before receiving his blood, we were able to convey what we were thinking through our eyes. It wasn’t like I could hear his voice in my head as I could with Torin but more like I simply understood what Eli was thinking. Unlike Torin, Eli had to be looking at me for it to work. In Dark Dweller form, it only seemed to be enhanced.

  I smell Lorcan.

  What? Are you sure? I thought he couldn’t get in here? I inhaled deeply. It was slight, but I did smell a familiar odor. Eli’s senses were way more developed than mine.