“Or just a wild-goose chase and death by the natives.” Darion crossed his arms, bristling at the suggestion.
Becca couldn’t fathom why he was against it. “We’ve faced worse. Together.” She stepped towards him, wanting to reach out to him.
“And your sister? This will be dangerous.”
“She can stay here with Caleb and help us communicate with the others.”
He didn’t reply, but his angry posture told her this wasn’t over between them.
Couldn’t he understand she had to end this? It wasn’t just about keeping her sister and friends alive. This was the only way groups like this community could live. It would even the footing once again for everyone.
“You’ve definitely given us an option to consider. Let us sleep on it tonight, and we’ll meet again in the morning.” Andre looked intrigued. There was something to find out there, and they both knew it. He gave her a slight nod, dismissing them.
Outside of Andre’s office, Darion grabbed Becca’s hand and led her down into the private caves past the med unit.
“Where are we going?” Becca wasn’t familiar with this section of rooms.
“Andre gave me my own room a couple nights ago.”
“Really?”
“I was keeping odd hours translating for him, and he didn’t want me to wake the others.” He continued forward with a tight grip on her hand.
On the dim path, she realized maybe Darion had a right to be mad. She’d dragged him into this mess with Ryma, and now she had volunteered him for another crazy mission. He loved his magic, and he loved being here, able to use his powers for something positive he wasn’t forced into. Now, she wanted to take it all away.
He entered a small room and lit a nearby lantern. A small cot was tucked into the corner, and there were a few other sparse belongings. He closed the door.
Before he could start, she said, “I’m sorry.”
Confusion replaced anger on his face for a brief moment. “Why?”
Where to start, she thought. “I shouldn’t have volunteered you to go with me. Here I have dragged you through the wilds with my possessed sister, and once we get settled, I’m ready to volunteer you on a half-brained idea, which may not even work. It’s not fair of me to expect—”
He kissed her, briefly, but it was enough to send a warm jolt down her spine.
“You’re wrong,” he stated.
“That’s what I was trying to explain.”
“No. Yes, I wish you would have run the plan by me first, but I’m not worried about going south. I just don’t want you to have to go.” His frustration melted, softening his eyes. “I can’t stand the idea of you throwing yourself into another dangerous situation, putting yourself at risk.”
It was her turn to be surprised. “Really?”
A laugh escaped his lips, but it wasn’t happy. “Have you not figured things out between us yet? You’re pretty important to me. When we first met, I didn’t tell you I was a magician because I wasn’t about to drag anyone into my dangerous world. Then you got involved with the coven, and there wasn’t anything I wasn’t willing to do to pull you out.” He reached for her hand, and she willingly gave it to him. “If you leave, and I know you probably will because I won’t be able to talk you out of it, there isn’t anything that would keep me from your side.”
“Oh…” How could she have doubted him? “I’m—”
He closed the distance with another kiss, his arms weaving around her. “You better not say sorry again.”
Lost in his kiss, her body lit with a fire all on its own. She leaned back slightly. “Thank—”
He raised his brows. “No thank-yous either. I’m a purely selfish beast at heart.”
She knew that was untrue. He had helped her, her sister, Caleb, and so many people in this community. Embracing him, she whispered in his ear. “There is one thing you won’t be able to stop me from saying… I love you.”
Heat emanated from him, a warmth that enveloped both of them. “Of course not. As long as you know I love you more.”
END OF BOOK TWO
Dark Alliance
Book 3 of Dark Rising
Chapter Seventy-Six
Someone quietly entered Becca’s tent, and she froze in her cot. The morning sun had yet to make its appearance, but the light haziness of dawn shone through the window in her tent. The knife under her pillow was close, but her newfound power would be more efficient in dealing with her unwanted guest and less messy. The second she touched the intruder’s thoughts, she relaxed. The next clue was the hint of smoke clinging to him. So, when Darion slipped into her cot behind her, she welcomed the warmth.
“Morning, Becca.” Darion’s low voice rumbled in her ear, sending a pleasant chill through her body. He wrapped an arm around her stomach, and she held tight. She wouldn’t have known how she’d survive the past year without this man in her life, and she wasn’t letting go now.
“Morning.”
“Your sister’s off early this morning.”
“Elizabeth wanted to help Doc with the move.” Since her sister’s recovery, she had continued working in the med unit.
He snuggled in a bit closer, kissing the side of her neck. “All the better for us.”
“We haven’t had much privacy for a while.”
“True. Going on the run with over a hundred people, living in the wild, doesn’t offer much in the way of romance.”
Becca had also chosen to room with her sister, who had been weak from a demon possession. Something no one thought Elizabeth would survive. Darion never appeared to resent Becca for that decision, though both grabbed every minute of privacy they could.
Becca turned in the cot to face him. “Who needs romance? I’ll take campfires and starry skies any day.” Honestly, spending the last couple months with Darion, Elizabeth, and her best friend Caleb, even though not under the best circumstances, had meant the world to her. They were family in every sense of the word.
Becca rolled over, and Darion pressed a light kiss on her lips. A soft jolt of electricity woke her body. Their connection left them both baffled, but since they’d joined their magic it had drawn them closer in more than one way.
“Thank you.” She nuzzled into his chest, reveling in his warm arms. A sense of belonging settled in her, one that she had chased for years. “But you do make it hard to get out of this cot and pack. We have things to do.” Becca felt another visitor at the doorway of her tent, which kept her actions chaste. “Navina?”
The young visitor spoke loudly outside the tent. “Andre wanted me to remind you that you have a meeting this morning. You should quit making out with your boyfriend before you’re late.”
“That’s one way to kill the mood,” Becca said, frustrated, even if the girl was right.
Darion chuckled. “She’s right. I was supposed to be waking you, not sidetracking you. I still have to check on the kitchens, then I’ll meet you there.”
As he got up, she rolled over to watch him—one of her favorite pastimes. He ran a hand through his dark hair, which fell above his ears. His tall frame started off with broad shoulders then ended—
“What are you looking at?” He turned around and stared at her with one brow cocked as if he already knew the answer.
She wasn’t going to fess up that easy. “You’re going to let a ten-year-old chase you off?”
He placed one more kiss on the tip of Becca’s nose. “Yes, yes I am. She’ll keep shouting to the whole camp until I’m out of here.”
Becca admitted defeat. “Okay, Navina. You win.”
Since she didn’t know where they would be sleeping that night, Becca took a quick sponge bath. She pulled her long dark hair up in a ponytail and set about getting ready. Ten minutes later, Becca finished shoving her few belongings in the duffel bag and zipped it up. Stepping out of the tent, she found Navina whittling. The girl’s long braids and freckles gave her the look of an innocent, but in her short life she had witnessed horrors beyo
nd imagination, forcing her to mature beyond her years.
“Ready?” Becca tugged lightly on a braid.
“I was ready before you started kissing Darion,” Navina rolled her eyes with expertise.
Laughing, Becca swung her bag over one shoulder, readying to leave. “Good, we have to stop by the Doc’s first.”
Leaves crunched underfoot as they moved through the camp entwined in the large orange grove. The rebels had been there for a couple of weeks. Taking down camp for a hundred or more people wasn’t a simple task, but magic made it faster. Today though, Becca wouldn’t be saying goodbye to just this temporary home, but her real family as well, her sister.
Becca turned on the path to find Doc packing up his equipment. “Hey, Doc. Need any help?”
“Almost done.” After closing the last box, he swiped a hand across his forehead. He’d lost weight lately. They all had.
“Are you ready?” He motioned to the bag over her shoulder.
“Heading out today.” She’d miss Doc as well. They had spent a lot of time together as he tended to Elizabeth.
“Take care of yourself.” He gave her a hug, and one last kind smile before turning to the girl. “Actually, Navina, can you help me with one last thing?”
“Sure.” The young girl gave a heavy sigh but followed Doc to the tall tower of boxes in the back. In the camp, everyone knew the value of work, even the young.
“Rebecca.” Elizabeth appeared with an arm full of towels. Her blonde hair wrapped in a high bun, and her light complexion flushed red from activity. She was the only one who called her Rebecca anymore.
“How are you feeling?” Becca took some of the towels from her.
Even though Elizabeth looked healthier, Becca wished those dark circles under her sister’s eyes would leave. Memories, Becca assumed, of an unimaginable past.
I’m fine, really. Elizabeth spoke to Becca telepathically. No one knew exactly how the sisters could do it, but with everything they’d been through, that was the least of their worries.
“I don’t have to go.” Becca’s trip would take her across the ocean. She hated to leave her sister, especially when everything was in upheaval. The rebels were attacked over a month ago by a nearby coven. Losses were heavy for the small group, and even though they won the battle, there was a larger war looming on the horizon, one that they could never win alone.
“Your thoughts say otherwise.”
“Maybe.” Becca shrugged, knowing her sister was right and that she’d have to protect her thoughts more.
In the last battle, they took out Ryma, a member of the most powerful coven in the world. Taking out one of the coven’s thirteen members alerted the head of the coven, Lazaro, of their presence, and they had been outrunning his thugs all winter. Elizabeth’s powers as a seer had helped, but with her frail health, her powers were still developing. Now Becca needed to find something to counter the coven of thirteen, which she hoped she’d find across the ocean in Central America.
I love you. Her sister interrupted her thoughts. I’ll miss you. But I worry more about you than me. Andre and Caleb will take care of me.
Becca embraced her sister, breathing in the smell of pine that clung to her. As close as she felt with her sister, Becca also felt as different as can be. While Becca had dark hair that matched her hardened body, Elizabeth’s petite frame and pretty face matched her soft spoken tone. Both had a stubbornness and courage no one could deny.
“I love you, too. Be careful, little sis.”
“I will.” The tenderness in Elizabeth’s voice tightened Becca’s chest. “Now, I think you have a meeting to go to.”
“You know how I love meetings.”
Elizabeth laughed and let go of Becca. “You better not make Andre wait again. He doesn’t wear grumpy well.”
“True.” Becca watched her sister turn back to packing, memorizing every small feature. Those long fingers, refolding towels. The curve of her back, thin and frail. Becca had lost her sister once, when she left home. It hurt like hell to do it again.
Finally, she turned to leave, chest tight and aching. After several steps Navina appeared by Becca’s side. That girl got around the camp better than anyone else.
“Don’t you have packing to do with your mother?” Becca gripped her pack. Not that Becca didn’t enjoy the young girl; she always admired Navina’s determination and fierce spirit. But the ten-year-old was notorious for skipping out of chores or necessary training.
“They won’t miss me,” she grinned.
“It’s your neck.” Becca didn’t want to push the girl. She already had a mother.
The camp moved as noiselessly as possible as they packed up. Small children talked and played in soft tones for even they knew the importance of remaining unseen. Becca and Navina made their way through the preparations and found Andre and the others gathered in a small group between trees. A privacy spell must have been performed because Becca couldn’t hear a word though the discussion looked intense.
Darion noticed her first, a sweet smile curving up his lips, his dark eyes an invitation of everything she always wanted. The only highlight of this trip was going with him. And not having every kiss they shared announced throughout camp. He said something that had all of them turning to Becca.
“That’s your cue to head out, Navina. Try to stay out of trouble.”
“Come on. Let me stay, please.”
Becca turned to the young girl. When Becca had first arrived at the rebels’ underground compound, this little big-eyed girl with pig tails had been the first to reach out despite Becca’s reluctance. Now she considered this girl family. “Navina, you need to head back to your mother. She’ll need help with your brother and the other little ones.”
The girl started to complain, but Becca cut her short. “Not this time. You‘re needed.”
She dropped her shoulders for a minute, then with resolve lifted her gaze. “If you see Lazaro before I do, kill him for me.”
“Will do.” Becca smiled as the girl headed back towards the main section of camp, admiring her bravado. Turning back to the others, she noticed the conversation heating up again, and hurried over.
Once she passed the invisible barrier, the argument rushed to greet her. The two leaders of the coven went back and forth on their current plan while the bystanders watched them. The leaders, Andre and Leon, were brothers, both tall and dark-skinned. Whereas Andre was the magician, with a tall lanky look, Leon was bulkier and bald, his only magic, being completely immune from it.
Becca took her place next to Darion. He brushed her hand, his warmth traveling straight up her arm. A nice plus to have a pyromancer as a boyfriend. His affinity to fire came in handy, living outside in the winter.
“It’s too dangerous for Ryma’s position in the thirteen to remain empty. Lazaro will fill it as soon as possible, then that fight will be harder to finish,” Leon said. “We need to strike now while we can.”
“We don’t have the forces to strike. I won’t risk the others to be left defenseless. We’ll keep to the plan.” Andre clenched his jaw and straightened up a good inch or two above his brother. Andre’s affinity to earth and water magic was the strongest Becca had ever seen, and scary in action. He had the last word here for a reason.
Leon ran a hand over his bare head. “Really. This plan of taking two of our strongest magicians and sending them on a wild goose chase?”
“You know why she has to go,” Nikki interrupted Leon. As Andre’s daughter and Leon’s niece, she was one of the few that could get away with it.
Nikki was right though. Becca’s magic specialized in the spirit, similar to Lazaro who opened the magical portal over twenty years ago. She hated the similarity but was willing to do what she needed to stop his mad reign over the world.
Becca stepped forward. “We need to explore all our options while we can.”
Leon turned that fierce gaze on her. “Tell me again, what do you think you’ll find down there?”
&nb
sp; She swallowed her real answer, that she didn’t know. “I’m hoping to find the source of Lazaro’s power. How could one weak magician in a world without demons grow to be such a power? If we find that out, maybe we can stop him.”
Decades ago, before real magic was known to Earth, Lazaro-a human born with minor magical abilities-opened a portal to another dimension. A dimension with demons and energies that afforded those with magical ability great power. Dark magicians dominated the world with demons as their pets, and destruction reigned. Becca’s one hope for a better future was to close that dimension, and somehow equal the playing field between wizards and the Mundanes.
“You don’t know what you’re going to find.”
“We won’t stay long.” Becca countered. “I’ll remain in contact with my sister. It’s only three days by boat.”
“And if you don’t find what you’re looking for in a few days, will you return?” Leon asked.
Darion stood by her side. “We won’t be able to find anything in a few days.”
“A week plus travel,” Becca said. “Then we’ll return and gather armies by your side.”
“Brother,” Andre stepped towards him. “Do you think I’d leave us unprotected?”
“No, but—”
“This isn’t a discussion anymore. I made the decision.”
“Fine,” Leon bit out, even though he didn’t look fine at all. Heavy red eyes showed his lack of sleep. With fewer men available, security was working overtime. “I’ll finish our preparations to move. Are we still planning on trying to recruit Richard?”
“Yes, we’ll camp within a day’s trip of his estate. Thank you, brother.”
With a short nod, Leon left. Andre then excused the other members of the group. Becca hadn’t had a chance to really get to know the newest members, but hoped they were able to fill the positions. Not that they had any other options. They all had to take on extra roles in the community after losing so many in the battle against Ryma.
Dark Rising Trilogy Page 52