by A. K. Koonce
Darkness Colliding
Copyright 2018 A.K. Koonce
All Rights Reserved
Cover design by Killer Book Covers
Editing by Varankor Editing
No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without express written permission from the author. Any unauthorized use of this material is prohibited.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Some bonds can never be severed …
Table of Contents
Chapter One – The Underworld
Chapter Two – A Princess or a Swalik
Chapter Three – The Elder Witch
Chapter Four – Realization
Chapter Five – Carcass Creature
Chapter Six – Jealous
Chapter Seven – Want and Love
Chapter Eight – The Bond We Share
Chapter Nine – Goodnight
Chapter Ten – A Drinking Game
Chapter Eleven – A Dare
Chapter Twelve – Threatening Words
Chapter Thirteen – The Sweet One with the Dirty Thoughts
Chapter Fourteen – Us
Chapter Fifteen – Demon’s Intent
Chapter Sixteen – The Secret
Chapter Seventeen – The Core
Chapter Eighteen – On the Edge of Living
Chapter Nineteen – The Virgin
Chapter Twenty – The Magic of the Wild Hunt
About A.K. Koonce
Chapter One
The Underworld
Linkin
My mother once told me the cruelest people never die. They live on in the darkest part of our thoughts, tormenting us and reminding us of all the things we wish we could forget.
I fully believe that now.
Since we entered the Underworld, Violence has slept deeply. She’s slept better than she ever has the entire time I’ve known her. It’s like her body is physically drained every day; too much stress and too much power presses in on her. I see it in the sag of her shoulders, and I see it in the slashing way she sleeps. Her lashes flutter, her head shaking away whatever dreams are clawing at her pretty mind.
He did that to her. Her father is the reason for all of this. The King is dead; killed by his own daughter, but his legacy of his tormented children will outlive him.
The tense way her body flinches away from herself has me storming across the rocky ground. The sky above the four of us is a constant fiery red color that bleeds on for miles and miles. It’s impossible to tell if it’s night or day.
We’re deep into this place, and I’m counting on Nollix to lead us in and out without problem. The half Demon rests with her held against him, his arms wrapped tightly in a possessive but protective way. Cameron’s palm is low on her hip, his chest aligned with her back as he sleeps with his head resting against the back of her neck.
This place is like a wildfire started up in a desert, blazing warmth into the already insufferable heat. The three of them have to be sweating through their clothes with the way their bodies are pressed so closely together. None of them seem to mind.
Carefully, I lower myself, my knee barely fitting between her and Cameron’s tangle of legs. My palm skims up her arm, and the moment I touch her, her eyes open. The inky color swirls within her gaze before the pretty amber returns to normal.
There’s a darkness within her. We all know it’s there, even more since her father did his little tests on her.
But I can’t bring myself to fear it. Because it’s a part of her. There’s a terrible place in all of us. Vi’s is just … worse.
More reckless.
More dangerous.
“Vi, wake up.” Her heavy lashes blink a few times before she really focuses on me.
“Have you seen anything?” The tired sound of her voice makes my heart sink low.
I wish we could ignore all of this. I wish we could ignore the world and go back to our normal lives veiled by the Wild Hunt.
But I know we can’t.
“No, not a thing.” Not a damn thing.
We’ve been here for days, and we haven’t seen her sister or Jeriko. We haven’t seen a single soul.
Nollix says there’s a large population of dwellers down here; not too far in but along the outskirts between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead.
No dwellers yet. I don’t know how far into the Underworld we have to go, but so far, this place has been a completely empty wasteland.
Part of me doesn’t want to meet anyone down here. Something tells me the dwellers who suffer down here in the infernal heat can’t be anyone I want to come face to face with.
The tired look in her eyes is all I see as she studies her surroundings, her gaze skimming over the crimson sky, the rocky hills, Nollix’s face and then Cameron’s. Her palm brushes against Cameron’s knuckles before she finally looks back to me. I know what she’s thinking. I feel like I always know what she’s thinking.
Cameron shouldn’t be here. Of all of us, he’s just a guy who got mixed up in more than he bargained for. It’s dangerous for him. The Wild Hunt aren’t immortal. We can die. But the magic within us also heals us remarkably fast. Unless we’re struck with a deadly blow, death isn’t really an issue for us.
Cameron’s more delicate. He’s a fragile little thing. Okay, he’s also an impressively powerful Warlock, but let’s not forget how breakable he is too. If Nollix sees how close Cameron and Violence are, I bet we’d find out just how breakable he really is.
“You ready to get moving?” I nod toward the distance.
Because that’s all I can do. I don’t know North from South in this place. Aside from the animal carcasses and dead trees, there’s next to no landmarks.
This place is a shithole.
“Nollix,” her palm runs the length of his arm in a slow gesture and something flairs warmly in my chest, “Nollix, wake up.”
The moment she repeats his name, Cameron’s head jerks, waking himself as he pulls his hand away and rolls away from Violence like he’s on fire. My brow arches at him, and he holds my gaze for a moment before acting as if nothing happened. He’s a smart man. I’ll give him that.
Nollix blinks slowly. The pale color of his eyes disappeared the moment we stepped foot into this hellhole. It still startles me to see the inky depths of his gaze as he studies his surroundings, doing quiet sweeps over the land.
“They’re close.” When he speaks, the dry wind sweeps over us, skimming the fine hair along my arm until a chill crawls down my spine.
“Who’s close?” My gaze darts around the horizon.
Nothing is in sight.
“The dwellers are close.” He pushes himself up quickly, pulling his sword from his hip in one quick move.
I follow his lead and the glow of our weapons intensifies, signaling a threat that I can’t even see.
Shit, what if they’re spirits? What if it’s something evil that I can’t protect her from even if I tried?
The heavy winds pick up, throwing dirt and debris into the air until I’m forced to shield my eyes. Nollix stares unblinking into the swirl of the dust storm. It’s like he’s made from it.
The outlines of four bodies begin to take form. My eyes flinch away from the scratchy dust that’s attacking my vision. The power in my veins pushes against the winds, but it collides hard with an
other force. It’s like pushing against a brick wall. It’s like touching magic that’s cut from the same cloth as my own.
The dwellers come closer and closer, and I grab Violence’s hand, my body shielding hers. Cameron takes an intentional step closer, his palm covering his mouth while his other hand lifts toward the sky.
I was wrong. He’s not a smart man at all apparently.
With one quick move, his palm slams to the ground with a glow of shining white color. The force of the impact shakes through the Underworld, making a groan come from the dry earth before the dirt halts within the air and drops immediately to the land.
A peculiar shadow veils the four figures standing before us.
“Nollix, what are the dwellers, exactly?” My question is captured by the silence.
In a flash, a woman with black, inky eyes and teeth chiseled into weapons is smiling down on me. My sword rises toward her as the shadows fall away from the four newcomers.
“We are the dwellers!”
The shriek of her laughter crawls into the air and the land, sinking right into it like it owns every part of her.
Chapter Two
A Princess or a Swalik
Violence
Three hulking men stand behind her. Their shoulders are so broad and intimidating it nearly distracts me from their twisting features. Two of the men are mostly unblemished with thick, sunburnt skin that’s painful to even look at. Their serious features seem unaffected by it. The other man has a scar deeply etched across his face, slashing from the corner of his mouth and up past his dark hairline. The scar alone makes him more daunting.
All of them, including the manic woman who is now circling Nollix, have Demon eyes and teeth so sharp they look like they could bite through iron.
She pauses, fluttering her lashes up at the half Demon. A possessive feeling lunges through my chest at the sight of her close proximity.
“I missed you, sweet Nollie.” She tilts her head, and her fingers skim along Cameron’s shoulder. “You brought me a pet. That’s very sweet of you, my friend.”
My fingers snatch her wrist so quickly that even I’m surprised by my actions. Cameron looks back at me, his quiet gaze keeping a close eye on me while I all but assault this woman in her world that I know nothing about like an idiot.
Well, it’s too late now to apologize, really.
“Don’t touch him.” My fingers release one by one from her thin wrist. The dry feel of her skin lingers against my palm.
A smile that reveals every one of her deadly teeth is passed my way. Her dark dreadlocks shift as she looks back at her friends.
“I like her.” She hisses through her teeth. Her attention comes back to Nollix, her hand rises to him, and, when I take a small step closer to her, she lowers that hand, keeping her intriguing smile on me. “All of them? Really? Save some for the rest of us, my love.” I can’t tell if her sing-song voice is teasing or if she’s just completely crazy.
Possibly both.
“You could have told us you were coming. I would have arranged a welcome home party for my long-lost friend.” Her gaze actually does look sincere as if she really missed him while he keeps a look of steel locked in place within his smooth features.
Her familiarity with Nollix sets me on edge. I almost desperately want one of the other men to join in on their reminiscing so it doesn’t sound like two lovers catching up on old times.
I knew Nollix was from somewhere. Demons of any kind aren’t very welcome on earth. I guess I never pictured the attractive half Fae as an Underworld dweller. He doesn’t belong down here.
He belongs with me. They all do. My fingers tighten around Linkin’s hand, and he leans into me. His strong chest brushes against my shoulder sending a feeling of warmth right into my heart.
“We’re looking for two Fae. A man and woman.” I force a steady sound into my voice even if they do make me a little uneasy.
“Oh, the pretty girl with her monster man, yes?”
My brows lower as my attention shifts to the frightening yet attractive woman before me and her … monster men behind her.
“You’ve seen them?” I tilt my head at her and her dark eyes settle on me, pinning me to the spot with a look that crawls all through me.
“What’s your name, love?” Her tongue swipes over the sharp points of her teeth as she considers me.
My back stiffens, my chin tipping up to hold my confidence in place.
“My name’s Violence Starling.”
That gleam in her inky eyes shines brighter at the sound of my words, and I hate that she knows me simply from my name alone.
I should consider changing it.
“Ah, Princess Starling. Of course. Nollix always was too good for us down here.”
“I’m not a princess.”
Cameron peers back at me once more, his gaze skimming down my body, warming every inch of me even more than I already am.
“I’m the most powerful woman in all of Fallen.” My voice shakes and rises with every word I speak, and I can’t seem to contain the anger and the frustration that’s pooling recklessly within me. “I am the Huntress of the Wild Hunt, and I am the King Conqueror, and I am looking for that man and that woman. Where are they?” My eyes flash and for an instant my blood boils with power.
The woman gasps, her eyes widening. She glances from me to Nollix and then back again.
“Is she a half Demon?” Her attention settles on Nollix.
His lashes lower and he glances at me from the corner of his eye. His emotions are entirely shut off right now. A blanket of steely features is all he possesses.
“No.”
“Lies,” the Demon woman hisses. “Her eyes flashed with the look of the Demon. She’s one of us, isn’t she? Is she a varied Demon. A breeder? A Swalik Demon?”
“Tantra, she is not a Demon of any kind.” Nollix takes a small step in front of me. His arm skims mine, and it’s the first time I notice that the three of them are neatly positioned around me. Strength wraps all around me simply from their presence.
“She’s Swalik. Just look at how alluring her face is.” The monster with the scar slashing down his cheek eyes me hard.
He likes my face … No one’s ever complimented me quiet like that. Also, I’m not entirely sure what a Swalik is, but it sounds a little disgusting. The word even tastes bad against my tongue.
My shoulder brushes against Nollix and Cameron’s as I step past my sweet bodyguards. My fingers slowly detangle from Link’s warm grip.
“I’m not a Demon. I’ve just consumed a lot of Underworld souls.” I place my hand innocently against my chest. “Consuming souls seems to have had a few side effects I wasn’t aware of.” My voice is a testing sound that isn’t at all worried about the said side effects. Possible Demonic eyes may occur. Not a big deal. Happens to the best of us.
My jaw locks shut with a bored expression as I watch the four Demons pass each other stunned looks.
Yes. I eat souls in my free time, spread that around to your little hellacious friends down here.
“So, Tantra, I need you to tell me which way the woman and her friend went.” I blink innocently at her.
Her head tilts slowly, her hands settling on the curve of her hips. The tight black skirt she’s wearing exposes her long, sunburnt legs, all the way down to her dusty bare feet.
“She’s headed to the Core.” Tantra’s words swarm through me, laying thickly within my body as I repeat the phrases over and over again within my mind. “The woman and the man asked for directions into the Core of the Underworld.”
Fear tears through my chest. I don’t ask because I know what lies at the Core of the Underworld.
The deadliest souls in all the world.
Chapter Three
The Elder Witch
Violence
We follow them. To say I’m starting to second-guess my decisions in life is an incredible understatement. With plenty of space between us and them, we follow the Demon dwellers
toward what they call the Core.
Exhaustion clings to my body with every step I take, but, for the most part, I pretend I’m fine. Link and Nollix whisper together as they walk ahead of me, putting themselves between the Demons and me while Cameron keeps pace at my side. I feel him watching me from the corner of his eyes. His skin’s more sun-kissed now than it was on the surface. A pretty bronze color highlights his features, making his amber eyes shine brighter.
“What will you do when you find her?” The back of his knuckles brush against mine and my fingers flex as if they might take his hand in mine.
I don’t of course. I keep the normal space between us, letting it feel like more distance than it really is. I feel that distance press in on me, and I have to breathe out the tension lingering in my chest.
“I don’t know.” My attention remains on the horizon. It’s the truth, really. My sister isn’t the terrible ruler that my father was. She never tormented my existence. She’s just … a stupid little girl who doesn’t understand a thing about what she’s about to do to her Kingdom.
She wants to be praised. She wants to be a powerful ruler. She wants to leave a mark on the world after she’s gone. She has no idea what kind of mark she’ll leave if she resurrects the darkest souls of the Underworld.
The phrase ‘hell on earth’ circles my mind on repeat.
“Why did you follow me?” The question seems to vomit up from the heavy guilt within my stomach.
I hate that I dragged all of them into this, but most of all, I hate that I dragged Cameron down with me. He’s … alive. He has a life. Trekking through the Underworld shouldn’t be a part of his day.
He’s young. Handsome. Sweet. He has his whole life ahead of him, and, all because of a stupid book, he ruined his whole life.
I ruined his life.
“I’m tied to you. What did you expect?” He doesn’t meet my eyes as he says it.
The magic that links his soul to mine pulls slightly in my chest. It feels weaker now. Not as demanding as it once was.
“I don’t know. I expected some protesting, I guess. I’m sure one of the Reveries could have reversed the bindings somehow. You could have demanded we try at least.” Once again, the back of his hand skims against mine.
