Fire In The Darkness (Darkness Series #2)

by Stacey Marie Brown

  We piled in the car: Cooper in the far back, Gabby with Jared’s head on her lap in the backseat, and Eli and I in the front. The SUV tore out of the driveway, swerving onto the main road at full speed.

  “We knew somebody would be watching the house! Why did we even come?” Gabby demanded, brushing Jared’s hair off his forehead.

  “Because.” Eli shot her a steady look through the rearview mirror. His Alpha presence filled the car.

  I was curious as well, but his authority also shut me down. Leaning my head back onto the headrest, I tried a different angle, “Are they working for the Queen?”

  “No.” Eli shook his head. “They work for themselves.”

  “How did the Strighoul find out about her?” Cooper demanded from the back.

  “I don’t know.”

  “What the hell is a Strighoul?” I asked.

  “Strighoul are bottom feeders, a cross between a type of ghoul and vampire. They are dark Fae who feed off other Fae's powers. They’ll eat humans too, but they don’t get much from them. They prefer Fae.” Eli looked over at me. “When they consume you, they consume your forces and strengths.”

  “Vampire?”

  “Not in the way you think. They are energy eaters. They are nothing like what pop culture has turned them into. These guys don’t simply drink your blood; they eat you to possess your life force. And I mean they eat every part of you.”

  “Like cannibalism . . . okay, wow.” So, Vek tearing at my throat and Drauk’s talk of “having me” were literal, as in a need for dental floss after. The Strighoul wanted to eat me to take on my powers. “Daes are extra tasty, huh?” I tried to joke.

  “No. Extra powerful.” Eli glanced quickly over at me. “There are only a few select species that cannot be controlled by the Queen and also have that much power. When the Strighoul consume you, they take on those same powers. The powers don't last, but even if it's for a short duration, it's worth it to them.”

  I cringed at the thought, but I was trying to keep my eyes from closing. It was getting harder to stay awake. Pain throbbed though my body. There was so much I wanted to know, so much I needed to understand, but my lids drooped farther. I gave in, letting sleep come.

  Once again I found myself standing by the waterfall. I didn’t like Torin bringing me here. It felt intrusive to something I had shared with Eli, just like I wouldn’t have liked Eli showing up at the forest where Torin and I usually met.

  “Torin?” I couldn’t hide my annoyance.

  “Yes, mo chuisle?” His voice rippled over the air and my skin tingled as he stepped from the shadows.

  “Don’t call me that.” I pulled away still disgusted and upset with him.

  “What should I call you then?” He moved in closer, his gaze landing on my neck. “You are hurt again.”

  “Is it all that surprising?” I replied.

  “No, not really.”

  “So what do you need? I’m kind of the middle of something right now.” My words were clipped.

  “I was going to ask you that. It is not me who is intruding.”

  “What do you mean?” I paused and looked around “Wait—are you saying I’m doing this?”

  “Yes.”

  “How?” I was stunned. I knew how to dreamscape?

  “The ability is part of your nature; it’s who you are. You talk like you have accepted what you are, but your mind has not. Stop fighting and you will find a lot more things will naturally come to you.”

  This was probably true. But would anyone be able to accept they weren’t human so easily? My entire life was lived as a human among humans. True I had never felt like I fit in, but I never imagined I wasn’t human.

  “So, I’m the one doing this?” I repeated.

  “Yes, you are bringing me in. You brought me in last time as well. This is your dreamscape, Ember, not mine.” He motioned around. I brought him to the waterfall? Chagrin flooded my face. Now I understood why the place was different. This was the spot I had subconsciously picked for a dreamscape? I did not like the implications.

  “I was actually in the middle of training,” he continued, looking at me acutely. “You are more powerful than I thought. Last night proved that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The fact you brought Elighan into the dreamscape, also.” A frown lined his forehead. “It doesn’t make sense. You should not be able to do that. Your ties to him are too strong.”

  “Why shouldn’t I be able to?”

  “You and I are Fay. We have this gift so it is easier to bring each other in, but Elighan is not Fay. He is not even a Demon. You should not have any connection with him. It has never been possible for different species to connect like that. Think of it this way. You and I are on the same frequency. In the human realm you would say we're on the same channel. Elighan’s kind are not only on a different channel, but a completely different system. I don't understand how you were able to pull him into your dreamscape.”

  I decided not to tell him about the blood, that the bonds between Eli and me were more than feelings. Blood had bonded us in a way I was not terribly comfortable with. I rubbed at my face, feeling the strain of everything. Why was I capable of things others found odd? Things I hadn’t even tried to do.

  “You are bleeding badly.” Torin stepped up even closer to me, his hands cupping my neck. I knew I wasn’t bleeding here in the dream, but he was able to see through to reality. “Let me help you. I can heal you faster.”

  I jerked back out of his grasp. “I’m fine.”

  “No, you are not.” He shook his head. “Please, Ember, trust me. I can help you.”

  Speculation did not leave my face as he reached for me again. Torin’s hands moved up my chin and tilted my head back. His lips covered mine, inhaling me as he brought me into a deep, toe-curling kiss. My insides suddenly felt full of light and warmth. A tingling zipped up my spine and through my neck.

  “Lucky me. I did land on the porn channel this time. But I think I’ve seen this episode before.” As I broke away from Torin, I saw Eli leaning against a tree a few yards away.

  Torin huffed with irritation at the interruption. His hands dropped from my face to my hips, possessively, keeping close to me. It was an unstated claim—his territory. “To what do we owe the honor, Elighan?”

  Eli stared directly at Torin’s hands. I backed away from Torin, keeping both guys in my eye-line.

  “You tell me? I was driving us back to the ranch when I felt this tremendous pull.” He shot an accusing glance my way. “It was all I could do to stay awake. Gabby was trying to keep me from falling asleep, but it was eventually too much.”

  “What? Did you fall asleep driving?” I looked around. What would happen if he crashed? Would I feel it? Would we wake up?

  “No, Cooper’s driving now. I got in the back. They think something’s wrong with me, that the Strighoul somehow drained my energy. They don’t know it’s you wanting to have a threesome in dreamland.”

  My eyes narrowed. “I didn’t know I was doing it. I don’t know how to manage them. I don’t want either one of you here.”

  “Really?” Eli shot a glance between Torin and me. “Could’ve fooled me.” Eli crossed his arms, a smile playing on his lips. “I do find it amusing while you are kissing him you are thinking about me.”

  “I wasn’t thinking about you.”

  “See, you’re wrong there, Brycin. It’s the only way I can come into these dreamscapes. Your subconscious was thinking about me, wanted me. Not that I can blame it . . .” He looked at Torin and frowned.

  Anger and embarrassment seized me. “You have no idea what me or my subconscious want. I don’t know how you got in here, but I can assure you, you were nowhere in my thoughts while I was kissing him.”

  Eli only scoffed, which made me more furious. My desire to wipe the smug smile off his face took hold of me. I moved quickly over to him, like a bull seeing red. Eli propelled himself off the tree preparing for whatever wrath I w
as going to bring his way.

  “You son of a—”

  “Hey now.” Torin wrapped me in his arms and dragged me away from Eli. “Calm down mo chroi.” He rubbed my arm, trying to sooth me.

  “I’ll calm down when he leaves.”

  “Then make me, Brycin. This is your dream,” Eli said with an edge in his voice as he challenged me. “I’m not here because I want to be.”

  Ouch. Okay, I felt the zing hit my heart. Setting my jaw in a more defiant line, I glared at Eli.

  “Mo shiorghra, I must go. I can feel the Queen near.” Torin twisted me around to face him and slowly pressed his lips to my temple. “Until next time.”

  I heard a low, growling noise from Eli, but I kept my eyes from looking over at him. Okay, time to wake up, Ember. "Wake up," I demanded in my head, squeezing my eyes shut. I repeated it over and over. “Wake up, wake up, wake up . . .”

  EIGHT

  “Wake up, Ember.” Someone shook me. My eyes opened to Owen hovering over the bed at the Dark Dweller compound.

  Something stirred in the bed next to mine. I spotted Eli lying there, blinking as he came out of the deep sleep. It took him only a few seconds before he shot up. “Where’s Jared?”

  “He’s right here, Eli,” Cole’s soothing voice filtered across the room. I sat up and saw Jared in a hospital bed across from mine. Cole sat in the chair next to him. Eli got up and darted over. “He’ll be fine. He just needs to rest.” Cole patted Jared’s arm.

  Relief radiated from Owen as he looked over his shoulder at his son. These ruthless killers had such a deep love and protection for each other, something not many, if any, others were allowed to see. Somehow along the way I had become privy to their inner workings.

  “Easy there.” Owen turned back around, helping me get into a more upright position. “You have lost a lot of blood today. You had a terrible gash on your neck, and it will take a few days to fully heal.”

  “Believe me, she’s all healed now,” Eli said, his voice like acid. He pulled up a chair to the other side of Jared’s bed.

  I reached to my neck, felt the bandage that covered my wound and tore one corner off.

  “What are you doing?” Owen tried to stop my hands, but I got it off before he could stop me. “What the . . .” Owen’s mouth fell open.

  My fingers grazed the smooth skin on my neck. “The gash is healed?” My eyes grew wide. “How did I heal already?” Eli huffed from the other side of the room. Owen shook his head, eyes wide with the same astonishment I felt.

  “Eli?” Cole rose from his chair and sent him another nonverbal message.

  Eli had barely risen from his chair when I clambered out of bed. “Oh no,” I shook my head, rising to my feet. “You are not leaving here. I know this is about me. I will be a part of this discussion whether you like it or not. I have the right to know what is going on.”

  Cole paused at the door then slowly turned around and nodded. “You’re right, Ember. You should hear this too.”

  “Thank you.”

  Eli huffed again, loudly.

  “What is your problem?” I challenged.

  “My problem?” He spun around his eyes narrowed into green slits. “My problem is you. You almost got Jared killed.”

  “What? Me? How did I almost kill Jared?”

  “Eli, this wasn’t Ember’s fault,” Cole said.

  “No, I’m not talking about what occurred at the house. I’m talking about what occurred in the car.”

  All heads turned to me.

  Gabby scrambled into the cabin. “Wait. I have to be here for this.” Clearly she had been listening on the other side of the door. Cooper followed right behind. She moved to an unoccupied seat beside Jared, settling in. “Okay. Proceed.”

  I gaped at her then back at the four guys. Everyone’s eyes bored into me. “I-I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “What are you talking about, Eli?” Cole looked back at him, clearly getting impatient with my lack of explanation.

  “Yeah man, what did happen in the car? That was strange,” Cooper directed this at Eli also. Soon all eyes turned to him.

  “Ember pulled me into a dreamscape.”

  “What?” They all shouted at the same time.

  “That’s not possible.” Cole shook his head, his hair skimming his shoulders “You must have imagined it.”

  “No. I didn’t imagine it. I know it shouldn’t be possible,” Eli said, “but she has pulled me into two now.”

  Stunned silence followed. Owen broke the confounded lull. “This could be an outcome.”

  “Is that possible?” Cole asked.

  “This is unprecedented. It is hard to know, but, in my personal opinion, I think it is possible.”

  “This is because of Eli’s blood isn’t it?” I blurted out, annoyed how they talked around me. “I can bring him in because I have his blood?”

  Owen pressed his lips together and nodded. “That is the only explanation for it. Otherwise you should not be able to do that with him,” Owen's voice was calm. I had yet to see him riled up about anything, and he was always so steady and soothing to be around. It was difficult to think of him as a killer, but didn’t it make him the ideal candidate?

  “Torin said something like that,” I responded without thinking.

  “Torin? As in the Queen’s personal knight?” Cole exclaimed looking at me and then to Eli for confirmation.

  Shit! Stupid, Ember. Why did you say that? I cringed, ready for the explosion.

  “Yeah, I guess he’s been visiting Ember’s dreams for several months now,” Eli replied sharply.

  “WHAT?” Cole bellowed. “And you are just telling me now?”

  “Look, I didn’t know until last night. I was planning to tell you, but things have kind of been crazy around here.”

  “Eli, this isn’t something you forget to tell us,” Cole screamed. “This is Torin. He is the Queen’s right hand man and he has had access to Ember all these months.” Cole’s eyes turned a fiery red. I had spent enough time with the Dark Dwellers to know their basic moods. I had seen Cole mad before, but this was beyond that. He had always struggled to stay in control and not change.

  “I’ve known for barely a day.” Eli stepped up into Cole’s face. “And no, you don’t have to remind me. I am fully aware of the threat he represents.”

  “We’d lose our only chance,” Cole spoke softly to Eli, probably thinking I couldn’t hear him. Both remained mute for a moment, staring at each other, before Cole swung around and charged straight for me. I stumbled back a few steps in alarm, but forced myself to stop, holding my ground. “You have to block him, Ember.” He grabbed my shoulder roughly. “You cannot let him in. He is dangerous.”

  “He says the same about you.”

  “This is not a joke.”

  “I never said it was,” I retaliated. “And it’s not like I know how to regulate them.”

  “Learn,” Cole responded, his grip like steel. “You don’t know what he is capable of.”

  “Are you guys reading from the same handout?” I pulled out of Cole’s grasp. “He won’t hurt me and he won’t turn me over to her.”

  “I don’t know if I want to smack you because you're naïve or plain stupid,” Eli said, irritation soaking his words.

  “You touch me and you lose your most beloved girlfriend there.” I nodded toward his hand.

  Eli scoffed. “Then I’ll train yours.”

  “I’d like to see you try.”

  “ENOUGH! Both of you!” Cole bellowed. “We have bigger issues to worry about right now. We not only have the Queen coming for you, but we have to deal with the Strighoul. You may think Torin will not turn you over to her, but I do not share that same certainty.”

  “Well, I’m not particularly confident you have my best interest at heart either. Oh right, you don’t.” I yelled back. “What are you waiting for anyway? Turn me over to the damn Unseelie King already.”

  “Don’t tempt me,�
� Eli growled.

  “Go ahead. I’m sick of your mind games. I’m sick of being your prisoner here. I just want to get away from here and go get my dad.” My heart felt tied to my muscles. Barely able to stand under the grief it held. Being back in the house today brought Mark so vividly back into my mind. I had been trying not to think of him because it hurt so much. But, smelling the house today, seeing his running shoes in the corner ice-picked my heart.

  “Believe it or not, we are trying to keep you safe.” Cole gritted his teeth. “There is no where you can run that will be safe for you anymore. I think you know that.”

  I despised the truth in his words. But today had shown me how easily I could be found. They were watching my house, probably watching my friends. My safety had been instantly compromised the moment I ran away from the Queen, but my friends would not be compromised. Not if I could help it.

  “What else is out there hunting me?”

  “There are a lot of different beings that could be,” Eli snapped.

  “Like what?”

  “You want me to go through the Fae directory?” Eli’s voice rose.

  “Well, excuse me if I want to know more. I wasn’t given the luxury of knowing this stuff my whole life. I’ve been aware of this world for five weeks. So why don’t you give me a little break here?”

  Cole took a step obstructing Eli. “Strighoul, without other Fae's abilities, are more bark than bite and not at all bright. Even so, they are dangerous. They work in herds. By consuming forces of another Fae, they can become lethal, especially the more powerful the Fae. The powers only last in their system for a short time before vanishing. So, they go find another victim. The cycle continues.

  “If they fed on you, it would be catastrophic. Even after your kind was banned, we saw a killing spree of Daes to get their power. You can imagine the destruction and terror this caused. Daes can’t be controlled or glamoured, so when Strighoul ate one of your kind, it took on those traits. The Queen almost lost command of the kingdom. It was a dark time and the Daes were blamed for it.”