Fire In The Darkness (Darkness Series #2)

by Stacey Marie Brown

  He shot my friends a warning look before three higher-ranking guards followed him in. They appeared a little older, but still so fair it didn’t seem to matter. My senses held no power while dreamwalking so I was as surprised as my friends when the Queen stepped into the room. Normally, I could feel the magic emanating from her, but I was a ghost with no real bearing in this world.

  Sweeping into the room, her fashionably-cut dress brushed the floor. Jared and Kennedy stood on ceremony, but Ryan and Josh stayed seated. Ryan still looked more unconscious than alive, while Josh stared at her open-mouthed and boggled-eyed.

  No matter how many times you saw her, the response was always the same—bedazzled bewilderment. Her unearthly beauty and presence were awe-inspiring. She had flawless alabaster skin. This set off her fiery red hair, which fell in silky waves down her back. She stood tall and proud. Confident. When she looked at you, her eyes were an intriguing blue-violet color that drew you in. She was exquisite, captivating, and sensual. This made her even more dangerous.

  Her gaze flittered over the room, touching lightly on the fireplace and window. Her face clouded with a far-away expression. “I used to play in this room as a child. My sister and I would hide from our mother and nannies in here.” With a tightening of her jaw, her emotion flipped to anger. “Now it’s being used to hold the abomination's little, human friends. I’m sure there is irony in there somewhere.”

  Jared stepped closer to Kennedy.

  “Well, some human friends.” She closed in on the pair. Her hand reached out to touch Kennedy. I felt as if hot lava were being poured down my throat. Searing heat gripped me, making tremors run over my skin. Oh God, did she know about Kennedy? Without thinking I darted for Kennedy, ready to intervene. No matter how many times Torin had stressed to me it was heedless, I still couldn’t stop myself from reacting. I grabbed Kennedy’s arm, trying to pull her out of the way. Kennedy’s flesh rippled with goose bumps where I had touched her. Her gaze locked on Aneira. She shivered, but didn’t move. Had I caused that? Could she feel me? She had complained, along with Jared of a chill when I had first arrived. Were they sensitive to my manifestation? If they could feel me, could the Queen? This concern had me stepping back out of the Queen’s reach.

  “Well, aren’t you a pretty, little thing.” Her form towered over Kennedy’s tiny frame, and her fingers clasped Kennedy’s chin with a firm grip. “Is this why the little half-breed here is getting all protective of you?” Her eyes stayed locked on Kennedy’s face, but her disgusted tone was directed at Jared. “Protect the precious humans against the Seelie Queen. Yet, we are the ones in hiding.”

  She ripped her fingers away from Kennedy’s face, which snapped to the side like Kennedy had been slapped. Jared stiffened. The Queen’s guards took a protective step towards the Queen who waved them back. “Don’t worry. This baby Dark Dweller will do nothing. He is all fluff with no bark or bite. I did promise Lorcan I would not hurt you, but I didn’t promise I wouldn’t show you into manhood.” She roughly patted his cheek, leaning close to him. “You will probably enjoy it.” Kennedy sucked in breath with a hiss. “Awww, your girlfriend is getting all jealous. Isn’t it sweet?” The Queen’s tone was light but full of venom. Her gaze went over the room, landing on Ryan. “Why is he lying there? He should stand in my presence.”

  The guard who first entered the room moved forward. “He is ill, my lady.”

  “Oh, is he now?” She stared disapprovingly at the lump lying incoherent on the bed. “I guess I still have enough enticement for Ember if he dies.” Aneira turned away from him and took notice of the boy who now stood by the window. “And what about you?”

  “You are gorgeous,” Josh muttered, watching her with complete fascination.

  A superior smile pressed on Aneira’s lips. “Flattery my boy? Smart.”

  “You are like those hot character chicks in the World of Warcraft,” he said. Josh’s expression held reverence and worship. I wanted to smack him to wake him up. She was not some anime in his video game. She was cold and cruel and could kill him with a snap of her fingers. Reality was not hitting him the way it should.

  “I am sure that is compliment?” She swayed closer to Josh, captivating his attention on her body and face.

  “Yes . . . oh yeah . . . totally,” he babbled.

  The Queen cringed at his words, but forced the fake smile to stay enticingly on her mouth. “You are tall for a human. Young, but strong for your age. You could almost pass for one of my soldiers.”

  Warning wiggled in my chest as I watched her. What was she doing? Aneira was shrewd. She could work people to get what she wanted. Flattery and compliments would not work on Jared or Kennedy, but they would work on Josh. And by Josh’s expression, she understood that. Probably from the moment she stepped into the room, she had known everyone’s weakness. She had assessed them as soon as they had been brought to her. What was her game plan? I knew her end game was getting me, but what was she going to do with them to achieve that?

  I didn’t have to wait long for the answer.

  Aneira turned back to the room, demanding all eyes on her. “Since you have been utterly useless in helping me find your friend, I may have to entice her to come out and play. At the end of this week, any one of you will give me the information I seek, or she will have one less friend.” The Queen swooped back down on Kennedy. “Starting with you. I sense something special about you. When Ember hears your dead body has been delivered back to your family, I believe she will come out of the woodwork.” Aneira’s voice was seductive and alluring.

  Without another word, she departed the room with the same sweeping superiority as when she entered. Her three minions followed suit. Only the young guard stayed, his head bowed as she exited.

  Everyone stood silent until Kennedy sobbed, tears plummeting down her cheeks. Jared immediately pulled Kennedy into his arms. “Shhhh . . . it’s okay. Everything will be all right.”

  “H-how? How will it be all right?”

  “She’s trying to scare us into talking.” Jared pushed her hair away, cupping his hands around her face to look at her. His fingers brushed away the train of tears rolling down.

  “How can you be sure?” Ken whispered.

  “I won’t let anything happen to you,” Jared declared. “I promise.”

  Jared sounded sure, but I was not. Going crazy in my spirit form, my arms and legs were frantic with movement.

  “There will be nothing you can do,” the guard across the room stated.

  Jared frowned. “We’ll escape. Jump out of the window if we have to.”

  “You think the window isn't charmed? You might be able to slip through the bars and you could probably manage the fall, but the moment you slide through them, the entire castle will be alerted.”

  The fact they were talking so openly with the guard about escaping stopped my hysterical tantrum, taking more notice of him.

  “The charm will not stop you from escaping. It only sets off a warning alarm, which unfortunately will go off right away. But I can see how someone might still be able to run into the forest and through a door to Earth before they are caught.” It almost seemed like he was encouraging them to take this route. What the hell was going on? Was this guard on their side?

  “Otherwise, I hope you are all comfortable.”

  “Yeah. Awesome. Cold stone is so comfortable.” Jared’s tone was full of sarcasm.

  The guard nodded. “It could be worse. The dungeons are most unpleasant. They stink like rat piss.” There was slight amusement to his words. I think deep down this boy actually had a sense of humor.

  “Seriously, dungeons?” Josh said. It was the first time he had spoken since the Queen’s departure. “This only continues to get better. It’s like in the movies and video games. Do you guys hunt and kill trolls?” Josh hopped up, pantomimed a stabbing gesture.

  “Kill trolls?” the guard repeated. “No. They are rude, dreadful creatures, but we do not hunt them. They stay away from u
s, and we do the same.”

  “So what do you kill? Goblins?” The guard stared at Josh with an incredulous expression. “What? Come on, you have to hunt down and destroy some kind of evil monsters,” Josh said.

  “Yes. Humans.” The guard turned away from Josh, but I could see Kennedy and Jared biting back their laughter. Yep, there was a sense of humor in there. The guard focused on Ryan. “How is he doing?”

  Jared shook off his laughter, becoming serious. “Not well, but what do you expect?” There was a protective quality in the way Jared spoke about Ryan. He was trying to keep them secure and safe.

  “I am sorry. I will try to get you more substantial human food and maybe have the medic look at him.”

  “Thank you, Castien.” Kennedy nodded at him as a soft moan came from Ryan.

  “What did he say?” Castien asked, worry across his face.

  Kennedy's face reflected her pain. “He said, ‘Ian.’ I think he keeps replaying Ian’s death in his head. What he could have done to save him.”

  Gut-wrenching guilt and sadness washed over me. I had to go, to run from the pain I had caused. Focusing back on myself, the whooshing sensation came over me.

  When I awoke, fresh tears were trailing down my cheeks. I scrambled out of bed and headed down the long corridor to the other side of the house, pounding on Lars’ door.

  “Em?” Rez’s voice was sleepy as she opened the door.

  “I need to talk to him. Now,” I demanded. Without hesitation, Rez backed into the room as another form filled the doorway.

  “What is it, Ember? I had just fallen asleep.” He wrapped his robe around him tighter. It was not unusual for him to go to bed after three in the morning. He would have preferred to be completely nocturnal, but his business didn’t allow only night hours.

  “I need to get my friends. Aneira is going to kill them.”

  He briefly shut his eyes. “Meet me in my office.”

  Five minutes later I sat across from Lars, giving him the rundown of the night.

  “You never told me you have been dreamwalking,” he growled. “Do you know how dangerous it is? What if she sensed you?”

  “But she didn’t. And that’s not the point now. I need to get them out of there. My father, too.”

  Lars sat forward in his chair. “Like hell it is ‘not the point.’ You were lucky. Aneira is so self-absorbed and narcissistic she has stopped seeing what is in front of her face. But you will NOT do it again. She has extraordinary powers and could have followed you back through the dreamwalk if she had been aware.”

  I pressed into the chair with disbelief. Had Torin known she could do this? He had never mentioned she could follow me back or even be aware of my presence. Was this an oversight or something he didn’t know? Had he known and kept it from me? How well did I know him and why did I trust him so explicitly? Could this all be an act?

  “So what exactly did she say?”

  Closing my eyes I tried to recall her exact words. “At the end of this week, either one of you will give me the information I seek or she will have one less friend,” I repeated the Queen’s words.

  He leaned back. “You have time then.”

  “What do you mean I have time?”

  “The end of an Otherworld week could be a year here on Earth. Your friends will be fine for a while. And as for you, you are not prepared to face her. You need more training. Remember, I will tell you when you are ready and when you can leave. It is not time yet.”

  A snarl curled my lip. I wanted to fight him and tell him to fuck off, but then I felt a weight come down on me. Air pushed out of my lungs and my bones felt crushed under the pressure.

  “That is the burden of your binding contract. You agreed to the terms, Ember.” He waited a few more moments, until my eyes began to water under his power. “Now it is time to go back to bed. You have training in the morning, and I think you will want to work even harder. You are still unremarkable in any skill set. You need to vastly improve before you can rescue your friends and step-father.” Lars got up and departed the room, leaving me gasping as the heaviness lifted from me.

  “Bastard,” I mumbled before heading back upstairs to my bed, which was, of course, newly made.

  TWENTY-ONE

  My eyes burned as I stumbled down the stairs the next morning. Alki had already pounded on my door twice, threatening me, before I finally got up. Sleep had been hard to come by. All my thoughts were on Mark, Kennedy, Ryan, and Josh. The Queen had made an obvious threat, but my underlying fear was of the Queen finding out Kennedy’s secret. There were things worse than death, and I feared if the Queen discovered she had a Druid on her hands—the last living Druid—death would be the easy way out for Kennedy.

  “You have fifteen minutes before you will be in the training room ready to go,” Alki barked before he walked out and slammed the kitchen door.

  I had been trained in the art of fighting, whether sword, ninjuitsu, pankration, or bataireacht, an Irish form of stick fighting. I was mediocre at best across the board. Alki was determined to get me up to satisfactory before the week was out. Maya and Koke begrudgingly worked with me. But they did help me learn to regulate both my fire and earth powers with my mind. Several times I had started a fire in the new training room so they quickly decided to move me outside. Whatever I splintered out there, Nic cut up and used for firewood. For only training five months, I thought I was doing pretty well, but no one seemed happy with my skill level. Lars least of all.

  Since not many Daes had survived, this was as much learning by trial for them as it was for me. The only things I had going for me were my speed and agility. Again, I decided against telling anyone about my Dark Dweller blood. It felt wiser to keep it to myself.

  “Alki is such a warm fuzzy in the morning.” I sighed, heading over to the coffee pot. I pulled out the largest coffee mug in the house and filled my cup. Suddenly, a flash of Mark and me in our kitchen, going through our usual morning banter, rushed into my head. I swallowed the tight lump forming in my throat.

  Marguerite eyed me and shook her head as she flipped an omelet in the pan she was holding. “Mi querido, are you all right?” She spoke over my shoulder.

  “Yeah, I'm fine. Breakfast smells delicious, Marguerite.” I took a deep breath and turned around, making sure my memories and pain were tightly secured again.

  “You must eat. You need your energy, mi dulce nina.” She scooped the omelet onto a plate and set it down on the table. “Muy flaco.”

  “Gracias.” I smiled. It amused me she called me “my sweet girl.” Being Demon, even half, seemed like it should disqualify me from that term. But it didn’t seem to stop her from hugging and cooing over me. She was human but knew what we were. She was one of those rare people who had the “sight.” Instead of being terrified of us, she ran the household, feeding and loving us as if we were her own. She had been working for Lars since she was a teenager, and he treated her very well. I guess she preferred sticking close to the monster she knew, one that would never hurt her, than being unprotected and taking her chances with the monsters she didn’t know.

  I pulled out a stool, diving into the eggs and melting cheese, consuming half an omelet and two cups of coffee, all of which I feared I might see again later after a hard training session. Marguerite rushed me out the door since I was already late. Great.

  Alki tortured me in ways I didn’t think possible. It was Fae army boot camp. He had me practicing things like sword and stick fighting in the mud after running up hills and doing sprints for two hours. I’m not above admitting I had a few tantrums during the day, but I pressed on. When Koke came in, Alki mixed my physical combat with mental fighting. Fireballs once again threatened the roof, so we moved outside. The earlier rain saved the lush lawn from becoming crispy and blackened. I fought Alki in ninjuitsu style with a stick, as Koke urged me to use my mind to take the weapon from him. Maya joined later, adding the nature element. This was when things could get dicey. Fortunately for all of
us, my control was getting a little better. I hadn’t blown up a building in days.

  After seven long hours, I passed out from sheer exhaustion and awoke two hours later in my bed. Lying there with my eyes closed, I heard my door creak open, followed by the familiar sound of feet sauntering towards my bed. “Nic . . .” I grumbled without having to look and pulled the sheets over my head.

  He slipped under the covers, scooting himself close against the curve of my body. He had done this frequently in the last three months, usually in the morning after getting back from an Incubus night out, which I really tried hard not to think about. It never went past snuggling with us even though he desired more and he wore little clothing.

  “Isn't it too early for you to be out seducing and taking life forces of unsuspecting victims?”

  “I wouldn’t call them victims. Believe me they are willing, and I leave them incredibly satisfied.”

  “And barely alive.”

  “A technicality.” He snuggled in closer to me, his warm breath tickling down my neck. Nic was pure Incubus, always on duty; although I think he enjoyed the chance to be close to someone he couldn’t kill.

  “I’m exhausted, Nic.” I dug my head farther into the pillow, trying to pull away from his warm, seducing form.

  “Then let me do all the work,” he mumbled against my ear, kissing my neck.

  I fought back a deep, happy sigh wanting to escape, to forget everything happening in my life—even if it was just for a few minutes. He felt so good and was breaking my will power down bit by bit. I would soon be left without any, which was exactly what he wanted. What was I really fighting? I was nineteen, single, and extremely horny. It was either a really bad time to have a Spanish Incubus god in your bed or a really good time. I mean, what would you do?