Darkness Whispers (The Darkness Series Book 1)

by Aubrie Nixon

  “Excellent” she said, clapping her hands together. “I’ll set up camp. Do try to get us something other than rabbit, will you?” she asked dryly.

  “As you wish,” Daegan replied, unsheathing his axe as he stalked off into the thick wood.

  CHAPTER 17

  Zad held onto Chantry’s waist as he helped her onto the grey mule that he had managed to borrow from a farmer near the village. “There you go, easy does it,” he said as she situated herself onto the mule’s back.

  “Well, we all made it in one piece,” he said, sighing and giving her a small smile.

  “Not all of us,” Chantry whispered sadly.

  “Don’t talk like that. The others will be fine.” Zad looked at her, concerned.

  “I know, but I feel responsible. We had to split up because of me. If anything happens . . .” Her voice trailed off. Zad took her chin in his hands.

  “Chantry, we can’t afford to think like that. We knew when we started this journey that there would be many things that could go wrong. As Sephera says, ‘It's an impossible quest.’” His voice jumped up to his falsetto range as he tried to mimic Sephera’s feminine gruffness.

  Chantry threw back her head in laughter. “That is NOT what she sounds like!” She sat up taller and furrowed her brow. “It's more like, ‘I like killing. You guys are annoying. Daegan is the worst. Stab, stab, stabby stab. Quests are dumb!’”

  Zad choked out a laugh. “Gods, she would gut us if she was here.” Smiling he looked up at the majestic dark peak that stood before them. “She's up there somewhere, eye twitching, trying not to kill Daegan.” He let out a long breath. “It's not your fault that we had to split up, Chantry. Things happen. That’s just how it is. Don’t beat yourself up, all right? You need to focus on getting better. We still have quite the journey ahead of us.”

  Chantry smiled. “I guess you’re right. Thanks, Zad.”

  “Anytime m’lady. That’s what I’m here for: professional impressionist, friend, and giver of useful advice.” He puffed out his chest and flexed his muscles.

  Brenner untied the reins from the fence post they had been tied to and motioned for Zad to follow. They walked sleepily through the outskirts of the village.

  “We can wait at the inn until the others arrive. I will send word to Baleem that we are here. I wouldn’t expect it to take more than a few days for our contact to meet us. Daegan and Sephera should back before then.” Brenner nodded in silent agreement.

  When they arrived at the inn they paid for two rooms for the week, and Zad slipped the innkeeper a few extra coppers to enlist the help of his daughter for Chantry’s bathing and changing needs. The inn was rather large for such a remote village. It was a trading stop, however, so the decor and food were better than anything in the smaller villages. They feasted on roasted goose with garden potatoes and honey-glazed carrots. Zad smiled as he bit into the steaming vegetable, wishing Sephera was there to enjoy the golden sweet taste.

  They all retired to their beds, exhausted from their journey. Zad found himself unable to sleep despite his tiredness. His thoughts were full of Sephera and the way she had looked at him when he had tried to kiss her. She had seemed so repulsed. He was angry at himself for crossing that line. She was his friend, his family, and she meant the world to him. He had seen in her eyes that he had gone too far, had pushed her to a place she could not go. Yet when he held her as she slept, she hadn’t pushed him off. She had nestled into his arms, warm and beautiful—his dark and dangerous Sephera.

  She walled herself off from the world, but he had scaled those walls over and over again. He wanted to prove to her that he loved her as a man, not just a brother, that he wanted her as she was. She wore the mask of a cold, fractured heart well, but to Zad she wasn’t broken. She was life, she was warmth, and she was home. He worried for her, worried that she would shut him out one day. He had to keep breaking down her walls, had to keep showing her that he would protect her. She didn’t need to hide her heart, because he would protect it and never let it break. If she would only let him.

  The knot in his stomach hadn’t loosened since Sephera had been attacked in the woods. Seeing her broken and crying had shattered him. This mission was impossible, she had said. Yet he had pushed her to accept it, to risk her life to defeat a seemingly unconquerable threat. She had accepted the risk. Sephera, cold-hearted Lady of Death, had put the needs of the world before her own, and it was going to destroy her. He knew she wasn’t telling him everything. How was he supposed to help her, to protect her, if she wouldn’t talk to him? Daegan also knew more than he was letting on. Zad clenched his hands. If that man hurt her, Zad would lose it. He hated killing but if Daegan let anything happen to Sephera, he would not hesitate to kill him.

  He slept restlessly, every sound causing him to start awake just as he finally drifted off. When sunlight started to peek through the small window of his room, he couldn’t wait any longer. He dressed quietly, trying not to wake Brenner or the pup, who was sleeping soundly at the foot of his bed. He made his way to the tavern that served as a dining hall for the inn. He hastily ate his bowl of oats as he wrote a letter to Baleem explaining the situation at hand. He handed it to the innkeeper, who said the message should arrive in the Capital within two days. Zad thanked the man and set out to explore the village.

  CHAPTER 18

  Sephera unrolled her bedding and placed it far from where Daegan was sitting. He was skinning a snake and preparing it for their dinner. Her lips curled in disgust as he strung the revolting meat on a couple of sticks and placed them over the fire.

  As if sensing her gaze, he stated without looking away from the fire, “You said you didn’t want rabbit.”

  Rolling her eyes, Sephera stuck her tongue out at him. She heard him laugh as she laid her head down on the cool ground. She didn’t understand him. He seemed to enjoy tormenting her, and she let him. No one had ever gotten under her skin the way he did. She hated him. But he did have his uses.

  Sighing heavily, she decided to join him by the fire. “You said your people sent you here for a cure?” she questioned.

  “I did,” he said, tearing his eyes from the glowing fire to meet hers.

  “Well, where is it that you hail from, Sir Daegan?”

  Eyes narrowing slightly, he replied, “Nowhere of importance.”

  “Is that so?” she asked, eyebrow raised. “For the amount of arrogance you display, one would think that you came from somewhere of great importance.”

  A ghost of a smile crossed his dark features. “Well, one would be wrong.”

  “Are you ever going to tell me anything about yourself? How about we play a game? A question for a question.”

  He let out a loud laugh. “The Lady of Death wishes to play a game with the likes of me? How could I refuse such an intriguing offer? Very well, Sephera. I will go first.” He cocked his head and gave her a sly smile. He brought his index finger up to his chin and tapped it, pretending to be deep in thought.

  “What possessed you to strip down naked at the lake?” he asked with amusement in his eyes.

  She clenched her jaw, knowing he was baiting her. Refusing to be caught, she said, “I like being naked. Clothes are so . . . constricting.” She met his eyes and smiled as his eyes widened slightly in astonishment.

  “Have I shocked your delicate sensibilities, Sir Knight?”

  “You never cease to amaze me, Sephera.”

  She shook her head, “My turn . . .”

  “It isn’t, actually. It's mine.”

  Before she could argue, he clarified, “You asked if I was shocked by you, and I answered, making it my turn yet again. This is your game, Sephera. Do you not know the rules?” He poked at the fire with a stick, forcing the embers to drift upwards, illuminating the dark air around them. “Do you trust me?” he asked.

  She was taken aback. He was succeeding in his quest to unravel her, but she wasn’t about to let him know that. She bit her lip, pondering her answer. “I believ
e you are here to stop this plague like the rest of us. But I do not think that your motives are as pure as you say they are. Nor do I think that you are telling me everything you know about our immunity. You are hiding something, which could either be wise or devious. Whatever the motivation, it endangers us. Withholding useful information could lead to our downfall. So to answer your question, Daegan, no I don’t trust you.”

  “A decision both wise and foolish. You are right not to trust someone you know to be lying. But at the same time, if you do not trust me, then we can never truly know one another, which it seems to me is something that you very much want. I would advise against it, however. I do not think you will particularly like what you find.”

  Sephera stared at him in confusion. “You said you did not want to get close to any of us, that you had no interest in making friends. So why the sudden change of heart?”

  His dark eyes flashed dangerously. “Is that the question you are choosing to ask? Or would you care to ask another?”

  “You have done nothing but belittle us. You taunt Zad and harass me, and yet you want us to trust you? To come to know you? It's rather curious.

  He let out a cool laugh. “You are a trained assassin—one of the best—and Zadkiel is a mediocre warrior. Yet you both let the words and taunts of a stranger get under your skin so easily. It amuses me. You also intrigue me. Your presence has grown on me like a fungus”

  She guffawed and punched him in the arm. “You are an ass. You act cold and distant, yet I think that you are quite the opposite. You crave acceptance and want others to recognize your skill and worth. Deep down somewhere in that dark soul of yours, I think you may actually want a friend.” She folded her arms across her chest, pleased with herself.

  “You imply that I have a soul.” He clucked his tongue. “Very well, I’ll admit a small part of me wonders what it would be like to have you as a friend.”

  She clutched her heart in mock surprise. “Ah, and here I thought I was but a mere mortal. I am overwhelmed with delight that His Holiness, the Dark and Handsome Daegan wants to be friends with me. Whatever shall I do?”

  Laughing, Daegan pulled the meat sticks out of the fire and handed one to Sephera. The heat had cooked the meat to a crisp, producing curled, dry strips of what used to be a living creature.

  “It tastes better burnt.” Daegan said as he bit into the blackened meat. Wincing, she did the same. They sat together in silence as the both struggled to chew. Daegan took a sip from his canteen, and offered it to Sephera, who used the cool water to swallow the last bit of tough meat.

  “You think I’m handsome?” he asked when she had finished.

  Rolling her eyes, she turned to glare at him. “I think I’d rather we didn’t speak to one another.” They sat quietly, listening to the fire spit and crackle.

  Daegan’s voice finally broke the silence. “I was sent here many years ago by my people to observe the City of Light. There were whispers of another Dark War. My people have devoted their lives to studying the remaining text on the Dark Ages. We felt that if the need arose, we could lend our knowledge and help put an end to another Dark Age before it began. When the whispers grew louder and all evidence pointed to the start of another plague, I had to offer my services to your king. It has been many years since I became his advisor. In that time, I have learned a great deal about the history they teach here. While it is not entirely truthful, there is enough to it that even your king is worried enough to listen to my advice and assemble a team to stop the plague.”

  Sephera was speechless. When she didn’t say anything, Daegan continued, “I chose four skilled killers who I knew would be useful. I had heard of a strong and beautiful assassin, one who was trained by the great Baleem himself. I knew I had to have you with me. I also knew that you would not go without Zadkiel, however useless he might be. His presence had to be tolerated in order for me to have you. I want you to trust me, but you’ve shown me through sheer stubbornness that in order for you to do so, I must tell you everything you wish to know.” He looked at her intently, searching for any sign of protest. She bowed her head, signaling for him to continue.

  “I have known the Keeper of Light, Valessa, for many years. She offered me her greatest pupil—Brenner. And Chantry, though not as skilled as you and me, is adept at uniting us. She is an intelligent woman, and her knowledge of traps and burglary are impressive.”

  Sephera snorted. “Burglary? You have got to be joking. Chantry?”

  Daegan shrugged. “She was a palace guard when I came to the city. She was adequately skilled with a bow, but even more skilled at picking locks, stealing, and setting traps. She is quite the rogue.” He sounded impressed.

  “Not good enough to evade your attention, though?” she asked.

  “While she is good, I am better. I am trained in the art of sabotage. Picking out those who do not wish to be seen is a game for me, though I will admit, finding her took longer than I am used to.” He chuckled and ran his fingers through his dark hair.

  “You said our history of the Dark Age isn’t quite truthful. How so?”

  Standing up, Daegan turned to face her grimly. “This is the tenth cycle of the Dark Age, not the second.”

  “What did you say?” Sephera breathed, her voice barely audible.

  “Every five hundred years a new cycle begins. The vision you had when you touched the wooden horse was a memory that the woman who started all of this wanted you to see.”

  Sephera stood, shaking her head in disbelief. “No, that can’t be right. You must have been misinformed. Tenth cycle? I don’t understand.

  “I know this because the last time there was a Dark Age, I was there.

  CHAPTER 19

  Sephera felt like she had been punched in the gut. For a moment she forgot how to breathe. She could do nothing but stare at the man in front of her, his eyes lit with anticipation. She tried to steady her breath. He had to be lying, or mad. There could be no other possible explanation.

  “Say something, Sephera.” Daegan spoke softly, stepping towards her.

  “Don’t . . . Do not touch me,” she cried, her hands lifting up defensively. “I . . . I need to think. None of this makes any sense,” she whispered.

  He watched her carefully, contemplating what he would do if she decided to run. “How old are you? You can’t be much older than me,” she asked in a hoarse whisper.

  “That is a rather complicated question,” he said.

  “Answer it,” she seethed.

  Daegan let out a deep breath, taking a seat. “When I was twenty-five, I was sent to your realm. That was 525 years ago. Every time a cycle begins, one of my people is sent here” –he gestured around them– “to the Light Realm. When we cross over, some sort of magic stops our aging. We are effectively frozen in time. Our bodies cease to age, and we are more or less immortal. It is our curse, our sacrifice, to be forced to watch as the cycle repeats itself time and time again. We are sent here to stop it, to try to find a way to cure our Realm, but none have succeeded. We are forced to live out our existence in exile, never to return.” He looked at her intently, before starting again.

  “The magic that forced our realms apart was strong, and the one who cast the spell does not want it to be broken. You have been raised to believe that the Darkness is evil. I can tell you beyond doubt that it is not. When the Light King cast the spell that broke our world in two, he exiled not just the Dark King but all those who had the misfortune to live in his land. Most were good, innocent people who continued on in their new realm. But living in darkness for so long changed my people. We began to grow cold and dark. Each new cycle chisels away at the humanity of my world. We have sent so many of our people over to try to make our realms whole again, restore balance, and free my people from the darkness that is slowly suffocating them. I fear, however, that with this latest cycle, it may be too late. That man you fought in the forest, he is the tenth and latest to be sent. He is not entirely human. He is a warped version of what
my people were, what I hope some of them still are. We may come from Darkness, but we all have a choice. Just like you, born into the Light, have a choice as to what you will become.”

  She stared at him in stunned silence. “I don’t know why, but I believe you,” she said quietly, her eyes meeting his.

  Daegan stepped back, surprised. “You do?” He laughed shakily. “It has been so long since anyone has known my secret. It feels . . . freeing.”

  “Who else knows?” Sephera asked.

  “No one that is alive anymore,” he whispered sadly.

  “What have you been doing for five hundred years?”

  “When I was sent here, I was but a mere scholar. Not a warrior. When the last Dark Age came to an end with the cycle still unbroken, I had no choice but to wait for the next one to begin. I failed my people because I was not strong enough. I vowed it would not happen again. So, I trained. I became the apprentice of a great warlord. I fought for him in many wars. When it became noticeable that I was not aging, I faked my death. For five centuries I have served countless masters, gaining knowledge and skills, biding my time until now.”

  “You have not had any friends for five hundred years? No lovers, no place to call home? That sounds lonely.”

  “I have had a few friends. But it became too painful to watch them die. To outlive others, knowing you will live far beyond even their grandchildren’s lives, makes it difficult to get close to people. As for lovers, I have had many—none that I cared to get to know any further than their beds. They were simply a means to an end, a way to satisfy a hunger, nothing more.” He put a fist to his chin and stared at her expectantly. “Does that bother you?”

  She stared at him intently before answering. “No. Sex is natural. I would be concerned if you hadn’t partaken in the fruit of its splendor for five hundred years.” She clucked her tongue.

  Daegan threw his head back, his laughter filling the air. “There you go again with your perverted thoughts.”