Dwellers of Darkness (Darkness Series #3)

by Brown, Stacey Marie

  Lorcan’s face pinched. “Domesticated? Think you should look at yourself, brother.” Lorcan’s eyes flickered to me as I walked up to Eli.

  It would cause Lorcan extreme pain, but he could cross the line if he really wanted to. Unless he had more than Dominic and Dax behind him, he knew it would be stupid to try. I still didn’t take my eyes off him.

  “Before you get all bitchy and demand why I am here,” Lorcan gave a dramatic pause, “I have come to make a deal. I would like us to become business partners, as you would say.”

  My loud snort sounded sharp against the quiet surrounding darkness. “Oh, Lorcan, you are always good for a laugh.”

  He glowered at me. “Shut up, you disgusting revulsion. I can smell you and know you are part of the spell here now. The fact you are becoming more and more Dark Dweller is a disgrace.” He focused on Eli. “There is no worse shame on us. You sicken me, brother, allowing a Dae to become a Dark Dweller.” His face showed pure abhorrence.

  Eli clenched his teeth, his jaw becoming tight. “Shut the hell up.” His eyes shifted, and his shoulders started curling as he began turning into his Dark Dweller form.

  “Who are you really mad at, little bro? Me or because you know deep down I’m right?”

  Cole’s hand went out to block Eli from reacting. “Lorcan, go away. You are no longer a part of us or are welcome here, and we certainly won’t be making any deals with you.”

  Lorcan snarled, but slowly his face softened into smug amusement. “Oh, I think you will change your mind when you realize what the Queen really has planned. You think Seattle and Monterey are the extent of her schemes?” He continued when he knew he had our attention. “I may no longer be working with her, but I know what she is intending to do. You need us, and we all need the Druid. Sorry, Ember, you are no longer the most important, though your powers will come in handy. The Druid can break the curse, but we’ll also have powers Aneira can’t touch. We can stand together and fight her. Like we used to.”

  The deep need to protect Kennedy stewed in my gut. I pushed it away along with all the other emotions I had this week. Lars was right: feelings were a weakness and would only be used against you. “What is she planning to do?”

  “You think I am simply going to tell you without something in return?” Lorcan cocked his head at me. It was equivalent to patting my head and saying, “Awww, aren’t you adorable? Cute, but stupid as hell.”

  “Do you want me to do a fly-by and poop on his head?” Cal whispered in my ear. I couldn’t help but laugh. Everyone turned to me.

  “Pixies?” Lorcan looked dumbfounded. “You allow pixies here, too? Well, I guess when you go as low as a Dae, everything else pales in comparison.”

  Two pissed-off winged creatures burst into the air. “Excuse me, sir? You do not offend my lady.” An affronted Simmons puffed up.

  Both Eli and Cole looked up at the sky with annoyance.

  “Guys.” I tried to grab their legs, but they zipped out of my reach.

  “I challenge you to a duel,” Simmons spouted.

  Lorcan, Dax, and Dominic responded with a hearty laugh. This only incited Simmons more. Cal stayed quiet. He was no doubt silently planning something.

  “Goddammit, Ember. Get those little fuckers away from here!” Eli boomed at me. Rage flaming his eyes.

  At the worst moment possible, Josh, Torin, Thara, Mom, and Kennedy broke loudly through the brush. “Ember? Are you out here?” Kennedy yelled. Mom tried to shush her, but it was pointless. Humans could be heard from miles away. Only the Fae eased into the clearing quietly, though Torin with his cane and limp couldn’t pull off stealth quite as easily.

  I cringed.

  “Hey, there you are. Josh told us you took off this way...” Kennedy stopped and her eyes widened, finally seeing the assembled group.

  There was a pause as Lorcan took them in. An expression flittered so quickly over his face as he looked at my mom, I couldn’t place it. Then his eyes narrowed when they landed on Torin.

  At seeing three Seelie Fairies, one being the ex-First Knight, on Dark Dweller land, Lorcan stepped back and shook his head. “I was wrong. You did sink lower.”

  Dax and Dominic stepped from the trees, either in utter disbelief or in response to our numbers having more than doubled theirs.

  “What has happened to you guys? You can’t even call yourself Dark Dwellers anymore.” The words shot out of Lorcan’s mouth. “I always knew you were the worst leader, Cole, but this is disgusting. You run a halfway house for the Light now? Oh, and let’s not forget for humans as well.” He nodded to Josh. “You knew nothing about being a true leader, and you became one only by default. No one else old enough was left alive. Look at what your leadership has done.” Lorcan motioned around. “This is not who Dark Dwellers are. You have made us look soft and weak. You are becoming human, Cole.”

  In the Fae world this was one of the worst insults.

  Cole and Eli stayed quiet, their arms crossed, their heads held high and defiant. There was no doubt they agreed with some of what Lorcan said. Harboring Light Fay and humans was not in their nature. It went against everything they once stood for. But they did it—mostly because of me.

  Lorcan shook his head. “If this is what you guys have become, this will be an extremely easy win for the Queen.” He took a few steps back; Dax and Dominic followed suit. “I’ve said this before, but I didn’t realize how true it was: our parents would be ashamed. We were once respected and feared. Now look at the fluffy, little bunnies you guys are.” He turned to walk away and stopped, looking over his shoulder. “The Queen might have the right idea in taking down the wall between the two worlds, exposing us, and making the two worlds into one. It would only be an improvement.”

  They slipped into the shadows and disappeared.

  TWELVE

  My stomach felt like it had been dipped in acid. Lorcan’s words rolled around and around in my head. The Queen might have the right idea in taking down the wall between the two worlds exposing us, and making the two worlds into one. The Queen didn’t only want to take Earth back; she wanted to mesh the worlds together and have it all under her ruling. She wanted to kill or enslave the humans and reveal us, the Fae. Magic would rule.

  It was like sandpaper against my skin. This knowledge would create hysteria the world could not handle. Everything that anyone had ever known would be gone. Seattle’s chaos would be paradise compared to what would happen if Aneira’s plan materialized.

  My fingers slid up the bridge of my nose, pinching my brows together. When Cooper, Jared, Owen, and Gabby returned from running the property line, we spent an hour in a “house meeting” that consisted of us yelling at each other. We circled the same argument till Eli stomped out of the room declaring he couldn’t stand another minute of the pointless conversation. I agreed. We were getting nowhere. Eli probably felt Lorcan was right. They had become soft here. I didn’t think it was a bad thing, but Eli would.

  My skin crawled with a need to go for a hunt or run till all my problems were behind me. So I headed for the thick of the forest but stopped when I heard angry voices.

  “I know we don’t like each other, but for Ember, for this war, we need to try and work together.”

  “I don’t need to do anything for you or her. I’d prefer if you actually left and never came back.” Eli’s tone was strained and full of below-the-surface rage.

  “I will not leave her,” Torin replied sharply. “Where she goes, I go.”

  “Why? You think you two will live together blissfully with little half-breed Fay children running around? You’re more delusional than I thought.”

  I still couldn’t fully see them, but I could sense the strain mounting between them. The surrounding trees held in their tension, like a thick bubble.

  “I am not the one who is delusional. She was not meant for you. You know this. So let her go.” Torin’s irate voice drifted through the darkness. “You can never truly make her happy.”

 
“And you think you’re that man? You think you can handle her? You think she is the happily-ever-after type?” Eli indignantly flung back. His voice was tightening. It would not be long before he snapped. “And to confirm... I did a pretty good job of satisfying her. I sure can cause her to quiver and scream. Can you say the same?”

  “Stay away from her.” Torin made an unsteady lunge, challenging Eli, who towered several inches over him. The past week everyone was at each other’s throats, but these two had been the worst.

  “What are you going to do about it, Fairy boy?” Eli smirked, not even bothering to drop his arms.

  Seeing the fire building under both men’s edgy façades, I hurried to put myself between them. “Stop it. Both of you.”

  “No... let him go. Let’s see what Twinkle Toes here can do,” Eli taunted.

  “Eli, shut it.” I turned sharply to him, warning him more of my temper than Torin’s. As he looked into my eyes, Eli moved back, his arms up in a mock surrender.

  I turned back to Torin. “You should be resting. You’re still healing. You need to go back to the house.”

  Even though Torin’s strength wasn’t back to its fullest, he stood there fuming. His hand gripped the cane so hard his knuckles turned white. My focus was locked on him. I could feel the bond pulling me to him, wanting to take care of him. But my body was keenly aware of the heat radiating off Eli standing behind me. It was like magnetic energy making me long to step back and feel his body pressed against mine.

  “Yeah, you should go back and take it easy, Fairy boy,” Eli taunted.

  “Eli.” I stepped away so I could turn and face him. At the same time Torin’s temper snapped. He took advantage of the little space I gave him to reach Eli. He lunged, his fist crashing into Eli’s face. Only Eli’s head jerked back in response. His body did not move an inch. I yelped in surprise. I would have expected this from Eli, but not Torin. This short, violent temper was not him. Torin swung in for a second hit which never made contact. Eli darted out of the way, pushing me back. His reaction and fight techniques were quicker than Torin’s. There was no contest. Eli could easily kill Torin. Eli ducked and barreled forward, his shoulder slamming into Torin’s stomach. Torin’s walking stick flew from his hand, almost hitting me in the head.

  “Stop!” My voice rang.

  They didn’t hear me or didn’t care.

  Bodies tumbled to the ground, leaves and branches crunching under their weight as they fought. Blood sprayed from Torin’s nose as it collided with Eli’s elbow. Torin struck at Eli’s face with the heel of his palm. A crack of Eli’s jaw told me the contact had been full force.

  “Stop it!” I screamed again. I tried to concentrate to move them away from each other with my mind, but nothing happened, except a few branches flew through the air. Grunting and swearing, they rolled, kicking and hitting each other. In the dark shadows of the forest, I saw Eli’s eyes flash red as Torin took another swing. My stomach plummeted. Eli’s eyes only flashed red when he was ready to kill.

  My lids squeezed together, digging deep inside me. I needed to pull them apart. Now.

  “Stop!” A strong clear voice rang behind me. Torin and Eli ceased instantly.

  I swung around already knowing who it was.

  Kennedy stood there with hands on her hips and an expression I had seen a few times when she had been mad at me and Ryan.

  “That is enough.” Her tiny frame was commanding as she strode toward the guys. “You two should be ashamed of yourselves. This is not the time or place. People are dying and our friends and family are locked up... being tortured.”

  Even though I hadn’t been the one fighting, my head lowered in shame. She had a certain way about her. Kennedy could be silent for hours and utter one word completely changing your world. My guilt came from having been selfish and cruel to her all week. I had forgotten I wasn’t the only one hurting, scared, and frustrated.

  The boys climbed to their feet, blood gushing from their noses and lips.

  Kennedy picked up Torin’s walking stick. “You most of all should be trying to heal and get stronger for the real battle, not fighting for something which cannot be won. Neither of you will win this. It is given, not taken. ”

  Kennedy always said odd things. In high school people considered her “weird” when she said things like this. Now, her strange insights and mysterious phrasing made more sense. It was the seer in her coming out, her Druid nature working its way to the surface.

  She had power over the guys. They stood there looking at her with this strange awe. She could have told them to march straight to their bedrooms, and I had little doubt they would have obeyed.

  Her spell broke the moment I opened my mouth. “What were you thinking? We don’t need you at each other’s throats right now.” My arms waved frantically. “I want you to stop this now.”

  “You definitely didn’t say those words the other night.” Eli wiped the blood from his lip. The knowing, smug smile on his face caused fire to rise up my neck.

  “How can you so blatantly disrespect and embarrass her like you do?” Torin took a wobbly step toward Eli again. “You are not worthy of her.”

  “I never said I was.” Eli crossed his arms.

  “Seriously, enough both of you,” I yelled, having met my limit of their shit.

  Kennedy stepped up to Torin and placed his cane in front of him. “Let me walk you back.”

  Torin’s nostrils still flared with anger, but when Kennedy repeated his name he nodded, looking away from Eli and me. Kennedy took Torin’s free arm and started him toward the house. She gave one last look over her shoulder, her gaze drifting to me, then Eli. It was quick but full of meaning. You two deal with your problems was the basic translation. Her head swiveled back before she and Torin slipped into the darkness.

  As soon as they were out of sight, I turned sharply, facing Eli. I moved inches from his face. “What were you going do, beat the crap out of someone who is wounded and sick? Is that what kind of man you are?”

  His face held a fierce expression, not flinching at my nearness. “Funny, because I think he came after me first. Torin is neither weak nor vulnerable.” He moved his lips only inches from mine.

  I was suddenly too close to him.

  “And don’t forget, little girl. I am not a man. I know you enjoy the fact I can screw you like a beast.” His fingers brushed across the crotch of my pants, the friction shooting tingles through me. Fervor vibrated in my stomach and moved lower. My lids shut briefly, stifling a moan. “See? It likes the beast, too.”

  Knowing he could have me on my knees anytime he desired fueled rage in my gut. I wanted him to take me right there—so hard I didn’t know the difference between pleasure and pain. I bit the inside of my cheek. “Do not piss me off tonight. I am not in the mood for your shit.” My words flew at him with so much fury and pent up sexual frustration he staggered back one step.

  He quickly regained lost distance, his chest bumping into me. The warmth of his skin underneath his shirt and the feel of his hardness pressing into me kicked my desire up a notch. “Why is it you’re the only one who scares me?” Eli tilted his head, his lips curling in a smile.

  “Because you want your beast parts to stay intact.”

  His eyes glinted and fastened on mine. Desire, want, need throbbed between us, filling every molecule in the air. I kept my gaze strong and leveled at him. He lifted his hand to my face, but stopped before it touched me. Eli glanced to the side, letting his arm drop. His flirtatious mood altered. He stared at me, his pupils growing vertical. With the way he looked at me, I could sense frustration battering within him. A harsh growl emitted from the depths of his throat. He swung around. A violent roar bounced off the canopy of trees. His clothes ripped from his body as he altered into Dark Dweller form. His dagger-like claws ripped into the earth as he tore away.

  I stood there after he was gone, my breathing shallow in my chest. Finally, I turned the opposite way and started to move. My need to
run and bounce off rocks was essential for my sanity also.

  Tearing through the trees, I jumped from boulder to boulder with precision. My connection with nature mapped the lay of the land in my head. I felt the strongest here. Both my Dae and Dark Dweller sides melded into a peaceful union. I felt more liberated than I had in a long time. Both Lars’ and the Dark Dweller’s compounds might allow more freedom than the prison at the castle, but they still confined me. I wanted out. I needed to run with no boundaries or limitations.

  My legs tore across the terrain jumping, spinning, sprinting, and smashing through the property, taking out all my aggression. I finally stopped, panting and sweaty. It was a beautiful, clear night, and the stars above shone down on me. I lay back on a rock staring up at the never-ending space.

  For a brief moment, I let the threat of the Queen, the deaths, and hidden, magical swords float toward the sky. Leaves lifted off the ground, drifting toward the direction of my gaze. They flipped and twirled as my mind moved them around like chess pieces. They looked like spaceships darting through the night sky. The notion of little green men, aliens, coming to invade Earth was laughable. The real threat was here, dressed and looking human.

  Humans never thought of Fae as being real—the true danger. If the invasion of Fae did come, Earth would no longer exist. Magic would tear it apart and leave everything in ruin. I had to stop Aneira. I just didn’t know how. The only thing that could stop her was the Sword of Light, and we were no closer to it than we were a month ago.

  As my mind dove deeper into my thoughts, I felt a tiny prickling on my skin. Someone was there. Watching me. My “Spidey” senses were in full bloom. I sniffed deeply. The scent was familiar, but nobody or nothing I could place. The leaves fell from my mind-hold as I sat up. I tried to see through the dark shadows looming thickly around me. The boulder turned into a slide as I slipped soundlessly to the ground.

  Twigs snapped. My gaze darted and roved over the brush. Swallowing, my heart thumped in my throat. Who could get through the border? My nose examined the air again. All Fae smelled different, but powerful magic had a particular odor. Humans also had a distinct scent I was starting to recognize. This didn’t smell like any of them.