Heir of Lies (Black Dawn Series Book 1)

by Mallory McCartney

  “We will figure this out. I know you think she can’t do this, but she will. She is a part of this as much as you and I are. It’s not her fault we kept our secret from everyone. Give her a chance to prove herself, Nyx. Put your feelings aside about Memphis for the time being. He cares about you.”

  She glared at him, wanting to laugh.

  He cares about you.

  What should have been a comforting gesture made her insides clench. Being a telekinetic was frustrating around Memphis as he always put up a wall. And she wasn’t about to forget what she heard in that one moment there was no wall. Her anger washed over her in waves and crashed down hard.

  She snapped, “He cares about me? You are as blind as the rest of them if you think that’s the truth. I have seen into his soul, Brokk, and let me correct you; he only cares about himself.” She scoffed. “Also, your best friend has been in love with her this entire time. To the point where he sabotaged you as well.”

  He stiffened.

  “He did dream implants, Brokk, so Emory would be afraid of you. So, he could have her. If you think that’s love and that Memphis is doing the best for everyone, you can watch as he sends this rebellion to their grave. I’m going to find another solution other than death.” It all came out of her in a breathless rush, and Brokk’s face hardened further as she shook her head. “Ask him for yourself. I’m not leaving it all on the shoulders of our queen.”

  Not waiting for a reply, she stood up and jogged out of the room, trying desperately to run from the truth of her own words. Thinking of Memphis didn’t hurt any less and being in the same room as him was her own personal torture. Especially when he couldn’t take his eyes off Emory.

  Whatever messed up relationship they had was over. Her gut twisted at the thought, already missing his touch, the warmth of his lips on hers.

  Slowing to a walk, she rubbed her eyes tiredly. She needed to forget about Memphis and needed to decide what her next move was going to be. There needed to be a resolution that didn’t rely on Emory.

  Nyx wandered into the empty dining hall, leaving her room and the training room behind her. Breaking into a brisk walk, she wove down the hallways, her footsteps echoing into the empty space around her. Three a.m. was a quiet time, and she relished in every second.

  Arriving at the elevator doors all too quickly, she stepped inside, a plan quickly formulating in her mind. It was time she took her fate into her own hands; it wasn’t Memphis’s choice to decide who she died for. And it certainly wouldn’t be Emory. She was a distraction and clouded the minds of two lovesick school boys. They couldn’t win against Adair. He was too strong; six years of death and hiding was proof of that.

  She let her hair down as the seconds dragged on. All she saw around them was a bleak future, but at least they were alive. She would not risk her entire family’s existence for Emory to fail.

  The elevator ground to a stop, and she took a sharp right, heading toward the watchtower. Jaxson’s shift was about to end, and he wouldn’t question her. She quietly ran down the hallway that led to the staircase to the watch tower. Her body thrummed with adrenaline, and she skidded to a stop beside a closet. She needed to grab a few things - she slung a worn jacket over her shoulder and strapped twin blades onto her thighs. There were always stashes in case of an emergency.

  The cold night air washed over her when she trotted up the stairs, and she pushed the worn door open.

  Jaxson sat on a wooden perch, his chin resting against his hands as he stared longingly onto the horizon.

  She spoke softly, “Go to bed, Jaxson. I have it from here.”

  Snapping to attention, he jumped slightly, not having heard her come in. “Nyx, you scared me a bit there. How are you?”

  She winked at him. “I want nothing more than some peace and quiet under the stars.”

  Nodding solemnly, Jaxson hopped down. Before leaving, he placed a burly hand on her shoulder. “We have to be prepared not to give up hope for Alby.”

  His words were like a weight anchoring into the ocean floor. Climbing on the perch, Jaxson left, the door swinging closed behind him, Nyx closed her eyes. She could move forward with this. It was already too late to convince Memphis of another plan to overthrow Adair. He believed in Emory like he never believed in her.

  He has and would always choose Emory.

  Her chin wobbled and opened her eyes. There was no going back now.

  She silently said goodbye to the man she loved, and her eyes searched the land stretching out in front of her. To her left were the woods, and beyond that was an escarpment of mountain terrain...and Adair. Reaching out her mind was as simple as breathing to Nyx. She brushed against a thousand consciousnesses, and a thousand whispers sounded back to her. But she only searched for one, and she didn’t have to wait long.

  “Adair said to stay put! We follow his orders, and we wait. Anyone who says otherwise is breaching direct orders, and you know what that means...”

  The scouts were northeast of them, hiding out just outside the blocked perimeter that Byrd provided, and her pulse quickened. Nyx stood and, in one fluid motion, flung herself off the side of the tower. Her feet scrambled, trying to find foot holes as she held on. Once secured, she made the treacherous climb to the ground. Her muscles strained with the effort, her white knuckles shining back at her. She glanced below her and could see the grass now. Excellent.

  Closing her eyes, she let go, her arms tucking into her chest, and she summersaulted through the air. She was nothing but freedom and the wind screaming around her. She was rage; she was power. She was no one now but this.

  The ground met her quickly, and Nyx landed nimbly, her fist planted in front of her, her feet already trying to push off the dirt. She didn’t wait to hit the ground running, and her purple hair swung behind her. She calculated that it would only take ten minutes for her to find them or vice versa.

  Sweat slicked her body once more, her thoughts flying with the possibilities of what she was about to try. Trees blurred past her, and weaving in and out, she felt the electric pulse of Byrd’s façade when she passed through it. She couldn’t look back. She wouldn’t. There was no room for weakness or second guesses. She saw the scouts before they saw her. Their red sashes were beacons in the night.

  “Well, well, well. Lookie what we have here, boys.”

  There were five of them. Pale and ruthless, they had their curved swords pointed at her in less than a second.

  Hands up, she responded calmly when she skidded to a halt. “I came here to talk, gentlemen.”

  Laughter erupted around her.

  “Talk? How would you even know we were here, pretty thing?”

  There was a hunger in the leader’s eyes Nyx had only heard of. Narrowing her eyes and never breaking contact with him, her voice resonated throughout his mind, “You are going to have to be more prepared next time.”

  His face drained of color as the sword quivered in his hold. “She’s a telekinetic.”

  A ripple of unease spread through them. According to Adair, every person with an ability powerful enough had already been recruited with him or dead. He never thought anyone would build numbers against him. She was proof they had slid through the cracks.

  She didn’t wait for them before she continued, “I want to speak with Adair directly. I have an offer to make him. One he will not want to refuse.”

  The leader asked, “And what makes you think you have anything he would even be interested in, that is other than yourself?”

  Nyx’s fingers curled into fists, her nails biting into her skin. “I can give him our heir, Emory Fae.”

  She flung images of the last couple of days in each of the soldier’s minds; Emory’s face standing out clearly in every one of them. Every single one of their mouths fell open. The silence was deafening.

  She sauntered forward, cooing dangerously, “Now this is just a guess, but I think Adair would want to be reacquainted with such an old dear friend.”

  She had them
. The leader already nodded his head in awe at her. “Right you are...”

  “Nyx. My name is Nyx.”

  With adrenaline coursing through her body, she shook hands with the scout, and the six of them ventured further into the night. Nyx didn’t look back toward the Academy, instead she mentally said goodbye to the rebels she had thought was her family.

  ***

  Sweat trickled down her neck, pooling beneath her soaked shirt. The guards traveled at a breakneck pace; her body was numb; her muscles screaming at her to stop. But there was no stopping what she had done.

  Her violet eyes flickered back and forth between the soldiers, trying to take in as much information about them as possible. She bit the inside of her cheek to still the feeling of wanting to scream. Grounding herself, assuring herself this was the right decision, she reminded herself she had no other option, and no one left to see reason. Her entire existence has been encased with secrets and heartbreak. She refused to let Memphis condemn them all.

  If Adair wanted Emory, she would gladly fulfill that wish for him. Especially if it meant a parley for their freedom. One life to save them all was worth giving in her mind. Her mouth ran dry at the thought, but she would no longer hide.

  She was tired, and Adair had already beaten them. He had no idea they had survived, but in what world did they have a chance against a disease that had already destroyed everything?

  Nyx continued to walk toward her impending doom, and her thoughts galloped wildly. For the first time in years, she allowed herself to feel the raw pain she had kept at bay for so long. In the darkness, at the hands of her enemy, she grieved for the thousands of lives that had been lost. Their freedom that Adair had stripped from Kiero. And above all else, Memphis.

  That pain was crippling, radiating from her core. It was like hitting a wall over and over but never being able to break through. She allowed all the memories to swallow her whole one last time. His laugh, his crooked smile, the safety she felt in his arms. Memphis had always been home to her, a prince that had brought her back and had given her life. That had made her feel normal and she grew strong with him. She tucked every moment, every kiss, every memory away close to her heart.

  She clenched her jaw. She wanted to scream, to cry, to hurt something so that she knew she wasn’t the only one who felt like this. As the group finally broke out of the forest, Nyx held her head high. She would never be able to go back, never be able to have Memphis. She had never fully had him.

  Finality struck home with her, and she walked forward, the ghost of who she used to be long behind her. This wasn’t a fairy tale; she wasn’t the princess who won the prince. She was a soldier who would win their freedom. Everything had a price, and facing Adair was hers. The time for hiding was over.

  The sun peeked over the horizon, painting the land in pink hues. Nyx blinked, taking in the flat landscape around her. Crumbling buildings scattered in front of them, the dust heavy in the air. She had heard Alby talk about this place—The Ruined City. It was a skeleton of Sarthaven, an echo of life that once was. Miles behind it, the Draken Mountains pierced the sky, a towering wall of grey.

  The soldiers slowed down, taking her in more closely in the daylight.

  Their thoughts were screaming at her blatantly: dangerous, enemy, soldier.

  She slyly lifted her brows at them. “I do hope we are getting close boys.”

  The leader walked up to her, his darkening eyes holding her as he pointed to the mountains. “I hope you’re ready to enter a pit of snakes, rebel. If you’re lying, you won’t be lucky enough to see the sun again.”

  There was barely any light in her life anyways. She had always preferred darkness.

  ***

  She held back her shock and swallowed her bitterness in one foul swoop. The life that bustled around her was Adair’s doing. It was like entering a beehive made of stone. The soldiers surrounded her as they maneuvered through the different tunnels and caverns, onlookers stopping to get a clear look at her.

  Visitors are slim when your king uses all his energy to destroy life.

  Yet, here was a whole colony at his disposal.

  Fire grew in her, begging to be released. She wanted to be free, but her reality was that she would always be shackled. She just had the freedom to choose how.

  The group trudged up a winding staircase until they were outside an arched door where the soldier knocked three times. Nyx willed herself to have the strength to do this. The door swung open, and she was pulled inside to face her monster.

  The throne room was enormous. Black marble pooled before her, stretching up to a ceiling, opening to the sky far above. Adair sat on a sharp throne, human bones glittering on the foundation. He quickly glanced up at them but did a double take when his intelligent eyes landed on her.

  He was a shadow of a person.

  Gaunt, pale skin. Black hair flattened. His features could have once been handsome, but now...now they seemed to contort with anger. He was just an evil man. Nothing more.

  The group leader stepped forward. “My highness, this rebel has requested a presence with you regarding...”

  “Regarding the return of the Fae line,” Nyx cut the soldier off, and her voice was steely.

  Staring right back into those endless eyes, Adair stood up, prowling toward her. They were soon face-to-face, and she remained impassive when he whispered, his breath hot against her skin, “What did you just say?”

  “Emory Fae is alive, and I can give her to you. In exchange, of course, for my people’s freedom, including the hostages you hold here in your kingdom.”

  Nyx didn’t wait for him to laugh or to kill her. She charged into his mind, throwing every moment from the last forty-eight hours at him: Emory, the leading star in all of them.

  The room grew silent and colder, and he didn’t break his stare when he ordered his men out. Nyx’s skin crawled with anticipation, waiting any moment for him to crack and attack her. Instead, he circled her, taking her all in, and Nyx had never felt more stripped bare in her life.

  Stopping, he stroked her cheek. “And how do you exist? A telekinetic of your ability should be with me, not roaming freely as a rebel.”

  He looked amused, and it was the most nightmarish expression she had ever seen. She swallowed once and made sure every word was crystal clear. “I came from the Academy, Your Majesty. Do we have an agreement or not? Emory, for our freedom.”

  Now he laughed, and it turned her blood cold. Nodding, he held out his hand to her. His voice was smooth and alluring when he said, “How could I refuse?”

  She grabbed his hand and shook it once.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Adair

  The rebel left escorted by his guards, and Adair Stratton ran a hand over his mouth in ecstatic awe. So, the rumors had been true then. His world spun into a flurry of emotion.

  Emory Fae had survived.

  She had survived.

  The Academy had slipped through his fingers after all these years. But now, he had a firsthand way to infiltrate them, and he realized his opening to act was quickly leaving, purple hair and all. His plan formed quickly and efficiently, the whispers of his mind egging him on.

  Adair shoved the door open, his voice echoing off the stone walls as he shouted, “Wait! Bring her back a moment.”

  She had eyes filled with fire and hatred, and as the guards dragged her toward him; she stared him down the entire way. Adair sneered; she had spirit, he had to admit.

  But that wouldn’t last long.

  Adair could feel the energy pulse around them when he grabbed on to her and shut the door firmly behind them. Nyx stiffened; her fear so tangible Adair could taste it.

  Trying to sound sincere, he whispered softly, “Now, I don’t remember you from our school years. How is my dear friend Memphis doing? And Brokk?”

  It was like stepping down on glass as her resolve shattered in front of him and she grumbled, “What do you want?”

  Adair’s mouth filled wi
th a bitter taste, and he let go, the human part of himself completely dissolving. He walked up to her, close enough to see her lip quiver the tiniest bit. Good. She should be afraid.

  “This...” His finger stroked her cheek, leaving a black burn mark in her skin that glowed softly then dissipated. The world spun, those voices in his mind laughing now. Nyx’s violet eyes glazed over, as Adair’s ability took possession of her body and mind.

  “Yes,” those dark voices cooed.

  Nyx was frozen; the flutter of her chest rising and falling was the only indication that she was alive. In his mind’s eye, he spun what he wanted, then a gem necklace and a sword appeared around her neck and in her hands. Both were gas at first before they solidified.

  “You did not get these from me. You raided them from the Ruined City.”

  Utterly disoriented, she repeated him in a monotone voice.

  “Excellent. Our agreement is that you will go back home to the Academy. My troops will be behind you. Get them in, and your friends will live.”

  She repeated him again, violet eyes glazed over.

  “Now go. Time is of the essence.”

  Like a puppet, she walked out, Adair’s claws in her mind active. It was like veins pumping blood to a heart, the connection so alive and vital Adair wanted to laugh. Nyx was in there, supressed and fighting. But it would never be enough, not against them.

  The voices crooned to him, praising him for what was about to happen, what he had set in motion. Nothing could stop her. The blade and necklace were laced with the same poison he had created to neutralize abilities. Though, the empty shell of Nyx wouldn’t mind, not with him in control.

  As he said, it would never be enough. Not against them.

  The man he used to be had died a long, long time ago. No one, including himself, could bring him back. The voices pressed against his mind, suffocating Adair until only one thought ran through him. He would start by killing Memphis Carter, and then the rest of the rebels would fall.