“See?” The Queen laughed. “Now, do not speak anymore. You’re giving me a headache.”
The Queen let go of my arm and turned around to Torin. He still held me by the waist, his thumb absently rubbing my stomach trying to calm and comfort me. This did not go unnoticed by the Queen. “I don’t think she will be going anywhere,” she said firmly, looking at his hand again. Jealousy and possessiveness rolled off her.
Torin instantly dropped his hand from my waist, stepping back. “Yes, my Queen.”
“All right, let us began. Torin, I trust you to keep an eye on her. Not a hand.”
“Of course, my lady.” He gave her a slight bow. Hearing his voice in person and feeling the heat from his body clinging to my robe made my head spin. How was he the same guy who had said he’d keep me safe no matter what—this man who was now holding me prisoner? At the same time I still felt oddly comforted by him—that he would protect me.
The Queen turned away and headed to the edge of the cliff. Seattle loomed in the distance. She nodded to the soldier who was closest to me. He came over and, with the same kind of gloves Torin had worn, unlocked my iron cuffs. My energy flowed back into me. It felt like stepping into a warm bath after a long day out in the snow. It was heaven.
Mark was barely conscious on the ground. Two of the Queen’s guards pulled him up into a sitting position. He groaned as they sat him up against a tree. Trails of dried blood streaked down his nose to the top of his lip. One of his bruised, cut eyes was swollen shut.
In the distance, a rumble erupted from the sky, followed by a strike of lightning.
The Queen smiled, clasping her hands together. “Perfect.”
Bile tore at my insides as it gushed up my esophagus. I understood now. I knew exactly how she was going to use me as a weapon.
The Queen had picked this night on purpose. I couldn’t start fires without a combustible agent, but I could affect them, down to the basic charge of electricity. I couldn’t really control my powers yet. She understood that. With Asim’s help, though, my powers could devastate a city.
The Queen nodded to Lorcan. With a self-satisfied smile, Lorcan walked up to me and cracked me hard across the face. I crumpled to the ground, my face burning with pain. Behind me, Torin said something nasty to Lorcan, but I couldn’t understand a thing. My ears and my head were ringing as they absorbed the blow.
Rage quickly boiled to the surface, my dark power eager to come out and play. I stood up, wiping the blood from my lip with a snort. “You sure you’re not fay? You hit like a little fairy.”
Lorcan promptly came back for me, his leg snapped forward and his foot dug into my stomach, shoving me backwards onto the ground. My chest throbbed. It hurt to breathe but I forced myself to stand. I knew this was the plan, to get me riled up, to conjure my powers to the surface, but I couldn’t stop them now. They wanted to come out.
“Come on, Tinkerbelle, is that all you got?” The darkness within him was egging him on, ready to battle. Personally, I was done with the whole ass beating. But when he swung this time, I was ready. He was still too fast. He hit my temple as I tried to duck. Fury hissed through me. Lorcan was prepping for another slap when he stopped. His eyes widened as he looked at me. My eyes shifted, focusing in on its target.
“Her eyes are turning black. Do it now!” the Queen shouted.
Asim’s hand clamped down on my bare arm. It felt like a bomb was exploding inside me. All my senses were gone. I could no longer feel a separation between the rest of the world and my body. I was so full of energy I couldn’t contain it.
The ground quaked beneath me. I felt another burst of energy in me and a renewed surge of power ignited within my body. The powers, which had been dormant, burst to the surface with exultance. They were awake.
Untamed power. Strength. Exhilaration. I craved more. I wanted more.
When Asim’s hands pulled away, it felt like something was being ripped from me, making me feel empty and alone.
“No!” I cried out. Don’t leave me.
My lids blinked open. I was on all fours on the ground. My ribs still ached from being kicked, and dried blood crusted my nose and the side of my mouth.
“Thank you, Asim. We will start again in a moment. I am sure Ember would love to see the brilliant work she’s done so far.”
My head snapped up. Everyone was staring at me. Their awe and fear could not be hidden. My breath tightened in my chest.
“Come here, Ember.” The Queen motioned for me to join her on the cliff’s edge. Excess energy sizzled in me and electricity crackled from my skin as I moved towards the edge.
The world stopped.
Seattle and the surrounding area were in ruins, engulfed in fire. Houses burned and hissed as fire consumed the city. One side of me felt exhilarated at the sheer, raw power; the other part of me was burning. The part connected to the earth could feel each tree and each organism dying in a tortured, flaming death, as if I was being charred from the inside out.
“Oh God, no.” My eyes fastened on the devastation. This was my fault. I did this.
The Queen looked over her shoulder at Asim. “Not so much this time, Asim. I have no doubt my message has been received, but I’ve always had the flare for the dramatic. We might as well have a finale. One finger should do it.”
Everyone moved out of his way when he got close. I guess a touch from him was never just a touch. Even though he was facilitating this annihilation, I felt sad for him. What a lonely life—never being able to touch or hug anyone.
He slipped up next to me without a thread of his clothes touching mine. As another bolt of lightning shot across the sky, he lightly touched a finger to my arm. My senses didn’t leave me this time, but it felt like I had taken about twelve shots of espresso and leaned against an electrical fence.
The moment he touched me the lightning split across the sky, hitting the Space Needle. Electricity encompassed the building and with a loud crack, the jagged bolt sliced through the steel structure. The sound of groaning metal pierced the evening sky. A scream ripped from my lungs as I watched in slow motion as the city’s most famous monument separated from its base and crashed to the ground. A tidal wave of debris rolled into the surrounding buildings, causing them to fold like a house of cards, devastating the area within a several mile radius of the icon.
My mouth dropped open with a silent scream.
“Now that is a finale,” Lorcan mumbled next to me.
What have I done? Thousands of lives . . . gone.
I knew the Queen would keep using me to destroy and kill, and there was nothing I could do. If I let her take me, I would belong to her forever or until she had done enough damage. Then, she would have me killed. This couldn’t happen. I had to get away. I shot a glance over my shoulder at Mark. He was still unconscious. There was no way to get him out of here. But leaving him was not an option.
I felt irritated when Torin stepped into my line of sight. I was about to twist away, when his voice broke into my head.
“Ember, I have an idea. Pay attention. We don’t have much time.”
Images poured into my brain, playing out like a movie. I immediately understood what he was trying to show me. He wanted to cause a distraction to help me escape. It was a flimsy plan and had a slim chance of working, but it was the only one I had. My bigger problem lay unconscious. I slid my eyes over to Mark then back to Torin. Torin tilted his head and shook it slightly. If he was thinking I would just leave Mark behind, he was sorely mistaken.
“Guard, put her back in the cuffs.” The Queen turned her back on Seattle and addressed the same guard who had removed the cuffs from me earlier. I knew this was my last chance. If she got those cuffs on me, I was done. I wouldn’t be able to fight or get away. She would own my ass.
Panic soared through my veins. My powers were still skimming the surface, and it didn’t take much effort to get them to answer my call, but I needed to be precise for this to work. I reached out and lightly touched Asim. M
y focus sharpened and I sent all of my force to the electrostatic charge. Brilliant, white light sliced across the sky, hitting the tree near us. Intense heat and a loud snap fell upon the surrounding space, knocking everyone off their feet.
Fire isn’t quiet. It has a frighteningly deep, steady humming sound as it devours everything in its sight. The noise, along with the commotion of everyone making sure the Queen was all right, was the perfect opportunity for me to escape. I pushed myself up and scrambled over to Mark, ignoring the jabbing pain in my ribs.
“Go Ember.” Torin yelled into my head as he gestured frantically towards the forest.
“No, I’m not leaving him,” I hissed back.
“You cannot help him now. You’re only condemning yourself. You will be of no use to him or yourself. Please, I’m trying to save you. Now go!”
Mark’s sweet, familiar face was turned my way, and his swollen eyes opened enough that I could see his blue irises. I knew Mark well enough to know what they were telling me. Go. Save yourself.
Torin moved in behind me. “I will protect him, Ember, but you have to go. She will not hurt him. She knows he is too valuable to you. But you know if she gets those cuffs on you, you have no hope. You will be hers.” Torin’s words hit their target. He was right.
Everyone was regrouping, getting ready to act. This was my last chance. It was the only way I could keep Mark alive. If she had me, she would kill him. Without me, she would keep him alive using him as bait. I nodded at Torin, and then took my last opportunity to look back at Mark. I love you, I mouthed to him.
Torin grabbed me, pulling me back into him. “Find Lars. He will help you.” He gently kissed my head before pushing me away. I didn’t hesitate. I shot off, leaping over the bushes and disappearing into the thick, dark forest.
Thirty-three
My bare feet barely struck the cold, wet ground as I tore through the forest. I stumbled through the maze of trees and the foliage, gripping my side. It took everything I had to stay upright. I ached everywhere, but I couldn’t stop. I didn’t know how long or how far I ran. My mind had turned off, and the woods became a blurred picture in my peripheral vision.
I ran until exhaustion made me clumsy. My foot hooked on a rock. I fell to the ground, sliding over the dead leaves and foliage to the edge of a cliff. I bit my lip to keep from shouting as my ribcage screamed in agony. Sweat and tears mixed together as I inched backwards, away from the ledge. I lay down, my cheek pressing against the damp ground. It took a moment for my eyes to register what I was seeing. A pitiful whimper left my lips.
Seattle was a charred ruin. It was unrecognizable—leveled.
Smoldering billows of smoke rolled and twisted into the sky. Ash fell from above like black snowflakes. The smell of gas, burning plastic, and smoldering wood assaulted my nose. I could hear the fire engines echo off the mountain. But what was worse was the sound of people screaming. The terrified, aching cries of people searching for their loved ones and watching their homes burn resounded in my ears. Thousands of innocent lives had been consumed by the destruction I had created.
I threw up in the bush as another anguished cry tugged at my soul. This was what I was capable of? Seattle was no small town, and now it was destroyed.
The pain was too much to bear.
Torin had helped me escape because he knew the Queen was planning to start a war with the Unseelie King, to take Earth from him. Seattle was only the beginning. It was just a declaration of war. She planned to use Earth as her battlefield and me as her weapon.
I gazed across the watery sound upon Seattle’s scorched remains. The Queen wouldn’t rest until she found me. I couldn’t, I wouldn’t, let that happen. I would not be a pawn in her game.
Torin’s words repeated in my head: Find Lars. He will help you.
I had no idea who or what Lars was, but I trusted Torin. If he wanted me to find this Lars person, I knew it was for a good reason. He wanted me to fight the Queen, and I would fight. That bitch had my father, the only family I had left. I would battle whatever she threw at me to get him back.
I stood up, watching the last bit of sun reflect off the city. Everything had changed, but instead of being scared, I was ready. I had never fit in before, but now I found my place.
I was fay and demon. I was earth and fire. I was darkness and light. I was not a victim. I would become what I was meant to be.
A dae.
And I would fight.
Fire In The Darkness
Book #2 in the Darkness Series
Coming out in Fall 2013
It’s been four weeks since Ember Brycin witnessed what her powers are capable of. What they're calling the Electrical Current Storm (ECS). It has turned the entire state of Washington into a third world country and Ember is the one who caused it. Something she’ll have to live with every day.
Those people who were unable to escape either turned quickly into gangs or live in shelters. Ember, on the other hand, can’t do either. With a price on her head and a Dark Dweller on her ass, she is constantly on the move.
Both fae and demons are hunting her—each for their own purpose—to use her as a weapon or a pawn in the war between the Unseelie King of the Dark and the Seelie Queen of the Light.
Em needs help but she doesn’t know who to trust: Torin, the Seelie Queen’s personal knight, who has sworn to keep Em safe? Or Eli, part of the Dark Dwellers, whom she has an undeniable, intense connection?
No matter what she chooses she will probably lose—her life or everything and everyone she loves.
Glossary
A GHRA: Gaelic for “my love.”
CIACH ORT: Irish for “dammit.”
CINAED/CIONAODH: Irish meaning “born of fire.”
DAE: Beings having both pure fairy and demon blood. Their powers and physical features represent both parentages. The offspring of fairies and demons are extremely powerful. They are feared and considered abominations, being killed at birth for centuries by the Seelie Queen.
DAMNU’ ORT: Irish for “damn you.”
DARK DWELLER: Freelance mercenaries of the Otherworld. The only group in the Otherworld that is neither under the command of the Seelie Queen or the Unseelie King. They were exiled to Earth by the Queen.
DEMON: A broad term for group of powerful and usually malevolent beings. They live off human life forces, gained by sex, debauchery, corruption, greed, dreams, energy, and death. They live on Earth, taking on animal or human form, their shell being the best weapon to seduce or gain their prey.
DRUID: Important figures in ancient Celtic Ireland. They held positions of advisors, judges, and teachers. They can be either male or female and are magicians and seers who have the power to manipulate time, space, and matter. They are the only humans able to live in the Otherworld and can live for centuries.
FAE: A broad group of magical beings who originated in the Earth realm and migrated to the Otherworld when human wars started to take their land. They can be both sweet and playful or scary and dangerous. All fae possess the gifts of glamour (power of illusion), and some have the ability to shape-shift.
FAIRY (FAY): A selective and elite group of fae. The noble pureblooded fairies who stand as the ruling court known as the Seelie of Tuatha de Danann. They are of human stature and can be confused for human if it wasn’t for their unnatural beauty. One of their weaknesses is Iron as it is poisonous to the fey/fae and may kill them if there is too much in their system. Also see “Fae” above.
GLAMOUR: Illusion cast by the fae to camouflage, divert, or change appearance.
GNOME: Small humanlike creatures that live underground. Gnomes consist of a number of different types: forest gnomes, garden gnomes, and house gnomes. They are territorial and mischievous and don’t particularly like humans.
GOBLINS: Short, ugly creatures. They can be very ill-tempered and grumpy. They are greedy and are attracted to coins and shiny objects. Will take whatever you set down.
KELPIE: A water spirit of Scottish folkl
ore, typically taking the form of a horse, reputed to delight in the drowning of travelers.
MO CHUISLE MO CHROI: Irish phrase of endearment meaning “pulse of my heart.” Can also mean “my love” or “my darling."
OTHERWORLD: Another realm outside of the Earth realm.
PYROKINESIS: The ability to set objects or people on fire through the concentration of psychic power.
SEELIE: The “Light” court of the Tuatha De Danaan meaning “blessed.” This court consists of all the noble (pure) fairies and fae. They have powers that can be used for good or bad, but are thought of as more principled as the Unseelie. However, “light” does not necessarily mean “good.”
SIDHE: Another name for the fae folk of Tuatha De Danann.
TECHNOKINESIS: The ability to move an object with the power of one's thoughts.
TEIGH TRASNA ORT FEIN: A Gaelic swear word with the approximate meaning of “Go screw yourself.”
TELEKINETIC: The power to move something by thinking about it without the application of physical force.
TUATHA DE DANANN (or DANAAN): A race of people in Irish mythology. They are the earliest fae/fairies.
UNSEELIE: The “Dark” fae of the Tuatha De Danaan. These are considered the un-pure or rebels of the Otherworld and do not follow the Seelie ways. They are nocturnal and have powers thought to be more immoral. They can also use their shell to seduce or gain their prey; however, “dark” does not necessarily mean “bad.”
Acknowledgements
Writing a book is anything but easy. It involves years of blood, sweat, tears, banging your head against the desk, more crying, and some serious tantrums. That is just the writing part, turning it into a book for the public is even more laborious. However, I’d do it all over again, without hesitation.
Writing is also a very solitary activity, but publishing a book is not. There are “victims” you drag into it, whether they want to or not, who help so much through this long, sometimes painful, journey.
Darkness Of Light (Darkness #1) Page 28
