Dwellers of Darkness (31 page)

As I stepped onto the ledge, my heart picked up its pace. It was so tight most of us had to walk sideways. I learned an important lesson fast—don’t look down. I gulped, shoving my head back onto the wall.

Pairs of hiking boots slid along the restricted walkway like a train. My pack was now set on my front, and my back pressed rigidly into the stone. Fragile bits of rock crumbled with every step we took. Behind me Kennedy whimpered.

“Don’t look down, Ken. Feel with your feet and keep your head looking straight ahead.” I reached sideways and squeezed her hand.

Her thin fingers gripped mine back. She bit her lip and nodded. My gaze drifted to Torin. The iron was affecting him the most. After what the Queen had done to him, it was clear he would never be the same. It appeared only determination kept him standing. My hatred for her pushed through the pain the iron still caused me. The thought of killing her was becoming an exceedingly welcome idea. She would pay for everything she had done. The weapon of her annihilation was almost in our reach.

As I turned my attention to securing my footing on the narrow path, I heard Thara cry out.

“Torin!” His name echoed off the walls. My neck whipped back. Torin stumbled forward, losing balance and hit the ground sliding halfway off the ledge.

I screamed his name, but in a split second the unstable edge absorbed his fall and reacted. It began to deteriorate under him, generating an avalanche of stone.

“No,” I cried, pointlessly reaching out. Rolling debris swept his body off the cliff. Then he was gone. A roaring noise in my ears cut any sound other than the rocks and my thumping heart. The shock had yet to kick in when more of the trail buckled, and I watched as Owen, Jared, Gabby, and Thara plummeted from sight.

I turned to Kennedy but saw her slipping. “Kennedy!” My heart jumped up my throat as I surged for her. My fingers locked around her wrists and yanked her toward me. The earth began breaking off bit by bit under her shoes. My grip slipped as another piece of trail disappeared under her.

“Ember,” she screeched as she began to drop from my grasp. I fell forward searching for her hands. An arm slammed me back onto the trail, reaching around me. Eli dived for Kennedy before we lost her to the black pit. There may have been water down there, but that didn’t mean she would survive the fall. Eli lay across me holding onto her tightly. Kennedy wailed and thrashed, which made it harder for Eli to hold on.

“I got you, Ken.” Eli voice was soothing and confident. “I won’t let go. I promise.”

Her eyes connected to his, and she stopped screaming.

“Remain clam. I’ll pull you up.”

“Okay,” she whimpered and let her body go limp.

I learned over and clutched her other arm. I could hear voices behind me, but I couldn’t understand anything in particular. My only focus was on the three of us and the crumbling ledge. Eli easily pulled Kennedy’s tiny frame up with one arm. Her arms wrapped in a death grip around him.

“You’re okay,” he murmured.

Her teary eyes looked up at him. “Jared.”

“We need to move out.” Lars’ voice boomed toward us. “The ledge is still precarious.”

My lamp spotlighted his face. “Give us a moment.”

“All water leads out. They will not die from that fall. They are fine. We need to keep moving.”

I narrowed my eyes at Lars. “You were complaining about them holding us back. Did you do that? To get rid of our ‘baggage’?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Lars replied, whipping around, and moved farther down the ledge.

That really wasn’t an answer.

“Jared’s a strong kid. He’ll be fine.” Eli steered Kennedy to walk in front of him. She nodded in response, but she still looked like she wanted to cry or throw up.

“Simmons? Cal?” I called out.

“Yes, my lady?” Simmons darted in and out of my headlamp.

“Please, go make sure they’re all right.”

“You want us to leave you, my lady?”

“I will be fine, but your role in securing the safety of our fallen soldiers will be immeasurable.”

His body immediately straightened. “Yes, my lady. I will not fail you.” He bowed and zipped down the dark ravine.

“Wow, what a bunch of troll dung.” Cal snorted from my backpack.

“Yeah, I know,” I said.

Cal moved onto my pack. “I’ll follow to be sure he doesn’t end up falling into the water and drowning.” He sighed and took off.

“Thanks,” I called after him just as I heard a rumble in the ground next to me.

“Shit,” I shouted at the same time Eli yelled for me. He had moved slightly ahead with Kennedy. “Go.” I waved them forward. “Run.”

The solid ground under my feet turned soft and powdery. The knowledge that I wouldn’t die from the fall didn’t stop the terror I felt as the ledge gave way. The iron drained me of my full strength so my legs didn’t seem to move fast enough as the trail crumbled.

I could see Lars and Josh had reached the mouth of the cave. Cole was close to it, helping Cooper and my mom to safety. Eli picked Kennedy up and chucked her to Cooper like she was as light as a soccer ball. To them she probably was. It made me feel better knowing at least Kennedy and Josh were safe. They were the only ones who would probably die from the fall.

The mouth of the cave was almost within reach when the disintegrating footpath beat me. Air filled the space under my shoes, and I began to drop.

“Brycin!”

“Eli!” Cole screamed as Eli sprung in my direction. Like a choreographed routine, Eli slid on his stomach and his arms reached for me. Cole jumped on Eli’s legs, holding him from going over with me. His fingers brushed my arms, missing me. My stomach rolled with the sensation of freefall. Abruptly, his fingers curved into Dark Dweller claws. Sharp and lethal, the sickle nails were long. He stretched farther, the claws clasping and digging into my upper arms.

I screamed as pain erupted through my arms and traveled up my shoulders. It hurt like hell, but I was no longer falling. Sweat trickled off Eli as I hung there by the tips of his talons. I latched on to bright green eyes. They became my lifeline. If I stayed connected to them, I’d be all right.

Pain kept the shouting voices at a distan
ce. I could see Cole and Cooper move to either side of Eli. He had to lift me a little so they could reach me. My skin ripped as his claws dug further into my biceps while he inched me up. I’m sure I cried out, but I felt and heard nothing at that point.

Two sets of hands gripped me under my arms.

“You have her?” Eli’s voice strained.

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“Brycin?” Eli grunted my name. “I’m warning you this is gonna hurt a lot.” And with that he pulled his nails out of my skin and backed way.

The agony was so awful my scream was lost in my sheer will not to pass out. My head lolled back as Cooper and Cole laid me on safe, stable ground. Blood oozed from the holes in my arms. Of course, the one time we really needed Owen, he was floating down some Grecian river.

“Ember.” Mom was on her knees beside me, putting my head in her lap. I wanted to fall asleep in her warm embrace. It reminded me of when I was a little girl, and we’d watch movies on the sofa as she tickled my back or stroked my hair.

A sting burst across my cheek. My lids reopened to see Lars on the other side of me. I didn’t even remember closing them. “You must stay awake. You will heal yourself in time, but I can numb the pain till then.”

“You can numb pain?” I repeated. Well, that’s what I wanted to say, but it came out garbled.

“I am the Unseelie King and a Demon. There isn’t much I can’t do.” Countless times I had been in agony after lessons with Alki. Bleeding, bruised, and singed. He never dulled that pain.

“Neber nub me ‘fore,” I croaked out.

He scoffed, “You need to experience everything. It builds character, and you develop a higher tolerance to the amount of pain you can handle.”

I tried to stick my tongue out at him, but it was too much effort. I ended only licking my bottom lip.

“If Ms. Johnson were better trained, she could fully heal you. Such skills are for more advanced Druids,” he commented and placed his hands on my arms, closing his eyes. He mumbled words I didn’t understand. As if he had stuck a syringe of anesthetic in my arm, a sensation warmed my veins and muscles and turned the pain to only a slight throbbing.

I exhaled realizing how the anguish had taken all my energy. “Oh, yeah. Thank you.” I felt somewhat dizzy, so Mom helped me sit. My brain spun.

“Go slow.” She held me close, and I cuddled against her. It hit me intensely on how much I had missed her, how much we had missed together. I needed to let go of my resentment and not take for granted she was back in my life.

“I love you, Mommy,” I whispered.

Her arms tightened around me. “You are a little high aren’t you, sweetie?” She chuckled and kissed the top of my head. “I love you, too.”

Eli moved through the crowd circling around me. I broke away from Mom and tried to stand. It didn’t go well.

He didn’t wait for me to try again. He grabbed the front of my top and hauled me to my feet. His hands seized the sides of my face bracing me for the force that came. His lips crushed mine. He breathed me in, stopping any oxygen from entering. I didn’t give a crap. Breathing or having people around me were completely irrelevant.

With the same intensity as when he kissed me, he pulled away, spun around, and stomped toward the entrance of the cave. I could only smile. That was Eli.

Mom tucked her arm in with mine, helping me to keep standing. She sighed heavily. “I’ve lost the battle against him for sure.”

“Sorry to tell you, but you never had a chance with that one.” I leaned into her, nudging her shoulder. “Too much like my mom.”

“You sure are.” She laughed then sighed. “More than you know.”

Mom and I were the last to enter the next area. There were four tunnels veering off in different directions. The map on my back showed only a general location of the cave. Once on the inside we were on our own.

Still feeling dizzy, I walked to Lars. “Please tell me you know which one to choose.”

He glanced down at me. “I was hoping you could inform us.”

My light bounced down each tunnel as I considered each one. “You don’t feel any magic?”

Lars shook his head, then looked over his shoulder. “Kennedy, please come forward.” Kennedy swiftly moved to his side. “You and I will be doing a different version of a revealing spell.”

“Okay.” An excited glint reflected in her eyes. I recognized that look. It was the same expression I had after truly discovering my powers. You start craving magic.

Lars’ elegant fingers reached for Kennedy. She hesitated but took the offering. “Focus on every word and repeat each one I say exactly. I mean exactly. Do you understand?”

Kennedy nodded, standing straight.

“Okay, let us start.”

Latin swirled out of his mouth, every syllable clear but unfamiliar to me. Kennedy recited every phrase precisely. A warm sensation floated from them, creating a light. It swirled and curved through the air pointing toward each one of the tunnels. It circled and finally landed in the opening of the one that veered off sharply to the right.

“That’s it. We got it,” I cheered.

“Good job, Ms. Johnson. Excellent pronunciation.” Lars nodded toward Kennedy who was smiling ear to ear.

I gave her a thumbs-up, and she beamed more.

The light disappeared the moment Kennedy and Lars broke contact, but it didn’t matter. We knew which tunnel to use.

Our diminished group marched forward through the long, winding passageway. I hated moving on without the others, acting like they weren’t lost down a black hole. It was easier knowing they were all Fae and would be fine. Who knows, maybe they had floated back into town by now and were laying by the river with a drink in hand, eating pesto for lunch. Damn... Eli should have let me drop.

My enthusiasm in being on the right route dwindled the longer we walked. The tunnel seemed never-ending, taking us steadily down, deeper into the earth’s crust. The dirt walls enveloped me, sitting on my shoulders, crushing my lungs. Eli became my anchor. His hand in mine and the solidness and warmth of him saved me from losing my mind. Lars had to numb my pain once again so I could stay up right. With the iron, I was slower to heal.

After what seemed like hours, the passage leveled and expanded. This chamber was the size of the Dark Dweller’s family area. Not tiny, but definitely not the size of Lars’ enormous living room.

“I feel something.” Kennedy stopped, closing her eyes.

“What?” Lars moved to her.

“I can’t explain it. It is nothing I have experienced before, but at the same time, it’s something so familiar.” She shook her head, her lids still tight together. She began to walk and stopped a few feet away from the wall.

Josh shone his light toward Kennedy and gawked. “Look!” He pointed, bobbing up and down on the balls of his feet.

Over Kennedy’s shoulder I saw a small, infinity shape etched into the surface. You would miss it if you weren’t looking for it. My boots took me to the wall. My fingers traced the symbol, and I could feel the outline of a dragon head in the middle of the carving. Time had taken away any true detail.

We found it
.

Emotion prickled my eyes. There was a part of me that thought this would never happen. But we did it. Elation lifted my soul like a balloon. My excitement was tainted by the thought that the others weren’t with us. We all had worked so hard to get here. They should have been here to experience this victory.

Lars stepped next to me. “Your fate is about to be sealed. I hope you are ready.”

I sucked in an uneven breath. “Me, too.”

Josh motioned wildly. “Come on. Let’s start to dig.”

Lars’ lids tapered on Josh. You did not tell the Unseelie King what to do. Ever. Especially if you were human.

“We will not be able to dig until Kennedy shows us the exact spot and breaks the Druid curse. The Druids would have made sure it was fully protected.” Lars replied. His words were sharp and crisp. Lars motioned to Kennedy to move in closer. “I had you work on this spell all week, but it was in practice. This time it will react. Enchantments are alive, and this one will try to fight you at first. Are you ready?”

Kennedy compressed her lips and gave a sharp nod as she took several steps before she landed on a spot. “It is here.” The tip of her boots dug into the dirt. “Everyone back away, please.”

We all gave her space.

She opened her arms and started chanting. The words meant nothing to me, but I could feel their power. Energy and pressure built up in the room the more firmly she spoke. Beads of sweat dotted her hairline, and her face crunched. The heaviness in the chamber became almost intolerable.

Her words became more forced and tight, and she moaned in pain as her legs began to wobble underneath her. I felt something new as I watched her: awe at her power. But seeing my friend suffer also had me restless and edgy.

“Do not stop.” Lars yelled to her. “You must push through.”

Even though she was the only one making noise, it was deafening in the cave. Through her chants, Kennedy wailed in pain and dropped to her knees. Her teeth clenched, tears and sweat poured down her face as she screamed the words. Then, like a balloon had been popped, the room’s pressure dispersed. Kennedy curled onto her side, breathing heavily.

It was done. She had broken it.

Lars got to her first. “Good job, Ms. Johnson. That was extraordinarily impressive. Your clan would be proud.” He placed a hand on her. “Since you are mostly human, I can only help you a little with the pain.”

A wave of magic went over her, and she let out a relieved sigh. I helped her sit. “You kicked ass, girl; I’m so proud of you.” I gave her a tight hug. “And remind me to never piss you off.”

She laughed weakly and pulled back. “Yeah, if Ryan could see me now. Think he’ll be a little shocked when he hears about this.”

“Our sweet one has got a bite to her.” I laughed.

“You can converse later.” Lars broke in. “Right now we need to excavate.”

As we dug, the Dark Dwellers turned their hands into clawed shovels.
Convenient
. My small hand shovel was doing very little. It was tiring and frustrating.

Fifteen minutes later, I dug my tiny spade into the deep hole. It hit something harder than dirt, and my hand ached from the vibration of the metal shovel.

“We hit something.” Cooper yelled, his claws scraping at the top of the solid object we struck. “It feels like wood.”

“Maybe it’s in a box,” Josh spoke up behind Cooper.

We continued to wipe and dig until the object became distinct. It was not a box, but more like a small, narrow, boarded-up door.

Lars moved closer and placed his hand on it. “I feel magic on the other side of this, but it’s being blocked.”

Cooper grabbed the axe from Cole’s backpack. “Move back, guys.” He looked giddy holding the sharp weapon. We all reacted swiftly as he swung. It took him a couple whacks before the wood splintered.

“Stop.” Cole put his hand out, preventing Cooper from taking another swing.

Cole sat and slid closer to the wood plank. “Cooper, Eli, grab my arms.” They both surrounded Cole, holding him as he stomped on the splintering timber. After his third jump on the door, there was a sharp crack. The wood gave way, leaving his legs flailing in mid-air. Light filled the cavern, emanating from the hole like a geyser.

“Holy shit.” Cooper got a better hold on him. “Good thing we had you. It looks like a long fall.”

I peeped into the hole. The warm light blinded me from seeing the true bottom, but it was definitely far down.

“I think we found it.” Josh smiled with excitement. “
Whoo-hooo,” he yipped through the cave. His enthusiasm was so contagious it made me laugh. The cave erupted in cheers and excitement. It was better than striking gold. We had found our ultimate treasure.

“We certainly have.” Lars was cool and collected, but his eyes were coated in self-satisfaction. Lars stood next to me. “Ember, I think you are the only one who can retrieve it. Since you are the one prophe
sized, only
you
can get it from its holding place,” Lars added.

I bit at my lip, looking back down at the glowing hole. We could see something that might be the sword sparkling at the bottom of the pit. “Okay.”

“Wait.” Eli retrieved a harness from his pack and had me step in it, tightening the straps. He unfastened the rope from his pack and leaned over clasping the metal clip onto the front of mine. His fingers brushing the skin of my stomach. “This feels familiar.” He winked. “Who would have thought back in Silverwood the ropes course would come in handy later?”

His touch still burned my skin with the ability to send my pulse racing sky high. “I still think putting us in the same room should come with a warning label.”

A wicked smile hitched the side of his mouth. “We should come with several warning labels.”

Someone cleared their throat, breaking the heated looks Eli and I were exchanging. I stepped away from him.

“Okay, Em, Cooper and I are going to lower you slowly. Let us know when you’re at the bottom.” I nodded and sank into the hole, holding onto the wall before Cooper and Cole took my weight.

“You ready?” Cole asked.

“Yeah, let’s do this.”

“Crap on ash bark. What if something happens when she touches it? What if she’s not the one, and it hurts her?” Mom rambled, her gaze and questions pointed at Lars.

Lars waved his arms toward me. “Lily, you know she’s the one. Stop fighting Ember’s true heritage and destiny. Let her be what she is meant to be.”

Pain and sadness flashed over my mother’s features, but she nodded.

I had secretly been nervous to touch it, too. Now the fear spread further into my stomach.

Come on,
Em, no turning back now.

I let go of the wall, and my body fell a few yards before the rope and the boys’ hold caught up with each other. The jolt cracked the joints along my spine. As they steadily lowered me to the ground, the brightness grew to a blinding level. I didn’t even see when my feet hit dirt.

“Okay, I’ve reached the bottom,” I yelled. They dropped a few more feet of rope so I had freedom to move. I secured my footing before I turned and fully took it in.

It lay on a raised mound of earth. The blade was etched with Celtic symbols and decorations. The carvings swirled, intertwined, and infused in a gorgeous design. As close as I was, I realized the glow around the sword had begun to pulse. As I took a step toward it, the pulsating picked up. The light was warm and inviting and beckoned me. With every step I took, the more it reacted to me. There was no denying it knew me—wanted me to hold it. The power of it brought me to my knees. I kneeled in front of it like before an altar. I was not religious, but the ancient power this sword contained affected me like nothing I had ever known. Heavy with life and memories. I could feel it brimming with the existence it had lived.

I touched it. My fingers hit the outside of a bubble of light. My body drank in the magic, igniting my insides with power. I was no longer aware of anything but the light taking over my body. It filled every corner, pushing out thought and emotions. No longer aware of space or time, I heard a voice in my head:

If you have this sword, Ember, it means the worst has come to light. It is you who needs to end her reign. Time to end the darkness we have dwelled in for far too long.

Abruptly, I was back inside my body, down in a hole in the ground. My lids pried apart, and I blinked several times. It was pitch black. The glow around the sword was gone. I sat stunned for several beats and heard the voice replay. It was such a comforting sound. I wanted to bask in it, though I could no longer recall if it were male or female.

Shouting from above crept into my conscience. “Ember?” Mom’s voice screamed the loudest. Other calls tangled around hers. “Are you all right? Answer me!” Dots of light tried to shine down on me, but the flashlights couldn’t quite reach the depth of the cave.