Shadow Play_A Dark Fantasy Novel

by Jill Ramsower

  “Look boys, it seems the hunter is now the hunted.” The one that spoke was off to our right and stood several inches taller than the others. His too-wide mouth curved up at the ends in a grotesque attempt at a smile and his cloying voice made goosebumps rise across my skin.

  “Who sent you here?” Lochlan spoke with menace and I realized I was seeing a dangerous side to him that I had not yet witnessed.

  “You have no power here to be asking questions.” The creature's comment incited the others as they shook their fists and inched forward aggressively.

  “You’ll be hunted for defying the queen.”

  “Not if there is no queen.” The creature's face lit with perverted glee.

  Lochlan broke off the shafts of the arrows with a curse and pulled me to his back, handing me a knife he had hidden in his boot. “Stay at my back, cut anything that gets near you.” His voice was firm but urgent.

  “Can't you trace us out of here?” I exclaimed in frustration and fear.

  “I can only trace myself, not others along with me, plus these arrows are iron and it's limiting my magic.”

  His words nearly stopped my heart as I gaped at the horrifying creatures and realized that he may not be able to fight them off. It was also entirely possible that he could pull out the arrows and trace away, leaving me here to die.

  As if he knew exactly where my mind had gone, without his eyes leaving the swarming Fae, he grabbed my arm firmly. “I'm not going anywhere, now stop panicking and pay attention.”

  “Enough!” shouted the creature, who I assumed to be their leader. “Kill them.”

  My eyes scanned the snarling Fae as they held their clawed hands out ready to tear through our flesh if given the opportunity. The majority were arced around Lochlan, who had faced the middle of the room, leaving me with the few who had squeezed in along the wall.

  Lochlan lunged forward on the offensive and as I sensed him move, I stepped back to keep as little space between us as possible. He was shooting some kind of energy blast at them and between blasts would conduct a brutal assault with his fists and the occasional well-placed kick.

  I wasn’t able to watch him as I would have liked, too busy fending off the few creatures who had me in their sights, making jabs and swipes at me. I stabbed at them with the knife as best as I could, but their claws caught my skin on multiple occasions and blood stained the sleeves of my shirt. A growl came from Lochlan just as a head from one of the creatures plunked on the concrete floor and rolled in front of me. I wasn't sure how he had done it, nor did I want to know.

  It hit me in a moment of clarity amid my panic that I had assumed the magic from my necklace would somehow keep me protected. However, as I slashed at the Fae closing in on me, it was clear that my assumption had been a grave mistake that would possibly even prove fatal. I had no idea how to make the magic work and the vicious creatures surrounding me were inches away from ending my life.

  Taking a particularly large lunge forward on an attack, Lochlan separated from my back just long enough that a creature reached in from beside me in an attempt to grab my left arm. I slashed with the knife in my right hand without making contact, my miscalculation allowing him enough time to grab my downcast arm and yank me away from Lochlan. The creature threw me back against the wall, my back slamming so hard that the air squeezed from my lungs and I gasped for breath.

  Approaching me with wicked delight, the creature raised its clawed hand and viciously slashed at me just as I lifted my arm in a feeble attempt to protect myself. Instead of the searing pain I had expected, there was an intense pressure and warmth on my wrist. I watched in astonishment as the Unseelie was thrown backward several feet and Cat’s bracelet slid from my wrist and dropped to the floor. I couldn't take the time to think about what it meant that Cat had given me a protective bracelet but I would definitely be asking her about it if I made it out of this alive.

  Before I could make a move to grab for the bracelet or get back to Lochlan, a second creature yanked me away from the wall and landed a brutal blow to my face that threw me head first into the wall.

  Lochlan bellowed out in fury calling my name but I couldn’t respond because I was too disoriented, writhing in pain on the floor. My survival instincts kicked in and I pulled myself back to my feet. Scanning the floor, I searched frantically for the knife that I had dropped when I was punched.

  “Looking for this?” The voice chilled my bones and I glanced up to see the creature who had thrown me into the wall slowly approaching. I could see in the perverse expression on his wrinkled face that he delighted in toying with his prey. He dangled the knife before me and as adrenaline surged through me, I launched myself toward Lochlan, but was quickly grabbed from behind and tackled to the floor. As we fell, I manage to twist onto my back and land with the Unseelie above me.

  His spindly fingers plunged the knife toward my chest and my hands shot up to grab his wrists. While I slowed the knife’s progress, it wasn't enough to stop the blade from sinking into my chest just below my right shoulder blade. White-hot pain seared through me and I cried out in agony while I pushed with all my might at his arms to keep the knife from sinking farther. We continued to push against each other as his saliva dripped between his jagged teeth and fell in long strands onto my face and neck. Panic coursed through my body as I grappled with the creature. I could just barely see that the knife was now imbedded about two to three inches into my chest—there was no way that I would win our struggle.

  I was going to die.

  In desperation, I removed one hand from his arm and pressed it against the side of his face as hard as I could in an attempt to unseat him from above me. His head pulled to the side and small black tendrils immediately spread under his skin and across his face. A tingling warmth radiated across the palm of my hand to the tips of my fingers, almost like the pins and needles feeling you get when your hand or foot falls asleep.

  Instantly the pressure on the knife relented as he grabbed for my forearm but I slammed my other hand against his cheek and he screamed in horror and rage. Attempting to get away from me, he pulled backward, but I kept my hands fastened to him tightly. When he flung his body back, I surged forward such that we switched places with him now on his back and me towering over him.

  I watched in a delighted fascination as the veining darkness spread down his neck and beneath his tattered shirt. My movements had jarred loose the knife and it fell to the floor beside his head but neither of us paid it any attention.

  His eyes, which had been a shining black, clouded over as he stared up at the ceiling, unseeing. The feeling of power coursing through me was intoxicating and I rejoiced in watching as his body stilled and the life drained from his eyes.

  Only after he stopped moving completely did I turn toward the sounds of the fight and notice that Ronan had appeared. He was finishing off the last of the Unseelie while Lochlan stood with his eyes glued to me, face expressionless. Between the two of them, they had made relatively short work of the dozen Unseelie that now lay dead, strewn about the room.

  I attempted to stand, but as soon as I did, an intense dizzy spell took me to my knees. One glance down at my chest confirmed that I was bleeding profusely and blackness threatened my vision. Strong arms gently swept me up and in my haze, I could just recognize Ronan’s smooth jawline as my head rested against his neck.

  “Look at what you’ve done. Is this what you wanted by bringing her here?” Ronan spoke to Lochlan in harsh tones and I wanted to argue that it was my fault that I was there, but I was too drained to speak.

  Lochlan's shoulders curved in on themselves protectively around his arrow wounds and his hand held his chest where the two broken shafts still protruded from his body, blood staining the length of his shirt.

  “We need to get out of here, now—we can have this discussion at the club.” Responding in an equally harsh manner, Lochlan led the way toward the exit through the carnage of dead Unseelie.

  They hurried us along the
dark street toward the car and as Ronan placed me inside, my eyes were drawn out the opposite window to a figure leaning on a wall not far from the car. My addled brain took a moment to recognize him, but it was clearly the older man from the museum standing casually with his hands in his coat pockets. I wondered if my head injury had me hallucinating and gave a silent thanks that if my head was going to mess with me, it was the museum man I saw and not the airport man.

  He tipped his head in my direction and then vanished just as the blackness that had been dancing at the edges of my vision consumed me and I slumped onto the seat in oblivion.

  16

  I stirred awake as I was lifted out of the car in Ronan's arms. He carried me to the Huntsman and into a conference room. Inside was a large oval table with thirteen chairs and a black leather sofa along the back wall.

  Ronan gently set me down on the couch and the cool leather was a shocking contrast to my heated skin, stirring up goose bumps on my arms and legs.

  Shortly after, Lochlan entered the room with a large first aid kit. “Rebecca, we need to cut away your shirt so that we can treat the wound,” Lochlan said as he sat next to me and opened the kit to pull out a pair of scissors with rounded ends. I nodded my consent and he cut from the neckline of my shirt to the armpit and down the length of my arm so that he could peal the entire top right portion of my shirt away.

  “I really liked that shirt.” My words were sluggish but after I spoke, a shot of adrenaline woke me up as he cut through my bra strap and our eyes met.

  “I can get you one of mine.” His words were barely a murmur, trailing off as his eyes returned to my wound and tension marred his features.

  “Is something wrong?” I peered down at my chest and discovered that what I had thought was a serious stab wound looked more like a bad cut, about an inch long and not terribly deep. I was relieved, especially since they hadn’t taken me to a hospital, but confused because I had watched just inches from my face as the knife sunk excruciatingly slowly into my chest.

  The necklace had helped me heal.

  Lochlan had to be aware that my body had repaired itself at an unnaturally fast pace for a human and I wondered if he was going to say something. Instead, he carried on cleaning the wound, which hurt like a bitch, and bandaged it with butterfly straps and a gauze pad to absorb any further bleeding.

  “This should take care of it.” He spoke softly and when he was done, he pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped it around my shoulders, wincing as he moved.

  “Lochlan, you need to treat your wound. I can't believe I let you work on me when you have two arrows in your chest.”

  “I'm fine. After the men have gathered and we all sit down to talk, I'll have one of the guys clean me up.” His voice was haggard and I wished there was something I could do to help him, but I wouldn’t get anywhere arguing with him.

  We had been alone in the room and I wasn’t sure where Ronan had gone but I was glad for the bit of privacy his absence had allowed. The reprieve was short lived, however, as Ronan returned with bottles of water, crackers and an extra blanket.

  “You need to drink some water and have a couple crackers. The sugars in your system will help with the shock.”

  I hadn't noticed, but at his mention of shock, I realized that my hands were shaking. “I’m feeling better already, but thank you.”

  He was still visibly upset, sending a harsh glare to Lochlan. “Your need to play the hero, running off without taking any of us with you, nearly got her killed,” Ronan spat at Lochlan, who stood against the wall with his arms crossed and his face unreadable.

  Instead of addressing the accusation, Lochlan raised an interesting question of his own. “Why exactly were you there, Ronan? I believe the plan was for the rest of you to stay here tonight.” His words were deceptively calm but the gleam in his eyes was lethal.

  “I was worried about Rebecca. When I heard from Liam that she had gone with you, I rushed over to make sure nothing went wrong, and I'm glad I did. If I hadn’t shown up, you would have been sorely outnumbered.” The snarl of disgust on his face soured his features.

  Lochlan flew off the wall and laid a fist into Ronan's face with a sickening crunch. The room began to spark with energy and all the hairs on my arms stood on end in anticipation of Ronan’s retaliation.

  Instead, he slowly turned back to Lochlan with blood dripping off his chin and a bone-chilling smile stretched across his face. His red stained lips pulled back like the Joker in a Batman movie and I gave an involuntary shudder.

  “That’s right, you always did want to take my head off. Going to see if you can finish the job this time?”

  Lochlan lunged forward and grabbed Ronan by the shirt, but before he could say anything, Ronan gave him a vicious upper cut to the gut.

  Liam, Michael and the others filtered into the room and as they did the men quickly rushed to pull Ronan and Lochlan apart. It took several guys to hold back each of the two men, who glared at each other with hatred in their eyes.

  “What the fuck is going on here?” asked Michael as he got in Lochlan’s face and gave him a small shove to get his attention.

  “Same shit as always,” muttered one of the men who had just entered the room.

  “Shut the fuck up, Sean.” Lochlan yanked out of their grasp. “Everyone sit, there’s a lot to discuss.”

  Ronan had also pulled away from the men that had restrained him and he walked with a blanked expression to the opposite end of the table as Lochlan.

  The room filled with murmurs and I looked around in confusion. Some of the men sat at the oval table while others remained standing and grumbled in my direction. The man who had refused me access to the club just the night before addressed Lochlan sharply.

  “She can't stay here while we discuss business.”

  As he spoke the room quieted and Lochlan’s gaze held the man’s eyes as he responded. “She was there tonight and has information to offer, Fionn—she stays.” His commanding tone brooked no argument and after a heartbeat, the men that remained standing went warily to their chairs and sat at the table.

  Lochlan turned to me and in a softer tone asked, “Would you prefer a seat at the table or to remain on the couch?”

  He was positioned at the head of the table and there was a single chair out of thirteen unoccupied. There was no question that I preferred to be at the table with the men, so I quickly gathered the blanket and moved. After everyone had settled, Lochlan addressed the group in a grave tone.

  “Tonight we went to the site of a suspected portal opening, like we have on many occasions recently, except this time we were met with a dozen red caps.” The room came alive with the low humming of men's voices.

  “Had they just come through the portal?” one of the men asked.

  “No, they were hidden in shadow awaiting our arrival. This was a setup, without question.” Lochlan responded and the men's faces hardened.

  I hadn’t registered that I was in any danger but surveying the room packed full of deadly men, I could see the predator in each of them and my heartrate kicked up a notch.

  Michael spoke up addressing the group. “I agree. A group of red caps that large had to have been assembled. They’re too self-serving to remain in numbers for long, not since Queen Mab have they been organized in groups.”

  Various heads nodded and the room buzzed with murmurs of agreement.

  “Everyone here understands the implications. No one but those sitting at this table knew that I was going to the old garage tonight,” said Lochlan.

  “Maybe they figured out that we had taken the Fae traitor and that he would squeal about the next portal opening,” someone offered.

  “The last portal was closed when we entered the building, there’s no way they could have known that we showed up just after,” responded Michael.

  “What about the girl, how are we to know she isn’t involved?” asked the same one who had suggested that the timing had been merely coincidental
.

  Ronan spoke rapidly in my defense. “She almost died—why would a defenseless woman knowingly walk into a trap full of red caps?”

  I appreciated him arguing on my behalf, but I found his words were patronizing and my jaw clenched with agitation. Not only had I not been defenseless, I had held my own in the fight. Thinking about how I had forced those inky veins into the red cap's body, strangling the life from him had my eyes turning to Lochlan. I wondered if he would bring up what I had done but he remained silent. I quickly debated continuing to keep my silence but at some point the others would learn about the powers of the necklace and it would look worse had I tried to keep them a secret rather than offer the information willingly to the Hunt. I had to trust that Lochlan and Ronan would not allow any harm to come to me.

  The men argued among themselves and I cleared my throat to gain their attention. “My necklace has powers.” I paused and the silence in the room was deafening. “I’ve had the necklace as long as I can remember but it never showed signs of being anything but an ordinary necklace. The draug that attacked my friend and me tried to steal the necklace, but before that, I knew nothing of the existence of Fae or magic. Yes, I’m involved in this, but I just don’t know how or why and I certainly had nothing to do with setting up the trap in the garage.” My hands fidgeted nervously under the heavy weight of each mans' gaze in the silent room.

  “What powers does the necklace have?” asked Ronan with an eerily blank expression on his face.

  “It kept me hidden when I was in danger, it revealed the red caps to me when they were hidden in the shadows, and it seems to be helping me heal.”

  Several of the men whispered to those around them and when I sought out Lochlan, I was strengthened when he gave the smallest tilt of his chin in approval.

  “When a red cap had me pinned and I knew he was going to kill me, I put my hands on his face and it seemed to put a darkness into him. It spread like roots through his skin, until it killed him.” I said the last part quietly, almost afraid to acknowledge it myself. Not to mention I had no idea how the men would respond to that information. I certainly wasn't going to disclose how I'd rejoiced in the red cap's death.