Dwellers of Darkness (9 page)

“Who was my father?” I pulled at my necklace. “Did he rape you?”

Mom’s head jolted, looked toward me, and then turned away again. “I don’t want to talk about this right now.”

“You don’t want to talk about it? Don’t you think I have a right to know?”

Rubbing her temples, she sighed. “Yes, but not right now. Please, give me a little more time. Okay?”

My shoulders sunk, but I could see the pain on her face. “Yeah, okay.”

“You were not conceived in rape. It was purely from love, but it is complicated. I will tell you the whole story
... someday. I promise.”

Nodding, I looked down at my boots. “So now what?”

“I don’t know. This is all too much to take in.” Mom looked as lost as I felt. “We’ll stay for now
.”

The gully between us did not feel much narrower. So much divided us. Our once close, loving relationship strained under the weight of what our decisions and fate had dealt us.

Cole and Owen worked with Kennedy for most of the day. Jared was right next to her, also learning about the history of the Druids. I popped in to show my support, but after two hours of an in-depth history lesson, my mind went numb. I still hadn’t told Kennedy about Ryan or my dreamwalk. It never felt like the right time to say: “Oh, by the way, our friend will never be able to come back to Earth’s realm again.” I would tell her; I would. Right then I wanted her to focus on what she could change. She had to concentrate on learning how to be a Druid.

Eli had disappeared after our little morning encounter. Subtly, or not so subtly, I searched the grounds for him.

It was a beautifully rare and extremely hot summer day in Olympia. Cooper stepped onto the porch of the ranch house, a mid-day beer in his hand. The squeaky screen door slammed behind him as he exited the house. “He’s not here.”

“Where did he go?” To pretend I wasn’t looking for Eli seemed ludicrous.

“He’s out on a job.” Cooper took a swig of his beer. “Since I don’t have a bike yet, and all the others are being used, the bastard took Gabby and left me behind.”

“What do you mean a job?”

“We still have to survive here on Earth and earn money. We have to work.”

The Dark Dwellers went by another name on Earth, the RODs—Riders of Darkness. They were a local motorcycle “club,” which controlled Olympia and a lot of the northern coast line of Washington. They were feared by the average population and respected in the biking world. No doubt their Dark Fae aura helped people naturally fear them. At one time their club was larger, but with Lorcan taking some viable members, it had shrunk down to six. Jared didn’t go with them yet, but the four large guys and one fierce girl still held a strong presence in Washington.

“What does this ‘job’ entail?” I stepped on to the porch and settled on the rail.

Cooper sat down on the rocking chair. “You think I’m
gonna tell you?”

“Yeah, I do.” I swiped the bottle from his hand and took a drink. Ugh. I hated beer. It tasted like skunk piss with week-old oatmeal added.

“Hey. Get your own.” Cooper tried to grab it back.

“Nah. I don’t actually like beer.” I finished off the last swigs of his beer trying not to gag and handed it back to Cooper. “Now talk.”

“Man, you are frustrating.” He rocked back in the chair, chucking the empty bottle into the recycle bin to his right. I smiled. “But remember, I grew up with Gabby. No one can break me.” He returned the smug smile back at me. “We have to get money, Ember, and it is better you don’t know how we do it.”

“Why? What do you guys do?” My stomach knotted. I had heard stories. A lot of different ones. I didn’t want any of them to be true.

“We are Dark Fae. At one time we were hired assassins, mercenaries by nature, and we killed for a living. We don’t do that anymore, which is all you need to know.”

My mouth opened to argue. Then it closed. Something kept me from exploring this further. A part of me wanted to know, but most of me didn’t. I knew it wouldn’t make me happy. Eli and the rest of them had been in jail more times than I could count. But to hear the actual words come from Cooper’s mouth could change things.

“If you keep hoping to see a nice, good side to us, you should walk away now. Eli is certainly not, and neither are the rest of us. This is us actually trying to be better. Leave it at that.”

“I know, but
...”

“No buts. We have to make money.”

What did I expect? They were Dark Fae. Even worse, they were Dark Dwellers. Was I hoping they would act like good little human citizens? No, that wasn’t their nature, but it still bothered me. I couldn’t change them any more than they could change me. For better or worse, this was my family, and I would stick by them. I held my head, suddenly really tired.

“I need some water to wash this nasty taste out of my mouth.” I slid off the rail and headed inside the house. Cooper nodded and watched me walk off.

The coolness of the indoors eased a bit of the tension, but suddenly I wanted to lie down. Even though I was technically sleeping in the infirmary cabin, I didn’t want to go there. Mom would probably be nearby with an unhappy expression and biting comments about Dark Dwellers. I didn’t need that right now, especially after my talk with Cooper. Without much thought, I slunk down the hallway toward Eli’s room.

Knowing he was out, I slipped through the door unnoticed. I struggled to pull off my jeans since they clung to my skin, crusted with sweat and dirt. When I had grabbed clothes from my house awhile back, it had been cold. I hadn’t packed summer items. Feeling like I had dropped ten degrees by being in my underwear and tank, I lay back on Eli’s bed. His enticing smell had me curling deep into his pillow. I leaned across and switched on a fan. The cool air fluttered over my skin. My lids closed, and my muscles coveted the relaxation. It didn’t take long before I fell into a deep sleep.

Bodies were lumped in piles across the burnt meadow. Ash and smoke hung heavily in the air. Blood soaked into the grass, dyeing it a rich shade of burgundy. The sight of carnage and the smell of charred flesh bore down on my stomach, making me retch. I had been here before. I had stood in this spot. This time there were more bodies and more blood. Death hung in the air, drenching it. The sky was spotted with burning fireballs, the line between the worlds melted into one. Soon there would be none.

“Ember, you have to stop this from happening.” A voice spoke into my head. I whipped around, searching for the speaker. I recognized the hooded figure standing deep in the shadows. It was my mother. Even though she never showed her face, I knew. I could feel the unconditional love and connection between us.

“Mom?” I moved closer.

The nearer I got to her, the darkness seemed to close more tightly around us and shielded her even more from view. Her hand stretched out and gripped my hand painfully. “Find the sword, Ember.” Her tone sounded desperate and pleading. “Don’t let it fall into her control or all will be lost. This will be your future.”

I knew she meant Aneira. It was the only thing I was sure of. The figure turned and walked away.

“Wait!” I reached out to stop her. My fingers grasped for the fabric of her robe. “No, Mom, wait. How do I find the sword?”

“The answer is with you,” she said before dissipating, leaving me alone.

Only the wails of people dying and distant sounds of battle could be heard.

A light knock on the door brought me out of my slumber. My head jerked up. I looked at the door, then over my shoulder. The early dawn light filtered over Eli sleeping next to me. He was sprawled on his back, and one hand lay protectively on my bare thigh. I hadn’t heard him come in or felt him climb in next to me. I must have been tired if I slept through the rest of the day and night. The dream left a knot in my stomach. The more I reached to remember it, the more it evaded me.

Another set of taps rattled the door; the memory of the dream disappeared completely. Not wanting him to wake, I slipped out from under Eli’s hand. He shifted and turned his head the other way but remained asleep. Adjusting my tank, I tiptoed for the door and cracked it open.

Cole stood on the other side, his expression impatient. “Ember, you need to come outside.”

“Why? What’s going on? What time is it?”

“Please, come.” His tone conveyed this was not the time to argue or ask questions.

I looked over my shoulder at Eli. “Only you,” he interjected. “I’ll wait for you outside. Please hurry.” Cole turned away briskly.

The pants I had been wearing were in a dirty ball on the floor; heat and time kept me from putting them back on. Instead, I reached for a pair of boxer shorts folded on top of Eli’s dresser and hopped into them. They were big on me, but I didn’t have time to worry about my fashion style. I slipped on my boots and ran outside to where Cole was anxiously waiting for me.

“What’s going on?”

“You’ll see.” He motioned for me to follow him.

With me lagging behind, he headed toward the back end of their property. The sun was scarcely peeking over the mountains. We came to an open field, and in the distance I could see the tiny silhouettes of Simmons and Cal weaving through the air. It took me a moment to realize they weren’t alone. Three human forms trailed slowly behind them: two men and a woman. One of the men was being held up by the other two. His arms were around their shoulders as he struggled to hobble forward.

My gaze narrowed on one. All the other worries on my mind instantly dissolved. “Torin,” I screamed. My feet struck the dirt as I ran to him. He looked up, his face bloody and swollen. When he saw me, his legs gave out, and he crumbled to the ground.

I skidded to a stop in front of him, and the soil and rocks tore into my knees as I dropped. My hands automatically went to his face, picking up his head.

“Found you.” Torin smiled dreamily. He was struggling to stay conscious. His body and face were battered so badly he could barely move or speak, and I could hardly make out his features. One eye was swollen completely shut, and the other only opened halfway.

My gaze flashed and took in the others.

“Oh, my god, Josh. Are you okay?” He was not someone I expected to see again, but I felt so happy I had been wrong. His familiar, sweet face peered down at me with sadness in his eyes. Josh had a split lip, a black eye, and a deep cut on his cheek. Fortunately, nothing that wouldn’t heal.

“Yeah. I’m okay.”

I recognized the woman on the other side of Torin. She was from the castle dungeon. The one who came up to me, confirming I was part Dark Dweller. It was the only reason the Queen had not killed me on the spot.

“I remember you.”

“Yes. I am Thara.” She spoke formally, her voice elegant and regal. “Do not fear. I am no longer with the Queen. I helped Torin escape. She would have killed him.”

“Thank you.” My hands still held Torin’s head. He continued to slump further. He had been placed in this predicament and had been tortured by the Queen because of his attachment to me. Even though he was badly hurt, I felt overpowering relief he was away from her. Turning my attention back on Torin, my eyes really took in his condition.

“Dammit...” He was in bad shape.

“
Mo chuisle
,” he mumbled. I could tell he had no sense of reality and was fluttering on the edge of consciousness and dreamland.