Chosen Darkness (Chosen Series) (12 page)

“I can bring us as close as the Dark Woods,” Luria said.

Alex nodded, his senses grasping at something hanging around. It was a faint scent of urgency, but it lasted only a moment.

Luria came and stood beside him. She put her hand on his arm and the room faded into nothingness. The next thing Alex knew they were standing in a meadow which stretched around them for miles. At the far side of this meadow was a breath-taking castle, no doubt belonging to the Elves.

“Come this way.” Luria led him in the opposite direction, into the Dark Woods.

The forest seemed unnaturally dark, which was presumably why it got its name. It was if it was night in here. Alex could not hear a single animal or bird and there was not even one green tree. They were all dark and dead.

He could hear whispers and he knew they were not from the living. It was the dead making these sounds and not the kind of dead that would ever move on to the light. He blocked it out the best he could by listening to the only living thing he could hear: Luria’s heartbeat. It was faster than a human’s and sounded much like the Falyn’s.

Luria seemed not to hear the dead, or if she did she hid it well. She hurried through the dark with sure-footedness it was as reassuring as it was humbling to Alex. After all, he was a creature of the darkness so he should be able to handle this uneasy place with just as much grace.

The blinding light of sun hit them, making Alex blind for a moment. Vampires were not huge fans of the sun, but they could go out into it. It simply made their eyes water and sting if they did not shade them. And since he had not brought his sunglasses, he blinked away the spots in his eyes, looking about at the smaller meadow they now stood in.

“We made it!” Luria said with a smile.

“Not a moment too soon!”

Alex did not have to look far to find he Green Forest. It was right in front of them and it looked much more peaceful than the vile one they had just exited. He could already hear the life in it and tjos made him feel much better about going into it.

“Let us get on with it then, Binder,” Alex said as he struck out for the tree line.

“Why call me ‘Binder’?” Luria asked him.

He picked up on the sound of hurt in her voice and wondered why she felt this way.

“You are a Binder, Luria, so I called you by your name, just as you may call me Vampire without insulting me,” Alex explained gently.

“Oh,” Luria mumbled.

Alex got that funny feeling again, like he was not seeing the whole picture here, but he could not address it without solid proof.

“Come then, let’s find the Witches, Vampire,” Luria teased.

Alex let out a laugh and followed her into the enchanted Green Forest where everything was green. Even the small streams running through it where emerald green.

“Green Forest,” Alex smiled as he looked around him. “A good name for it!”

Luria began to climb the bank in front of them.

“Do you know where the Wiccans are?” Alex asked.

“Luckily I do. Tonight is the night they worship the Moon Goddess and so they will be in the clearing at the heart of the forest.”

“Perfect,” Alex said, beginning to feel hopeful.

He was glad for a bit of luck because he felt like he was running out of time, and he was not sure why.

They walked for what seemed like hours. He listened intently all the time, trying to catch voices. After a full day’s walking, he was eventually rewarded. Exactly as Luria had said, in the middle of the Green Forest was a large clearing with four huge white granite stones on a rise in the center. There was a large crowd of people there, wearing white and talking and drinking happily. They all turned to look at Alex and Luria as they walked into the clearing, but they did not seem to be worried about them being there.

“Welcome,” said an elderly man who wore a large silver headdress with dark blue feathers hanging down.

“Hello, Elder,” Luria greeted him politely.

“Ah, a Binder! How wonderful! I bid you welcome, my child,” he said with a smile, waving them forward into their group.

“I thank you, Elder. I bring a friend in search of answers we think you might have,” Luria said.

The man turned to look at Alex, his dark eyes dancing with mirth as he studied him from head to toe.

“Ah, I see. A vampire. How odd to find one in this part of the land,” he remarked.

“I am not from this land,” Alex told him.

“I know. You come from the other world and you seek answers about the undoing of the mighty ones and helping a beautiful woman,” the Elder smiled.

“Then you know I am seeking The One?” Alex asked.

“I do, and if you wait until sundown you shall be able to meet this One yourself. I already know you will be very shocked at who she is!” The Elder let out a shaky laugh before banging loudly on a hide drum. “My children!” he called. “Please gather round. We shall tell what we know of the things passing through our land! Our Immortal Watchers have been lost to us a long time now… No one knows for sure when this happened, only that it was many moons ago. None of us have laid eyes on a true Guard in many lifetimes, yet most people have no idea they have gone.”

He banged his drum again.

“Many have heard the old rumors about The One, the last of the True Light, who will come to right all the wrongs done by the Dark Druids. Tonight we shall see her and we will help her become one with the Moon Goddess, and through her we shall have hope, my children.”

The elder spoke in a voice so clear it seemed emotionless.

In this moment, an odd feeling washed over Alex yet again. He felt once more something was off, but without a real reason for it he could only listen and wait.

“Then, you don’t actually know how or why the Dark Druids took over this world?” Alex asked.

“In truth, no. I’m not sure anyone besides the Evil Ones themselves can say what happened all those years ago, but, unlike most, at least we know they rule here, not the Guard.”

As he looked into the man’s pale grey eyes, a shiver ran up Alex’s spine. However, as closely as he observed the Wiccans, he could not pinpoint any reason he should be uneasy. The Binder seemed to trust these people and, as the monk had told him, she could not lie. So he wasn’t picking up his uneasiness from her since she clearly felt none.

Luria and Alex ate with the Wiccans and listened to their stories of the Druids and their own history. Alex was amazed to learn that the Wiccans had been moving from land to land for the last thousand years.

“Can it be the only Immortal Guards left are those at the Gateway?” Luria asked the Elder.

“Sadly that’s true. The others are lost forever in this world, and the other. They have gone to be with their kings beyond the stars.”

“Why haven’t you told the residents of this world their leaders are not who they say they are?” Alex asked in a harsh voice.

“We would risk our lives if we started spreading the truth ourselves. We have to wait for The One.” The Elder spoke in the same flat, emotionless way as before.

“Everything the people in my world know is a lie!” Alex said angrily.

“And only The One can change this, Alex. She will need you to help her,” the Elder answered.

“I shall help her. If she can save those who would otherwise become victims, then I will aid her all I can!” Alex declared with passion.

“And so you shall, though you will not take it well at first… But you will come to be at peace with your choice.”

“I don’t understand,”

“You will, my son, you will,” the Elder cooed in a sweet voice.

Once more Alex felt the cold of the words, despite the smile on the Elder’s face.
Be ready
, his instinct was warning him. Why was everyone so convinced the Immortal Guard really was lost? To kill a Gargoyle was nearly impossible!

During Alex’s conversation with the Wiccan Elder, Luria had moved farther off. She was now standing on the other side of the large bonfire, her long red hair dancing in the firelight. Alex felt sure he had hurt her with his words earlier, but he had not intended to.

“She means to have you, Vampire,” the Elder whispered in his ear.

Alex was taken aback by the blunt statement.

“I can’t see how that could be true,” Alex snorted.

“You feel it. She wants you, but you already belong to someone else, this does not leave you free to be hers.”

“I wouldn’t wish to be hers, even if I were free!” Alex snapped.

And it was true; he had no wish to have the Binder girl. She was lovely enough – stunning even – but she was not for him. She did not make him want to break all the laws to have her. Only one woman did that, but she was out of his reach.

“Maybe you should tell her this before she stakes her claim on you?” the Elder suggested as Luria began to approach them.

“Um…” was all Alex said as Luria, dancing to the heavy beat of the drums, made her way to him.

“Alex!” she smiled.

Her face was flushed and it was clear that she had been drinking some of the wine which seemed to be in endless supply tonight.

“Luria, you’ve been drinking,” Alex pointed out.

She blushed a little pinker, then shrugged off his words as though they did not matter.

“Maybe I have, but even a Binder needs to have some fun once in a while, Alex. I mean Vampire. Sorry I’ve forgotten what you wish me to call you!” she said with an airy laugh.

“Come Luria, I wish to speak with you. Alone!” Alex dragged her away from the fire.

In the darkness she became bold. She grabbed him where no lady should grab a man who wasn’t hers. Alex let out a grunt.

“Luria!” he protested loudly, pulling her hand away. “You can’t do that.”

“Yes, I can. I’m a big girl, Alex. I want you and I know you find me pretty.”

“True, I do think you’re pretty but...”

Alex did not get to finish his statement because she pressed her lips to his in such a way that he was shocked into a stupor. As she moved her mouth over his, her hands locked in his hair. She was trying to shove him into the trees as she kissed him. Suddenly he bumped into something that was soft and most definitely not a tree. He came to his senses at once and pushed her away.

“Stop, Luria, we’re not alone!” he snapped at her, wiping at his mouth. He saw the hooded look in her eyes as she stared at whoever he had bumped into.

“Oh my! Forgive us, Your Ladyship,” Luria gasped.

Her words made Alex turn to look behind them. He could not make out a face but he did not miss the shapely body in green, her face hidden in the dark of her hood.

“No, I’m sorry, I was looking for...”

Her words stopped as she looked up at him. Alex was stunned. He could not gather his wits to say anything as he saw the face in the shadows of the hood before she threw it back and stepped into the moonlight.

“Falyn!” Alex roared so loud Luria covered her ears, looking between the two of them.

Falyn stood still. Her dark eyes drew into slits. She now realized what had been happening when they bumped into her, and Alex knew she was not happy about it.

“Alex,” she whispered as she looked at him.

He wanted to hold her, to kiss her, but could not bring himself to even touch her. He was frozen by his shock of seeing her here!

“Why are you here?” she asked him, the pain showing in her eyes but only for a second.

“I’m on a quest, for you.” he told her. Surely she knew that?

“Funny, me too.” She forced a smile.

She regarded Luria for a moment.

“Who is your friend, Alex?” she asked, with a lifted eyebrow.

“Luria, and she is not that kind of friend!” he said hotly.

Luria looked away, hurt once more clear in her eyes.

Damn it
! Alex didn’t have time to deal with Luria and her misbegotten feelings.

“Seems like your type of friend to me, Alex,” Falyn hissed.

“Falyn, I...”

“Don’t, Alex. I’ve been walking for days. I need to see the Wiccans quickly about something. I couldn’t care less what you do!” she spat at him before pushing past.

Alex was about to chase after her when a tall man stepped out of the trees. He followed behind Falyn with a funny grin on his face, as though he enjoyed the fact she’d given Alex the brush off.

“And who is
your
bloody friend?!” Alex shouted after Falyn.

Alex furiously whipped round to tell Luria not to ever kiss him like that again, but she too had slipped away. Well, just bloody great! Now he was the ass in the minds of two lovely woman. However, there was only one of them he wanted to make it up to; the other he hoped to stay the hell away from!

Alex muttered a good few curses before he stumped back into the firelight. He came to a halt as he saw the Wiccans all bowing down in front of no other than… Falyn. Her blonde hair was in a long braid down her back. The green gown she wore made her look like a princess, and even before the Elder could utter the words out loud, Alex knew who the Druid Princess was: who The One was. For the second time in his life, the girl he was searching for was Falyn!

“Welcome, Princess!” the Elder said with a deep bow.

“Please, you don’t need to do that,” Falyn whispered, clearly embarrassed by the show of devotion from these strangers.

“Do not be so modest, Princess. We have waited a long time for you.”

Falyn looked astonished at this statement but she did not say anything.

“Soon you will have your powers and you will know who you are, but first you must drink from the well.” The Elder handed her a silver cup.

“How will this help me?” Falyn asked.

“When the Moon is at her peak, you must stand up there on those stones and the Moon Goddess will give you the answer you seek. She will make you whole.”

Falyn seemed to be looking for someone in the group for a moment. Alex wondered if maybe it was him, but when he saw it was the man who had followed her out of the woods, he wasn’t pleased. The man nodded to her, as if it was okay for her to go. As if she needed him to tell her it was!

Alex was holding back the urge to rush to her and shake her, to ask why she was here, to ask how long she’d known she was The One. He’d been looking for The One to find help for her, and she was The One all along! All he wanted to do now was talk to her but he could not, because even as he stood there, watching, she was led to the stones.