West (A Darkness Series Novel)

by Stacey Marie Brown

“Who are you? How do you know us?” I belted out after Rez, keeping my body in front of hers.

  The older woman smiled at us. “Not exactly you, but I knew someone was coming.” She swished her hand. “I wish the visions came to me with more detailed descriptions and a time frame. It would save me a lot of energy.”

  Visions? “You’re a seer?”

  “Psychic, actually.” The woman walked between us to the counter, rubbing the cat’s head as she walked around. “People always confuse us as the same thing.”

  Like it mattered right now. “But you saw us arriving?”

  “Well, ‘saw’ is not really how to describe it. I was doing a reading and the cards told me you would be here.”

  “Cards? Seriously?”

  “You should be the last person to be skeptical. I have the gift, no matter what tool I use to understand the message.” Her lids narrowed with irritation.

  “You’re right.” Rez stepped to the counter, taking over before I insulted the lady even more. “What message did you receive? How do you know it’s about us?”

  “It told me a couple would be coming to the store, searching for an item.”

  “Wow, you just described pretty much every person walking in here.” I threw my arms up. This lady was probably a complete fraud.

  “An ancient, coveted, precious item lost to the sea?”

  Rez shot me a look over her shoulder, then turned back to the woman. “Was that all you saw?”

  The woman assessed us for a moment, silent, and then said, “A woman with the voice of an angel and a man who lived in darkness. I’d say that’s you two.”

  Now she had my undivided attention.

  “The cards said you would come to my store after the winter solstice, seeking knowledge and refuge.”

  Rez inhaled sharply at the woman’s words.

  “Do you have information for us?” I barged up to the counter, skimming Rez’s shoulder. “Where this lost item is?”

  “I don’t even know what it is. I have no idea what you seek or where it is. It doesn’t work like that. I didn’t even know who I was expecting. Do you know how long ‘after the winter solstice’ is? Months. Every day I came in, wondering if today was going to be the day. Or if in the time I went to get a tea, I missed you.” She fluttered her hands dramatically, becoming agitated. “Believe me, my ability has been more of a burden than a gift. It varies on how much information I get. But there’s always enough to make me crazy.”

  “We appreciate you’ve been waiting for us. For what you do know.” Rez reached out, placing her hand on the woman’s, her voice low and soothing. The woman immediately inhaled through her nose, centering herself as she let go of her breath, calming down.

  She nodded appreciatively at Rez. “You really do have the voice of an angel.”

  “Angel of death,” I mumbled. Rez’s elbow hit my ribs, and she glared at me. I lifted my eyebrows innocently.

  “I am Cara.” The woman held out her hand to Rez.

  “I’m R—”

  “I think it’s better if you don’t know our names.” I spoke over Rez. Anonymity was the only way to survive.

  Cara pursed her lips but then slowly nodded, her gaze analyzing me. “You are probably right.”

  “Now, about that information. Do you have any books on ancient shipwrecks, the family O’Brien, or treasures?” I rubbed my hands together.

  “No,” she replied, deflating my hope. Then her body stilled, her eyes widening. “But I have a map of all three.”

  “I’m sorry, what?” I couldn’t have heard her right.

  “It was a family heirloom given to me by a friend when his uncle died. He thought I’d like it because I love old maps.” Cara patted her hand to her chest. “Every time I touched it I kept getting flashes of a weapon…like a spear or dagger?”

  My head spun, my hands clutching the table to keep me upright. Holy shit, did we just find the key to the location of the spear? “Where is this map?” I gritted my teeth, trying to keep from leaping closer to her and demanding she show me.

  “I’m sorry, but it’s not for sale.” Cara face lined with remorse. “It means too much to me.”

  I moved, ready to jump over the counter and scare her shitless till she handed it to us.

  Rez’s hand grabbed my arm, keeping me in place. “That’s okay,” she interjected. What? It is not okay. “We don’t want to take it from you.” Yes, we fucking do! “We only need to see it. Please, Cara, this is extremely important.”

  Cara nipped her bottom lip, glanced at the cat sleeping, then at the door. She huffed and went for the entrance.

  What the hell? Was she leaving? Kicking us out?

  Cara reached the door, flipped the open sign to closed, and swiveled to us.

  “Come with me.”

  Was it wrong to roll naked on an old piece of parchment paper like it was the treasure itself? If it was, then so be it, because that was exactly what I wanted to do when Cara pulled the framed map from her office wall.

  “This map shows several places where treasure is ‘supposed’ to be, from various shipwrecks.” She curled her fingers in quotes. “They are merely legends and folklore. Tall tales of those hopefuls wanting to find pirate treasure.”

  “What if it’s not? What if these are real? Or at least some of them?” Rez glided her fingers over the glass connecting all the X-marks showing locations. “You said the O’Brien name was connected to this map?”

  “Yes.” Cara nodded. “On the back of the map are names associated to the different wrecks. You know, tales that claim a particular captain was at the helm when the ship went down.”

  “Which one’s linked to O’Brien?” The muscles around my lungs spasmed, anxiety and anticipation lighting them on fire.

  Cara looked at me, and her eyes glinted with excitement, as though she knew she was a part of something extremely significant.

  “This one.” She tapped at the glass.

  Adrenaline pounded in my temples. “Holy. Shit.”

  “You said we were close.” Rez’s eyes met mine with shock and excitement.

  I didn’t think we were this close.

  Cara’s finger sat on the X symbol right on the coastline. The script next to it read: The Cliffs of Moher.

  We weren’t simply near. We were sitting fuckin’ on it.

  The bells of the entrance chimed, declaring someone’s arrival into the shop.

  Cara’s head jerked up. “They must have not seen the closed sign. I’ll go see what they want.”

  She had taken two steps when my sense of smell picked up on the intruders. Bears. “No!” I hissed, grabbing her arm. Cara gasped. Rez’s gaze snapped to mine, her expression made of stone, but her eyes moved with questions.

  My nod was subtle, but Rez understood and immediately reached for the knife strapped to her leg.

  “What is going on?” Cara yanked against my hold. “Let me go!”

  “Shhh.” I covered her mouth, feeling the dark beast rise, sensing the threat on the other side of the door. My eyes must have shifted red, my pupils elongating, because she yelped under my hand, pulling harder against my hold.

  “Stop. Now,” I growled. “These men are here to kill us. And you too, if they find us.”

  Cara went quiet, her face full of fear, but she pulled her hand away.

  “There’s a back door.”

  Bangs resonated from the front of the store. The bears knocking into shelves. I instantly wanted to fight them. To spread Smokey apart for what he did to Rez, but her safety meant more. Both these women were in harm’s way and would be used against me if caught.

  “Where?” Anxiety bounced my feet.

  “It’s right on the other side of here, but you have to go out this door and around the corner. You will be seen.”

  Damn! I glanced at Rez to see how she was handling the thought of another fight. She may claim to be all right, but that shit last night had to affect her more than she admitted.

  She lo
oked back at me with a slight shrug. We have no other choice.

  Seeing her strength, her courage, knowing she couldn’t really beat them in a fight, but still wanting to stand next to me…did things to me I didn’t want to think about.

  “I’ll distract them.” Cara turned for the door.

  “What? Wait!” I grabbed her arm again. “These guys are evil assholes. Shape-shifting bears. They will tear you apart.” It still felt strange to be open about fae to humans in this new world.

  “No, they won’t.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because I trust the cards.” She patted my hand. “And I don’t die today.”

  “Cara. No.” Rez stepped in front of the door.

  “Oh, I almost forgot. Take these.” She pulled keys from her pocket and a slip of paper. “It’s my little cottage. No one will find you there. Here’s the address.”

  My mouth gaped.

  “You are seeking refuge, right?”

  I nodded, taking the keys.

  “See? Trust the cards.” She nudged Rez out of the way and clutched the handle. “Now. Run.”

  Cara turned off the lights and stepped out of the room, walking with false ease toward the men. If I could hear her heart slamming in my ears, they could too, but going forward was our only plan.

  Rez kept close as I eased toward the door.

  “Gentlemen, can I help you?” Cara curved herself toward the front so the men would look that way. Smart lady. “If you need help finding something, I can assist, but please don’t throw my books on the floor.”

  The bigger one rumbled under his breath but turned to face her.

  I grabbed Rez’s hand and tugged her through the door and around the corner, keeping low. I could hear her heartbeat pumping strongly behind me, serenading the store. Bears also had a great sense of smell.

  We scarcely got to the door when I heard one of them grunt loudly. It was creepy how they didn’t talk. Almost like they couldn’t. I glanced over my shoulder, and both bears were tearing after us.

  “Shit!” I yanked Rez, shoving her through the exit to the alleyway. “Go!”

  She didn’t hesitate and bolted down the alley. I slammed the door, reaching for the garbage bin closest to me. It wouldn’t hold them long, but I would take any time we got. I wheeled it over, blocking the exit, and locked the brakes. They shoved the door roughly against the metal bin but it didn’t open all the way, buying us time. Swiveling, I darted down the backstreet and ran across the road.

  “West!” Rez called me from a lane up the street. I swerved toward her, pumping my legs faster at the sound of metal scraping across cement behind me. Crap. They were out.

  We darted through another alley. This town was small so it was really hard to get lost. I cut through a parking lot, heading behind a strip of stores and pubs. I ran faster than Rez but glanced behind me to make sure she was there. Movement caught my eye and suddenly an object leaped at her from behind a dumpster.

  “Rez!” Her name tore from my throat. It was too late. Her scream pealed through the morning air, gutting me. I wheeled around, my chest hammering in my throat, going back for her.

  A man’s arm wrapped around her body, holding a knife to her throat. He was tall and lean, but muscles corded his arms, his green eyes shaped like diamonds. His arms strained through his shirt, and his hand shook as he dipped the blade into her neck. Red liquid trickled past the blade.

  My beast roared, fury curling my shoulders forward. “Get the fuck away from her,” I growled, my back hunching over more, pain flashing down my legs. I pushed against the instinct to change, and the beast screamed in agony inside me.

  The man’s eyes met mine. They looked dead, vacant, similar to the bear brothers. He didn’t say anything, but his forked tongue darted out, tasting and smelling the air around him.

  Fuck! Snake-shifter.

  If he weren’t threatening Rez, I would have found him funny. The irony of a snake being in Ireland was almost too much. Like the bears, snakes had also allegedly been purged from this island a long time ago. A silly legend. According to the historians there never actually were snakes here.

  “What do you want?” I inched forward.

  He stared as if he didn’t even realize I was talking. A screeching of wheels ripped my attention to the van backing down the alley.

  The bear brothers jumped out from behind the snake-shifter and opened the back doors of the vehicle. Snake Man hauled Rez back toward the van.

  They are taking her. Away from me. The beast inside went berserk, shutting logic down, and rage poured through my veins. I flung forward with a roar. Stabbing pains wrenched my body, and all I saw was red, but I couldn’t stop.

  The bears came after me, shifting their hands and mouths into weapons.

  “West!” Rez’s voice gutted me, driving the dweller inside to scrape at the surface. My legs collapsed underneath me, agony pitching me forward on all fours.

  Noooooo! I bellowed in my head.

  There was always a point when the beast went too far. It didn’t care if you wanted him out or not, he was ready to kill. I was past the point of no return, even though no monster emerged to the surface.

  My hearing was centered on Rez, hearing her screams and struggles against the snake. The bears watched me, not sure why I had crumpled to the ground. The bigger one tried to get near me. My mouth opened, letting out a thunderous roar, rattling the garbage cans next to me.

  The smaller one grabbed him and pulled him back, shaking his head. They both stared at me as my body tried to attack them. Blinding pain shredded my insides, and bile leaked from my mouth. I couldn’t move. Every muscle locked up, suspended in this painful limbo where I could not change.

  “West!” Rez’s voice was lost as the doors shut on her and the men hopped into the van.

  Wrath exploded inside, demanding to release my beast. Black dots consumed my vision, and I felt my shoulder slam into the cement. A guttural howl came straight from my soul. The vibration of the van driving away thumped against my temple.

  Rez... She was gone. I had failed her. Again.

  Aneira had done more than twist my mind. She had taken away my essence—the one thing that made me who I was. I was simply a shell filled with bullshit pretending everything was fine. When in reality my walls were crumbling down, leaving me nothing but a husk.

  Gradually my bones and muscles relaxed and air flowed through my lungs. I pushed myself to sit, spitting acid burning my throat. I wiped away saliva. My body ached like I’d been beaten, but anger propelled me to my feet.

  Rez. Finding her was my only thought.

  Who were they? Why would they kidnap her? It was clear they were after the spear as well. Lars warned us his interest might have alerted other groups who would be trying to beat him to the finish line. Stealing our information, our leads…they wanted to get to it first, surely that’s why they took Rez, hoping she would give them its location.

  Shit. Lars. What would I tell him? Hey, sorry, your woman was hijacked by Yogi, Boo-Boo, and Hiss while I curled on the ground like a pussy.

  “Fuck!” I yelled, running a hand through my hair. I didn’t care about Lars or the damn spear. I needed to find her. If those assholes hurt her in any way… The thought drifted off. What? What would you do? Roar at them, you toothless asshole?

  I shoved my fists into my pockets, my shoulders tight and hunched. I had to do something. Find her somehow... My boots clipped the pavement, moving before I even finished the thought.

  “Cara?” I screamed, ripping the back door open. “Cara!”

  “What?” She bustled toward the back, her hands going to her mouth. “Oh my goodness! What happened? Are you all right? I thought you got away.”

  “No.” I clenched my teeth. “They took Rez.” I was past caring if she knew our names. It was a moot point anyway. They had her.

  “Oh no.” Panic and fear widened her eyes.

  “I need you to find her.”

  �
��What? How do you think I can find her?”

  “Do a reading on your cards. A séance! Get out a fuckin’ Ouija board. I. Don’t. Care. Just find her!” I yelled, my patience out into wisps.

  Cara’s hands shook, tears glassing over her eyes. Yeah, I was being a dick. I didn’t care. Getting Rez back by any means possible was my only drive.

  “That’s not really how it works.” She fluttered nervously under my gaze. “I don’t pick and choose what the powers want me to know.”

  “Try.” I slammed my teeth together, growling.

  She licked her lip and patted her chest rhythmically, like it helped her keep from freaking out. She didn’t even know how scary I could get. Cara ran back to the counter where the cat still sat stretched out. He lifted his head and glared at me.

  Right back at you.

  She pushed him off, producing a strained cry from his throat. At least now I wasn’t the only one the brat scowled at. “Sorry, Othello,” she uttered remorsefully, but tossed her tarot cards on the table, shuffling them frantically. “Pick one.” She held them out.

  I’d asked her to do this, but I felt irritated, like she was wasting my time. A clock ticked in my head, every second putting more distance between Rez and me. I pinched a card and tossed it on the table. What was I thinking? Did I really think this would help locate her? The problem was I didn’t know what else to do.

  Cara frowned at the card. It was of a man hanging upside down.

  “What does that mean?”

  “Reversed hanged man shows martyrdom, indecision, and delay,” she said. “You can’t let go of something because it’s keeping you from moving forward. Being happy.”

  Like a punch, the accuracy of this card jabbed at me, only angering me more.

  “How the hell is this helping me find Rez?”

  “I told you. That’s not how my abilities work.” Lines dug in her forehead. “Try another.”

  I yanked at a card, tossing it down.

  “Hermit card,” she noted. “Upright, which means soul-searching, introspection, inner guidance.”

  “This is bullshit!” I shoved all the cards off the table, scattering them across the room. “This is not helping me find Rez.”