A bubbly laugh rose so lightly I almost laughed along with her. “You think we’re so easy to take down? He may have the object now, but my magic can still challenge his. He should be the one running scared.”
I snorted at the idea of Lars ever running scared.
“Last chance.” Fionna turned back to me. “Help us or your dark lover is the first to be sent back to the King in pieces.”
West’s growl sounded next to me as my own clogged my throat. The innate reaction to protect Lorcan, to fight for him, coursed through me like a rushing river, almost knocking me off my feet.
“Where is he?” I strained against the binds, anger filling me with darkness. Black magic simmered in my soul, ready to attack anything hurting Lorcan.
“He’s alive.” She shrugged. “Barely. Dark dwellers sure are resistant to extreme torture.”
Bottomless rage rose from deep within like a wave about to crash, my vision growing hazy around the edges. My body hummed with the thought of tapping that dark magic I’d tasted in my vision. The craving was getting worse. It was alive and wanted to come out so bad it exploded to the surface. The sensation rose up and slipped over into a different plane where everything went dull except my target. My words came from depths unknown to my conscious mind, directed at Fionna.
The hex slashed through the space, ripped the door of the cage off its hinges, and slammed them to the floor. Like one large claw, the spell didn’t isolate on one person, but sliced deep gouges into every person standing around me, sending them flying back.
Blood spilled onto the floor, pooling around my feet, his reflection staring at me from the liquid. West! My heart cried his name, feeling his pain. I didn’t know if I was connected to him as a seer or through Lorcan’s bond with me, but it tore at me to hurt one of my own. He was family now. I hurtled back to earth with a crunch.
“West!” I cried out, trying to reach him. He was on his side, his hand gripping at the deep gashes cut in his chest, bleeding out. “Oh god…I’m so sorry.”
He gritted his teeth, curving his head to peer up at me.
“I’ve had worse, darlin’.”
Dammit. I did it again. What was happening to me? Why did I have this darkness inside? This black magic I had no control over?
A rustling of bodies outside the cage stirred. Some started to get up. I stared out in horror at the bloody wounds I caused. I couldn’t regulate it, but that was no excuse. Harming people was not my strength and not the Queen or person I wanted to be. In the history of the world, violence against violence did not cure or help, it simply caused more hate and bloodshed.
Fionna looked down at the wounds I caused, shock widening her eyes, her shirt soaking with blood, a bone showing below the gash. She sucked in her pain, wrath flaming her face as she got to her feet. A low chant healed her instantly. She turned, walking toward me, magic boiling off her.
Terror dripped down my throat like bitter medicine, yet I swallowed, knowing I had just sealed my fate. Because I was Queen, I would be more difficult to kill, but I wasn’t immortal like fae. Aneira had been so bulletproof it took the Sword of Light, a rare treasure of Tuatha De Danann thought to be a myth, to kill her. I was far more vulnerable.
Fionna’s spell blasted into me before I could even think to protect myself. With the chains still holding me down, I only lifted a few inches before my head smacked against the stone with a sickening crack, and I crumbled to the ground.
“You’re a natural obscurer,” she seethed, a dash of fear in her tone. “How is it possible? You should not be. There are none left.” She bent over me, grabbed my chin, and forced me to look at her.
Interesting. Franklin had not told her what I was. Maybe the trust between the leaders wasn’t as strong as I thought.
Her brown eyes searched mine, looking for something, but I reinforced the walls I had kept locked in place since the moment I walked in here.
The more Fionna stared at me, the more she became unsettled, crazed. She huffed out another spell, gagging me from speaking, before unlocking my chains. Then she shoved me forward onto my hands and knees, my head still spinning and aching, blood dripping down my neck.
“I don’t know how this is possible… Shite…” She trailed off. “You shouldn’t exist anymore.” She grabbed the back of my head, her eyes dancing between mine, like I was some puzzle to figure out. “You’re far too dangerous to keep around. Especially if you are against us.”
“Fionna, stop!” West yelled, trying to get to me. “You don’t want to hurt her.”
“Why? Because she is the Queen? One who plans to keep business as usual, letting fae secretly hunt and kill us.”
“No.” West shook his head, his eyes snapping between us.
“I don’t want to kill anyone, but that’s not how it works. You should know better than anyone, dweller. Isn’t that what you did? How many of us did you slaughter for a price?” Fionna’s voice sounded desperate and scared now. “It’s not in a Druid’s nature to harm, but I have no choice but to play by your cruel fae rules. If you want to stand on the big boys’ playground, you have to compete at their level.” She tugged the knife from her belt, bringing it to my neck.
“NO! DON’T!” West roared, tugging so hard on the shackles cement crumbled around the embedded bolts. “Fionna, you don’t want to do it... She’s. Your. Sister!”
Time paused, the hand of the clock halting in place as his statement exploded at our feet. I felt like I had been backhanded, the shock of his declaration jerking me back on my knees, stinging my face, and evaporating the air in my lungs. Fionna went still, the knife dropping from her grip.
What? Sister? What was he talking about? My sister was dead.
“Wh-what?” Fionna stumbled away from me, her head snapping back and forth between West and me.
“You’re sisters.” West’s shoulders sagged in relief, seeing the immediate threat to me suspended.
“My sister is dead.” She repeated what I had just thought. “She was killed with my parents.”
“No, they got her out before Aneira found them. She was adopted by a human couple.”
I felt like throwing up. My head spun so hard I couldn’t lock down one thought except he had to be lying. There was no way... I peered up at Fionna and had to put my hand on the floor to keep myself steady.
Holy shit squared, multiplied, and divided.
The leader of the Druid Liberal Republic fell away, and all I saw was a woman. Hair, eyes, freckles, mouth, frame... all like mine. Taller, yes, and her nose was different, but everything else was similar.
“The moment I met you, Fionna, you seemed so familiar to me, but I didn’t make the connection. It wasn’t till my search for a link to Kennedy’s line led me here. A direct heir to Cathbad was leading the DLR. And then you walked up...” He rubbed at his head, the chains clacking. “Jesus, look at you two. There is no denying it.”
This was why, even with my black hair, so many had given me double takes when I first came to the DLR, saying I reminded them of someone. I assumed they saw through my disguise, spotting the Queen under the tattoos. But by the “aha” expressions circling around the room, they had seen Fionna.
“No. It’s impossible.” Fionna’s head shook, still trying to deny it, but when she gazed down on me, her hand went to her mouth, blinking tears in her eyes. “You survived?” She choked, turning away from me, taking in deep breaths.
Shakily, I rose to my feet, still feeling stunned, my head rolling and twisting to compute the revelation.
“My little sister has been alive this whole time,” Fionna muttered to herself. Grabbing the bars, she curved over, looking like she was about to throw up.
The idea of having a biological sister had been a faraway notion. It was only in the last few years I even knew I once had one. But I had no memories of her or my parents, no connection. It never registered on a deeper level. Now that sister was flesh and blood and stood before me. My sister. My blood. My family.
&nbs
p; I had no idea how I felt about any of those titles. Especially when she was also my enemy.
TWENTY-FIVE
“This changes nothing.” Fionna rose to her full height, rotating toward me, rolling back her shoulders, undoing the spell around my throat. “It’s probably not even true. More claims to try and disarm me.”
“Changes nothing?” My voice broke free of its jail. It changed everything for me.
“You still are here to take down my faction. And no matter who you are, I will not let anyone stop me from my quest.”
“From killing and enslaving fae? Don’t you see what you are doing is wrong? This is not how to help your people.”
“You think mind-numbing meetings, where nothing gets accomplished and no side is satisfied, is the way to go?” Fionna took a step to me. “You have to know nothing gets solved that way.”
“Neither does violence.” I balled my hands into fists.
“Sometimes it’s the only way. You think Luuk will stop? He will keep coming till he destroys you. It’s kill or be killed.”
“And on your order you almost killed me. The attack on the fae in Switzerland? I was there. I barely survived.”
Fionna’s eyes widened. “You were supposed to be in America.”
“It’s okay if the fae are faceless. But in your desire for revenge you almost killed your sister, my friends, people I love and care about.”
“I won’t apologize for killing fae who have gladly murdered us for centuries.”
I rubbed my sore head. Would I feel the same if I’d grown up differently? Everyone believed their point of view was the right one. But which actually was? My list of things I didn’t know how to figure out grew longer. There was only one thing I could and desperately had to solve immediately.
“Where is Lorcan?” I countered her step, trying to inch my height up to hers. “Is he all right?”
“I broke the spell on him.”
“That’s not an answer,” I growled.
She shrugged.
“You need to free him.”
“I don’t need to do anything. I am in charge here.” Fionna’s brown eyes narrowed as she thrust her hands to her hips. “But I will take you to him on one condition.”
“What is that?”
“You and your fae pets will not hurt, attack, or try to escape.”
“I can only promise we will not attack if you do not provoke first.” I leveled my gaze on her. “If you do, all bets are off.”
Fionna appeared to consider my counterproposal before she nodded. “Agreed.” She swiveled around, walking out of the damaged cage. “Follow me.”
“He comes with me.” I pointed at West.
Fionna looked at both of us and nodded. “Free him, but the same rules apply.”
Hate spilled from Mayhem’s face, but he stepped up, unlocking West from his chains.
West winked at Mayhem. “I can tell you like me. It’s okay; it will be our little secret.” He bumped Mayhem’s shoulder, heading for me. His hand touched my back protectively the moment he reached me.
As I stepped over the crumbled metal door, hostility radiated off every pair of eyes. Beneath the rage of Kenya, Franklin, and Major I felt almost burned.
I followed at Fionna’s heels, eager to be led to Lorcan. We headed down the hallway they condemned as off limits to me when I first arrived and went to the last room. She unlocked the door, swinging it open.
My hand went to my mouth. It was dimly lit and empty except for the rack in the middle of the room with wires coming off it. A shirtless man lay cuffed by his ankles, wrists, and neck.
“Lorcan!” I bolted to him.
His lids cracked open at my voice, a ghost of a smile on his face. “Li’l bird.”
Vibrant purple, blue, yellow, and green bruising covered his body. A landscape of burn marks and cuts covered his torso like a gruesome version of connect the dots. My hands cupped his face, grief burrowing into my heart. I understood his body would be okay, as he healed quickly, but what about his heart, his pride?
I stared down into his eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Come on, this was like foreplay for me.” He tried to smile, which split his healing lip, allowing blood to ooze out. I pressed my mouth briefly to his to comfort him, tasting the sharp tang of blood on my tongue. It was quick but passionate.
“Fuck. That was hot,” Lorcan rumbled, his eyes sparking as his tongue swiped over my lips again. Blood was some kind of aphrodisiac. I recalled a time I saw Ember lick deer blood off Eli’s mouth and got so thoroughly grossed out I thought I’d vomit. I didn’t have an urge to eat raw carcass or drink blood from Bambi, but Lorcan’s…tasting it…yeah, I liked it. Add that to the list of things I was discovering about myself.
I kissed him again, then whipped around to face Fionna. My sister? My head still couldn’t wrap around it, but the more I looked at her, the more I saw the obvious family resemblance. It was a bit freaky.
“Release him. Now.”
“You’re not the Queen here.” Fionna frowned, not hiding her aversion at seeing us together, and stepped farther into the room, motioning around. “This is my kingdom. I’m the one who gives orders.”
Lorcan’s head turned to the crowd at the door, his lids narrowing. It was a blink and he jerked, his mouth opening. “Holy shit.” His head pitched between Fionna and me. “What the…?” Lorcan was faster at picking up the clear connection.
“Meet the DLR leader, Fionna…my sister.”
Lorcan’s mouth gaped. “Sister?”
“They have family reunions just like we do.” West shoulder checked a few gawkers to get into the room. “Hey, brother.”
“West? Jesus, I thought I made you up.” Lorcan blinked, his eyes moving around the room, confused. “What the hell is going on? I’m dreaming, right? I’ve actually passed out and this is some twisted hallucination going on in my head?”
“I wish, brother,” West scoffed, slapping his hand down on Lorcan’s leg. At the contact, Lorcan groaned, shutting his lids and waggling his head back and forth.
“What are you doing here?”
“All for later, Lorc.” West’s mouth flattened.
“He’s here on the King’s request.” Fionna tipped her head toward West.
“What?” I jerked to West. “What is she talking about?”
“Against my will, Ken.” Regret tapered his eyes. “I never wanted anything to do with this.”
“With what exactly?”
“For another time.” Fionna swished her hand, moving farther into the room. “We’ll get to all that later.”
“How about now.” I gritted my teeth.
“Later.” Fionna clenched her own together, combatting my stubbornness.
There were so many secrets and accusations swirling in this room, and I wanted to demand to know what was going on. But I eased back, sensing the answers would fracture my already frazzled brain, which was crumbling like old chalk. I had to focus on what was in front of me. What I could change. First and foremost. Lorcan.
“Fionna, let him go. I promised you and I keep my word.” I pinched Lorcan’s arm, giving him a look. “We will not attack or harm anyone here.”
Lorcan peered at me like he wanted to shove my promise up someone’s ass, but gritted his teeth, nodding.
“They better stick to your pact.” She strolled to the other side of Lorcan. “Or I will have no choice but to retaliate. This time I won’t be so lenient. My magic can strike faster than they could reach one of us. I won’t be afraid to kill.”
“You’re right.” Lorcan flicked his chin at West. “Their family reunions sound a lot like ours.”
West snorted, patting Lorcan’s leg again.
At Fionna’s beckoning, a man switched off a machine and unlocked Lorcan from the chains. Black marks circled his wrists, ankles, and neck like paint. My fingers went to his bruised neck when he sat up and touched the burnt flesh.
“You electrocuted him?” I screeched, anger billowin
g inside like a storm. “Are you kidding me? You. Did. Not.” I didn’t even realize I was moving to Fionna until Lorcan grabbed my arm, pulling me back into him. Fionna bristled, her shoulders rising, ready to counter my attack.
“Calm down, li’l bird.” He gripped my face, trying to turn me to look at him. It took a couple of tries before I broke my glare off her and turned to him. Oddly, a dash of humor showed in his eyes, like he enjoyed my fierce protectiveness. “I’m fine. Really. West and I used to do worse to each other growing up.”
West laughed. “Remember the time when we first got to Earth, and I hooked you up to a car battery with jumper cables? Simply to see what would happen. Damn... you lit up like a Christmas tree.”
“And if you remember, I got you back.” A smug grin engulfed Lorcan’s mouth.
“Right.” West’s humor faded, a snarl inching up his lips.
Okay, I was curious, but now wasn’t time to stroll down memory lane. I squeezed Lorcan’s fingers, which still cupped my face, and stepped away from him, toward Fionna.
“What now?” I asked. “Where do we go from here?”
She inhaled deeply, glancing around the room, before landing on me. “I think you and I should have a conversation. In private.”
Settled in the war room across the table, both of us crossed arms and stared with hostile glares at each other. The tension mounted, neither of us speaking right away. This day was chalking up to be one of the strangest for me, which was saying a lot.
“You look like her.” Fionna broke the silence, stiffly waving at my face. “Our mother. Same nose.”
I touched my face.
“Kennedy…” She shook her mane of hair, the same shade as mine underneath the dye. “Gonna have to get used to that.”
“Right.” I frowned. “It wasn’t my original name, was it?” It was a strange notion to think of myself other than Kennedy.
“No, it was Evelina…Evie…which means light.”
My nose scrunched up, rejecting the name. No, I was Kennedy. But it was kind of ironic I’d become the Queen of Light.
Lightness Falling (Lightness Saga Book 2) Page 26