Dwellers of Darkness (2 page)

“Ember?” My name moved through the late afternoon air, pricking at my ear. “Brycin, where are you?”

That voice was as familiar to me as my own. I moaned.

“Here!” Cal yelled, his tiny voice barely carrying. I couldn’t move or respond and hoped Cal would lead Eli back to me. I must have drifted off to sleep because the next thing I felt were Eli’s strong hands on me, flipping me over.

“What the hell happened?” Eli demanded. My lids tapered till he disappeared again.

“Hey, Brycin. Stay with me.” He tapped his fingers roughly against my cheek. I forced my eyes to lift slightly. “Now tell me what the hell happened?”
He turned to Cal.

“Don’t look at me. She kind of threw herself down a ravine. I thought it was some kinky fetish she enjoyed.”

Eli rubbed his shaved head in irritation.

“She’s pretty much out of it. She’s been mumbling gibberish about flying monkeys and a tea party with a Dormouse. Have no idea what the hell she is jabbering about.” Cal’s feet tickled my arm as he landed.

Eli’s hand went to my face, rubbing dried blood away from my eyes. He picked me up like a baby, and I curled into his chest, letting the protection of his body calm and comfort me.

I dozed off and on to the bobbing rhythm of his steps as he walked us out of the forest. His voice drifted into my ear. “Good thing I can still feel you.” I thought his lips touched the top of my head, but I slipped back to sleep, confused as to what was real and what was not.

When I opened my eyes, leaves swayed gently over my head. I thought I was dreaming until the pain throbbing up and down my body made it clear I was awake. Plants had wrapped themselves around my legs and arms, keeping a firm hold on me as they donated their vitality.

I thought this would be better than putting you in the infirmary bed.” Eli’s harsh tone rammed into me.

I turned the only part of me not pinned down: my head. He sat against a tree not too far away.

“I knew you were better off here.” Eli’s eyes were constricted as he stared off past me. “You’ll heal faster being among the plants and trees,” His words did not match his brusque tone, every syllable choppy and shot at me like an accusation. “Though, Owen is salivating at having you back. His little test monkey has returned.”

That didn’t surprise me. Owen was the clan’s medical practitioner. He preferred healing and science to killing. Not only was I one of the only living Dae’s, but my DNA was now part Dark Dweller. I was a utopia of research to him.

With every word Eli spoke, my defenses went up, sensing the need for protection. “Yeah, thanks.” I stiffly brought my body up to a sitting position, the plants rescinding their embrace. “Bubbles, the test monkey, would like a banana.”

Cool, green eyes glared into mine.

“What? Potassium is helpful when you’re trying to heal. A banana actually sounds good.”

His lids only narrowed.

“Guess someone’s lost his sense of humor in the last three years.” My eyes were not ready for quick movement and barely caught how rapidly he was up and flying at me. I flinched and looked away, preparing for his attack. Two breaths later I realized nothing had happened. I opened my eyes and turned to look at his hulking body standing over mine. Wrath shook through his taut muscles, flexing and twitching under his skin. His eyes were so bright green they were almost neon.

“You have no idea what I went through these past years,” Eli breathed out heavily, “while you were off with your boyfriend...” He trailed off, stepping away from me, huffing out of his nose. “You still reek of sex. Of me.”

I flushed. He could still smell himself on me? Humiliated, I pulled my jacket tighter around me. “Sorry, it was a little hard to shower when locked up in the Queen’s dungeon. Plus, I only take showers every four years, not three.”

The pupils of his eyes stretched out, and his nose flared. “Don’t push me right now. My patience is extremely thin.”

“Wait. You’re mad at me? Are you kidding?” I bellowed, grimacing as I tried to stand up. My ribs still ached fiercely. “How dare you be mad at me when you were the one who had sex with me and then told me you killed my mother? Why would you
say that? What kind of person does such a horrible thing?”

Like a boulder, his heavy presence loomed over me. “A person like me I guess.”

Biting back my emotion, I shoved at his chest. “You are sick.”

“I’
ll never deny that.” His large hands wrapped easily around my wrists.

“Why?” My words barely came out. “Why would my tattoo warn me against you, and Lorcan, if you didn’t kill her? Did you lie about that, too? Tell me what involvement you had
with my mother.” I couldn’t stop my tirade. “Your touch was never as painful as Lorcan’s, but now it’s almost completely gone. Please. What is going on?”

He dropped my arms, rubbing his face absently. “Brycin.” He scrubbed at his face harder. “You nee—”

“Ember?” Another voice cut him off. My mom stepped out from the trees. She had dark circles under her eyes and cuts all over. Her clothes were torn and dirty. “Are you all right?” Her eyes and tone were sharp. I could tell she was more concerned about Eli’s effect on me than my wounds.

“Yeah, Mom, I’m fine.” I backed away from Eli.

She gave a slight nod, but her eyes darted suspiciously between Eli and me. “I wanted to check on you.” She stepped closer to my side. “Also, the Dark Dwellers were anxious to gather when you woke up.”

I nodded and turned to go when I realized no one was following. “Are you guys coming?”

“Give me a moment. I would like to speak with Elighan alone.” Her cutting glare never fully left Eli.

Uh-oh. This can’t be good.

Eli didn’t flinch but crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. The hostility between them was profound, especially on my mother’s side. Eli had lied about killing her, but why? I needed to know what in the hell was going on.

I hesitated, my scrutiny darting between the two. “How do you guys know each other? What happened between you two?”

My mother’s attention finally turned to me. “Ember, this is really not the time.”

“When is the time?” I flung out my arms in question. “Why can’t anyone ever just tell me the truth for once?”

“Ember.” My mom’s tone hit the scary warning level I recalled from when she got angry with me. “This is
not
the time or place. Please, give me a moment alone with Elighan.”

I started to complain but stopped myself. How did she do it? She had the ultimate power to instantly turn me into a five-year-old again. My mother had never needed to use glamour on me. All she had to do was give me her narrow-eyed, jaw-pinched look of disappointment and disapproval, and I was a goner.

I stomped away in a huff. Very teenage of me although, technically, I wasn’t a teenager anymore at least here on earth. When they were almost out of sight, I turned around. I couldn’t hear them, but it was clear they were arguing, hands gesticulating, and their faces pinched by seriousness. Whatever it was I would find out, eventually.

Walking into the ranch house felt familiar even though it had been over six months to me and over three years to them. Everything looked and smelled the same.

“Ember.” Kennedy jumped off the sofa. The force of her arms wrapping around me almost caused me to fall back on my butt. “You’re okay. I was so worried about you.”

“I’m okay. As you know now, I’m not easy to keep down.” I laughed.

“Yeah.” She stepped back, frowning. “About that... part of me really wants to kill you. The months of agony you put me and Ryan through. When you disappeared from the party. . .” She looked away blinking. “We blamed ourselves.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“I understand most of it was out of your control, and you felt like you were protecting us, but don’t you
ever
do it to me again.”

I looked at my feet, feeling like a scolded puppy. “I won’t. I promise.”

“We
will
talk later.” There was no question to this statement, and I nodded in response. Kennedy was small-boned and only a few inches over five feet. She had long, silky, brown hair and brown eyes usually encircled by glasses. Ken was also the sweet one in our group. She let me and Ryan vie for dominance, but she was actually our leader. With one word or look she could silence us.

“Ember, glad you’re awake.” Cole stepped in from the kitchen, his stubble had grown out into a full beard. All these guys were so damn sexy it was wrong. “And alive.” The rest of the Dark Dwellers mulled around behind him.

“Hey, guys.” Despite all the issues and complex relationships I had with the group, part of me fought wanting to run over and hug them. I was aware I had actually missed them, which generated an uncomfortable emotion within me. I had hoped the feeling I had when I saw West was a fluke—the sentiment they were my family. Dammit—it wasn’t.

“Where is Eli?” Gabby scanned the room.

“He’s outside talking with my mom.”

Cole nodded, and his face clenched in a frown. “We’ll have to start without them.”

“The Queen has West,” I blurted out. There was no good way to say it. I would prefer to rip the bandage off and get it over with. But none of them showed the shock I expected.

Cole bobbed his head again as fury flickered in his hazel eyes. “Jared told us you saw him in the dungeon, and Lorcan was the one who turned him over to her.” He rubbed his chin harshly. “We’ve been searching for him for over three years. We can usually feel each other, like Eli can with you. Our awareness of West disappeared six months before you
vanished. We thought Lorcan killed him.” His fists tightened as they gripped together, cracking his knuckles. “We’ve learned through you and West our ties are cut off when you go into the Otherworld. We’ve never had a reason to find this out before. We were in the Otherworld till we were all banned. Then we couldn’t go between the worlds. Because you have returned, we are aware of this failure.”

“I tried to get him out. I hated leaving him there, but he had a spiked collar around his throat. I’m sure it’s charmed. I promised him we’d come back for him
... for him and my dad, Ryan, and Josh. It killed me to walk away without them.”

“I know, Ember, but it was the only thing you could do. Don’t worry; we do not abandon our own.” Cole’s lips strained into a slight smile. “Good or bad you are one of us now, and along with West, your friends and family will not be left. We will get them out.”

“Thank you.” His words meant more to me than anything. I had help now. I would be able to get them back.

He shifted his head, his long, auburn hair falling into his eyes. Owen, Cole, and Jared all had the same eye and hair color, and their family resemblance was strong. Cole turned to address us. “Have a seat. We have a lot to discuss.”

While people moved and settled in the living room, the familiarity of the smells, the overstuffed leather sofas, and homey feeling seized me. It made me want to curl up on the couch and sleep, feeling protected and safe.

Cooper headed to me. “Hey.”

“Hey, Coop. Good to see you.”

“Yeah, same. Though it has been longer for me than you.”

“So I’ve been told.”

Gabby sidled up on the other side of me. Her dyed, black hair had grown out to her chin. The ends looked like they had been dipped in florescent green paint. “Never thought I would say
this, but I’m actually glad to have you back.”

My eyebrows hit my hairline.

“I know, color me shocked as well. Things have not been pleasant around here the last three years.”

“That’s putting it mildly.” Cooper snorted. “The asshole owes me a new bike.”

“What happened?” I flicked a glance from Cooper to Gabby.

“Eli is a jackass at the best of times.”

“Yeah, Gab, and you are such a sweetheart,” I jabbed.

She rolled her eyes. “I may be a bitch but compared to your boy
...”

My teeth clenched. “He’s
not
my boy.”

Both Cooper and Gabby guffawed.

“Look, I’ve never claimed to be your biggest fan, but if you can get Eli to be a little more bearable, I will throw you a fucking parade.” Gabby crossed her thin, toned arms.

I threw up my hands. “You are Dark Dwellers. Being a jackass is an inherited personality trait. How bad could he have been?”

Cooper brushed his surfer-blond hair back. “You would be surprised. I’ve never seen him this way. We are dark and, yes, major jackasses, but he hit levels of darkness which even scared us. That’s saying a lot. He became reckless and barely stayed in his human form. If he did, he would get drunk and purposely seek out fights with other biker clubs. He sometimes started to shift in front of them. We’ve had to get him out of extremely sticky situations. Sheriff Weiss even put a warrant out for his arrest.”

Sherriff Weiss. The name generated resentment, which gripped my muscles. The mutual hatred of each other was epic. He caused me nothing but grief and misery. What pissed me off the most was he’d been right in his assessment of me but wrong about why. He was certain I started the fires at school. And I had, just not the way he thought. My powers invoked strange things to happen around me all of my life. Light explosions were only one of them.

“We’ve become Eli’s permanent babysitters. Our Second has been on a downward spiral, and the only thing we can attribute it to is you.” Gabby pointed at me. “And by your smell, I can understand why he’s become such a tyrant.” Her nose wrinkled.

If I felt humiliation when Eli brought it up, this took it to an entirely new level. The floor was not big enough. I wanted the earth to swallow me whole.