Her dreams weren’t ever going to be all Light and joy, and neither was her life. That was not her and Nicky’s lot, but she’d take the joy when it came.
She’d take it. She’d breathe it. And then she’d start anew.
Because Eire Donovan was Stone and the swirling colors that blended with Nicky’s hunter green Light, but she was also the Darkness, just as her Nicky had his own tendrils of Darkness that so complimented her own.
And as they fell asleep she felt their Light and their Darkness meld together in her core, and she knew what Morrigan and Titania had known all along.
Just like her and Nicky.
Just like Gemini and Matt.
Just like Alexia and Devon.
Light and Dark could not exist without each other.
Carrie Oliver picked up the order from the counter, her feet screaming at her to buy a new fudging pair of shoes, but she couldn’t afford to, so she ignored the pain and brought the order to the table where the large breasted brunette and her dark-skinned lover sat together. Carrie knew they were lovers, could sense their connected minds from a mile away if she’d been so inclined. She wasn’t. These two wouldn’t last. Fudged the hell up was what they were.
Some minds were not fun places to be.
The dark-skinned man was bad enough, but the brunette… Carrie wanted to rip the witch’s hair out for what she saw there.
Abuse. Neglect. Kids left at home without anyone to take care of them. Carrie would be calling the local sheriff’s office once she picked the address out of the woman’s brain—
Ah, there it was.
She made the call anonymously, letting the dispatcher know the kids were alone and starving.
Witch.
Gosh darned, bat poop insane—
Ah! Carrie really wanted to swear. She really wanted to let loose the words that really were trying to work their way into her brain—
But she wouldn’t.
She’d control the one gosh darned thing she could.
Her mind was unreliable.
Her body barely healing.
Her sex life was chaotic and erratic because she’d been struggling with being Fae touched. What that goddamned shapechanging Fae had done to her had made her never want to be intimate again, but when the addiction hit, sex didn’t cure it, but it did help. A little.
So, no. She had absolutely no control.
The only thing she truly had control over anymore was this one gosh darned thing: her words.
She could control what she said.
She ended her shift at Barbie’s Diner in bumfudge, North Carolina, saying goodbye to the owners, and she made her way back to her place.
A crappy duplex on the edge of town that had called to her lost, reclusive-loving soul. Her neighbor rarely came out. She was okay with that. She heard him sometimes, roaring in his sleep like a lousy beast who had nothing better to do than to wake up the damaged supernatural on the other side of his duplex wall. Bastard.
She’d never seen his face, though. Probably a good thing. It meant he’d never seen hers. She hid her face at the restaurant as much as she could, but Barbie and Mac had a soft spot for her, and they’d told all the regulars and any new customers who came in to basically shove it if they had a problem with Carrie.
Their language had been more colorful.
Tonight, her neighbor was already having his nightmares or whatever the heck he had that caused such noises to come from his side of their shared home.
She needed to be more assertive.
She’d been all fudging Tinkerbell goodness.
Then she’d died.
Now, she was all Darkness and scars and hiding.
Yeah, she needed to remind him that he had someone else living on the other side.
Would she do it?
Probably not.
She unlocked her door and heard his screams cut off just as she stepped into her side of the duplex.
She turned on the kettle to heat some water, and the steam from the small opening hit her face. Rather than shy away, she let the steam open her pores and burn at her scars.
She liked to remind herself that she was dead, yes, but also why she was dead.
Scarred.
Damaged.
Broken.
Alone.
Away from everyone, everything.
Floating away.
I can do it, she thought.
Tonight, she would have the courage.
Tonight, she would accept.
Tonight, she knew, after saving those kids with a phone call, that she had enough strength to do what needed to be done.
She’d only need a small amount.
She drew a bath, and then she stepped inside, fully clothed, the knife she’d pulled from the kitchen drawer heavy in her hands as she sunk into the lukewarm water.
She’d lost her Light.
She’d had it taken by a demon Fae, and he’d sucked her dry.
Lochlan Trappe had taken so much from her.
Now, she was barely Clan, and almost human, and she knew she’d die.
And she was okay with dying again.
The lukewarm water of the tub barely registered, but the harsh whistle of the tea kettle almost invaded her perfect bliss until she felt the heaviness of the knife once more.
It grazed her arm and she took a deep breath.
And then she dug into one arm and then the next and let herself lay there, as she bled out into eternity.
She felt woozy, and she couldn’t lift her head when she heard her front door crash open followed by the pounding of feet, the banging open of the bathroom door.
She didn’t feel pain.
She didn’t feel joy.
She didn’t feel regret.
She only felt peace, and the slight spark of anger that quickly died just like she was slowly fading.
Oh, anger.
Oh, rage.
Oh, spark of fire, my old friend.
Because her neighbor wasn’t a screaming, damaged, bastard.
No, he was definitely all those things, but he was also—
A beast.
A destroyer.
An Other.
A motherfucking – shit, she’d sworn. And she’d done it again.
Awww…who the fuck cared?
She was dying.
And the person who had caused her death the first time was now standing over her.
Another death.
Another nightmare.
A. Motherfucking. Dragon.
Afterworld: A plane of existence where the Light go after death.
anam cara: Gaelic term for an ancient, deep-seated bond of friendship, joy and love. Trows are the only creatures known to have a true anam cara, a female mate that is both their true love, but also their true friend, their light, their spiritual equal.
Azima: A Light Clan that uses the five elements of power: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit. This Clan believes themselves to be separate from the other four. They believe their leaders are chosen by the gods, and their Council seats are not inherited.
bonded mates: Any mating pair, whether fated or not, that has bonded their souls together.
change: The initiation of the Clan DNA. When a Dormant or a born Clan member become full Clan. Usually takes place during adolescence, but can occur later on in life for Dormants and Hybrids.
Clans: Said to have been created by the gods and goddesses to defeat the Others. Five Clans including the Skröm, the Vuković, the Luna, the Taryn, and the Azima.
cleanse: The process of cleaning an area of evil. When the light energy has removed the Shadows or the taint of evil.
Council: Formed by the gods, the counsel oversees all facets of Clan life, but only intervenes when death has occurred or the law that Clan is not allowed to harm Clan is broken. They are the mediators. They also have extra gifts as Councilors.
Councilors: Five Clans each have one seat. All but the Azima inherit their seat and the power that comes wit
h that seat.
devour: The process of taking in and feeding on the emotion and power of any creature. A Fae gift. Rare ability. All that is left of a devouring is bits and pieces of the original creature.
Dormant: An individual with the ‘dormant’ DNA of a Clan member, either because a family of Clan members chose long ago to not change during puberty or because the individual is a Hybrid.
Enforcer: An individual employed by the Others who is assigned cases involving Others and Hybrid crimes and misdemeanors.
Fae: Created from the Darkness. Five different gifts occur in this species of Other: Moon, Sky, Sun, Swords, and most rare, Blood and Bone. See Other.
Fae touched: The addiction of a creature to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual connection the creature forms with a Fae they have been in contact with. This addiction forms when feeding is done. A strong bond that also affects the Fae. See feed.
fated mates: These mates are chosen by the gods and goddesses. Thought to be very rare. Special gifts and connections result from these pairings.
feed: The process of taking in emotion by the Fae, so they can remain on the earthly plane.
ground: The process of connecting to the Earth to draw power. This is also a stabilizing action. The Skröm, the Taryn, the Azima, and some Hybrids and Others can do this.
Hybrid: A Clan member born from the parents of two different Clans. Considered unclean to some.
In Between: Anything that exists as a separation, i.e. the time between dusk and dawn, a doorway, a window, the Veil itself, etc.
light energy: Once power has been gathered from grounding and tethering, the gifted Clan member can push this at the evil. Shadows are obliterated entirely by the power; however, those who have Darkness in them are also hindered by the light energy.
Luna: A Light Clan that has the ability to shift into, and take on, the characteristics of their animal. They can only turn into one animal, and when they turn, their body mass does not change. The animal each member chooses always has a strong significance for the Luna. Almost like a Spirit animal.
Others: Dark creatures that are not Clan. Said to have been created by the Darkness and not the gods and goddesses. This group includes banshees, mermaids, dragons, the Fae, and many other creatures of legend.
shift: Also referred to as shapeshifting/shapechanging. See transform.
Skröm: A Clan that, thousands of years ago, is said to have once had orange eyes. Their eyes bled to red when they started feeding on the blood of humans, and Clan see this as evil. And so, although still Clan, they are treated as Other. Their red eyes, red hair, frail looks, unnatural strength, ability to tether and ground but not to use light energy, and a hypnotic voice, set them apart from the other Clans as well.
Taryn: A Light Clan that has the ability to ground and tether. In this case, they are also able to push light energy out and defeat the Shadows as well as use their light as a cleansing power when fighting the Others and the Skröm. The Taryn Clan only produce offspring once, and they are always mirror twins. These twins have a strong connection and are able to connect to each other’s minds without grounding and tethering; however, grounding and tethering greatly increase their connection to one another.
temporal break: A crack in the space between planes. Often resembles a puddle. A portal to another plane.
tether: The process of connecting to another Clan member mentally. Fated mates, the Skröm, the Taryn, and some Hybrids can do this.
the naming: An ability of the Fae to use another’s full name to hold power over them. If strong enough, the Fae is also able to take on the role of master.
transform: Also referred to as shifting, this is when the Luna, the Vuković, or Others turn into their animal or creature and shed their traditional human form.
traversing: The ability to travel quickly to another place. Usually about ten times faster than typical car travel.
Underworld: A plane of existence where the Dark go after death.
Vuković: A Light Clan that transforms into wolves. Powerful and large, these are the strongest of all the Clans. This Clan can also sense Dormants, Clan members, and the powers of other creatures – not just by scent, but an innate gift.
Veil: The plane of existence for a multitude of creatures, mostly the Lao, the Shadows, the Shades, and others ghostly forms.
As I finished up this book, I realized that I’d bled everything into this piece and I had little left to give, but even with that, there are so many people who supported me and helped me stay strong through the struggle.
Thank you to my publishing team: Katie, Leigh, Amanda, Susan, Jean, Cat, Bobi, and my ARC readers, as well as Lori, Lo, Jaimie, Steph, Amy, and Taylar who all helped in beta reading at different stages. And a special thank you to Manu, Charlotte, and Saorla for your help with translations!
Thank you to my Trailer Park Princess loves, to my #soulsisters, to the #TribeSquad, to my #ESC crew, and to so many others.
Thank you to my Wanderlust team. You ladies are something amazing and rare. You’re loyal and courageous and giving and kind and strong as fuck. I would not have been able to finish this story without you.
Thank you Rox, Lo, Lauren “Ladybug”, and Marla for your love and support. You ladies know. You just know. You know me. You know what I need. You understand me.
Thank you to friends, new and old, to family, and to all who
stick by me even when the crazy writer comes out, and you keep asking me, “Have you not moved from that spot all day?”
Thank you to those family members who always take the time to ask about my stories. You don’t know what this means. And so, I’ll tell you. The fact that you read my stories, the fact that you give my words time, the pride you have in me...this are everything. This is my strength. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Finally, thank you readers. I’m a storyteller. I always have been, but the chance to have my stories heard by others, the chance to reach out and give others an opportunity to escape and go on adventures...that is absolutely priceless.
T. creates stories in her wee apartment with a tortoise her nephew calls Yoda, but who she has secretly renamed Hagrid. She’s traveled all over but still needs to hit all seven continents.
She enjoys writing Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance and really loves the drama and the epic moments that fantasy brings about. Who doesn’t love a good dramatic moment or an even better sex or fight scene?
T. lives in New England, is hoping to one day build a log cabin home in the mountains or a tiny house community, is still searching for her own Man Bear, and watches Once Upon a Time and Nicolas Sparks movies when she needs to remind herself that fairy tales really do exist.
www.tbirmingham.com
www.facebook.com/writertbirm
[email protected]
Rage Against the Devil (Wild Beasts Series Book 2) Page 35