Darkness Falls

by A C Warneke

  “Stop! Just stop!” he cried, anguish sharpening his voice. “He’s gone, Malorie, he’s dead. Please let it go.”

  “Feryn,” she breathed, moisture spilling down her cheeks as she watched her strong mate desperately try not to break down. His movement was jerky as he collapsed onto the bed and looked at her with such devastation she thought he was dying all over. Kneeling in front of him, she took his hands in hers and held his gaze, “She has him in a cave….”

  “Malorie.” No sound came out as he mouthed her name, his lips pulled down in sorrow.

  “There were crystalline growths on the walls and it felt ancient and separate from the world,” she continued, trying to remember as much of the dream as she could. “The room she kept him in was lined in furs and gilded artwork hung on the walls and it didn’t look anything like a room in a cavern. Varick was suspended from the ceiling, which was the only part that was bare rock.”

  His shoulders straightened as he looked at her, his head tilted to the side and his lips parted, “I know those caves.”

  “They could be any caves.” As much as she hated discouraging him, she had to make sure he kept the proper perspective.

  “No,” he shook his head, a hesitant smile curving his lips as he met her eyes and she could see the hope glistening in the green depths. “They are the caves the Aradians lived in while the world burned.”

  She blinked, not sure what he was talking about. A soft chuckle pushed past his lips as he reached down and cupped her cheek in his palm. “The Aradians burned through the atmosphere when they first arrived and they lived in the caves until the Earth stabilized itself. My father took me and my brother there once and it is as you describe, a vast underground network of opulent caverns and crystalline walls.”

  “They’re millions of years old?” she asked, not sure she was able to comprehend the fact that apparently his father was as old as time.

  “My father or the caves?” he asked without giving her an answer as he stood up. He began pacing the room as he dragged his fingers through his thick hair, lost in thought. Spinning he faced her with wide eyes, as if he was almost afraid to hope, “There is Aradian metal in the walls, which could explain why I can’t feel him.”

  She didn’t understand why that would make any difference but she simply nodded her head, watching him as he muttered to himself and tugged at his hair. Finally, he turned to her, unable to disguise the hope burning in his eyes and she prayed she wasn’t wrong. A smile slowly curved his lips as he said, “I can organize a search party and we can have him back within the fortnight.”

  “Will you take me with?” she asked, eager to travel, to see these alien caves.

  He stopped and kneeled on the floor next to her. “No.”

  Her brows drew together in a frown, “But….”

  “It’s too dangerous,” he said, his words firm with absolute resolution. Placing a hand over her stomach, he held her eyes, letting her see the turmoil and love that smoldered there. “I won’t risk you or our child for what may very well be a fool’s errand.”

  “He’s alive,” she protested, putting her hands over his, willing him to relent.

  “That may or may not be true,” he said, his lips quirking up in a fleeting, involuntary smile. “But he is also with Taella and you are not strong enough to go up against her.”

  “I’d be with you.”

  He shook his head, “Ideally but if we got separated and if she got to you and I wasn’t there….”

  “It’s not like I would leave your side,” she grumbled, making him laugh. Glaring at him, she scowled, “I don’t know what’s so funny.”

  “You are always trying to leave my side,” he told her, sliding his arm around her waist and up her back until it was wrapped around the nape of her neck. Pulling her forward, he pressed a hard, fast kiss against her lips before he continued, “If she is as powerful as you claim she is then a moment would be enough time for Taella to get to you.”

  He had a point, even though it was hardly a fair point. “I have experience dealing with enemy lairs.”

  “Yes, vampires,” he said, sneering the word. “But not Aradians who are injured and furious and dangerous. No, my love, you’ll stay behind where I know you’ll be safe.”

  “You’ve had a change of heart in regards to Taella?”

  “Maybe,” he answered slowly, still not convinced despite Malorie’s certainty that Taella was still out there, still a threat. “Everything is screwed up, Malorie, and I don’t want to take the chance of losing you.”

  “What if I hear from my father?” she asked, planning for a few contingencies because this time she knew she wouldn’t be able to change his mind about taking her with. There was no reason to let an opportunity go to waste. “If he’s on the move, I’ll need to go at a moment’s notice and if I miss him I’ll need a way of travelling back and forth without being an inconvenience. And I might have to bring my son with.”

  He looked at her with fond bemusement, shaking his head and she hoped that his thoughts were filled with the possibility of his son being alive rather than what she could do with unlimited access to the Netherspace. She knew she was a bitch for contriving plots while Feryn was distracted but that was the tactician in her, the girl who had to think fast otherwise she risked the lives of her and her men. At least she could take some comfort in the fact that it wasn’t planned, it was just a happy, unforeseen consequence of being left behind.

  “I can give you a key that will allow you to travel back and forth a limited number of times,” he said slowly, watching her carefully. “If you use it too much you might get stuck in Netherspace until I am able to come to your aid.”

  Nodding her head, she kept her expression neutral as she tried to keep from smiling. “How many trips?”

  “At most, four,” he told her. Answering her next question before she could ask, he continued, “You think of the place you wish to go and you’ll get there.”

  “I’ll miss you,” she murmured, torn between excitement and dread because she was going to miss him. “How long do you think you’ll be gone?”

  “Hopefully not long but the caves are extensive and he could be anywhere,” he said softly, unable to hide his excitement, his hope. Cupping her cheek, he brushed his thumb over her lower lip, his eyes darkening with lust, “But I’ll be back in time for the celebration no matter what. If necessary, we will continue searching the caves afterwards.”

  She stared at him in confusion, “What celebration?”

  Color crept up his neck and into his face and he couldn’t quite meet her eyes, “It was going to be my farewell festival but now it is to celebrate this new path that you have given us.”

  Malorie had to blink her eyes a few times to keep from crying, the realization slamming into her once more how close she came to never knowing this amazing man. She tried to say something a few times, only to close her mouth to keep from sobbing. But words weren’t needed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his, “I never want to think about a world without you in it.”

  “You’ll never have to,” he breathed, sliding his hand to the back of her skull as he lowered his head and took her lips in a gentle kiss.

  The moment his lips touched hers, she was desperate for him, cold with how close she came to never having him, hot with the fear of losing him when he discovered what she had planned, and warm with love, missing him already even though he hadn’t left.

  The dark, strategist corner of her mind wondered how she was going to use his absence to her advantage. Ruthlessly, she pushed the traitorous thoughts down deep and threw herself into the kiss. If he kissed her hard enough, passionately enough, she wouldn’t have to think at all. “Hurry.”

  Instead of giving in to her demands, he slowed his kisses, his caresses, savoring her body and driving all of her doubts and thoughts out of her mind. His hands moved over her body, making her shiver with heat and need. Pushing up, she wrapped her legs around his wa
ist and lost herself in his slow seduction. If only they could kiss forever than she’d never have to think at all.

  Drawing away from her, he held her eyes as he lowered her to the bed and followed her down. Her skin tightened as he deliberately rubbed his erection against her thigh, giving her a hint of things to come. As he nudged against the opening of her sex and made her gasp, a slow smile curved his lips and her heart skipped a beat. A thousand images of all of the girls he kissed before played out in the back of her mind and a shudder wracked her body.

  “Don’t think,” he ordered softly, using his thumb to rub the center of her forehead and smoothing out the wrinkle she imaged was there. “There is no one but you.”

  With that, he kissed her and eased himself into her.

  Brushing her hair away from her face as he held her in his arms afterwards, he softly asked, “What’s going through that wickedly clever mind of yours, Malorie?”

  “Nothing.”

  He chuckled, kissing the top of her head, “I find that hard to believe. You always have something going on up there.”

  Tilting her head back, she looked at him with a lazy grin, able to forget for a little while that she was going to rescue her brother and risk Feryn’s wrath. “I guess you wiped my brain completely because I’m not thinking about anything but you.”

  Chapter 10

  Malorie sat on the beach beneath the warm sun and contemplated her life as Toby and Jack played in the sun. Rubbing the smooth, unimpressive stone that Feryn had given her, the key, she felt like she was going to be sick and it had nothing to do with the baby. So much had changed and Malorie hardly knew who she was anymore. She wished to stay forever with Feryn but she was going to betray him to protect her loved ones, including the brother that probably despised her.

  Since Feryn took Jiro to the caves to search for his son, Malorie had spent some time surreptitiously studying the grounds, figuring out where her brother was being held and how many guards watched over him. She learned that the boy had limited freedom, moving between the beach and Jiro’s apartments with a guard always tagging along. Once, he had been standing on the beach with his hands in his pockets staring off into space, a sad expression coloring his handsome face. Her brother looked lonely and Malorie was determined to give him back his life, or at least a semblance of the life he once had.

  So far, she had spied no female guests and she figured Jiro had separate living quarters for his harem of human women.

  “You look like you’ve lost your best friend,” a warm, familiar voice murmured, interrupting her thoughts. Before Malorie could reply, Ginny sat down on the ground next to her as Jack and Toby continued playing catch. “You must have it bad.”

  Looking at the stunning redhead, Malorie smiled. She had liked the girl from the first moment they met all of those weeks ago, although it seemed as if a lifetime had passed. “I do.”

  Ginny chuckled as she leaned back on her arms and relaxed beneath the afternoon sun, barely taking her eyes off Jack. “But you’re not marked.”

  Blushing, Malorie raised the hem of her shirt and showed the girl the mark that covered so much of her torso, hips and thighs. Staring at the skin in awe, Ginny’s arms gave out and she fell onto the blanket. Malorie pushed the shirt down but Ginny had rolled onto her stomach and grabbed the material, jerking it upwards. “My God, I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. No wonder why you’re languishing away without your owner.”

  “He’s not my owner,” she automatically protested, battling with Ginny over the shirt so she could cover her stomach. “And it’s only been a few days.”

  Ginny chuckled, once again propping herself up on her elbows and looking at Malorie from beneath her long lashes, “A lifetime when you’re without the man who marked you.”

  “What about you?” Malorie asked, desperate to turn the conversation away from her. Glancing up, she saw the anguished expression on Jack’s face as he looked at her, which disappeared as soon as their eyes met. Forcing a smile, he turned back to Toby and continued tossing the ball back and forth.

  “Jiro has been… distant, even before he went off on his latest adventure,” Ginny said on a sigh, trying to pull her eyes away from Jack and not quite succeeding. “We’ve only had sex a handful of times in the past few weeks, my mark is fading, and I’m afraid I’m losing him to that man playing with your son.”

  “Jiro’s not interested in Jack, at least not in that way,” Malorie attempted to explain. “Jack’s… well, Jack is unique and Jiro is interested in discovering just how unique.”

  Ginny’s eyes widened in her head as she continued staring at Jack, “What? Does he have, like, two penises or something?”

  Malorie choked on a laugh, “Just the one penis.”

  “How do you know that?” the girl asked, narrowing her eyes as she glared at Malorie.

  “I was married to him for a few months,” Malorie admitted, figuring it couldn’t hurt too much since Ginny’s memories were going to be erased once she left the Aradian lands, the girl had told her as much the first time they met.

  “And you decided a life as a pet was better than marriage to that guy?” Ginny’s voice was thick with disbelief. The way Ginny said that guy was telling and Malorie couldn’t hold back a smile. The redhead was attracted to Jack! Turning her head, Ginny looked at Jack once more and the color drained from her face. “Oh. My. God. He’s the boy’s father. What the hell, Malorie?”

  “To be fair, he died,” Malorie said in her defense. Now Jack was a Breeder and she had been working with him to develop his powers. Toby had explained that Jack had exhibited a minor degree of being able to make plants grow before Mal had kissed him but it wasn’t until after the kiss that Jack’s change was complete. It didn’t take a genius to realize the energy that built up within her when she went through Netherspace must have flipped the switch, or whatever it was, and made Jack a full-fledged Breeder. At Ginny’s understandable look of confusion, Malorie sighed, “Well, he didn’t die. He was a vampire and now he’s not. Hence, Jiro’s interest in him.”

  “Holy fuck,” Ginny breathed.

  “Besides, I’m with Feryn,” Malorie finished up even though it was apparent Ginny had lost interest in the conversation as she visually undressed Jack even as he played with his son. Licking her lips, hoping Ginny would be able to offer some insight since she was Jiro’s pet, Malorie asked, “Do you know how the new boy is adapting?”

  “What?” Ginny asked, blinking her eyes and forcing herself to focus on Malorie. “Oh, are you talking about Hunter?”

  “Yes.”

  “Jiro has mentioned him to me and the other girls, asking for volunteers to, um, welcome him to the island,” Ginny explained, her eyes drifting back to Jack. Clearing her throat, she struggled to keep her eyes on Malorie. “Apparently he’s gone through some trauma and is under Jiro’s protection until he recovers.”

  “Why Jiro?” Malorie asked casually as her heart pounded in her chest. She was interested to see how Jiro explained a sullen sixteen-year-old being held against his will.

  “It’s the sweetest thing,” Ginny said with a happy sigh, her eyes becoming dreamy as she spoke. “Jiro found the boy wandering aimlessly down the side of the road and offered him a place to stay until he could get back on his feet.”

  Malorie blinked her eyes in disbelief, wondering how anyone could believe such a huge lie. “Really. Have any of the girls, er, welcomed him yet?”

  Ginny blushed, “No. Jiro says the boy is still traumatized and needs a few days before he has visitors.”

  Malorie almost sighed in relief, catching herself when Ginny gave her a questioning glance. “Do you think he’s doing okay?”

  “What’s all this interest in the new boy?” Ginny asked, her suspicions finally getting the better of her.

  “He, um, oh wow, did you see what Jack just did?” Malorie asked, hoping her distraction worked and smiling when Ginny’s head jerked around and her eyes went to Jack.

  “I di
dn’t see anything,” Ginny pouted, not tearing her eyes from Jack as he laughed at something Toby said. Ginny’s breath caught in her throat and Malorie’s smile widened because it was the perfect distraction.

  Chewing on her lower lip, she slyly asked, “Do you want to meet him?”

  Color flooded Ginny’s face as she lowered her lashes and looked impossibly young and innocent. The gregarious girl was suddenly shy as she softly admitted, “I shouldn’t.”

  “But you want to.”

  “But I shouldn’t,” she repeated, looking up with imploring eyes as her fingers fluttered along her neck. “I shouldn’t want to meet him.”

  “Right, the mark,” Malorie muttered, her eyes dropping to the elegant design on Ginny’s slender throat. “If it’s fading, you should ask Jiro to release you.”

  “I’m not ready to leave this place.” Her words came out in a rush as the color drained from her face. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready to leave here.”

  Malorie understood. The world was a vast place and it could be cold and cruel and horrible, especially when one was alone. Would her brother be okay out there or would he be better off if he remained and became an Aradian stud? Unfortunately, she didn’t have the answers. “If Jiro ever gives you any grief, tell him I’ll give him some of my blood.”

  Ginny’s eyes narrowed dangerously as she glared at Malorie, “I’m not sure if I’m comfortable with him tasting your blood.”

  This time Malorie blinked in confusion before she laughed, “It’s not for him to drink, Ginny. It’s to… well, it’s for something else entirely.”

  “Does it have anything to do with the mark on your torso or why you seem to glow? Why the boy glows and why the man glows?”

  Heat crept into Malorie’s cheeks but she managed a nod, “Something like that. So, do you want to meet Jack or not?”

  Twisting around until she was sitting upright, Ginny straightened her shoulders and smoothed her palms over her barely-there dress. Color flooded her cheeks and she grimaced as she plucked at the sheer material, “I wish I had something more… concealing.”