Blood Beyond Darkness

by Brown, Stacey Marie

  Her head lurched back, and a nerve chilling wail arose from the depths of her body. I twisted the blade deeper. Samantha’s eyes went wide, turning back to blue. Her face and hands became human. Loathing emanated from the depths of her eyes. Blood trickled down on me from her mouth as she still tried to fight.

  “It’s not my time yet. But it’s definitely yours,” I sneered, and I could feel my face contort in revulsion.

  Her body slipped off mine, and I pushed myself up and whispered into her ear. “That is for Ian. And as you die, know not only will I become Queen but a Dae got the better of you—in every way, you psychotic bitch.” I hissed. “Also, Eli gave me the blade that killed you. Call it poetic justice.”

  Samantha lay there, blood pouring out of her and into the cracks of the floor. Her lips moved and faintly, and I caught the word, “whore,” before she stilled for good.

  “Been called worse.” I pushed the rest of her off me. I crawled to my feet and wobbled from my own blood loss. If I had my powers, I would have been healing already. At least the Dark Dweller in me slowed the leakage.

  I leaned over her and tugged my blade from her back with a slick, sucking sound. Using a piece of my torn shirt, I wiped off the steel and stuck it back into my boot.

  “Ember,” Eli’s voice hit the wood along with his body. The metal from the broken door clattered throughout the room.

  I scrambled to the opening, unhitching the bar. As the door swung open. Eli barreled into the room and stopped short. His eyes went from me, to the body on the floor, back to me again, landing on my neck. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m not dead.”

  He frowned and came to me; his arms pulled me into him. His hand going to the seeping wound on my neck. “I am so sorry. If I’d known what she was doing ...”

  “It’s no one’s fault.” I pressed my cheek against his chest. “Our time was a long time coming. I’m glad it’s finally over.”

  The shock of killing her kept me numb. Someday it might hit me, or maybe it never would. I did not feel joy or sadness, only relief I had survived.

  “I am so sorry about Jared.” I bit on my lip, keeping the tears at bay. There would be a time to mourn.

  Heart wrenching sadness carved into Eli’s expression. His larynx bobbed as he swallowed back emotion. He kissed my head and squeezed me tighter. Besides Jared’s death, I knew Samantha’s hurt him more than he let on. For all her bad qualities, Samantha was still his clan. Like Torin for me, she had been destined for Eli, but fate stepped in and changed the path. Similar to Torin, she did not handle the change in plans well.

  Eli’s and my life together would never have been the easy one, but it certainly would have been the right one. Now because of Aneira’s oath, we would never have a chance to see it through.

  “We have to go. Kennedy, the pixies, and Torin are waiting for us down in the tunnel. Lorcan is going to stand guard and make sure no one follows us.”

  “What about the men who killed Jared?”

  Muscles in Eli’s jaw twitched. “Taken care of.”

  I nodded against his shirt and stepped away. Turning, I looked back and saw him squat next to Samantha. He leaned over, closed her eyes with his fingers, and gently touched her face. His eyes closed briefly before he stood and followed me out of the room.

  Lorcan stood at the opening of the tunnels waiting for us, his posture tall and erect. The mold of his mouth strained. He looked to be struggling to hold back emotion. Sam mentioned earlier she had felt Owen’s death. No doubt Lorcan had experienced Samantha’s. She was one of his pack mates. The Alpha of the group connected stronger to everyone is his group. His link to her died the moment she did.

  “I am sorry, brother.” Eli’s voice sounded solemn, but his body stayed rigid, his muscles primed to react to whatever Lorcan would hurl our way. Lorcan did not move to attack. His agitation did not seem to be directed at us.

  Lorcan massaged the back of his neck, looking at the ground. He slugged in a deep gulf of air. “I should have seen it coming.” His voice wobbled with anger and grief. “It was Samantha’s decision, not yours. A true Alpha would know what was going on with his clan. Samantha was always emotional and unpredictable, but in the end, my ego held no doubt she would follow my orders. That is my failing.”

  My mouth gapped at Lorcan. He actually sounded remorseful. What the hell happened to the ruthless, arrogant prick I had come to know?

  “Lorcan—”

  He held up his hand, cutting me off. “You did what you had to do, Ember.” He rubbed his palm roughly over his face, when his eyes found mine they were back to the emotionless, cold state. “Now we each have killed someone we loved. One of our family members.”

  I sucked in a sharp gasp. The bullet of realization to my chest felt acute.

  “You guys need to get going. We don’t have time for talking.” Lorcan waved to the tunnel.

  Eli nodded, grabbed my hand, and took a step to the entrance.

  “Good luck, brother.” Lorcan’s voice sounded unemotional, but his eyes carried deep concern. For the first time, I could see the affection Lorcan felt for his little brother.

  Eli paused before pulling Lorcan into a hug, pounding his back. It was a manly hug, but I could feel the love between them. Losing Jared and Owen changed my perspective, too. My abhorrence for Lorcan softened. Hate drained me and kept me from seeing what was truly important—family. Although I would never forget, I needed to move pass it.

  The men broke apart. Eli pressed his hand to my lower back, herding me into the tunnel.

  Lorcan gave me a deep nod. “Stay safe, Ember.”

  My foot stumbled, and my head jerked toward him. We held each other’s gaze, and something I couldn’t explain passed between us. Maybe it was understanding. Maybe it was forgiveness. I didn’t know, but something had changed.

  “You, too, Lorcan.”

  We would never be friends, but he was the brother of the man I loved and a fellow Dark Dweller. In some way, he would forever be connected to me.

  TWENTY-NINE

  Eli and I left Lorcan and made our way into the channel. We jogged the long corridor with the sound of our feet reverberating in unison off the walls.

  “My lady, are you all right?” Simmons and Cal both winged to me as soon as they saw us.

  “Yes. I’m fine.” I grabbed Simmons as he tried to land and placed him on my shoulder.

  Cal settled himself on my other side, touching the blood crusting around the tear in my neck. “I can’t leave you for a moment, can I?”

  The moment we rounded the corner, Torin snapped, “Where have you guys been?” He stood with a stiff-back, arms akimbo, and eyes narrowed to crinkled slits.

  “Sorry,” I snapped back. “I was trying not to become a meal of vengeance served with a side of abhorrence.”

  Torin silently narrowed his gaze on me, then turned his back to us.

  Kennedy sat on the ground next to Torin’s feet. Her arms wrapped around her legs, while she rocked. Dried tears lined her face as she stared off into space. I knelt and folded my arms around her. She stayed nonresponsive, her body in shock. I touched her face. I could say nothing to take her pain away. Ken’s gaze drifted to me, empty. It made my heart clench. She gave me a small nod and took my hand. I helped her to her feet. I know we both wanted to curl in a ball and say screw the war. But we would have to grieve later. Kennedy’s will and strength continued to amaze me. It took extraordinary strength to keep going. It was something I understood well.

  I pulled out a light from of my backpack to illuminate our way as we traveled through the tunnels.

  Torin felt the walls as we walked. After a short time of moving through, he stopped. “Here.” A castle with secret passageways didn’t surprise me. I had a feeling this place was full of them. His hand pressed at different spots in the wall, but nothing happened. “Dammit. She’s blocked me from entering the passages.”

  “What do we do?” Kennedy’s voice rose in frustration
.

  “Find another way in.” Eli peered down the dark hall.

  Torin twisted to stare at Eli. “Another path? We don’t have time to find another way.”

  “What do you expect us to do? Stand here and wait for it to open? Sorry, but I forgot my garage door opener.” Eli shifted closer to Torin, getting in his face.

  “What is your great plan?” Torin stepped to Eli.

  “Stop it, both of you.” I tugged at their arms, trying to get them to back down. “We don’t have time for the testosterone crap.”

  “No. You don’t.” A voice came from the other side of the door as it swung in, opening.

  Fear hardened the air in my lungs. I recognized the voice instantly. “Josh?” I spun and faced the figure.

  “You seem surprised.” Josh tilted his head. He stood there, dressed in the outfit of the First Knight: black leather pants and a long shelved shirt covered with the crest of the Queen. He was even taller and more filled out than the last time I saw him. He kept his eyes locked on me. “You actually thought I’d turn my back on the only person who ever cared about me? I’d actually fallen for the Queen’s tricks and wasn’t the one playing her like a fiddle?”

  My mouth went slack, eyes wide, as I continued to stare at him.

  Josh shifted his feet. “I know you don’t trust me, but I swear ... I never planned to betray you.”

  “You’re right. I don’t believe a word coming out of your mouth.” Eli stepped closer to Josh, his chest extended, using his height difference to loom over Josh. “How do we know it’s not a trap?”

  Josh’s lips clenched tighter together, and he threw back his head to look at Eli. He kept his eyes steady on Eli’s. “You don’t. Except for my word.” He swung again to me. “Ember, you know me. I mean really know me. Believe me. I am on your side.”

  “You turned me and the sword over to the Queen.” I shook my head. “How can I possibly trust you?”

  “I had to. She watched my every move. I needed to make her believe I was faithful.” Josh went to step around Eli, but Eli blocked his path to me again. “Believe me!”

  I hesitated, wanting to believe his words, but I had been burned too many times before.

  “I’ll admit, I fell for the idea of her and what she could offer me at first, but what she did to you is when I saw her for what she truly is.” Josh nodded to Torin. “I could easily be the next guy she tortured. But by then it was too late. She was in my head.” He brushed absently at his temple. “I had to do what she wanted, or we would all be dead. But I swear to you, Em. I always planned to backstab her in the end.”

  “He’s telling the truth,” Kennedy spoke from behind me. I twisted to look at Kennedy, her lids closed. “The false Knight will guide the way.”

  Why does this phrase sound so familiar? I faced Josh again and looked deep into his eyes, now seeing the certainty written deep in them. My brain spun in a whirlpool of confusion and questions before it bottomed out, pouring the answers down on me. I was probably doing the stupidest thing, but my gut told me I was right.

  My lips quirked up. “It’s about freakin’ time you got on the right side, Josh. We have so much to talk about, but right now we are kind of in a hurry here.”

  Josh tilted his head at me, his jaw dropping. “Me? I’ve been standing here waiting for you. Do you know what it took to slip away from ‘my men’ unquestioned? At least Aneira is too distracted by Lars and the battle to be in my head.”

  “Wait. What?” Eli’s protest fell on my ears, but I ignored him as I ploughed into Josh.

  My arms wrapped around him as I choked out a sob. “I knew it.”

  “I am so sorry, Em. It was necessary. She was in my mind every single second, compelling and threatening me. I had to play like I actually was betraying you. She needed to believe she had me completely under her spell.” He stroked my hair. “I didn’t know she would be in Greece. I freaked out, and in overplaying it, I almost got us killed.”

  “Are you fuckin’ kidding me, Brycin?” Eli interrupted. He threw out his arms, his gaze going to me then Josh. “Whatever Kennedy says, are you are actually going to trust him? Are you insane?”

  “Yeah. I guess I am.” I stepped out of Josh’s embrace and swiveled my neck to look at Eli. “I believe him. And I need you to have faith in me.”

  Eli’s head slanted to the side, his jaw moving back and forth, grinding his teeth.

  “What other choice do we have?” I pleaded with Eli. He kept his attention fixed on my face before his shoulders sagged.

  “Fine.” He said to me, then turned to Josh. “But if you betray us, I will tear you to pieces before you can even blink. Do you get me?”

  Josh’s Adam’s apple bobbed before he nodded. “Yes. I understand.”

  Eli gave a slight nod back.

  I faced Josh. “You’re all right, though? She didn’t hurt you or anything?”

  “I’m all right.” He looked down. There was heaviness behind his words. I couldn’t think about what he meant by “all right” or what Aneira might have done to him. It would have to wait. “She has no clue I’ve been tricking her the whole time. She never doubted for a second I was some dumb, gullible human who fell for her hook, line, and sinker. She let me overhear things ... like where the sword was kept.”

  “How’d you know we would be here?” I pulled out of his arms.

  “Let’s say a little birdie told me.”

  “Grimmel?”

  “Is that the crazy raven’s name?”

  I nodded.

  “He would come to my window every night and jabber nonsense. I even dreamed about him, and every time he would lead me down here, saying ‘I see you, false knight. You help fire flame.’”

  “False is the night that will light your way.” Grimmel’s ambiguous words came back to me. Oh, holy crap. He meant knight, not night. He had been intimating Josh’s true intentions and hinting he would be the one to help us get through the passages and into the sword room.

  I pulled Josh to me again. “You don’t know how happy I am to see you. I have missed you so much.”

  “I have missed you, too.” Josh’s arms wrapped tighter around me. “You are the only one, besides Mrs. Sanchez, who ever really cared about me.”

  “All right, all right.” Eli nudged us. “We have to go before all of Josh’s acting skills are for naught.”

  “Don’t forget, Dragen, who saved your ass,” Josh declared over his shoulder as he stepped away from me. “I even fooled you. Double crossed the double crosser. You can’t say you aren’t impressed?”

  Eli glowered at him.

  Not being totally blinded, a part of me also understood Josh didn’t do it entirely for me. He still had a “human” complex, and there was some part of him getting off because he had tricked all of us. A human out-fooled the most notorious tricksters, the Fae.

  Right then, I didn’t care. He was here, and that’s what mattered. Josh grabbed my hand as we headed down the tunnel. “Sorry about having to pull a knife on you in the cave and handing the sword over to her. She was watching. I had no choice.”

  I nodded. “Not happy about it, but I see it now. I could handle the blade to the jugular, but the drop in the cave? Never going to forgive you for the free fall.”

  “Yeah, because I planned almost dying.” Josh rolled his eyes and waved us forward. “It should be pretty clear, your majesty, only two men are left guarding the room.” He instantly grimaced. “Sorry, I’ve had to say ‘majesty’ so much, it’s hard to stop.”

  “Cal, you and Simmons are on.” I nodded toward the pouches around their waists. “It’s bedtime for some guards.”

  “Aye, my lady.” Simmons flew ahead.

  Cal frowned, staring at the contents. “I am so sorry, my love. You being misused like this is wrong. Please forgive the violation I am about to commit.”

  “Cal,” I warned.

  “Yeah, yeah, girlie. Clamp those britches between your cheeks. I am going,” Cal snipped, before
heading after Simmons. They disappeared into the darkness, which swallowed the path in front of us.

  Kennedy, Torin, Eli, Josh, and I trotted down the path with only the light from Kennedy’s and my tiny flashlights leading us.

  “Here,” Torin suddenly called. All of us halted at the space. A vague outline of a door interrupted the seamless stone wall.

  “Crack it, so they can get in and out.” I pointed to the pixies hovering at the gap.

  “Yes, let the little pixies out so they won’t pee on the carpet.” Cal huffed.

  “Someone is bitter,” I chided. “Fine. One lick before you go.”

  Cal’s face beamed as he licked his entire hand and stuffed it into the bag. It came out caked in powder.

  “Cal,” I placed my hand on my forehead. “Not quite what I meant.”

  “To be fair, you said one lick. You didn’t specify how many fingers he could use. His tongue has yet to leave his hand.” Eli shrugged.

  “Yeah, I walked into that one.” I rubbed my temple and nodded to the opening. “Do it now before he gets tipsy ... tipsier.”

  Torin stepped back, letting Josh take over. Only the First Knight had access to the doors. Josh shoved at a protruding chunk in the stone. The wall shifted, revealing another swinging door. He carefully nudged it and opened it a sliver.

  “I am counting on you guys. Okay, mostly Simmons.” I glowered as Cal finally rolled his tongue back into his mouth and hiccupped.

  “I will not fail you, my lady.” Simmons saluted me before darting into the gap.

  Cal went to the aperture, dropped his pants, and mooned us before he flew out.

  “I am sure in some cultures showing your naked butt is a sign of respect,” Eli said with a grin.

  “Yeah, yours.” I bumped his shoulder. Torin exhaled deeply, his head falling back with annoyance. I pinned my lips together, looking away from Eli. I didn’t need a connection to Torin to see his distress and irritation with Eli and me.