Hidden In Darkness (A Seven Realms Book Book 1)

by S. J. Stewart

  Andrei nodded. “The Wendigo scooped her up and tried to walk back with her. They were trying to take her.”

  “A Wendigo.” Cricket breathed. “I’ve never heard of a Wendigo who was a team player. Who did they attack with?”

  “Mostly Goblins, Elves, and Ghouls. Some low-level Demons.” Ridhor frowned, his eyes on Melas. “I’m going to take this out now. It’s going to hurt.”

  She threw back more whiskey and nodded. “Have at it.”

  “Ghouls.” Cricket frowned. “But no Vampire?”

  “No Vampire.” Andrei nodded. “But there was a Demon.”

  “A Demon commanding Ghouls? Have you heard of Ghouls following anyone but the Vampire who created them?” Cricket asked Andrei.

  Ghouls were beings who were already too far into the grasps of Death for a Vampire to turn, they were mindless creatures who usually just did whatever their maker commanded of them until they rotted away into nothing or were destroyed. He shook his head. “No.”

  “It’s Thiriel, it has to be,” Orren said.

  “If we were right and Zura is Thiriel’s, wouldn’t he want her more than Melas?” Alette asked.

  The piece of plastic being pulled from her leg sent white-hot pain shooting through her. Every muscle stiffened, one of her hands wrapping around the arm of the chair, the other around the whiskey bottle.

  The bottle shattered in her hand, shards of glass and whiskey going everywhere.

  Orren was quickly at her side, wiping her hand with a towel and checking it over to see if any of the glass cut her. Satisfied there was no damage that needed tending to, he wrapped her hand around his, lacing their fingers together.

  She looked up, meeting his gaze as she breathed through the wave of pain still holding her under its surface.

  “Zura is ours,” Ridhor growled.

  Understanding his meaning, Alette nodded. “Yes, but don’t you think it’s strange. If you were him and fathered a child, wouldn’t getting them back be your first goal even before the mother?”

  Even the most heartless being in all the realms would jump at the chance to have their own child. It was why the black-hearted Unseelie Queen kidnapped so many human children. So desperate for the chance to have any child around her.

  As hellbent as Thiriel was to gain as much power over the realms as he could, even he would want a child he sired by his side. Whether they had his powers or not. It would only cement his power by having the one thing everyone wanted but couldn’t have.

  Silence swept over the room, the only sound the tweezers gripping the needle as Ridhor stitched up Melas’ wound.

  “Either Thiriel isn’t Zura’s father or somehow Melas is more important than a child in a childless world,” Cricket said.

  The guys all shared a look, a conversation happening in their eyes.

  Normally she would be quick to question them. Right now, she wanted to get stitched up and go lay with her daughter. They could both use a nap.

  She couldn’t help with any of their theories. She had no idea why she was being hunted.

  When Ridhor tied off the final stitch, he sat back on his heels. “You won’t be able to shower but I can run you a bath and we will keep your leg out of the water.” Andrei was already walking to the adjoining bathroom. The water started running as he took it upon himself to start her bath.

  “We should stay close,” Cricket said. “Where is Zura?”

  “Her room.” Orren’s eyes still watched Melas. “She always loves a visit from you guys and is a little high-strung right now. The Nightmares are trying to comfort her.”

  Cricket laughed lightly. “Comforted by Nightmares. Who would have thought.” Her joke did little to lighten the mood.

  Nodding, Alette touched a hand to Melas’ knee. “Let me know if you need anything. After your bath, I will come back to give you something to speed your healing.”

  The Pixies left the room just as Andrei stepped out of the bathroom. He stared at Melas, his eyes glassy for a moment before he cleared his throat. “Food,” He said finally. “We’ll all be hungry before we know it. I’m going to get cleaned up, then I will start on dinner.” He didn’t wait for a reply before leaving the room.

  His abrupt departure had Melas chuckling lightly. “Nightmares comforting a little girl, and Andrei refusing to address his feelings. Things are backward.”

  They all laughed lightly. “Yes. I have some things I need to look into, but Ridhor will take care of you.” Orren squeezed her hand in his before slowly letting go.

  “Always.” Ridhor’s intense eyes captured Melas’.

  Orren pulled her face to his and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. Before she could even react, he was stepping away. “Whether you acknowledge it or complete the ceremony, we are your mates, Melas. Losing you or Zura at this point would destroy us.” His silver eyes bore into hers before he walked out of the room.

  Her mouth gaped open as the door closed and Ridhor collected her in his arms.

  The bathroom was dimly lit. She could smell the bubble bath Andrei put in the water; the floral scent soothing and making her eyes feel heavier. He set her in a chair in the corner that had a towel draped over it before dropping to his knees before her. “Wait here a moment, try not to fall asleep just yet.”

  Melas managed a weak nod before he disappeared.

  This day felt infinitely long.

  She remembered thinking the day was just racing by when they were having fun. In the blink of an eye, everything changed. She couldn’t wait for this day to be over.

  A new day was what she needed to reset her mind.

  As tired as she was, she wondered what was happening back inside Orren’s wards on Hollywood Boulevard. A magical fight wasn’t something most humans were used to seeing. There had been human casualties. What did the other realms do when that happened? It wasn’t as though the Mortal Realm acknowledged the other six. They seemed happier blissfully unaware, make-believing all those beings were things that went bump in the night in their imaginations.

  It was easier to handle without thinking the things from your nightmares could very well step out of their realms and into your home. The humans would likely destroy their realm trying to kill off all other beings. Lacking the knowledge to bring the fight elsewhere.

  Maybe things would have been different if whoever was supposed to be ruling the Mortal Realm kept that knowledge going. Humans would be less confrontational to anything different. Accept the other beings as though they were a regular occurrence in their lives.

  Or maybe they kept that knowledge a secret because most humans couldn’t even accept the differences amongst themselves.

  Wars were waged for things as stupid as what country you were from. They oppressed people based on the colour of their skin, their religious beliefs, even who they wanted to love. Maybe they weren’t ready for all the other possibilities. They couldn’t accept the very few they had.

  It’s no wonder most beings avoided the Mortal Realm. In comparison, humans seemed like neanderthals.

  What happened with all of them today must be blowing some of their minds. Military trying to get hold of whatever beings from the fight they could so they could exploit them for their selfish causes.

  Letting out a long breath, Melas let herself slouch lower in the chair.

  Christ, she just wanted to sleep.

  She would need to see Zura. She promised her as soon as she was better. She should go now. She would just close her eyes for a second, then she would be ready to go.

  Just a second.

  “Melas.” A warm hand touched her shoulder.

  She opened her eyes and smiled at Ridhor. “Mmm,” She could barely muster the strength needed to speak. She didn’t know if she was tired because of the fight itself, her injuries, or because she used whatever attributes were hidden to her deep within the magic still hiding her memories away.

  “I’m going to undress you to put you in the tub.”

  Nodding, she felt his
hands tear the shirt and pull it lightly from her arms before snapping the buttons on her denim shorts. He lifted her slightly, shifting the shorts off her hips and gently down her legs. She felt him pull her feet out of her sandals before he stood.

  There was some slight rustling before he scooped her up carefully again and carried her to the tub. He held onto her, sinking under the bubbly warm water and holding her back against his chest. He held onto her leg, keeping it above water and resting it on a folded towel on the rim.

  She could feel a sponge being moved over her skin and couldn’t help but sigh at the sensation. The warmth of Ridhor’s lap under her and the water lightly sloshing in the tub was enough to lull her to sleep but she couldn’t sleep yet, she reminded herself. “Zura.”

  “She’s asleep. It seems today wore you both out.” Ridhor told her, running the sponge over her chest, careful to avoid the hole in her shoulder.

  Zura was asleep. They were all here together.

  “Relax. Sleep. I will clean you and put you to bed. You’re always safe with me, Melas. I will keep you both safe.”

  Half asleep, she reached over her shoulder and traced the lines of his scars along his shoulder. They felt hot under her fingertips and she couldn’t help but wish she could do something to make him a little less covered in all the battles of his past. She hated he carried them with him.

  She let her fingers trace over every line within her reach as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

  43

  ORREN

  Melas constantly surprised him. After all the time they spent together, he should know how unpredictable she was now to never be surprised. She never ceased to amaze.

  They’d been so wrapped up in the day. A day of fun.

  Andrei suggested they be tourists for the day. Take the girls out and fully submerge them in the scene of Hollywood many mortal beings obsessed over. It was one of his better ideas.

  The two of them were giddy. Zura from the sights, Melas from watching Zura.

  Zura stuffed her face with everything imaginable, from street meat to ice cream and cake. It was nice to see her so happy, so open with them.

  Orren often felt jealous about the relationships Ridhor and Andrei managed to build with Zura. Ridhor had this effortless bond, easily stepping into a father figure role Zura happily let him take. Andrei seemed like the fun uncle, their silliness easy. He wanted to be both those things for her, he just didn’t know how.

  As much as he adored her, his interaction with children was limited. He didn’t know how the other guys fell into their roles with ease.

  Today, that bond was naturally building. When she wrapped her little hand around his, pulling him into a store behind her, his heart was full to bursting. Always perceptive, he caught the look in Melas’ eye. Instead of the caution usually there, she smiled at him. She’d been happy for him. It surprised him. He never thought they would get to a place where she wanted them to build a relationship with Zura.

  She still scowled at the idea of being mated. So much happened to her in her life, she couldn’t let herself trust stability. That’s what they were offering.

  Stability.

  Even if they were always thrown into chaos, they would be a family. That was stability she hadn’t known and didn’t believe in. It was her and Zura. She never let anyone else in.

  Until now.

  He let his mind wander as he thought about the life they’d have if she’d only let them when suddenly, Melas and Zura were gone. Her speed unseen to even their eyes.

  One moment she was there, smiling up at Zura on Andrei’s shoulders, then poof. The two of them were in an alcove of a store, the carefree look on her face replaced with one ready for battle.

  It all happened too quickly.

  They didn’t take the time to think about it, springing into action. She may not have accepted they were her mates, but they were and they would protect them. They were theirs. Melas and Zura. No one would take them away. They would war against the Seven if it were necessary.

  The bow in her hands shouldn’t have worked as it did. It was a Berserker’s bow, the magic of it ancient and tied to his kind. Berserker magic was red and the runes of his people lit with that magic in his hands.

  How the bow lit in her hands, he had no idea. He’d never seen the arrows react that way either, not even when Ridhor used it. Melas was not human, far from it. With the bow in her hands, there was a moment he thought she was a Berserker.

  Females were rare, rarer now Berserkers were all but extinct. One that could bear children after the Great War shouldn’t be possible. Melas proved anything was possible where she was concerned.

  The thought she could be a Berserker was doused when she picked up those pistols. They transformed in her hands into powerful weapons. The magic behind them was— he honestly didn’t know.

  She could be a Mage. A Blood Mage was just about as rare as a female Berserker, more common before the war.

  Immortal beings could have survived, hidden out after the war. It wasn’t as though they could die of old age. A regular Mage could, but a Blood Mage would be immortal. Her combat skills acquired through a life that required it.

  During the war, even the least combative of beings had to adapt if they wished to survive. Whole species were wiped away, nothing more than a memory a lot of those remaining forgot. Melas might have been one of those beings. Maybe with so few of them left they hadn’t been affected by the curse like the rest of the realms.

  He didn’t know where to begin to try and figure out what she was anymore.

  Her magic was impressive.

  They barely got a glimpse of what she was truly capable of. The magic suppressing who she was, hiding her memories, had to also be hiding her abilities from them. Maybe the very reason it was put there to begin with. To protect her and Zura from being taken if they hadn’t survived whatever happened in those woods.

  Without their magic readily available to use, they would temporarily lose their value.

  Melas held her own, taking out far more than the three of them combined. Not to mention he took on way more damage than she had. If he didn’t have the ability to heal, he would look far worse.

  She was amazing.

  The thought he could lose her wrapped around his stomach, squeezing so hard it caused him physical pain. Their day so quickly changed from a day of touring the city to the start of a war. If she were anyone but Melas, Zura would have been hit with that first dart.

  Fresh anger and grief overtook him at the thought.

  Ridhor had done the brunt of the damage. Had he gone Berserk he could have quickly closed the gap taking out everything within Orren’s ward. The issue was he wouldn’t be able to distinguish friend or foe in that state. Too at war with his beast to work together.

  Stalking over to the mirror, he ran his hands over the glass in a quick swipe.

  The glass rippled before a Sorcerer appeared in the reflection.

  “Orren, sir.” He dipped his head, a show of respect.

  Waving the gesture away, he tried to keep his anger from his voice. “I put a ward up in the Mortal Realm. Hollywood Boulevard, California. Mortals will be trapped there, quite a few casualties. I need you to handle this.”

  Orren’s magic level was nothing to scoff at. There was a time in his life when he’d been obsessed with building his magical strength. There were still some things out of his reach. Whether he could learn them all in time, he wasn’t sure. Some skills came more naturally to those they were meant for. The Sorcerer could very easily erase all signs they’d been there today.

  “Understood.”

  Orren nodded. “Let me know when it’s done.”

  The mirror rippled for a moment before he was no longer looking at the Sorcerer, staring at his own reflection.

  Thiriel had been his adversary for too long. When he was younger, he thought it was little more than a nuisance. A game of cat and mouse between the two of them. Each of them taking turns stepping on one a
nother’s toes and changing the roles in their little game.

  With Melas and Zura in their lives, it was time for him to take this more seriously. Thiriel’s plans were spilling into Orren’s life in a way he couldn’t allow. This was no longer about ego.

  He never felt this need to protect so fiercely. It was enough to shake tears out of him. It was overwhelming.

  Fighting without knowing where they were put off his skills. Every moment he was searching for Melas, wondering if Ridhor was doing his job guarding Zura. Fearful he would go Berserk and his role of protector would quickly change before he or Andrei could get to them. They were only able to survive Ridhor in Berserker form because of their quick healing. Often even Andrei had to bow out, fall back and let Orren try and pull him back from the depths of his mind where the bloodthirsty beast trapped him.

  When they found Ridhor they set up wards, trapped him within them and sat back. Bloody and exhausted hoping eventually the beast that held his reigns would tire and the man hidden away inside could finally break free.

  It took over a week. A week of destruction.

  As far as he could tell Melas and Zura took on wounds as mortals. A split second could completely tear them away. They’d just be gone.

  Ridhor was right. Zura was theirs, so was Melas.

  It might take time to convince her to create a bond that would last until the end of time or until one of them fell in some type of battle. They may never convince her being mated with them was a good idea, but that didn’t change how they felt.

  If Thiriel thought he could take them, he was in for a very rude awakening.

  They would protect them with every beat of their hearts. If by some chance something happened to them, there would be nothing to keep them from tearing through the realms leaving nothing behind but anguish and ruin.

  44

  MELAS

  After a night of sleep, her mind was still rife with confusion and dubiety. They survived an ambush on the busy streets of Hollywood but it felt far from a victory. An attack with no conquest or surrender felt pointless. They flexed their muscles, causing chaos and just when the battle was mounting, disappeared. Slinking back to the shadows that birthed them.