Dark Summoner (Relic Keeper Series Book 1) (9 page)

I took in a jagged, shaky breath as he lowered his head until his lips grazed my ear, sending a streak of lust through me. His words flowed like velvet, but I could sense the lethal undertone. “I’m being much more generous with you than I have been with others. You would be wise to accept my hospitality without question or argument.” He lifted my chin and gently rubbed his knuckle across my parted lips. “Choose to defy me and a fate worse than death awaits you. Do you understand?”

I was hypnotized by him, trapped in the path of a juggernaut with his sights set on me. It was as though I was on the cusp of a steep drop, anticipating its arrival and dreading it at the same. I knew there was no way for me to win this fight, not yet at least. For now, I had to play the game. I dipped my head, stepped back, and left the room, taking as many steps away as I could from the man who embodied the devil himself.

I
’ve never been a glass-half-full kind of girl, but even I had to admit things could have been worse. After how badly things had gone last night between Kieron and I, I’d expected to be dragged down into a cold cell and left to sleep on the dirty floor with only dry bread and stale water to comfort me. My lavish accommodations surprised me. I’d been taken upstairs to the second level and shown an elegant, warm, and inviting bedroom. Deep purple walls with ivory crown molding adorned the room. A beautiful crystal chandelier hung over the center of a bed covered in white and gray silky sheets. Several pieces of elegant white furniture, including an enormous vanity with a crystal encrusted mirror and a long velvet chaise lounge chair, filled the rest of the room.

I’d cried so many tears—a nonstop mixture of angry sobs and uncontrollable weeping. It didn’t matter how beautiful or comfortable my room was, being alone in a strange place was even more frightening than I’d imagined. Sleep evaded me. I was too afraid, too confused, too
everything
to find any comfort. I’d spent much of my time planning how to proceed going forward. So far, I’d only come to one decision. I wanted to live. I wasn’t exactly sure how to achieve that goal except by learning everything I possibly could, not only about the Relic but about the Council, the Black Walker and the First Realm. The Dark Summoner may have been behaving like an asshole, but he wasn’t lying when he’d said they weren’t looking out for me. I was pretty damn sure I had to look out for myself.

It was already evening again, and I still hadn’t left my room. I didn’t know if I could or if I even should. I hadn’t had the nerve to get up and check to see if I’d been locked in, afraid that I was too emotionally fragile to handle the reality of being a prisoner.

Over the last twenty-four hours, I heard a lot of different voices through the floor below. There was laughter, yelling, and everything in between. I’d also decided that since being around Kieron had a funny way of playing with my head—and my hormones—my goal was to stay hidden from view for the next few days. Which would have worked out perfectly if I hadn’t heard it.

Knuckles tapped against my door, firm yet gentle.

Without waiting for me to answer it, the door cracked open and a head peeked in. Last night, I hadn’t bothered to get up or turn on any lights. It was now much too dark to see a face across the room. I held the duvet cover tightly in my hands as a very insufficient form of protection.

I was about to scream when I heard Reagan’s voice. “Abby?”

All of my anger and resentment melted away at the sound of her voice. I flipped the switch on the lamp beside my bed. My heart swelled at the sight of her just inside the door. “Reagan!”

She rushed across the room and hugged me, causing me to fall backward onto the bed. Even though we’d seen each other yesterday, it was under very different circumstances.

She gave me a wide smile and inspected my face, hands, and arms for any signs of harm. She then spun me around and continued her inspection on my other side.

I laughed, my heart warmed by the gesture. “Rea, honestly I’m fine.” I took her hands in mine and squeezed them. “I’m sorry about yelling at you and being angry with you and—”

She covered my mouth with her palm. “Stop. I’m the one who is sorry. I promise if I could have told you everything, I would have. I never expected for us to become such great friends. I was supposed to get to know you well enough so that you wouldn’t think I was some stalker who followed you around. I never expected for us to become like sisters.”

When she moved her hand, I spoke. “I know that you never meant to hurt me, Rea.”

“I didn’t. Honestly.”

I offered her a reassuring smile. “Can I ask you something without you getting upset?”

“Of course,” she said as she sat down on the bed beside me.

“Who are you?”

She laughed at how ridiculous my question sounded and even I had to giggle. “I’m the same person, I swear.” She raised her right hand into the air like people do in court. “The only thing I hid was my position. That’s it.”

“That’s it?”

She tilted her head to the side. “Well . . . and the fact that I can do magic and live in the First Realm and that I’m not actually human.” But other than that . . . exactly the same.”

She waited for me to get upset again at all the lies, but I couldn’t. As much as it sucked, she hadn’t lied to me maliciously. And I missed her. She was the only person I trusted and the last part of my old life that I had left. I wasn’t about to let her go.

“I feel like I don’t know who to trust, Rea. It’s like everyone has something to gain or lose.”

“You can trust me and yourself. Trust your instincts.”

I shook my head, trying to hold back the returning tears. “I’ve never felt so alone. It’s like everything I thought I knew was wrong, and I’m going crazy or something.”

She pulled me into a side hug and let me tuck my head into her. “I know, hon, but I even if it got worse, I’ll be right here with you, going through it by your side.”

I wiped at a stray tear. “When will it be easy?”

“I don’t know if it ever will be.”

We sat in a quiet yet comfortable silence for ten minutes, both of us comforted by the other’s presence. I think we were both relieved just to have things between us back to normal.

I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Okay. No more sad stuff, at least for the rest of this conversation. I’ve got enough depressing shit going on in my head to keep me miserable for the next three lifetimes.” I inhaled another deep breath. “What do I need to know?”

“Straight to business, huh?” She sat up on the bed and tucked her ankles beneath her thighs. “First, tell me something. How did it go last night? The guys weren’t too bad, I hope?”

“No, it was fine. None of them really spoke, let alone looked at me. Although at one point, I called your boss an asshole.”

Her eyes blinked wide. “Wow. What did he do?”

“Well, he didn’t hit me if that’s what you were expecting.”

She looked truly offended. “What? Of course he didn’t hit you.”

I was surprised. It’s not that he seemed like the kind of man who would strike a woman or anyone who annoyed him, but her reaction was utter shock. Like the idea of him hitting me was so far removed from who he was, who he is.

“He didn’t do anything,” I said. “He just smiled. At least I think it was a smile.”

She tilted her head to the side and a wide grin spread across her lips.

“What?” I asked. It was as if we were two school girls talking about a boy one of us liked.

She shook her head. “Nothing.”

“He also basically told me he can’t wait to get rid of me.”

“I’m sure he did.”

I wasn’t sure if her unconvincing tone was directed toward his words or mine.

“He also threatened my life. Did I mention that?”

“Sounds about right.”

“God, I can’t believe out of all the people destiny had to tie me to, it was this guy.”

“He’s not so bad,” she said, her tone softening.

“What do you mean?”

She opened her mouth, hesitated, then spoke. “He saved my life. Back when death was my only option.”

I scoffed. “So what? Now he’s a good man who seems bad?”

“I’m not saying he’s a good man or a bad one. I’m just saying that things are much more complicated than simple black and white, good and bad. Especially in this realm.”

“Yeah, by the way, does this realm have a freaking name? I haven’t heard a single person mention it.”

“It’s sacred. We don’t usually speak it unless in prayer—or death.”

“Oh.”

Strange that something as simple as a name would have so much power.

“It’s Veiyhlan.” Her voice was soft. Gentle. Thoughtful. She’d said it like a sacred oath. A promise.

I repeated the name, trying to show it the same respect. “Vay-lan?”

She nodded her head in approval before switching topics. “By the way, I’m sorry I couldn’t be there during your meeting at the Council house. But he wouldn’t allow it. Trust me when I say I fought like hell.”

I smiled at her proudly. “I’m sure you did.”

“I’ve been as annoying as possible for the last twenty-four hours until I’d finally been allowed to come see you. I think Kieron regretted saving my life so long ago.”

Her mention of the Council made me think of the other incredibly hot man I’d recently met. “Have you seen Dorian?”

“Yes.” She didn’t elaborate.

“And? Is he okay?”

“You should be careful, Abby.”

Whoa. Where the hell did that come from? “What do you mean careful?”

“
Elhun
can make men . . . tense, protective.”

“Irrational?”

“That too.”

“What’s the issue between the two of them anyway?”

Her eyebrows rose. “Right now? It’s you. But there’s also a lot of history there.”

“Me? You’re crazy.”

She rolled her eyes. “If denial works best for you, so be it.”

“You know Kieron told me that he wants to get rid of the bond, right?”

“Maybe he said that,” she said as she shrugged her shoulders. “But Kieron always keeps his cards close to his chest. That’s a fact.”

It was definitely time for a change of subject. Her words sparked a fire within a tiny part of me, the part that longed for him to want something more. But I’d promised myself to block that part out, to stop it before it tore me to shreds.

“So what do I do now while I’m waiting for the onslaught of people trying to kill me and take the Relic, which I don’t even have?”

“Well, first things first. We need to begin your training.”

“My training? For what?”

“Your physical training. You’ll need to learn to fight and in order to fight well, you’ve got be in good shape. So we’ll start with regular exercise and move on to combat training.”

I waited for her to laugh but from the look on her face, she hadn’t been joking. “Omigod, you’re serious.”

“Of course I am. You’re life depends on it.”

“Reagan, I’ve never fought a day in my life. You know that.”

She grabbed my shoulder and squeezed. “I don’t think you have a choice.”

“I thought the Relic did the fighting for me.”

Now she laughed. “It’s not like you walk around and the Relic shoots magic out killing all the bad guys. The Keeper is a fighter, a warrior, a champion. You wield the Relic’s power to your skills.”

I was expected to become some kind of warrior. Me? The girl who fell up the stairs and ran into walls and constantly dropped her cell phone like it was covered in butter? Hell no.

As if she’d guessed the thoughts in my mind, Reagan reached out.

“It’s in you. I can see it.”

The unexpected rumble of deep male laughter boomed from the floor below, the force of it shaking the entire room.

Reagan looked down, the twist of a smile on her lips. “Look, no one here is going to take you seriously or give you any respect if you don’t demand it. And there’s no better time than the present to show ‘em what you’re made of. Come with me down to the common room. The guys are down there now.”

“And do what exactly?” I asked, uncertain of her plan.

“Show them that you may be in over your head, but you’re not going to take anyone’s shit. “And . . .”

“And what?”

“And ask him for his help. Ask him to train you. I know that if you do, he will.”

No fucking way. I wasn’t about to beg him to rescue me like some damsel in distress. He was already a cocky asshole, and I didn’t want to make his ego any bigger.

When I didn’t make a motion to move, she grabbed my hand and pulled me off the bed.

“What are you doing?” I asked her.

“You’re getting dressed and then heading downstairs.” She walked across the floor toward a large hutch in the corner and opened it. It was filled with clothing and shoes. “Now throw something decent on and let’s get moving.”

After a few minutes of browsing, I settled on a pair of fitted black leather pants, black leather boots, and a long, white razorback tank top that hugged the bust and draped around the waist. I took thirty seconds to rinse my face with cold water in the adjoining bathroom before I let her drag me out of my hiding place and down the stairs.

“How many women are in the
Triae
?”

“So far? Just me,” she said.

“Why’s that?”

She lifted her chin proudly as she took two steps at a time. “You have to be pretty awesome to make it, and it just so happens that I am.”

I laughed. “You
were
pretty awesome at the club. Thanks for saving my ass, by the way. I don’t think I ever got to thank you properly.”

“Of course. What are best friends for if they can’t stop a Necro from trying to kill to you?”

I was glad to see that our silly banter had returned. Even though the context of it was weird as hell, it was nice to have it back.

“He’s cute though, right?” she said out of nowhere.

Reagan always had a knack for starting conversations in the middle or making comments like I already knew what she was talking about.

“Your boss?”

“Yeah, who else would I be talking about?”