Darkness Of Light (Darkness #1)

by Stacey Marie Brown

  His voice was clipped. “I didn’t ask you to.”

  “I know.” Her voice went from uncertainty to angry. “You never would because you don’t want to need anything from anyone.”

  He pushed himself off the bike and turned around to face her. “Samantha, I’ve told you how I feel. I’ve warned you this is nothing more than what it is. I’m not looking for anything, but you continue to pursue it. You know full well what I’m like. I never deceived you.”

  Sam was silent for a moment. “It’s her, isn’t it?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh, please. It’s so obvious. I have eyes. I can see what is happening.” Her mood seemed to shift again and a strange laugh escaped her. “I’m surprised at you, Eli. I know you’ve done the gantlet of women, but I didn’t imagine you’d go there. I mean you do know what she is, right?” Eli’s jaw tightened and he stared back at Sam without an ounce of emotion. “I thought that was one line even you wouldn’t cross. She’s one of them, Eli. Do you get that? You most of all can’t forget what that means.”

  “I have forgotten nothing! I know what I am doing. I have a plan.”

  Samantha crossed her arms. “I’m starting to think there is more to it than that.”

  The tension was so thick, I could feel it resonating off Eli, and see its visible sonic waves crash into me. Eli turned away and grabbed his bag off the ground. “I’ve had enough of this conversation.”

  “Oh, did I hit a nerve, Eli?” She sounded hysterical. “What’s wrong? Is wanting to screw an abomination too much for you?”

  “ENOUGH!” he roared. “You’re out of line. Do not forget yourself.”

  Stumbling back at Eli’s outburst, she bit her lip and shook her head slowly. “You really are a bastard,” she whispered and turned on her heels and ran back inside. Eli watched her for a moment. Cursing under his breath, he shook his head and climbed onto his bike.

  I let out my breath, not realizing I had been holding it. From that tiny movement, Eli’s gaze shot in my direction, his blazing eyes finding mine in the darkness. As our eyes locked, a light flooded the parking lot. Ryan’s familiar Nissan pulled up in front of me.

  “Em,” Kennedy yelled as she rolled down the window.

  I closed my eyes, cringing. There was no doubt now as to the identity of the person eavesdropping—as if I had a choice in the matter. Without looking over at him, I dashed to the car, just wanting to get away. Kennedy was trying to climb into the back so I could have the front and, in my eagerness to get in, I flung myself into the front seat, pushing her headfirst into the back.

  Ryan scoffed and then laughed as Kennedy’s muffled squeaks sprang from behind us. “Jeez, lady, in a hurry?”

  “Sorry, Ken.” I turned to look at her. “I’m just really ready to get out of here and hangout with you guys!”

  “Oh Holy Hotness Batman!” Ryan’s gaze was directed out the window at Eli. “I don’t know why you’d want to hang out with us when you have playmates like him at this school. Now there’s a Happy Meal I’d like to order.”

  Eli was straddling his glistening, black motorcycle. His hands were wrapped around the bars, and his feet still on the ground, staring at me.

  “Some playmates bite,” I said.

  “All the better.” Ryan’s eyebrows shot up and down.

  Kennedy’s wiggled in-between our seats trying to get a better view. “Wow . . .”

  Ryan’s reaction didn’t surprise me, but seeing Kennedy stare at Eli with wide, unblinking eyes and a strange, confused look on her face made something twist inside my stomach. I couldn’t help but follow her gaze even though I knew who she was looking at, and I found Eli staring back at her just as intently.

  “He’s dangerous and very dark. Death surrounds him . . .” Kennedy mumbled.

  My head snapped back to her. “What?”

  She stared at Eli in a trance-like state.

  “Ken?” I said louder.

  She pulled her eyes away from him, shaking her head. “Sorry, there’s just something peculiar about him . . .” she trailed off. She realized we were all looking at her and a deep blush covered her cheeks. “Nothing, just ignore me.”

  Eli’s gaze seared intensely through the window as it returned to me. .

  I turned to Ryan, feeling the intensity of Eli’s stare. “Can we just get out of here, please?”

  “Sure thing, my salty M&M, but only if you tell me what is going on between you and ‘Mr. Throw Me Up Against a Wall’ because I know there is something titillating going on there.”

  “Ryan, please.” My eyes grew wild as he sat there, looking back at me with a sly smile. “Fine. Just go, please.”

  He hit the gas and within seconds I was away from Eli’s penetrating gaze. I sighed with relief. I didn’t like him having such an effect on me. I took a deep breath and turned to look at my friends. A huge burden seemed to lift off me. I felt lighter and happier. My eyes misted up. I had missed them so much.

  “Oh no, missy. You are not going to get out of this with those crocodile tears. Now talk.” Ryan shook his head, smiling.

  “There’s nothing to talk about,” I refuted, causing them to snort.

  “Please.” Ryan’s glance had me withering in my seat. “There was more tension back there than a southern woman’s girdle at a bake sale.”

  I laughed, and shook my head. “There’s nothing going on, I swear.”

  “Hey, Pinocchio, remember who you’re dealing with here. I can sense these things better than a clairvoyant on acid,” Ryan replied. “Spill it.”

  I bit my lip in hesitation. If I told them, then I was admitting there was something to tell, that there was something going on between Eli and myself. But if I thought I would get out of talking with these two, I was sorely mistaken.

  Ryan was first. “So, the incredibly hot, bad boy who rides a motorcycle, his name is . . . ?”

  I sighed, defeated. “Eli, his name is Eli.”

  “Eli what?” Kennedy sat up in her seat, her chin settling on the back of my headrest.

  “Eli Dragen.”

  Ryan started coughing like he was choking, while Kennedy’s eyes became so wide I thought they were going to fall out of her head. My stomach tightened into a knot as I watched them.

  “W-Wh-Who?” Kennedy stuttered.

  “Eli Dragen.”

  “You do know who he is, right?”

  “No.”

  “Ever heard of the RODs, the Riders of Darkness?”

  “Yeah . . .” A nervous feeling settled in my gut.

  “You know my dad works for the Gang Task Force. Well, I’ve seen him looking at some file so I peeked. Eli Dragen is one of the names on the top of the list, along with his brother, Lorcan. They are both high-ranking members in the club. Seriously dangerous shit, Em.”

  I had heard the rumors about the RODs ever since I had moved to Olympia. They were an infamous biker gang who lived on the outskirts of town. They were known to hangout out at Mike’s Bar, which was well known for its underbelly clientele, seediness, and criminal activity. It was a place that law-abiding citizens didn’t venture into, and it was left for the biker gangs and outlaws who called it home.

  Since nobody claimed to have met them, it was difficult to know if any of the rumors were true. The only thing I might be willing to believe is that Eli had been in jail. Not just arrested, but that he had served some jail time. From my encounter with him in the police station, being chained to the chair, and from the familiarity between the cop and him, this seemed within the realm of possibility.

  It didn’t surprise me Eli was part of RODs. It terrified me though, especially when I thought of the creepy night I could have sworn I saw him outside my bedroom.

  “I didn’t take you for the kind of girl who goes out with real bad boy types. The rumors you hear about him and his brother. Dragen is definitely a name my father knows well.” Ryan looked over at me with his eyebrow cocked. “That’s a boy who your mo
ther warned you to stay away from and your father would be buying a bazooka for, not a shotgun.”

  I gulped.

  “So now having the experience of seeing this Mr. Dragen in person, which is still causing me to orgasm”—Ryan took a deep breath—“I’m even more curious about how our little Emmy here is involved with the bad boy from the other side of the tracks. With a guy that bad and hot, what is the reason she is keeping it a secret from us?”

  “I’m not involved with him.”

  “I don’t buy it. Do you buy that porta potty potpourri, Ken?”

  “Nope.” Kennedy shook her head.

  “Come on guys, can we at least wait ‘til we’re home with food in our bellies before you berate me even more?”

  “Fine, but you are not getting out of it.” Ryan pulled into town. “I’m already placing bets on how long it will take you to get foliage burn or tree slivers on your back!”

  “Ryan!” I looked at him, exasperated.

  “What? You are going to be out in the woods with him for hours every day. I’m just saying you should make use of what nature provides you.” He shrugged, an impish smile playing on his face. “And don’t tell me you haven’t thought about how hot that guy would be in the sack?”

  I looked out the side window.

  “Thought so.”

  We went quiet for a minute before Kennedy’s soft voice spoke up from the back, “He’s not my type, but there’s really a presence about him, huh? Something you can’t explain—a raw, sexual essence. A guy whose boxers you want to stay permanently on your floor.”

  Ryan and I turned slowly to look at each other our mouths gaped open, eyes wide as saucers. Then I looked back at Kennedy. Ryan twisted the rearview mirror to get a better look at her.

  “What?” Kennedy replied innocently, which sent us into a fit of giggles.

  I smiled mischievously. “I don’t think he wears any.”

  Their heads whipped towards me.

  “What?” I replied, in the same manner as Kennedy had. We burst out laughing again, until tears poured down our faces.

  ***

  An hour later we were sprawled over my living room floor, Chinese takeout containers between us as some brainless movie no one was watching played in the background, when Ryan broached the subject again.

  “Holy crap, you are like a dog with a bone,” I commented to Ryan.

  “Or just one with a boner.”

  “AHHHH, Ryan.” We groaned and laughed hysterically. It felt so good to smile and laugh like this.

  “You’re making a bigger deal of this than it is.”

  “I doubt it. I saw the way he looked at you.”

  “Yeah, it’s called animosity.”

  “Right.” Ryan winked at Kennedy, conspiratorially. “Or, as I like to call it, sexual tension.”

  I finally gave in and told them parts of what had happened. I started with the police station, but I left out when I thought I saw him outside my bedroom window, my nightmares, and how his touch sent fire through my skin.

  I also didn’t tell them about what I had heard between Eli and Sam. There was something about it that bothered me. It wasn’t just because, even if Sam wanted more, they were obviously “friends with benefits.” That did cause my stomach to turn, especially how nonchalantly he talked about it, but there was something else that troubled me. I didn’t know who this other girl was, but the way they had talked about her seemed strange to me: “I’m surprised at you Eli. I know you done the gantlet of women, but I could not imagine you going there. I mean, you do know what she is, right? I thought that was one line even you wouldn’t cross. She’s one of them Eli. Do you get that? You, most of all, can’t forget what that means?”

  What did she mean by that? I decided to push it away. I had to make myself not care. I wasn’t going to get caught up in their drama. Hopefully, I wasn’t going to be at Silverwood much longer. Principal Mitchell promised he’d reevaluate the situation at the end of the month. If I was lucky, Eli and all this crap, excluding Josh, would all be a distant memory.

  I thought I would feel more relieved by the idea—I didn’t.

  Ryan and Kennedy stayed until Mark got home from his poker game. But even when I went to bed, thoughts of Eli’s fingers running across my bare stomach kept me tossing and turning until I finally drifted off to sleep.

  ***

  My bare feet pummeled the ground as I tore through the forest. Fear of something unseen behind me propelled dread through my veins, moving me faster. I broke through the thick brush, skidding to a stop as my feet hit the edge of the cliff. The mountain’s sheer drop ended far below where a river snaked through the dense forest. Falling would mean death. I tried to scramble back; my feet slipped on the loose gravel making me start to slide down the cliff.

  I was going to die.

  I reached back grabbing frantically for an exposed tree root. Sweat dotted my forehead as my hand caught hold.

  Relief.

  Groaning, I tried to pull myself back up.

  “You look to be in need of some assistance, my lady.” Torin stood on the cliff’s edge above me, reaching out a hand for me.

  “You’re an observant one, aren’t you?” Yes, even in peril I could still be a smart-ass.

  Torin smiled and grabbed my wrists, pulling me up.

  “Thank you.” I nodded at him when my feet were secure on the ground again. My attention quickly turned to him. He was one of the reasons why it was hard to catch my breath. Torin was dressed in black leather pants, a tight, black shirt, and black boots. His dark hair was tied neatly back at the base of his neck. I had forgotten how magnificent he was.

  “You never have to thank me for saving you. Your life and safety mean everything to me.” Torin squeezed my shoulders and brought me towards him. “But, I am at the Queen’s command. For your safety, I can only come to you like this, in your dreams. We could still be found out. I should not even be risking your safety to spend this time with you now.”

  “What are you talking about? The Queen’s command? Are you British?”

  “British? No, most definitely not.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Listen to me, Ember. Word of your powers has raised some interest. You are no longer safe. Please . . . I am unable to say anything else, but I am trying to show you.”

  “Show me what? What are you forbidden to tell me?”

  “You know,” he said as he reached down and touched my heart. “Even if you are not aware you do.” My breath lodged in my throat, my heart pounding at his touch. There was something so natural and familiar about it. “You know in here.”

  Fourteen

  My dreams continued through the night. They were filled with dark shadows and flaming red, cat-like eyes moving around me, pulling me into the deepest pit of darkness. I felt like I had just fallen asleep when my alarm woke me up. My eyes were gritty and heavy as I forced myself out of bed, propelling my body toward the coffee machine, before my lids fully opened. Getting me up early on a Saturday was like poking a bear with a tiny stick. I was not a morning person. And it looked like it was going to be a caffeine-diet day.

  “Good morning,” Mark said in an annoyingly chipper voice, lifting his coffee cup towards me. Mark was a morning person.

  “Right,” I grumbled, heading to the cupboard for my coffee cup. Mark chuckled, knowing perfectly well how much I wanted to throw his perky, morning ass through the window.

  “Oh, come on, Em. It’s a great day. It’s cold and overcast and you get to spend the day with a bunch of angry preteens.”

  Okay, now he was just pushing my buttons. I whipped around and glared at him, which only made him chuckle harder. “Oh, someone is grumpy this morning.”

  “Wow, you really are pressing your luck this morning, aren’t you?”

  “Oh, it wouldn’t be a good morning for me if I didn’t annoy you.” He laughed, but he also knew to back off. He understood I was more of a night owl. As a kid, I would stay up u
ntil three in the morning drawing or reading, even if I had to be up at 6 am. Most people who knew me highly recommended to others not to make conversation with me until around 10 or 11 am.

  “You used to be such a nice man.”

  “Yeah, before I joined your family.” He snickered, handing me an empty bowl. I grabbed the cereal off the counter and sat down with a thump.

  I ate breakfast, staring out the window at the forest beyond our house. I watched the mist weave eerily through the trees, twirling and twisting like clawed hands, beckoning me into the dark woods. From the day we moved in, I felt like I was being watched, like the woods had eyes. Strangely that only drew me more. What was it about this forest? I couldn’t explain why I was drawn to it. Knowing me, it was because it was creepy and dark. I was weird like that.

  Mark looked at his watch. “You better get going. I’m going to head out on my run. See you tonight.” He kissed the top of my head and headed out of the house.

  “Really, it’s someone like him who needs to be committed.” I shook my head.

  After I showered and dressed, I headed for the bus stop. My body was awake, but my mind was still snoozing. I moved onto the bus like a zombie. I must have dozed because in no time I was at my stop.

  As I walked down the aisle towards the exit, the guy sitting at the front looked up at me.

  Torin’s handsome face looked back into my frozen, shocked stare. “Don’t trust him.” His words came out clear, but for some reason they didn’t match the movement of his mouth.

  “What? Don’t trust who?”

  I stared back in confusion. Then Torin’s features started to shift and his face became chubbier. I watched, stunned, as Torin morphed, becoming an overweight man with glasses.

  The man looked at me curiously. “I’m sorry. Did you need help with something?”

  I jerked back, as the pudgy man continued to look at me. I turned and ran off the bus.

  ***

  The ropes course was twenty-five minutes from Silverwood, deep in woods, and there was no way to get there except by car. Mrs. Sanchez had told me Eli would take me the rest of the way if I got myself to Silverwood.

  I needed to get a car—like, now.