Descending Into Darkness

by Alainna MacPherson

  "Now?" She asked. The fight to keep her eyes open was harder than she thought. "Can I close my eyes now?" She begged.

  Smiling down at her, Cormac nodded, telling her, "Yes, rest now. We'll take you home while you do."

  At the corner of the main street, Alyss opened the back door to the large black SUV they’d sent someone back for, along with Cormac holding a now unconscious Jess, and Liam, all squeezed into the back seat. They left Roshea and the other guards to hoof it back to the other vehicle. To Alyss, the trip back seemed to take longer than when they were searching for Jess. "She'll be fine," Liam assured her from the other side of Cormac, clutching the handlebar above the window as the Unseelie driver took a turn a little fast. Alyss believed him, but that didn't make her worry any less.

  Carefully, Liam and Alyss helped Cormac exit with his sleeping cargo. As they crossed the threshold of the old marble building, they were ambushed by Fallon, who nearly ripped Jess out of Cormac's arms.

  "Thank the goddess," he whispered, turning away, headed for the stairs. All the while he walked, he ran his eyes over her, looking for any visible injuries.

  "I'll call our healer," Cormac said, jogging down the stairs behind him, Alyss hot on his heels. "They can look her over."

  "Why? What's wrong with her? Her arm? Why does she sleep?" Fallon asked, demanding answers.

  He bypassed Jess' assigned room and went directly to his own, down the usually empty tunnel. Roshea had called ahead, letting him know that they've found her, Cormac, Alyss and Liam were on their way. She also informed him that she and the others were staying behind with their prisoner. They were able to subdue Jessandra's abductor and now kept watch until Fallon was able to go over there himself or until they found a secure way of transporting the sizable beast.

  "She was conscious when we found her and was able to tell us that she may have dislocated her shoulder. Though weak, she was still able to talk to us," Liam answered, calling over the two ahead of him to be heard.

  Enraged that she suffered, the Fomorian king felt the markings on his body flare to the surface again, a growl rumbling in his chest. Alyss rushed around him, keeping a safe distance from his dangerous impressiveness to open the door ahead of him. Finally, within the walls of his private rooms, he willed the tracings of blue to fade by calming himself. It wasn't perfect, you could still see them just under the skin’s surface, but at least he didn't glow like a bloody glow stick.

  "Do it," he growled, looking to Cormac who just nodded and dug out an iPhone from his jean pocket. Alyss noticed that, though he wore jeans, they were black and matched the fighter she saw today. He possessed enough fighting knowledge to match Roshea and the other Unseelie guards that were there. She knew he could fight, judging from their scuffle the night he'd found her, but it didn't hold a candle to what she witnessed this morning. They all seemed to have a technique of jujitsu and karate mixed in with some kick boxing. There were quite a few roundhouse kicks thrown in with a lot of brute force uppercuts before it all ended in a team effort of grappling and a triangle hold.

  Cormac didn't exactly come out unscathed, she observed, taking note of a large bruise forming on his cheekbone and a small cut above his eyebrow. She didn't get a good look at Roshea before they left, but she wouldn't be surprised if she had a few scrapes and bruises as well.

  Fallon gently laid Jess on his bed where she looked like a broken doll, still wearing the dress from supper, with make-up smeared and runny from obvious crying and her hair, having lost the curls, now just spread out limply on his dark comforter.

  "Our healer is on the way, through the scáthán," Cormac announced, entering the room.

  Kaer, who had just come in, said, "Come with me. We'll meet them." Turning, the two walked out again.

  "Scáthán?" Alyss asked, confused.

  "It's a portal in a mirror," Finn said from the doorway, staying in Fallon's living room area. "The Fae like to travel with it, makes it easier when you need to keep your existence a secret from the rest of the world."

  Fallon silently rested on his knees, leaning over his prone mate, holding her hand and tending to her in some way or another; straightening the skirt of her dress, brushing back her hair from her face and caressing her cheek. Alyss kept the questions burning on the tip of her tongue at bay, knowing now was not the time to ask them. After Jess was healed, then she knew, they would all sit down and find answers for all of them.

  A few minutes passed before the sound of running feet echoed from the hall. Finn went to look around the door to check who it was, finding Cormac returning with another person close, though he couldn't make the second one out clearly until the prince led them into his king's chambers. When they did, Finn went to block their way to the bedroom. "What's this?" He demanded.

  Drawing up short, Cormac said, "Finn, this is Liana. She's a—“

  "I know what she is," Finn interjected, sneering down at the shorter being standing defiantly beside her prince. Reaching just under his chest, tell tale pale skin with a pearl essence that seemed to change colors as she moved in the light. Her reptilian eyes were a milky purplish that stared up at him defiantly. "Púka," Finn spat, lip curling.

  "What's going on?" Alyss said, coming out of the bedroom to stand beside a tense Finn. Looking down at the being that he looked at with as much disdain as she would a New York rat, she almost couldn't believe it if she hadn't already seen what she had in the last forty-eight hours. "Hello," she said, cautiously.

  She, or at least Alyss thought it was a she, opened her mouth to reply, but Finn cut her off, "Step back, princess. You don't want to get close to this creature."

  "If you're done," Liana groused, having heard enough. Her voice was a sort of whispering sound but still loud enough for the room to hear.. "I'd like to see the patient."

  Before Finn could argue this time, Cormac stepped far enough into the warrior's personal space to block his view of Liana. "She's a healer," he said.

  "Come on," Alyss said, dismissing the males to whatever it was they were doing, waving a hand towards the bedroom. "She's in here." The healer followed her in and bowed her head at the sight of Fallon.

  "Good day, Formorian King. If it pleases you, I am here to offer my help with the princess," she said, gaze still on her shoes.

  "I accept," Fallon growled, wishing she'd just get on with it and skip the formalities.

  Head up, she said, "Step back," as she approached the side of the bed. All authority now, any submission in her voice was now gone.

  Pushing back, he let her squeeze between him and his mate. The separation only lasted a split second before he moved to stand at the foot of the bed, forcing Alyss to move out of the way.

  After a couple minutes examining Jessandra, which had Fallon's wings twitching with impatience, Liana looked up to say, "She seems fine, except for a dislocated shoulder. She's more than likely just unconscious so that her body can recuperate. Best to reset the shoulder before she wakes."

  Backing up from the bed, she stripped off the soft charcoal coat she wore. "Your majesty," she said, gently holding Jessandra's neck while sliding the pillows out from under her. "Please, go around on the bed and hold her down." Unquestioningly, he rushed to climb on the other side of the bed, placing his hands firmly on her chest and shoulder. "Someone get me a chair!" She called out to the other room. In a matter of seconds, Cormac brought in Fallon's desk chair. Climbing to stand on top of it, the healer took hold of the princess' injured arm and placed her heal in her armpit, readying herself. "On the count of three," she said, no nonsense.

  "One."

  Alyss' eyes went wide at the sight in front of her.

  "Two."

  Quickly, she turned around.

  "Three." Hearing a definitive pop, Alyss cringed, happy she hadn't eaten anything in the last few hours when her stomach roiled. Jessandra awoke screaming in that instant too, the pain drawing her from oblivion. The feeling of relief, though, had her breathing calmly after a few heartbeats.
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br />   Fallon clasped her cheeks holding her gaze with his. The intense moment that passed between them had Alyss feeling like a third wheel. Deciding she was better off outside for a minute while the healer did her thing, she stepped into the living room with Cormac, Finn and Liam, catching the tale end of something Finn was saying.

  "—Bringing that in here," he snarled.

  Cormac's back was even straighter than she'd seen earlier. "Be careful," he said with a clenched jaw. Liam, fully dressed again, looked ready to hold Cormac back from pouncing on the Fomorian.

  "What's going on here?" Kaer said, entering the room like a force of nature not to be reckoned with. It was obvious why Fallon had made him his second. .

  "He brought a púka into the Nead!" Finn exclaimed, looking to Fallon's second.

  Very matter-of-fact, Kaer just said, "I know." Walking to the doorway of the bedroom, he peeked in to see that Jessandra had awakened. Turning back to the other males he went on to explain. "I was there when she came through the Scáthán."

  "And I am only half goblin, thank you very much," Liana said from behind Kaer, standing at the doorway now.

  Cormac glared at Finn, with an expression that clearly seemed to say, See!

  "My mother dropped me off at the Unseelie queen's doorstep when I was born. It's all I've ever known," she told the room.

  "We're told stories of baby snatchers and fear mongers about the púka," came Keegan's voice from outside the open door to the cavern's hall. At least he looked a little bit sheepish, rather than the obvious fear of the mistruth that Finn was driving on.

  "I assure you," Liana walked farther into the room to stand in front of Finn, looking up at him. She had a likeness to a child, except for the obvious curves of an adult female. "That I mean no one any harm. Quite the opposite, actually." Smiling now, it was plain that she was trying to be the bigger person, so to speak.

  All could see that Finn warred with himself inside. Letting go all that you've been taught was a rather difficult feat.

  "She's healed my mate," Fallon spoke from the bedroom door, taking up the whole of the space with his impressive wings. Everyone had some sort of shocked expression on their face from his revelation of actually claiming Jessandra in front of a large group. Though not entirely public, it was enough. "That's all that matters to me, your king," he finished, gazing over at the young warrior.

  Everyone was still as Finn looked on to Fallon until finally, pursing his lips, he nodded and looked back down at Liana. "He's right," he said and held his hand out. "My apologies."

  "Accepted," the healer replied, clasping his forearm as he did hers.

  Moving back into the bedroom, Fallon firmly closed the door, shutting out the others. Just a minute. He needed just a minute or two with Jessandra. To make sure she was real, and alive. He wasn't sure how he remained sane when he saw her in Cormac's arms, limp and unconscious.

  "I'm alright," she rasped. Even though she spoke quietly, she still winced with obvious discomfort.

  "You hurt," he pointed out to her, reaching for her hand and bending down beside the bed again.

  "Only a headache," she said, smiling a little to reassure him. It felt nice to have him there though, close by.

  "Do you remember what happened, grá?" He brushed her hair back, tucking it behind her ear, and began to rub her temple.

  "I just remember starting down the stairs when something grabbed me from behind. I must have passed out because the next thing I remember is waking up in a dark room, where Alyss and Cormac found me." Closing her eyes at the relief he brought to the pounding in her head.

  "Anything else?" He pressed her gently.

  "Well," she started, clenching her eyes tighter, concentrating on the memory. "There was some sort of thing, that came in and tied me up."

  Hearing this, Fallon's back went stiff. He'd tear them apart. Roshea had told him that her and Cormac's guards stayed behind with the prisoner and he had every intention of looking it in the eye as he ripped it apart, limb by limb.

  "Oh my god!" She gasped, her eyes flying open. "His eyes. They were orange." When she moved to sit up, Fallon urged her gently but firmly back down against the pillows with a hand on her chest.

  "Shhh," he crooned. "Calm down." Tightening his hand around hers, he tried to anchor her and keep her calm. "You're safe now."

  "He looked like you," she went on. He could feel her heart speeding up, a little faster than he was comfortable with. Inside, the part of him that wasn't rational wanted to surface, take over, and go directly to the building where the others held the traitor and make him pay for his actions. The secret of his people's existence be damned. "Except," she hesitated, recalling more details. Licking her lips, she went on, "His wings. His wings were tattered and old looking. He looked sick, Fallon."

  Yes, he had no doubt he was, but that only made him even more dangerous unfortunately. Roshea knew what the beast was when she called, informing him. It made Fallon's belly churn with the thought, but he couldn't tolerate leniency or express mercy in this case.

  "Hold me?" She whispered after a moment.

  She didn't have to ask him twice, he was aching to hold her close to him. Gingerly, he slid his hands under her and moved her to the center of the bed. Climbing up behind her, one wing under his shoulder, he pulled her into him, mindful of her injured shoulder, and curled himself around her. Not bothering with the covers, he just stretched his other wing out to lay over her body. He felt her sigh deeply as her body began to relax, increment by increment. Finally, he could feel his own body relax. The crazy day took a toll on the both of them. Eventually, after he was sure she had already fallen into a deep slumber, did he too give himself over to sleep.

  Fallon knew the instant that he woke that the sun had only just set. Being a creature of the night tuned him in to the sun's schedule. Carefully, he reached down to the end of the bed and drew up the throw he'd tossed there a couple days ago. Drawing away from her, he simultaneously pulled the blanket over her and quietly left the room, shutting the door again. Stepping out, he saw Alyss lying on the couch, sleeping with her head resting in Cormac's lap, who was watching a rerun episode of Friends on the old television. Hearing him, Cormac looked up. "She alright?"

  "She will be," Fallon said. Giving a pointed look at the way Alyss was positioned, he cocked a brow at the prince.

  "She didn't want to leave," Cormac explained, shrugging. Obviously, he had no qualms about the princess using him as a pillow.

  "Mm, hm," was all Fallon said to that. He knew the Unseelie held a flame for his mate's sister. And, as her acting protector, he pinned the male with daggers in his eyes. "Be careful."

  Swallowing, Cormac just nodded. Warning received.

  Letting it go for now, Fallon walked to the outside door. "You going over there?" Cormac asked, careful to keep his voice down.

  "Yes," he groused before pulling open the door to enter the hall. Leaving the door slightly ajar, he looked to Finn and Keegan who stood sentry at the entrance. "This door doesn't shut as long as Cormac is inside," he ordered and the two nodded stiffly. He didn't have to tell them to maintain their guard at the door, he knew they would. "Where is Kaer?"

  "In the mess hall," Keegan answered.

  "I'll return shortly," he informed them before requesting that they, "Please ask Moira to tend to the princesses should they need anything." He couldn't handle any more males around her just yet. His cousin seemed to like Jessandra, anyways. Even though she hadn't said as much, he could see Moira found the princesses as a breath of fresh air. Maybe it was from her working on the outside during the morning hours, that drew her to the two sisters, he couldn't be sure.

  As he walked, he dug out an older model flip cell phone from his pants pocket. Selecting from the contacts, he pressed send and waited for Roshea to answer. "I'm on my way," was all he said, foregoing pleasantries.

  "I'll be on the roof,” she replied. Closing the phone, he tucked it back into his pocket and kept walking throug
h the tunnels, making his way to the top. When he entered the heart of D'ilansis, he could feel eyes on him, watching as he walked by. He hadn't yet changed from the night before, still wearing the bannaí, the silver bands, on his arms and talons, he was sure he caught a lot of attention. Most of the Nead had been asleep while they searched for Jessandra, only a few remaining people who stayed awake during the day had caught sight of his gúna ríoga, a royal dressing, including the bannai he still wore. Though it was subtle, as was the Fomorian way, it gave a big impression of just who they witnessed walking among them. He very rarely adhered to the traditions of royalty, even less since he stepped in as king when his father had died. When he wasn't forced by anyone else, he was able to forgo them as he pleased. He was Mo rí. In that moment, he felt the power of his lineage racing through him, more now than ever before, as he stormed through the main cavern and up the stairs, with death on his mind.

  Epilogue

  Bain brewed over the loss of his daor. Having succumbed to the sickness, the beast was the most obedient and dangerous one at his disposal. Perhaps it was for the best, seeing how he’d fucked up the whole thing. Now he’d have to find another way to get his hands on the Daeghtus. He had to tread carefully though. His father was a bastard, but that didn’t mean he didn’t still have a few followers devout to him and willing to lay their lives down at his feet. Fallon needed to go, too. He was going to get in the way and screw things up. That needed to be the first step. The last thing he needed was for another daor to flush years of planning down the shitter. What he wanted with the Daeghtus was beyond Bain. As far as what Fallon probably knew was more tall-tale than something drawn from truth. Best to eliminate the daor and—