by Runaway Fae
“It’s written on your face, innocent Fae.” She leaned down, being several inches taller than Shauna. “Know what else is written on that inexperienced face of yours?” Her voice turned from sweet and alluring to as grating as the creature Shauna first saw on the ship when she arrived. The woman would probably nag her husband with that same nasty tone of voice that would drive him to murder, she thought. Probably would serve Liam right, if he is stupid enough to marry her.
“Not interested,” Shauna told her. She glanced around for Liam, not seeing him.
“You love him,” the Darkling accused. “I don’t mind, but for now he’s mine. Remember that.”
Anger rose in Shauna. She sneered at the woman. “Be serious. Who would want you?”
It must have hit a cord with the creature. Her eyes narrowed and she raised a hand as if she would slap Shauna. Liam appeared and held her hand back. “Darcy, if you hurt her, I won’t help you.”
Darcy backed off. She spun on her heel, calling over her shoulder. “Your room is at the top of the stairs, first door on the right. I’m not showing you there. Don’t feel at all welcome to stay.”
“Wow, great hostess,” Shauna laughed. “Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.”
“This is not a game, Shauna.” Liam pulled her into his arms. She struggled to free herself, but he held on. “She will just as soon kill you as look at you. And if you push her far enough, even my threat will not stop her. She will simply find another plan of action.”
“Just what is her plan, Liam? And what does it have to do with you?” Shauna warned herself not to ask him her next question, but her mouth wouldn’t stop. Her jangled emotions, having dealt with all she had been through in the last twenty-four hours, were on overdrive. “Are you two having an affair?”
He pulled her tighter, nearly crushing the wind out of her. She gasped, and he lifted her chin. “You want to know if she’s satisfying my sexual needs?” He grinned. “Maybe you would like to offer yourself instead?”
“Sometimes, you’re as cruel as they are.”
“My relationship with Darcy is exactly what it needs to be. Nothing more.”
She stared up at him. “What does that mean?”
Liam dropped his hands to his sides and turned to stride the way that Darcy had disappeared. “You remember where your room is.”
Shauna held her back stiff and headed up to her room. She forced open the stiff wooden door, probably swollen from the dampness in the air, and surveyed the same barren furnishings she’d seen downstairs. Worn and outdated. She was fast developing her conclusions about the Darklings.
After searching her room, Shauna considered trying again to open a portal. She peeked out into the hall, but no Darklings were about. Her room didn’t have a window, as apparently Darklings didn’t have a need to enjoy the view. Of course, there was no view other than a world of putrid water.
She sat on her new lumpy bed and closed her eyes to concentrate on focusing her power. When she felt she was in a peaceful frame of mind, she extended both hands before her and formed the words that would open the portal. Just when she was going to utter them aloud, something occurred to her. The Darklings had attacked the Fae, apparently led by Darcy, as Shauna hadn’t heard or seen a king here. Darcy wanted Shamus, but for what? A lover? To kill? And why would Liam agree to help her if it was true that he didn’t have anything initially to do with the attack?
He had told her that he brought Shauna to the dark world to protect her, but from whom? Darcy? Shamus? Liam was full of secrets he didn’t want to share, but she was determined to find out what was going on. If she was the only one who could save her people from another attack, then she would step into the role gladly.
“But how do I find out what’s going on?” she asked the empty room. Shamus. She needed somehow to convince him to tell her what he and Darcy were up to, to let her in on it, until she could sabotage the entire plan.
* * * *
Dinner in the dark world was enough to turn the most cast iron stomach. While Shauna watched Liam swallow questionable food, she sat quietly trying both to keep from vomiting and to glean useful information. The most difficult part was that Darcy was determined to set her off. The woman found it necessary to rub a breast against Liam’s arm every few moments as she bent to share some tidbit of news with him.
Shauna found herself wanting just once to wield Liam’s power. She would cut the bitch’s head off and feed it to the beast in the ocean. Finally, Shauna couldn’t stand it anymore. She stood. “I’m going to my room.”
Liam shoved Darcy away. “Shauna wait. Finish your dinner. Darcy enough!”
Shauna rolled her eyes. “Finish that? It’s disgusting. It looks like sludge.”
He stood, pulled her gently to his side. “I’m sorry. I’m so used to it, I wasn’t thinking. I can conjure you something edible. Would you like fresh vegetables?”
“No thank you. I have no appetite.” She avoided looking at Darcy when she said it. She didn’t want to give the woman the satisfaction, but somehow she figured Darcy had wanted her to leave the table. It was just as well. She wasn’t up for games.
She pulled from Liam’s embrace. “Goodnight.”
When she reached her room, Shauna slipped beneath the covers of her bed fully dressed. She clicked off the little light she was allowed and lay in darkness to bide her time.
Hours ticked by at a snail’s pace. She listened to the shuffling feet of the Darklings as they passed her bedroom door. A few stopped outside and hissed as if they smelled her and were drawn to her. She clenched the knife at her side, which she has slipped from the dinner table when Liam was engrossed in Darcy’s conversation. She sighed, hating the ache in her heart. Did he love Darcy now? With effort, she pushed the thoughts from her mind.
Shauna knew when Liam stopped outside her bedroom. She almost felt him lean against it, heard him twist the knob. Before the door opened fully, she turned her head toward the wall, and willed her breathing to slow.
Liam’s steps gave a low tap as he crossed from the door to her bedside. She felt him standing over her, watching, wondered what he was thinking as he looked at her. The dark magic had changed his skin. Had it also changed his desires, his dreams? Did he still long for the calm assurance of living in Faeland, or did he like eating sludge and living in darkness?
Shauna missed talking to him, discussing all that was on their minds, their outlooks. She wanted to ask him what he felt now, if it was more than the dark emotions reflected in his eyes almost every time she looked at him. She could only imagine the war that must constantly be going on inside him. Despite how he hurt her with his actions and his words since she arrived, she knew she loved him still. Nothing could kill that emotion. But seeing him with the Darkling witch made her wonder if he was now better off with her. Suddenly, Shauna was too tame for this dark lord.
Liam sat on the side of the bed, put his hand on her head and stroked her hair. “I know you’re awake, Shauna. I know all the questions that run through your mind and how you feel about me.”
Tears wet her face. Thoughts were private; it was unfair of him to invade that private place. She felt naked before him. And yet, she noticed he didn’t admit to loving her in return. If only she could travel back in time and made sure all of this had never happened, that she had never turned her back on Liam or her family.
He sighed, “Just know that I want to give in to what I feel for you. My body aches to have you right now, but I can’t. Not yet. And I can’t explain to you all that’s happening. It’s a choice I made to keep you safe.” He stood, his hand falling to his side. “It will all be behind us soon, baby. And then you and I will talk about everything, together again. For now, please trust me.”
When he was gone, she breathed a sigh of relief. For a few moments, she gave in to self-pity and cried. He didn’t love her; his words were those of a close friend. He and she would talk about everything as they did when they were best friends. “Silly me, for rejecting him when I
had the chance.”
She threw back the covers and sat up. Wiping the tears from her face with one hand, she tucked the knife into her pants pocket with the other. While she did love Liam with all her heart, wanted desperately to take his words to heart, to trust him, she needed to do what was best for her. And Liam was greatly ruled by the darkness inside him. Shauna couldn’t take a chance. At some point, he could be completely taken over. Then where would she be? Stuck in this world of darkness forever. No thanks. She would handle the situation her way, and that meant finding out just what Ms. Darcy and Liam were up to.
Chapter Six
The house creaked at every step Shauna took. She inched along at a pace so slow, it would be morning, or was it night, before she had learned anything. Coming to a corner of the upper level, she paused at a sound around the bend. Pressing her back against the wall, she listened.
“Gdreth jru,” a Darkling spoke.
Another answered in the same strange language. Shauna rolled her eyes in the darkness. How was she going to learn anything if she didn’t speak their language? Before she could decide what to do, the creatures spoke again. This time in English.
“Mmm, smell that?” the first one said.
A giggle, “Yes, smells like sweet Fae. I’m hungry. You?”
“Yes.”
Too late Shauna remembered Liam’s warning. The Darklings were attracted to Fae. She didn’t think he truly meant the beasts wanted to eat her, and she hadn’t used her magic for light, which is what made it so hard to advance.
She turned on her heel and hightailed it as quietly as possible the way she came. Squeals of delight from the two Darklings followed. The sound of their black toenails scraping against the floor as they followed sent chills down her back. Shauna picked up the pace, forgoing quiet. When she made it to her bedroom door, a feat only obtained by dragging her hand along the wall and counting each door, she turned in and slammed the door. The Darklings, a step behind, began scratching at the panel, growling. She knew immediately that they were under orders not to harm her, which meant they were behaving like mischievous imps who wanted to scare her. It was time to turn the tables.
She crossed the room to her side table and turned up the light, then returned to the door. Squaring her shoulders, she slipped the knife from her pocket and gripped it in her fist. She held a hand on the doorknob, took a deep breath and wrenched the door wide. The two Darklings fell in on the floor. With a move born of desperation, Shauna bent, picked one up by its ear and quickly wrapped her arm about its neck. Not so easy considering it was taller. She managed, pressing the knife into its side.
“Who wants to play?” she demanded, eyes flashing on the other Darkling. It cringed, holding up its hands and beginning to snivel.
“Don’t,” it whined. “He’s my brother.”
“Funny, I don’t care. Just like you didn’t care when you killed my brother.”
“It wasn’t us. It wasn’t us. I swear.”
She pressed the knife harder. The Darkling under her arm was crying, not able to form two words. Where was their boldness now, she wondered. The evil drive that brought them into her world to fight against the Fae. Normally, they hid in their holes she had learned from studying up on them only after the attack. They thrived on evil pranks, and only attacked and killed when they were sure of the advantage. At least that was the case with these creatures, the lower order.
Shauna glanced down, noting the black blood seeping from a nick in the thing’s skin. Suddenly, she wanted to drive in the knife and end its life. The feeling overwhelmed her. She gasped and looked up at the other Darkling. The pleading expression had turned darker.
Its voice was hypnotic. “Do it. You know you want to. Kill him now.”
“W-What? But you said he’s your brother.” Confusion clouded Shauna’s mind. She reasoned it out. This Darkling was an enemy, pure evil. It would not be evil of her to kill it. There were so many of them. She shook her head, trying to be sure. “It’s self-defense. It’s war.”
“Of course it is.” The Darkling in her hold grabbed her hand to force her to stab itself.
Shauna screamed, “I don’t understand!”
More black blood ran down the Darkling’s side, her hand and dripped onto the floor.
And then in a puff of black smoke, the Darklings were gone. The knife clattered to the floor, her fingers gone numb. Shauna looked up to find Liam standing in the doorway. She would have run to him for comfort, to force him to explain to her what just happened, but he stepped back, and the door closed of its own accord. On trembling legs, she crossed to the knob and twisted it. The door was locked.
Panicked, Shauna shot energy through her palm as she turned the knob. It refused to give. She stepped back and uttered the same words she had the night Liam had locked her in the castle. The door didn’t so much as wiggle this time. There was no reaction at all. Suddenly, her light went out and she was plunged into darkness. She felt her way to the side table to twist the switch that would illuminate the room again. Nothing happened.
Finally, she gave up and slid down to the floor. On her hands and knees, she felt around for the knife. Feeling the cold metal beneath her fingers, she picked it up and slipped it back into her pocket. She didn’t care what Liam was up to. She wasn’t taking it lying down any more. It was obvious he was in league with the Darklings, even if he didn’t want them to hurt her. Maybe it was in honor of their past friendship. Either way, his generosity could run out at any time, and she’d be in worse trouble. It was time for her to take action, no matter how small or difficult.
She crawled over to the door and pressed an ear to the panel. No sounds came from the hall, so she replaced her head with her hands. “Wkrot Phr,” she whispered. Her hands began to heat up slowly. She knew from experience that in Faeland, the heat would have burned the wood in an instant without harming her. Now, the wood only smoldered, the sparks giving only minimal light. She uttered the words with more command again and again. The fire grew and the wood burned.
Shauna remembered the night she had worked so diligently to escape the castle, to override Liam’s spell. It had taken hours, but she’d done it. There was no reason to think that somehow she couldn’t fight against the dark force against Faerie magic in this world, if they were able to execute their own in her world. She wouldn’t give up.
When her arm muscle ached and her back had a crick in it because of sitting in the same position for hours, her hands finally felt through the burned out door panels. It was just a matter of forcing the remainder of the middle out so that the whole was wide enough to crawl through.
Once in the hall, she snapped weary fingers to create a night light-like glow on her thumb tip. She used it’s illumination to guide herself down the hall again. And when she came near to the place where she had first met the two Darklings, she closed a hand over her thumb as she tiptoed past. Yet, there was no sign of them.
Finding her way to the stairs, she hurried down them and headed in the direction she had seen Liam and Darcy disappear when she had first come to the house. She hoped that it was merely the direction of a study or library, rather than Darcy’s bedroom or something. “Let it go, Shauna,” she told herself quietly, on a note of despair. “He’s not your friend, and he certainly won’t be your lover.”
Voices behind a door stopped her on her way down a hall. She extinguished the thumb light and listened at the door. They were speaking English. She listened closer, recognizing Darcy and Liam’s voices.
“Darcy, you can’t just go over there barrels drawn. You have to do this the right way.” That was Liam.
“My way is the right way, Liam. And I’m tired of waiting for you. For three years you’ve battled sickness from the mixture of magic. But now you’re well. Our plan can go forward. Now I have indulged you to let you bring that Fae princess to my world, but that is all I will indulge.”
Shauna slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. “Our plan?” So her concern was well p
laced. Liam was working in league with the Darklings. She bit down on her bottom lip to keep from crying. This was no time to be weak. She needed to gather all the information she could get on their plans. Then some way, some how, she would open a portal to Faeland to warn the other Fae.
Liam continued, “You will indulge? And what will you do, Darcy? You and I know that you can’t produce more than a spark lately.”
Shauna looked down to see a play of light beneath the door. Something inside the room exploded. Something else smashed, she guessed, against a wall. If she understood Liam correctly, Darcy had run out of magic. But how was that possible? And if it was true, then why was he cooperating with the Darklings, if not for his own dark desires?
She pivoted on her heel and felt her way back along the hall the way she came. Out of view of the room, she illuminated her thumb again and glanced around the room she occupied. It was the entryway; the front door was to her left.
Shauna crossed to the door and felt for the locks before wrenching open the door. Outside on the platform, the wood creaked beneath her feet. Suddenly, remembering how narrow the platforms could be in places, she realized how hard it would be to navigate down to Liam’s ship with just a thumb light. She stood for several minutes indecisive, until she heard Liam and Darcy’s voices coming closer.
She reached back, closed the door and dropped to her hands and knees. Crawling as quickly as safety would allow, she moved along the platform, feeling ahead and in an arc as a blind person uses a cane to gauge his next step. The shush of the water at her side as she moved set her pulse to racing. A creature in the water was following along, hoping she made a mistake and went over the side.
When Shauna thought she could not take another second of the darkness all around, a bright light and an explosion of magic lit up the night sky. After so long in the dark, the light hurt Shauna’s eyes. Cries of pain sounded all around her. It was only then that she realized the Darklings had been gathering around her on the outside of her ring of light. Now they cowered at the light, some, the ones that wore clothes, drew swords and held them at the ready.