Dwellers of Darkness (26 page)

“My lady. My lady. Are you all right?” Simmons fluttered to my face, his expression full of concern and fear. “We have been so worried about you. Sir Torin has been going nuts.” Simmons paused, really taking me in. “What has happened, my lady? You don’t look well.”

I couldn’t answer. If I opened my mouth, I would crack open. I was afraid the shards of my heart were too shattered, and I would never be able to put myself back together.

“I will go get Sir Torin. He will help.”

“Find
Elighan instead, Simmons,” Cal’s voice spoke from above me. “I think he is back now.”

Simmons’ chest filled with air, and he frowned as if he would ignore Cal’s instructions. But his attention turned back to me before he nodded and flew off.

Cal landed lightly on my shoulder. My arms were wrapped around my legs as I rocked, lost in thought. My father had been the Unseelie King. A part of me had always wondered if it was Lars. Was I disappointed it wasn’t? Yes. I had wanted it to be him. Because he was alive. Maybe I’d felt a strange connection to him because my true father was his twin, and he is family.

What made my father go crazy? Is this why there’s so much resentment between my mom and Lars? I needed to know so much more now the truth was out. In spite of that, my mind had other plans. It wanted to shut down and forget everything I learned. Cole’s voice came back to me: “
Once the truth is out, there’s no going back, and you will wish you could.
”

“Brycin?”

I didn’t respond or move as Eli crouched in front of me. “Are you okay? You scared the shit out of me when you disappeared. Hey, talk to me.”

“I have been talking to her for the last few minutes with no response. Think girlie here has finally broke.” Cal tapped at the side of my head. “Noodle snapped. No more cookies in the cookie jar.”

He’d been talking to me?

“Ember?” Eli said more firmly. “What happened to you? How did you get away from Weiss? Talk to me.” He clasped my hands, then looked at Cal. “What happened?”

“What? You assume I know? Like I eavesdropped? Me?” Cal touched his chest, dramatically.

Eli cocked his head and scoffed.

“Yeah, yeah okay,” Cal replied. “Girlie here found out her real father was the previous Unseelie King, and the current one is her uncle... who killed her father.”

Eli jerked; my lids blinked at the quick movement. His hand went to rub his head. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me?”

“I don’t kid about fucking.” The words were out of my mouth before I even realized I spoke. They sounded robotic, which hit me even funnier. It was something Eli had said to me when we first met, when Mrs. Sanchez put us together to run the ropes course. I recalled how flustered he made me, how sexually heightened and uncomfortable my senses became around him. This has never gone away, but that day felt so long ago. I was a human girl then, blissfully unaware of what I really was and what was ahead.

I began to laugh. Uncontrollably.

“Oh, yeah, the cookie has crumbled. The pixie dust has dissolved her brain.” Cal patted my head.

My stomach ached as I continued to laugh.

“Ember, I need you to focus.” When Eli pulled me to my feet, Cal catapulted into the air, his wings fluttering keeping him in place.

Eli’s green eyes flashed in the moonlight. His face was half shadowed. With his hair just starting to grow, his green eyes wild, and scarred face stern, he looked scary, threatening and ruthless. Sexy and dangerous were addicting qualities. They let you forget the world around you, and I wanted to forget everything I had learned in the last half hour—to stop feeling the gut-wrenching sadness for one moment. My basic need took over.

My lips met his with such force he shifted back. His fingers touched my face, and our lips moved brutally over each other.

“Okay, I think it is time for me to exit,” Cal mumbled. “Maybe go see a hot brownie about a woman.” He zoomed off.

Eli’s kiss deepened. I groaned and started to tug at his t-shirt.

“You know I am never one to turn down sex
...” Eli pulled back a little. “Ever.”

“Good.” I smiled and kissed his neck.

“You will tell me what happened with you tonight?”

I tilted my chin up to look at him. “Right now I need a few minutes of forgetting everything I just discovered.”

Eli’s one eyebrow curved up. “A few minutes? Is that all?”

“Didn’t you say there were a few things you wanted to do to me on your bike?”

Both Eli’s eyebrows hit his hairline. “What I had in mind will definitely take more than a few minutes.”

“I’ll give you twelve. Let’s see what you can do in that time.” I grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the shed where the Harleys were parked.

“
Damnú ort
bean dhubh,
” he growled and followed me.

I leaned over the bike to grab my shirt off the ground. It was still wearable, but once again my underwear did not survive. Eli snatched the top out of my hands and drew it over my head, his knuckles sliding down the sensitive skin on my sides. His eyes penetrated mine the whole time.

I shivered. “We need to get back.”

We went way past the twelve-minute mark, and Lars was not going to be patient much longer. I was surprised no one came for us. I needed this time to get my head back on straight, or in this case, lose it completely, several times. I felt a hell of a lot better. The things we did on the bike with the engine revving would cause me to blush for years. It was shocking we didn’t blow up the engine.

“You need to talk to me first,” he said against my neck while he buttoned my jeans.

“Is this your version of talking?” I pulled his hands away and stepped away. “Come on. Lars isn’t going to wait much longer.” I turned to leave. Eli fingers wrapped around my bicep and yanked me back to face him. His expression turned severe and forbidding.

“Don’t play me, Brycin.” His grip became tighter; his green eyes flickered brighter. “I know when you’re using sex as a distraction. I’m not as simple as you think.”

Although I knew he’d never purposely hurt me, a spark of anxiety sizzled up my spine. No matter what we had been through, he could still startle me. The ruthless killer was never far from the surface no matter how “human” he acted.

“You are anything but simple,” I uttered.

“I’m a Dark Dweller, so I’m going to choose screwing you over talking. Always. It’s who I am. But don’t think you can pull one over on me.”

I tugged away from him. “Shit. Give me a break. I just found out I have an uncle and a deceased father. No one thought to let me know about them even when I was living under their roof.” I spit out, fury crackling under my skin. “And even better
... Lars murdered my father because Devlin went insane and started slaughtering people right and left. Guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“Is that what you think?” Eli eyes burned into me. “You are not insane or homicidal.”

“I’m sure some would beg to differ.”

Eli snatched my wrist again, pulling me into him. “Believe me I know about being a killer, and you’re not one.”

An overwhelming ache clenched at my throat, emotion chipping away at my wall. I stared at my feet, the ache wiggling into my heart. “They both lied to me. Why would they keep something like this from me?”

Eli watched me. His hands still locked around my arms. “Lily did it to keep you safe.”

“I don’t know if I buy that anymore.”

We stayed quiet for a minute. Biting my lip, I took in a deep breath and asked, “Did you know who my father was?” I had learned all too well Fae loved to keep their secrets. Even those you felt should tell you the truth didn’t. Maybe the centuries of hiding from humans and keeping their existence secret from the world kept them so tight-lipped.

“No.” He shook his head. “Not definitely. I had my suspicions, though.”

My head wrenched up. “Suspicions?”

“You are too strong to come from an ordinary Demon. It now makes sense. When the last Unseelie King went insane and was killed, it was not too long after that you were brought to this realm. But, no, I didn’t know for fact who your father was.”

“Do you know why he lost his mind?”

Eli kept his eyes focused on mine, but he paused for a couple of breaths. “No.”

I continued to observe him. I suspected he was not telling me the whole truth, but he didn’t flinch. I broke first.

“I was always curious about my real dad, but when Mark came into my life, he was enough. I was happy.” Tears filled my eyes. “Why can’t he still be enough? Why do I care about this man I never met? A Demon who killed people. Why does it make me sad he’s dead?”

“Because he was your father.” He tilted his head. “You secretly thought it was Lars,” he said. Blurry-eyed I looked down at the ground and nodded. “You wanted it to be him.”

A strangled cry broke free, confirming his assumptions. At least my father would be alive. Good or bad, it was someone I would know. Now that was lost to me forever.

Eli cupped the back of my head and pulled me tightly against his warm body, enfolding me. Sobs surged from my chest. The protective walls I spent years perfecting tumbled away. He let me cry and held me till I quieted.

“Speaking of Lars, I saw he was here. I’m assuming he had something to do with us getting away from Weiss tonight,” Eli said after my heavy tears subsided.

I nodded against his chest. Pulling back, I wiped my eyes. “He caused the accident, so we could escape. He knows the location of the map on my back.”

Eli leaned away. “And you didn’t think to tell me this till now?”

I glared at him. “I’ve had other things on my mind. And don’t assume I forgot about Ms. Tits and Ass earlier. We are still going to talk about that.”

“Good to see you have your priorities straight, Brycin.” He heaved a sigh and put a hand on my lower back, pushing me to the house.

“Oh, believe me, they will become important to you if
McTramp comes anywhere near you again.”

“Be careful, Brycin, you’re starting to sound jealous.”

As our feet hit the stairs to the deck of the ranch house, someone yelled at us. “You two are hell to be around
.”

“Shit!” I jumped.

Cooper sat in the rocking chair on the porch, drenched in darkness. Only his bright, brown eyes showed. “I’m getting really tired of jackin’ off. I need to get laid. Now.” Cooper got up from the chair and headed toward the door. “I was supposed to get you two a while ago. Let’s agree I did.” Cooper huffed.

“You got it, man.” Eli slapped Cooper’s back. “Wait, didn’t you get laid by the waitress the other night?”

“Yeah, but with you two around, I’m painfully reminded how even a couple of hours without is too long.” Cooper grumbled and moved to the door. It squeaked open revealing the family room abuzz with commotion and people screaming at each other.

Crap.

Cole, Mom, and Lars were bunched together. Their bodies were tense and angry, and voices were raised.

“We are going with you. You think we’ll simply sit back and let you get the sword for yourself?” Cole yelled.

Lars looked calm and in control, but this was when he was his most dangerous. “I never denied you coming. I have come to understand the relationship between Ember and Elighan. It is futile to keep them apart. I do not waste my time or energy heedlessly. But only a few of you need to come, and your job will be to protect her.”

“We always protect our own,” Cole seethed. “You will not come here and order us around.” His pupils stretched vertical. “I don’t care who you are.”

“I am the Unseelie King. I will have your respect.”

“You are not our king. We are not ruled by anyone but ourselves.” Cole pounded on his chest.

“If you inhabit Earth, you are under my rule,” Lars howled. “I was the one who protected Ember when she was captured and held by Aneira. I do not actually need any of you, except the Druid and Ember.”

I saw Eli’s shoulder muscles tightened. “You knew the whole time she was there and alive?”

“Yes. Not telling you the truth saved her life and yours,” Lars responded.

This is going to be fun.

Eli’s movement toward Lars was quick, but I was quicker. I threw myself in the middle. “Whoa! Time out.” I had my hands in the T-formation, tapping them together. “I know you’re mad, Eli, but that’s not what’s important right now. It’s done. We need to forget everything but getting the sword.” I turned to face the whole group and looked at each one in the tight circle. “All of us need to make obtaining it our priority.” Eli’s hackles were still raised, his fists clenched, but he stepped back from Lars. “Since most think I am the one who is prophesized, I think I get a say as to who goes. Cole, Eli, Kennedy, and Cooper will come with us.”

“Oh, hell no! I’m going.” Gabby pushed into the circle.

“Me, too,” Mom insisted. I was about to refute this when Jared echoed her sentiment.

Josh stood from the chair’s arm where he had been perched. “I’m going, also. There is no way I’m being left.”