Cursed by Darkness (An Urban Fantasy Novel) (Befallen Tides)

by Anna Sanders

  CHAPTER 16

  KEATON AND GENEVIEVE KEPT THEIR conversation secret for another couple of weeks, but as the days dragged on with no signs of the savages, he began to feel antsy. And seeing the increasing sadness spread over Evy was affecting him as well. The usually happy girl started to mope, and Keaton knew that she was thinking of her lost lands and missing mother.

  Knowing that every minute they sat on their hands was another long minute of Winx’s probation worried him as well. So he decided to talk to Winx about it.

  Pulling her aside one day, he confided in her all of his thoughts since speaking with Evy. Winx was as surprised as he was to learn that the Queendom had fallen so heavy in the tides of destruction, and that the lixyns had hidden it from the other races.

  “If you think about it,” she said. “It makes sense. In a way. Genevieve’s constant blather about the valor of the eradication force and their need of strong fighters…”

  “I think it would work in our favor as well.”

  Winx stared at him. “How?”

  “Stopping danger before it starts? It’s safer for everyone. Also, it helps you. You will be a body count closer to ending your affiliation with the Order.”

  “That does sound nice,” Winx admitted. “I cannot imagine what that would be like at this point.”

  “You had it before,” he reminded her.

  “Yes, I did. But that was when my family was whole. I don’t know what I’ll be returning to at this point. I am a convicted criminal of the lixyn Queendom. My family’s ancestry is ancient and mighty. Losing Deja was hard for them. But me, who avenged her? I do not know how they reacted to that.”

  “Have you really not spoken to them in all of this time?”

  “Only they can contact me. And obviously they have chosen not to.”

  Keaton held a hand to her shoulder in a show of friendly affection. “I am really sorry about that.”

  “Don’t be. I don’t cry at night over it.” She looked as if she were mentally brushing off her mind from the personal talk, then turned back to him. “So. What’s are we going to do?”

  THEY QUICKLY HASHED OUT A plan. Genevieve was reluctant to agree with it, but she could not refute the sense in taking some sort of action. Winx had already been searching for where they could go next should the savages not return. Her restlessness had led to many outlines of where to search for hoards. It came in handy.

  Keaton, Winx, and the lixyn princess finally agreed to leave the reserve in an attempt to seek out their foes.

  Ottanu was not okay with this. Especially when Stori decided to go with them.

  “We have been safe since your arrival. That cannot be pure coincidence, and I refuse to see it as such. How could you plan to abandon your duty, after your continual success? And after our arrangement?” Ottanu demanded.

  “The thing is, my lady,” Genevieve answered, “other places are in danger. Namely, my palace. We need to find out where the hoard is now gathering and cull it. It could keep your lands safe for longer and save others simultaneously.”

  “Sitting here is getting us nowhere,” Stori spoke up. “We will either have to move on or seek out the savages ourselves. I cannot see how we could manage if they sneak up on us again. But if we initiated the attack, think of all the lives we would be saving.”

  The alpha looked at her mate with fear in her eyes. Her gaze jumped between Stori and the other three.

  “How are you planning on pulling this off?” Ottanu asked. “What is it that you think you can do?”

  “Simply put? Bait.” Winx did not sound happy about it. “We go a good distance away from here. I draw them in, we kill them. Then we can return.”

  “And if we are attacked while you are away?”

  “You pack up what you can and leave. We meet at a rendezvous point in a couple days’ time. And from there, we can either stay or move again as needed.”

  Ottanu stared at her hands for a moment. “It does sound logical. However, the pack comes first. I must, at the very least, demand that the daevor stay.”

  “If I stay, then none of this will work,” Winx answered. “A couple of Bandits and a lixyn might not stand a chance against a group of savages. I am the only one who can mentally compromise them.”

  “We have waited so long for you.” Ottanu hung her head low in defeat. “We have lost so many. And since you have come to us, we have known nothing but peace. It has set us all at ease, allowed our children to sleep easier at night. Please, reconsider. For my family.”

  Winx stared at her for a while before finally saying, “I’m sorry. I still have a job to do. If I cannot do it here, I must reevaluate my options. I have a family that I must get back to. I have obligations outside of your pack.”

  “We needed someone who harnessed the Touch to keep us safe! I was assured that you were the solution, not that you would cave into boredom. And they sent you,” Ottanu paused to point at Genevieve, “to ascertain that promise kept.” Ottanu, in her building rage, turned to Keaton. “And you, Keaton? How can you let this happen? How can you bring us salvation only to snatch it out of our grasp when a quiet life for your pack beacons?”

  Keaton grimaced. “Ottanu, you need to consider that this quiet is temporary. Too much quiet for one means danger for another.”

  “So what of others? Where were these others when our pack was ripped apart?”

  “Ottanu, my darling.” Stori sat beside her in support, wrapping her arms around her waist. “These are selfish words from an unhappy mind—”

  “No!” The alpha pulled away from her. “These are truthful words from one who feels betrayed.” She looked at them each. “What am I to tell everyone? To those who have praised your bravery endlessly? How can I tell them that our only hope is leaving us?”

  “We will tell them,” Winx said.

  “You would cut them with your confession.”

  “Then so be it.” Winx stood up to her feet, in preparation to leave the alpha’s teepee. Ottanu stared up at her, as if she had never met her.

  “Very well. Go. And you too.” She took Stori’s hands from her, pushing her roughly when Stori attempted to keep her hold. “All of you. Out!” She sounded wounded, and all know to avoid a pained animal.

  Stori looked as if on the edge of weeping. Keaton wrapped an arm around his cousin and drew her from the dwelling. Ottanu now had her back turned to them all, holding her head low but her arms raised, as if in the midst of hasty prayer.

  “I must speak with her!” Stori struggled against Keaton, but he continued to take her away.

  “Not now. Let her cool down, and try again before we leave.”

  “I cannot let her be mad at me. She will abandon me!” Stori wiped a rogue tear that had trailed down the point of her nose.

  “Any further talk right now will not work in your favor. Believe me. Let’s get ready to leave, and then give her whatever explanation you need to.”

  Winx strode away, head held high and Genevieve beside her. The two were briefly united in their ire against the alpha. Everyone was sure that Ottanu would not only understand their meaning, but would send them with her blessing and cooperation. The fact that she had dismissed them left their position in the pack uncertain. How could they return to the same comforts that they had known when Ottanu was so heated?

  Winx decided not to think about it. And she did not voice her thoughts. When she reached the bend that her mobile home sat in, she quickly went inside, Genevieve walking in the opposite turn to her teepee.

  Winx gathered up what was necessary. She made sure that her duffle bag had all of the essentials. She played with the idea of leaving some of her things until her return, but the fact that she might not be returning made her take all of it. She set the bag beside her door, then went to sit in her normal place and wait for her fellow travelers.

  Genevieve was the first to come to her. Winx looked at the single drawstring bag that the princess held. She was surprised that Genevieve didn’t leave he
r tent with eighteen suitcases and a busied valet.

  “How many teddy bears are in there?” she asked with a snide smirk.

  Genevieve chose not to answer her, but she did give her a disgruntled look. “So. Where do you think we should go first?”

  “My first guess would be to check about downtown. Not only is it close, but savages are slow travelers drawn to city life. Even if it’s not exactly Vegas, too many lights in a Wal-Mart parking lot will have them cavorting. After that? I’d stake my bets on Denver, like we’ve talked about.”

  “You seem to know your stuff, Winx Rowan.”

  “Learn by doing.” Winx shrugged a shoulder. “I’m good at taking off at a moment’s notice, and a plan isn’t too far behind.”

  “And how will we take off?”

  Winx glared. “A car. How else?”

  “Oh, I don’t know…flying? It’s truly the best way of traveling. And if you are a daevor you can divert the human’s attention so that they won’t notice us…”

  “It’s not going to work,” Winx growled.

  “Very well, if you say so. I was just thinking…”

  Winx was no longer listening. She shut her eyes and tried to hide her jealousy.

  “I don’t understand what the problem is,” Genevieve wouldn’t let it go. “Daevors fly, don’t they?”

  “Some of us do.”

  Keaton and Stori came up soon after that, ending the uncomfortable silence. Stori’s eyes and cheeks were puffy. She held a pack and a jacket slung over her arm. She did not look at either of the women, sniffling to herself and taking deep breaths.

  Keaton had his old familiar backpack and a hard look in his eye. He kept walking past Winx’s abode and toward the edge of camp.

  “Are you ready?” he asked, but he started walking without waiting for an answer.

  WINX GOT EVERYONE INTO THE Mazda after doing some rearranging in order to fit all of their belongings. They each only had a bag, but Winx’s entire life was in the small car. She managed to fit most of it into the trunk, and the four pulled away from the Gunnison National Reserve and into the direction of the actual town of Gunnison.

  Though it was quite cold, Winx kept the windows rolled down. They needed to be on alert for any odd smells or sounds as they perused the areas. So far, all they got were impatient drivers going around Winx as she maintained a moderate speed in order to slowly check every area as they went.

  “What if they left the state?” Stori asked, the first words she had been able to speak without a tremble to her voice.

  “We follow them,” Winx said.

  Stori sniffled. “We can’t leave Colorado! It’s bad enough you want to go to Denver!”

  “Denver is the closest big city. Savages like big city life. That’s why it’s so dangerous to live in one.” Winx look at her in the rearview mirror. “Denver looks to be our best choice for now. But you should prepare yourself for the worst. We might have to consider leaving the state altogether.”

  Stori looked as if a stiff wind would propel her back into an abandoned emotional state. She closed her mouth when nobody else argued with Winx’s reasoning.

  They continued to drive around the sleepy town without seeing much of anything, save a few flurries of snowflakes trying to make their way to the ground. Nobody said much since each of them did their best to concentrate.

  “Anything?” Stori asked when the absence of conversation had stretched beyond ten minutes.

  “Nothing. Not even the resemblance of anything.” Keaton answered.

  “How far away is Denver?” Genevieve asked all of her last minute questions.

  “Four hours,” Stori answered with a dull voice.

  “You already came with us,” Winx told her, tiring of her complaining. “You’ve left your mate to see this through.”

  “I did not leave her.” Stori’s voice roughened. “Even if she, and you, choose to see it that way! I plan to return to her. And everything will be as it was.”

  “We’re going.” Winx pressed the gas pedal in emphasis. “No more discussion.”

  Keaton noticed Stori’s agitation and chose not to ignore it. “Cousin, I am not anxious to leave the pack either. But it is only an eight hour roundtrip drive. We will be back in a day and a half at the latest. We go there, we kill the savages, we get back into the car, and we hurry back.” When Stori still looked daunted, he sighed. “You do not have to come with us if you don’t want to.”

  Winx was already putting in the destination into the GPS.

  Stori was silent as Winx’s device began to speak directions in an odd computerized voice. When she eventually spoke again, her voice was soft. “I have already decided to go. As long as it is only to Denver and back, I will still see this through.”

  Keaton nodded, then turned back in the passenger seat.

  Winx had started for the highway that would take them out of Gunnison county. It was seven o’clock at night that Friday. Time, whether it was on their side or not, was ticking.

  CHAPTER 17

  PONCHA SPRINGS. SALIDA. SAN ISABEL National Forest. Fairplay. Ken Caryl. Littleton. Lakewood. And finally, Denver.

  The four fighters traveled with as few breaks as possible on the way to their destination. The silence passed amicably with Winx’s music and, every now and then, an attempted joke by Keaton. Stori watched the scenery change from her beloved woods to open road with minimal emotion on her face. Genevieve only talked when Keaton spoke; otherwise, she occupied herself with drawing in a sketch pad or playing on her brand new phone.

  Winx was relieved when she reached the city. Not only was it a lot bigger and busier than Gunnison, but she had a good feeling that they were on the right track.

  Genevieve did not miss the significant change in the driver and the passenger seat inhabitant. “We’ve done it?”

  “I think so.” Stori swerved in her seat. “I definitely feel more activity than at home.”

  “This was a good idea.” Winx sounded too eager. “Trust me. We made the right call. Needless distraction, your pack. Not that it wasn’t nice, but I’m wasting too much time around here.”

  She was by far the one the most excited. Keaton barely tried to mirror her enthusiasm, while Stori looked as if any further words she might utter were trapped in her throat.

  Genevieve actually looked bloodthirsty for the first time. But nobody saw it.

  Winx directed them to a place in town that looked mostly abandoned. It was a two-story summer house in the middle of a small neighborhood, around which she could detect at least some savages. The fact that the killers were so near civilian life was not going to work in their favor. But they were in the process of coming up with a plan.

  Winx parked in the driveway as if she owned the place.

  “Where are we?” Genevieve asked.

  “Just get your things,” Winx commanded, as if leading a charge of soldiers.

  They each hesitantly got their stuff. Winx grabbed her shovel and a small bag with only her necessities instead of her duffle bag.

  Winx walked up to the door, then held her hands up at her company. “Wait here. I am going to find a way in.”

  “Aren’t people going to see us breaking into this place?” Genevieve asked, searching the streets for signs of life. “Won’t they notify the authorities?”

  “No.” Winx said confidently. She circled the house to the back yard, opened the unlatched gate, and went inside.

  They heard a crash in the back and all three of them jumped at the same time.

  Genevieve shook her head slowly. “She didn’t use the shovel?”

  Keaton cracked a smile reluctantly. “What else would she have used?”

  They waited while Winx turned on the lights and headed for the front door. She opened it quickly, stepping back so that they could enter.

  “No alarm?” Keaton asked.

  Winx shrugged.

  “You disabled it?”

  “Don’t worry about it,” she said. “It is not
going to be an issue.”

  “What if the owners come home?” Genevieve asked.

  “This neighborhood is full of summer houses. Not too many people are here.”

  “How do you know for sure, though?”

  “I told you. All I’ve been doing besides waiting for action back at your residence was plan where we might go next. There are ads for anyone who wants to rent out the houses while the owners aren’t using it. Voilà. I found it on Craigslist.” She frowned. “I don’t get why you are complaining anyway. Would you rather pay for a hotel?”

  The floor space was vast. Fine two-tone carpeting colored the floors. The furniture was of the best quality, and an electric fire place and large screen television took up the majority of the right side of the living room. The kitchen looked newly remodeled; behind it, a portico led to a well-tended lawn, and a gazebo was visible beyond the parted curtains.

  “There are three bedrooms upstairs. So while we’re crashing here, someone is sleeping in the living room on the couch. Since I found the place, I’m getting the master bed.”

  “Because that’s fair,” Genevieve groused. She walked up the stairs after Winx to guarantee that she got her own room.

  Stori glanced at Keaton. He shrugged with a smile. “You go on ahead. I’ll crash on one of the couches.”

  “Are you sure?” she asked.

  “Absolutely. The ladies should get the beds anyway. I’m the only guy; therefore, I miss out on comforts.”

  “When you say it that way, it doesn’t sound fair. I’m your beta, so I should look out for you before myself.”

  “That makes no sense, Stori. Whether or not you are my authority figure, you are my family first. Just take the damn room and enjoy it.”

  She didn’t fight him long. This, of course, led him to believe that she really wanted it but was attempting courtesy in the wake of the others who were already upstairs. Which was nice, but unnecessary.

  Taking her things up the stairs as well, Stori flashed him a look of thanks even while her eyes remained sorrowful.