Seduced by Darkness (12 page)

I would not put a thief in my mouth to steal my brains.

— William Shakespeare, Othello

THIS TRIP HAS
taken too long.
That's all I could think as first we flew to Italy, then drove as far as we could before we had to hike through the woods and mountains. It would be easier if we could shift, but I still couldn't bring myself to try.

Even with Derek and Talon with me.

So we hiked each painfully slow mile through the remote mountains of Italy to a place that Sam insisted we meet. A place Derek and I had never heard of, but Talon nodded in his knowing, enigmatic way.

The Forgotten City.

We followed vague directions that took us into the heart of the end of world, or so it seemed. By the time we arrived at the correct mountain, I felt tired, cold, hungry, scared and determined to let none of that slow me down.

The mountain looming before us looked part majestic creation of nature and part man-made, with tunnels and passages carved into it.

I felt the energy shift around us, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. If I'd been in wolf form, my spine would have stiffened as my fur rose in alert. I would be growling. But as a human, I stood still, waiting, nerves prickling with the anticipation of danger. I wanted to run back down the mountain, down the trails, back to the safety of a city, but I stayed, side by side with Derek as we waited.

In a sudden gust of wind and air, Nephilim surrounded us in the sky, wings blazing around them, gray rags hanging off their bodies in lieu of armor or clothing. They landed lightly, encircling us.

Before we could focus on them, a werewolf emerged from a hidden tunnel in the mountain, its fur dark red, its size massive. One paw was easily larger than my head, and I imagined it swiping at me and knocking it off my neck like a cat playing with a mouse.

I felt like a small, defenseless rodent in that moment.

Derek's muscles tensed and I could feel him resist the urge to shift.

The werewolf in front of us growled and raised its nose, sniffing. "Halflings," he said. His voice tugged at a memory in my mind, but I couldn't place it.

"Why do you travel through the Forbidden Mountains?" he asked. "You are either very brave or very stupid. Or both." I could almost see him smile as his wolf lips curled back over his long, sharp teeth.

The better to eat me.

I cleared my throat and faced him. "We're looking for our friends," I said. "They told us to find them here."

"Your friends are long gone, girl." His tongue flicked over his teeth and lips. "I wonder, which one of you tastes best?" He walked forward, claws raised. Derek growled, his body changing as he prepared to fight the werewolf, when a familiar voice came from the mist.

"Red, I told you my friends were coming," said Beleth, landing lightly on one of the higher rocks above us. "Leave them be."

Red stepped back, bending his head a fraction. "I just wanted to have some fun," he said. "Especially with this beauty." His eyes fell on me. "Have you ever done it with a full breed before? Feels like—"

Derek growled and stood in front of me. "That's my wife you're talking to."

The werewolf shrugged, unimpressed by my husband. "Invitation still stands," he said. "Come on," he turned for us to follow. "The gate awaits."

Beleth landed behind us and pulled in his dark wings as we followed Red.

"I'm glad you came," said Beleth, falling in step beside me.

"Why'd he call us halflings?" I asked Beleth.

Red answered from ahead. "Because you are."

"We're Druids," Derek said.

"You're half Lycan, half witch," said Red.

I turned to Derek. "Is that true?"

He shrugged. "My father told me a story about Liana. She fell in love with a man, and they were hunted by a beast and—"

"She fell in love with a Lycan," interrupted Red. "And because the church frowned on their romance, they sent Lycans to hunt them down. They killed Liana's love, but too late. She was already carrying his halfling bastard."

"Half Lycan, half witch," I whispered.

"Halflings," said Red. "Haven't you ever wondered why you possess magic and prefer turning into wolves?"

Derek reached for my hand as we walked. "They say Liana's tears created the Rosebush."

"Yeah, maybe," said Red. "It was a fucking long time ago. I can't remember everything, can I?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Remember?"

Red smiled. "Who'd you think they sent to hunt them?"

"You hunted Liana and her lover?" I couldn't hide the shock from my voice.

Red growled. "Yeah, Halfling, that's what I just said. Your ears not working too well?"

"No, I just… why'd you spare her?" I asked.

Derek shifted from wolf to human and spoke. "He didn't spare her. Liana fought them off. My mother told me the stories."

"She told you lies, boy," said Red. "I did spare her. I…" His carefree demeanor left him, replaced by sadness as his shoulders slumped and body slowed to a stop. "I knew her once," he finished, finally, before continuing his walk.

I wondered how old Red was, that he'd been around so long. We walked in silence for a time until we came upon a large stone gate by the side of the mountain. It was carved with people and beasts in battles fought long ago, or perhaps only imagined. Red slid his claws down the middle of the gate and it opened, massive stones moving and grinding. We entered a giant cavern of dark stone in the heart of the mountain. It was lit with blue crystals glowing on the walls. "Welcome to the Forgotten City," Red said.

As we walked through the massive cavern dug into the center of the mountain, I marveled at the homes and daily life routines they'd also carved out for themselves in this forsaken land. Homes and shops carved from rock and earth, decorated with splashes of color. All manner of people lived here side by side. Nephilim, Lycan, witches, paranormals using their powers in the open.

As we walked by one of the homes, a tiny werewolf baby ran out of the stone door and hopped onto Red’s back. It was so tiny, so cute, I wanted to cuddle it. I expected Red to knock the small pup off with an annoyed growl, but he surprised me with an affectionate nip at the little one. And what looked like a smile.

"I've never seen a little one before," Derek said. "Yours?"

"One of many," said Red, petting the baby wolf. "If the she-wolfs want it, who am I to deny them?"

"Lycans are forbidden to have children," said Talon.

"Only Lycans who serve the church," said Red. "One of the reasons I helped found this place. Here, you can be whatever you want to be. No Nephilim Court or Inquisition sniffing up your ass." He led us to a carved out home in the cavern. "Here's your friend," he said. "Pretty, but I prefer something with a bit more hair, myself."

We entered a large stone home lit with more of that blue light. It was furnished with furs and large pillows and tables carved from wood and stone. Very rustic, but also beautiful.

When Sam saw us, she jumped up from the cushions she was sitting on and ran to us, hugging me first. "I'm so glad you're here. How's Ana?"

"She was fine when we left. Father Patrick stayed behind to take care of her. With the help of everyone at Elysium."

Sam pulled us to the center of the room and we sat in front of a roaring fire as she told us what happened.

Sam's hands trembled as she spoke, and I reached for her, offering silent comfort as best I could. "They took him away," she said, eyes tearing up. "They dragged him out of the court like a criminal. I tried to reach for him, tried to stop them, but they fended me off. He's locked up in prison until he goes insane from hunger."

"Oh my God, Sam, I'm so sorry." I knew what it felt like to have the man you love locked up and to feel so helpless.

"What's the plan?" asked Derek.

Sam sat up straighter and wiped at her eyes. "Beleth knows his way around the Stone Prison. We sneak in, get Drake out, and fly back here."

Derek shook his head. "So what? The Queen and her Emzara can break down the gate and imprison both of you?"

For some reason, Sam smiled at that.

"The Queen and I have an understanding," Red said. "She doesn't mess with me. I don't mess with her."

"Great," Derek said. "So you and Drake can live in a cave forever."

Sam's shoulders slumped. "At least it's living."

"I want my friends back," said Derek. "There must be some other way."

"Unless you and the Queen are best buds, then we can't change her mind," Sam argued.

"We don't have to change it," said Talon. Everyone stopped and looked at him in the corner. We'd forgotten he was even there. "We just have to replace her."

Red choked out a laugh that sounded terrifying. "Kill the Twilight Bitch? You're even crazier than you look. And you look pretty crazy with those horns."

"Rose, Sam and Derek can fight," said Talon. "Together, you could beat her."

"We'd never get past the Emzara," said Beleth. "And even if we did, she is a powerful Nephilim."

"We're not killing her," said Derek. "We need to talk to her. Work out a deal."

"No." Sam shook her head. "We're freeing Drake. That's the best plan."

"She's right," Beleth said, his body still as untouched water.

Derek paced the room. "I'm not letting you kill yourselves." I could tell his temper was frayed.

"Since when do you back away from a fight?" asked Rose.

"Since it became about more than just me," he said, pausing in his pacing. "Since I've become responsible for others."

"Well, you can't stop us," Sam said. "So please help us."

Derek and Sam both raised their voices, arguing their cases to deaf ears. I tried to send out my magic to calm them, but the tensions had already escalated too much. Before my magic could do any good, Derek stormed out of the house.

Talon stood. "I'll go talk to him. See if I can change his mind."

I was about to argue, to say it should be me who goes, but Sam broke down, tears streaming down her face. Maybe Talon could calm Derek. Right now, Sam needed me.

prattle without practice

— William Shakespeare, Othelllo

I KNEW I
overreacted as soon as I left the stone house, but I couldn't calm my mind or heart. I needed space. Quiet.

My best friend was in danger, possibly imprisoned for life, and I didn't know the right answer to save him. I wanted—needed—to figure out a way to save my best friend. I couldn't imagine him withering away in prison until his mind snapped. But there had to be a better way to save him then storming a heavily guarded prison and risking the lives of Rose and our friends. The weight of this choice felt like its own kind of prison. How could I risk my wife to save my best friend? But how could I let my best friend die in there?

Inside the cavern life buzzed with activity. People traded food and goods at a small market in the center of their little town. Families passed each other on the stone streets.

I had to get out of here.

I walked until I found a path through the mountain that led to a remote cliff overlooking the forest beyond the city. It looked like no one ever came here. Perfect.

As I stood and let my mind empty of its worry, an eagle landed beside me and turned into Talon.

"I need to be alone," I told the shifter.

"What we think we need and what we actually need are often at odds with each other," he replied.

"I definitely don't need more riddles in my life," I replied.

"You disagree with our plan of destroying the Twilight Queen to save Drake. What would you do if you were in charge?"

"I would try to find a peaceful resolution first. Something that would give Drake and Sam their lives back without starting a war we can't win with the Nephilim."

"And if peaceful talks failed? Then what?"

I sighed. "Then I'd find another way." I turned to look at the old man as something tickled my mind. "Why are you so anxious to go to war? What's your agenda? I have a hard time believing you care so much about Drake that you're willing to die in a fight against a powerful Nephilim army for him."

Talon smiled, his grizzled face distorted with his animal shapes. "Finally, someone asks the right question. You'd make a good leader, Derek. I'm almost sorry for what I'm about to do. Almost."

I felt the danger too late. The pieces fell together in my mind as Talon raised his arms and vines and stone grew from the cliff and wound around my body. I shifted into wolf, growling, fighting, clawing at the magical prison, but the more I struggled, the more it ensnared me. 

I shifted back into human, my mind humming with all the threats. "What are you doing, Talon? Why are you doing this?"

It had been him all along. The killings. The deaths. The Beast wasn't a Lycan as we'd all thought. It was more powerful than that. It had magic. It was a powerful Druid. One of the most powerful Druid's I'd ever known of.

"Power," Talon said. "Power and revenge. Aren't those the reasons for everything? And your wife, she is very special. You don't realize how special, you with your pack and your rules and your limitations. You would keep her from her greatness. With me, she will rule the world. She will be queen."

One of the paranormals from the city walked up behind Talon, a teenage kid who looked like he was coming out here to smoke. His eyes widened as Talon turned on him. "Wrong place, wrong time," Talon said as he shifted into a massive werewolf and tore through the throat of the kid, feeding on his blood, eating his heart, devouring him as I watched helplessly.

And all I could think of was Rose. She trusted him. He mentored her. And he was killing everyone we loved.