Darkness Binds

by Brandy L Rivers

  He closed his eyes, thinking back to Oriana in his bed one night. They’d made love for hours. She hung onto him. But before she could fall asleep in his arms, she left to protect them both.

  The moment he was alone, a cloaked figure appeared in his mirror. The voice was familiar. His sister, the one who betrayed him and tried to let her god take possession of his body.

  “You’ve made a grave mistake, Trenton.”

  He had believed she died the day of the ritual. Oriana’s mother blamed Inuala for the failure, but Badb had flowed into him, blocking Crom Cruach from taking him over.

  “You are not welcome here,” Trenton snarled.

  “For my failure, our queen gave me to her guards. They used me anyway they saw fit until I finally escaped.”

  “You attempted to give my body to your god You would have made me a prisoner in my own body. You brought your punishment on yourself.”

  Only one good thing came of that ritual. Trenton found Oriana. While Badb had taken possession of his body, he watched Crom flow into the young girl hiding from a balcony.

  Badb had whispered, “Your fate is tied to hers. She can either destroy your world or save it.”

  “Shit, Inuala was my sister back then.” Brent rubbed at his face. “Crom was meant for me. Badb entered my body, and Crom went to you when you were small, watching from a hiding spot. She told me then my fate was tied to yours.”

  “Inuala was your sister? Did she know when she held you captive this time?”

  He nodded. “I believe so. Would explain why she blocked me so well from her head and why I couldn’t remember my past lives on my own, after helping others reach theirs. That means you’re in even more danger than I ever imagined. You were a victim. You may have helped create the first vampire, but you prevented Crom from taking over the world.”

  Amelia blinked and looked out the window. “She came to me, in my mirror several times. When I was pregnant, she told me my son would house Crom Cruach. She planned for the betrayal and Eamon to come to my defense. She set it all in motion, but it didn’t go her way.”

  “Because you stopped her. She didn’t succeed.”

  She sighed. “I didn’t either. In preventing her from summoning Crom Cruach, I created vampires. How do we kill her and prevent her from being reincarnated?”

  “I know there are ways, but I need to do some research.”

  “Maybe we should go back tonight.”

  He shook his head. “No. Tonight, you’re mine. Tomorrow will be hell enough. You’ll need to pretend with him. You’ll have to let him believe you are his.”

  “What if he thinks we’ll be blood bound?”

  “Whatever you do, I’ll handle it. I won’t break. This is too important for me to get jealous. But every night, you will be in my bed, with me, if at all possible.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “Even if you have to be in his bed at some point, I’ll manage. I did it for years, centuries ago.”

  She shoved him away and shot to her feet. “And if I can’t?”

  He closed his eyes. “Amelia, you have to convince him you choose him. I’ll have to let you go to them alone. Inuala can’t learn who I am. You’re the one who will need to end this. I’ll help, but I think I understand what I’ve always seen now.”

  “What?” she whispered.

  “We’ve found each other many times over the years. I’m hoping all the visions of our end have just been those lives, not the future.”

  “Even if not, we can change that. I just need to get through to Eamon.”

  “I need you to trust me, Amelia. I don’t see another way. And you loved him at least a few times through the years. You want to stop Crom? You may have to be in Eamon’s bed to make him believe you.”

  Amelia shook her head. “That won’t work, Brent. He’ll expect me to bond with him. He’s going to figure it all out when that doesn’t happen.”

  “Why didn’t it in the past?” he asked.

  “I refused to drink from him. I didn’t want to be what he was, knowing how he came to be. I didn’t want to bind myself to the man who kept me from truly being with the one who held my heart. I can’t pretend like that, Brent. I won’t go to bed with him. Not ever again.”

  Brent climbed to his feet and moved to her. “Amelia, without you, we can’t stop what they’ll do to bring Crom across. You have to go to Eamon.”

  She threw her hands up. “But I don’t have to fuck him. I can work around that. I’ll find another way. I just need to convince him that Inuala caused all of this.”

  “Think he wants to lose his power? What is he without Crom Cruach tainting him?”

  She shook her head. “Would he lose anything but a voice in his head? The damage is done. He’s forever changed. Live or die, Eamon is still a vampire. If we can convince him Crom Cruach isn’t what he believes, we can stop Inuala. She’s the one insistent on bringing Crom Cruach into the world.”

  “You don’t want to kill Eamon? The man who slaughtered you in your first life?” Brent demanded.

  “He wasn’t himself. And I’m not saying we can’t kill him. I’m saying we may not have to in order to get rid of Crom Cruach.”

  He couldn’t understand. “You want to save him? After everything? Why give him redemption if you can’t fuck him?”

  “Damn it, Brent. I’m not deciding anything. All I’m saying is he may not be the enemy. Inuala set it all in motion. She is definitely the enemy. Eamon could go either way. And his people would turn around and slaughter us if we don’t get him on our side. You want a way to deal with Crom Cruach permanently, I’m giving you a way that might not get us killed.”

  He took a slow breath, seeing the truth of her words. “Okay, you’re right. And maybe you won’t have to sleep with him.”

  She shoved him away. “I can’t sleep with him. Not in this lifetime. I know more of the pieces. I didn’t know all of them then. Maybe he’ll see the truth.”

  “Shit, I’d rather you be in his bed and safe than try to convince him everything he believes in is wrong, and he won’t get the woman he’s been chasing for centuries.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m not using my body as a tool. Not like that. Sex means more to me than that.”

  “You didn’t love Tyrone,” Brent spat out.

  Amelia snatched her clothes up and left the room, pulling the dress over her head.

  Shit, he hadn’t meant to do that to her. Following her, he caught her arm. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair.”

  She didn’t turn back. “It still meant something with Tyrone. There were feelings, but no, I don’t love Tyrone. Can you really tell me you’ve loved every woman you’ve been with?”

  “No. I’m sorry, Amelia. The jealousy has stewed for months. I’m a jealous asshole, and I’m trying not to be because I have what he didn’t, if I haven’t totally fucked it all up.”

  She turned to him, tears in her eyes. “Careful with your words, Brent. You don’t get to contradict yourself. Telling me to fuck Eamon, then being pissed I fucked another man while you didn’t have the balls to come tell me what you wanted from me. And yeah, I should have just said what I wanted, but you kept pushing me away, and after the first few months of shutting me down, I needed you to be the one to come to me.”

  “Then let me show you how much I need you, Amelia. Only you. Always you. I don’t care about the others before if I can have you now and forever.”

  “Then don’t tell me fucking another man is the only way.”

  “I won’t.” It might break him to insist she take Eamon to bed, but he didn’t see how she could convince Eamon to believe her without sex. What was he getting if not his bride from all those years ago?

  Chapter 13

  The proof was out of reach, but Inuala knew Brendan was Kalbrenthis. Her brother reborn, once again. She felt the telltale signs of him hiding his magic like he had in every life.

  Her hated brother from their first life. How he escaped his fate was st
ill beyond her. And she was punished for his refusal to accept his destiny as Crom Cruach’s chosen.

  She performed the ritual to perfection. The darkness flowed around Trenton, she stabbed him, and the shadows flowed into the air, away from the chosen.

  Inuala attempted to coax him back to Trenton’s body, but he disappeared.

  Saoirse, the queen of Black Mire screamed in rage as Trenton struggled under the hands holding him down. His pierced flesh mended as soon as Inuala drew the blade out of his chest.

  Reaching for Crom’s essence did nothing but give her a headache as a feminine triumphant shout echoed in her head.

  One of the guards holding Trenton bashed him in the face, knocking him unconscious.

  Inuala stabbed her brother again, and still, nothing. Crom had fled. Her ritual had fallen apart.

  “Take her away. Do what you will with her,” Saoirse spat. “And throw him in a dungeon. I’ll deal with him later.”

  The biggest guard slammed cuffs of iron around her wrists and dragged her down the hidden stairs behind the thrones. Trenton had destroyed her life in that moment, denying her place at Crom Cruach’s side. She’d been trying to make up for it ever since.

  Inuala stormed into the room she shared with her blood bound. She glared daggers at Drummond. “That fool finally has a chance to pull Crom Cruach fully into this world, and Eamon is going to squander it the same way he has at every turn.”

  Drummond caught her face in his hands and stopped her rant with a kiss. “I have done the same for you, my love.”

  “This is different. Over the centuries, their souls have grown apart. They are no longer the match they once were. I have always been in service of Crom Cruach. She may have called Crom Cruach and gifted Eamon with his essence, but every incarnation since, she wants to rid us of our god. One of these times, Eamon may agree with her. And now, she’s attached to her food. He can’t win her heart this time.”

  “He’ll make her see he’s the one. Let him forge the bond with her. Once that’s in place, she’ll come around.”

  “If she lives that long,” Inuala muttered.

  Drummond took a step back. “Don’t even hint at harming her. He’s been searching for Oriana for ages. Would you really stand in the way of their happiness? Crom has promised Eamon that once he is reunited with Oriana, they would finally succeed where he had failed for so long.”

  “And if she is bound to Brendan, can she truly be with him in this incarnation?” Inuala demanded.

  He sighed. “He is the first vampire. Perhaps he can’t be blood bound. Perhaps another bond will suffice.”

  Her head tilted. “We could take Brendan out of the equation. Kill him, then he won’t be a nuisance.”

  “I’ll speak with Eamon. He can make that call. There are those who have outgrown their blood bond and have managed to keep their bond and their new love. Maybe he’ll settle for that,” Drummond murmured, walking Inuala toward the bed.

  Unfortunately, now wasn’t the time, and she couldn’t share her plans with her lover. He was good at protecting, but dumb as shit. You’d think over a few thousand years, he’d gain a little intelligence, but no, not yet.

  And killing him wasn’t an option. No, it wasn’t. Without him, Eamon would slaughter her. He’d never trusted her to do more than wrangle the cattle and keep them in line. And ever since Kalbrenthis escaped two hundred years ago, she was barely tolerated in Eamon’s presence, which meant she couldn’t get close enough to set Crom Cruach free of his bindings. Whatever Oriana did to him upon her death ensured Eamon was unstoppable, and that Crom could not be summoned through any way she knew of. And perhaps Drummond had a point. Perhaps Amelia was the key, and Inuala needed to rethink how best to use her pet against her.

  In the meantime, she had other plans to put into motion. Perhaps one of them would help her succeed where she had failed before.

  “Drummond, I need to find new cattle, and I have a place to do that. Don’t expect me to be back before dawn tomorrow.”

  “Be careful, Inuala. I don’t want to lose you again.”

  “I will be fine. Fire Fae either wiped out our people, or helped Kalbrenthis escape. Without them, we would have kept him for ages, until we found the perfect vessel for Crom Cruach.”

  “He was dangerous, Inuala. He slaughtered so many of the first vampires with magic. If anything, those drinking from him tore away the walls locking his magic away. He unleashed power like I’ve never seen.”

  She nodded. “I think Brendan is Kalbrenthis.”

  “You have no way of knowing. He looks nothing like the boy you took.”

  “Still, Trenton was Kalbrenthis. I think Brendan is Kalbrenthis’ incarnation.”

  “Forget about them for now. Tonight, you’re mine. And tomorrow night, I’ll worry about you while you hunt for more food then.”

  * * * *

  The silence in the next room was broken with Inuala and Drummond’s passionate cries. Eamon sat up, a scowl on his face. The bitch was hiding things from him, once again. Seemed she was always scheming.

  Every time he found Oriana, Inuala attempted to convince him to let her go. Even after Eamon helped Drummond find Inuala’s second incarnation a hundred years ago.

  Eamon melded into shadows and searched for his next two trusted companions through the ages. Nolan and Niall were in their chamber, arguing over who would have a chance at one of the new blood slaves locked in the dungeon.

  Taking shape, Eamon stated, “You can decide who enjoys her later. In the meantime, I need you to keep an extra close eye on Inuala. I want to know what Inuala is plotting.”

  Niall looked up, his head cocked. “What do you suspect?”

  “Have you noticed she is always thwarting my plans to bring Oriana into the fold? I’m beginning to wonder if she sows discord between us. My love is unwavering, and Oriana always remembers, but something happens. I need to ensure Amelia is not influenced in any way by Inuala.”

  “With pleasure,” Nolan answered. Neither of the twins liked her.

  Eamon nodded. “Inuala is hiding something. She continuously seals in the sound while discussing private matters with Drummond, then breaks the spell to ensure I hear them in bed. I need to know what she is plotting.”

  “Of course,” Nolan answered. “As soon as we know, you will. But what of Amelia? Do you want us to find her?”

  He shook his head. “No. The way her first life ended, she always needs time to remember I’m not the monster I was when I first changed.”

  “What about her pet?”

  “Leave him. I will not betray her. You will not harm him. I’ll find a way to handle him that Amelia can agree to.”

  “You could share her?” Nolan asked.

  “I’ll figure that out if that’s an issue. Until then, don’t touch Brendan or Amelia. I need to know what Inuala is planning.”

  “She won’t escape our notice. We’ll bring you word as soon as we know something solid,” Niall promised.

  “I trust you to keep me informed.”

  “You have our word.”

  “If she or Drummond become a problem, you have my permission to end that problem however you see fit.”

  Niall grinned. “Understood.”

  Either twin would leap at the chance to kill Inuala. Unfortunately, Drummond became increasingly defensive when she came under question. Eamon could no longer be sure whose side Drummond would rally to.

  Chapter 14

  Early in the morning, Christian stood in the kitchen, making a pot of coffee while his mate attempted to comfort Tyrone, who was upset over losing someone. It wasn’t his ex he missed.

  No, it was Delilah’s sister who broke his heart. The dumbass had been half in love with her since he’d met the guy. He just wouldn’t admit it. And he didn’t blame Amelia for falling into Tyrone’s arms while trying to figure out her new situation, but man, Tyrone didn’t deserve to be sitting there a sobbing mess and not even know why.

  Delilah joine
d Christian. “Can’t you give his memories back?”

  Christian snorted. “I tried. I can’t. She didn’t know what she was doing and totally destroyed everything to do with her. He doesn’t even remember her face, even though he dreams of her constantly. The only one who can fix him is her.”

  “Damn it, why couldn’t she listen, just once. And of course, she’s not answering her damned phone. What the hell has she gotten herself into?”

  “A mess.” Christian reached for the sugar bowl he knew was empty. “Think you could get more? Seems to calm him.”

  Delilah frowned. “Why are you trying to get rid of me? Guy talk hasn’t worked.”

  Christian placed a soft kiss to her lips. “Pretty please.”

  “With me on top?” she teased.

  “Mmm, of course. Now go.”

  Sighing, she grabbed her purse and headed to the store.

  Pushing his fingers through his hair, Christian thought out his choices. Tyrone was a mess, and as much as he hated the next step, he didn’t see another option. Several people in Edenton were going to be taken, and he was about the only person who could keep them safe in the vampire’s hands without giving away too much. And, maybe seeing Amelia in full-fledged monster mode would scare Tyrone away from her for good. That or bring his memories back in a natural way. Maybe that was the key. Seeing how terrible her power could be, and he had a feeling the only one she wouldn’t shock was Brent. And Christian had seen enough pieces of what was coming to know Amelia could be downright scary.

  Shit, he didn’t know all she was capable of, but he knew that Amelia and Brent were finally bonded, which was how it should have been long ago. Now he hoped they could survive the story they were chasing and actually get rid of this deity that wanted to darken the world.

  At least a good one watched over her. Funny how a goddess of war was the one who wanted to protect her and the planet. Christian shook off the visions and thoughts and focused on how he’d get word to those who mattered at the right time. If he acted too soon, Amelia would fail and Brent would die, sending Amelia into a tailspin she may not recover from. Too late, and Amelia would never forgive herself when Tyrone died with all of the captives, including himself. And if he allowed Delilah to be captured, she would get them all killed to protect her mate. He couldn’t have that.