Blood Beyond Darkness (26 page)

I’d been sure Alki would be the first to leave; his entire philosophy stood opposed to having fun. Well, at least this kind of fun. He usually got his enjoyment in torturing me with drills and endless hours of training. But here he sat. Gabby went to the bathroom, and when she came back she sat down in the vacated seat next to Alki. He only acknowledged her with a slight shift of his head but a smile filled my face. I looked down, so my hair would curtain my reaction.

Cal wind-milled his arms around. “My new floaties!” Sliced olives circled his biceps like mini inner tubes.

Eli reached over and broke off a piece of olive and plopped it in his mouth. “Tasty
floaty.”

“
Heyyyy!” Cal threateningly pointed at Eli as the other half of the olive slid off his arm and onto the table.

I grinned and looked at Eli. “I wouldn’t mess with the man’s new floatation devices.”

Eli scoffed. “I’d like to see him stay afloat with those.”

“Don’t worry, Cal. I will get you real ones.” Barbie had a pool collection, right?

He nodded in response, deflated, and glared at Eli before he broke a chunk of olive from his other arm and chomped down on it.

“Multi-functional.” I grinned.

Cal turned his glower on me, then shrugged. “Aye.”

Kennedy’s peal of laughter brought my attention across the table, but she didn’t hold it. In the large, arched window behind her I caught a pair of glowing, green eyes. The intensity of the
gaze was so familiar I had to look at Eli to reassure myself he sat beside me. When I looked back, the eyes were gone.

Lorcan.

Lorcan watching us didn’t bother me like it normally would have. I didn’t know if it was the tequila talking or whether I had gotten to know him better. It pissed me off and made me feel guilty, but I no longer despised him. There were times, if I didn’t think about his past or mine, I would say I might even acknowledge he was okay.

Oh, yeah ... it’s the booze talking.

Kennedy laughed so hard at something she slipped off her chair, knocking Jared over with her. Everyone at the table roared in amusement, while the pair giggled so hard every time they tried to get back up, they failed.

Jared pulled her to him and kissed her on the forehead. “See, this is how we are supposed to be. We belong together.” His lips met her head again, forcefully. “I’ve missed you. You. Are.
Mine
. No one else’s.”

Kennedy yanked out of his hold. Friction swelled between them, overflowing to the rest of the room.

“I am not yours, Jared. We’ve been through this,” she said quietly, sitting up, her back straight. “I am not something you own. Especially now.”

Like a switch, Jared’s entire demeanor changed. He sat and leaned back on his hands, his aura filled with cocky aggression. “And how many times have I explained to you? I am Dark Dweller. You are mine. I claimed you. It’s how we work.”

Kennedy shot to her feet. “You seem to easily forget you are also part human. What is with you lately? You are trying so hard to be something you aren’t.” Arms folded, her gaze shifted to the floor. “I-I thought we could still be friends ...” She pushed at the middle of her glasses, and with a big sigh, she returned her attention to Jared. “Yes, you are Dark Dweller, but you are also human. You used to be simply Jared, the boy I loved, which doesn’t seem to be enough for you anymore.”

“Funny, I seem to be the one who is not enough for
you
anymore.” He got up, his shoulders tight and hunched. He moved over her, his words accusatory. “Plus, why the hell do I want to be ‘just Jared’? It’s weak and pathetic. Everyone treats me either like I am going to break or I’m stupid.”

“I am human also. Would you say I’m weak or stupid?” Kennedy exclaimed. Her tiny figure did not cower under his looming body.

“No.”

“Then why would you say those things? You are anything but them.” Her brows wedged down, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Jared snorted. “Really? You of all people are asking me why? When you are the one who treats me the most like an idiot. You don’t think I can see the truth, but I do. I am not blind.” He stepped away, their gazes locked. Jared didn’t elaborate, but at least three of us in the room knew what he meant. The whole room probably did.

Jared’s face was tight, straining the skin across his forehead. He cocked his head to look around the room. “You are all about me accepting my human side. Then, fine. I am eighteen. An adult. I make my own choices.”

“Jared, you lost a few years in the Otherworld. You are not emotionally eighteen yet.” Owen pushed back his chair and rose.

Cole shoved his seat back. “I know you’re upset with my decision, but I’d rather you hate
me than get killed. We talked about it. I can’t afford for you to be rash or reckless. Not with something this serious. You are young, and you think you’re invincible.” He got to his feet. “As much as you hate it, being half human does cause you to be more vulnerable. I will not risk losing you because you are careless and untrained for what lies ahead.”

Dark Dwellers were never ones to coddle someone emotionally. They might try to keep Jared protected physically, but they were nothing but direct when it came to emotions.

Jared’s chest filled with air. “You think I
want
to be half human? An embarrassment to the clan. I want to be full Dark Dweller, so I can be treated like one of you.”

Owen’s chair crashed to the floor as he charged around the table, propelling all of us to our feet. “Don’t say that!” Owen growled, his voice deep, rumbling the room. In the time I had known Owen I had never seen him lose his temper. You could almost forget he was a Dark Dweller. But now the beast was vivid in him. His pupils became diamond shaped, his shoulders curled forward as he stomped to Jared. Muscles twitched under his skin, responding to his emotions. The beast wanted to come out. He stood a few inches taller than his son, and he used it to his full advantage. Jared retreated a few steps. “You are half your
mother
—one of the strongest people I have ever known. Do not be ashamed of what she was. Do not insult her memory.”

Jared’s nose flared, his jaw tightening. “But I’ve done all the training. I thought you’d change your mind when you saw how good I am. And I
am
good.”

Owen lowered his head, and a shudder went through his body as he took a deep breath. The beast was being reigned back in. “You are. But it’s not enough.”

Jared’s face turned a deep shade of red as his hands clenched tighter to his side.

“I lost your mother. I will not lose you, too.” Owen whispered, veering back to the table.

A silence hushed over the room before Cole broke it.

“You are anything but an embarrassment to us. You are the glue keeping our family together. You are our life blood, and if anything happened to you
...”

Jared’s eyes filled with tears. He looked away. “You can’t keep me in a bubble forever.”

Cole let his head drop. “I know. But this is not the time. I would prefer if Kennedy stayed, too, but she has to go. She’s vital piece in the war.”

“Yeah, yeah. Not wanted.” Jared shook his head and walked to the doorway. “Message received.” His fist hit the wall as he stormed out, putting an exclamation mark on his departure. Jared’s fury was not only about not fighting in the war. I didn’t know for certain, but it seemed pretty obvious he and Kennedy had broken up, and Jared was not too happy about it.

Kennedy didn’t move to follow him. She turned towards the glass doors leading to the outdoor patio, yanked them open, and disappeared into the darkness.

“What a total bumblebee kill.” Cal sauntered across the table.

“Huh?” I replied.

West rolled his eyes. “
Buzz
kill, tinker-toy, as in inebriated. Not as in the sound a bee makes.”

Both Simmons and Cal tilted their heads.

“Oh, yeah, I kinda wondered about that one.” Cal put his hands on his hips.

West and Cooper were teaching slang to the pixies. The results were pretty humorous.

Cole placed his hands on the table and leaned into them. “Jared will eventually grow out of this stage.” Cole nodded at Eli, Cooper, and Gabby. “I’ve been through this before with you three.”

Eli nodded. “Yeah, we were probably even worse than him. It’s a hard time for adolescent
Dark Dwellers, but one that is also going through human puberty as well ...”

“He’s still mentally and physically fifteen, even if he wants to already be eighteen. He will eventually catch up with himself, when all the hormones even out. He will be fine.” Owen clasped his hands together. I could feel him hinting at the end of the evening. Eli noticed it, too.

“All right.” Eli moved away from his chair. “Think the party is over.” He leaned into my ear, tension from the earlier scene taut in his vocals. “Except ours. Time to pay in full, Brycin.”

Sleep was impossible as my brain ran through each scenario and everything that could go wrong in battle. I rolled over for the tenth time in fifteen minutes and punched my pillow before flopping my head back down. Eli’s impending death ate at me. The thought of never waking up next to him or hearing his voice again made vomit burn my throat. To never feel the warmth of his body pressing against mine, how he slept with one hand always on me. A spasm clenched my lungs. The thought of being without him was too much, and every minute brought me closer to the moment I would have to act it out.

“Will you settle, woman?” His hand pressed on my leg, pushing me into the bed. I peered over my shoulder. Eli lay on his back next to me, staring at the ceiling.

“Sorry, am I keeping you up?”

“Not really.” He shifted his head to look at me. “But you’re driving me crazy with the tossing and turning.”

I rolled over to watch him. “Sorry.” My hand reached up to trace the scar that cut from his chin to his hairline, his scruff tickling my fingers. He closed his eyes, letting me touch the contours of his face. Tears blinded me as my fingers and eyes outlined every nuance of his features. My heart ached with my feelings for him. We had come so far, been through so much, and I could lose him in the next twenty-four hours. I choked back the wail wanting to surface.

“I love you.” I was trying so hard not to cry I could barely get the words out.

His eyes opened—bright green lights in the dark room. His hand brushed back the loose strands of hair falling around my face, curving around my jaw. He pulled me to him, his lips finding mine.

“Ditto, Brycin,” he muttered between kisses. He curved his arm around me, pulling my body to his. His arms felt so warm and protective. It made me both dizzy and sick to realize they would not be holding me after tomorrow. His lips moved lightly kissing my forehead.

“Whatever materializes tomorrow, you know I will always follow you, woman, wherever you go. Even in death.”

My head jerked up looking at him. My throat felt clogged. Eli was not one for sentiment. He did not understand how ominous those words were. My lids blinked rapidly trying to keep the water works back. It didn’t work.

“Nothing is going to happen to you.” I felt the need to say the lie aloud, as though it might be possible. I had to believe, or I wouldn’t get up in the morning and go into battle.

“You are strong and will turn out to be a great Queen.”

“Why does everyone keep saying that? I don’t want to be one.” I shook my head.

“Hey.” He grabbed my chin. “Sometimes we choose destiny and sometimes destiny chooses us. The day you came strolling into my life at the police station it picked me.” A mischievous grin curled the side of his lip. “And I am glad since I was far too stubborn and stupid to see what was in front of me.”

My feelings pushed me forward, my mouth finding his. I was out of words. He told me once the only way he wanted to die was to go out screwing me. For the rest of the night I made sure his wish was satisfied in every possible way. We took our time and rediscovered each other’s body and worshiped it.

As though it were the last night of our lives.

Past midnight, Samhain

The night sky glowed with blues, yellows, purples, and reds. Magic’s tango spun and swirled in the atmosphere, igniting sparks as our worlds collided. Thanks to me and Asim, the Queen’s “extra” power was breaking down the lines further. Even humans would notice the changes. It looked like the northern lights had waltzed across our skies using Earth as their dance floor. Lightning cracked and ripped around the heavens in enraged bolts of energy and light.

The magic ebbed higher and larger, sizzling at my skin. The field of Dark Fae stood motionless, weapons in hand, waiting. Lars made sure we were in the right spot so the castle would not be far from us when the wall went down.

The day was tense and filled with restless energy. Waiting. Every minute was agony. I struggled between trying to enjoy the last minutes I had with loved ones to actually wanting the damn thing to start. Anything had to be better than waiting. With time differences across the world, the layer between the worlds began to come together early in the day. To humans it probably looked like dense humidity rippling the air, but I could feel the enchantment swelling in the atmosphere, pushing and wrinkling as it collided with the Earth. As the day went on, the more the sensation heightened. Midnight was when the barrier would reach its weakest point. Magic pumped heavily through the air right before. At twelve, the sky exploded into an art show of lightning and colors.

I stood now in the cool darkness looking above my head as the Earth lit up as if fireworks were being tossed into the air. Deep in my soul an ache rolled around the vacancy where the core of my power had been.
Fire.
Earth.

Cal stood on my shoulder, tugging at the small bag attached to his belt. “You sure I can’t have one lick of juniper juice powder? I think it might calm my nerves. I mean it might be my last one, ever. Do you want to deny me of what could be my final bit of happiness?”

“Cal, you cannot drink during battle.” Simmons was perched on my other shoulder. His foot stomped onto my collar bone.

“Who says?” Cal snapped back. “Anyway, it’s not technically drinking.” His fingers poked at the contents inside the pouch.

“Because we are soldiers. We must have our full wits about us.”

“
Jumpin’ juniper juice,
this
soldier has the wits to know he should be drunk.”

My eyes were still locked on the colors tumbling around in the sky. “Cal, I promise if we get through this, I will fill the gigantic pool at Lars’ with juniper juice.”

“Oh-oh, you have to get me real arm floaties and a lounge chair ... and ... and a curly straw. I always wanted one of those.”

“Done and done.” I smiled.

“My lady, you are only encouraging him.” Simmons huffed next to me.

“I’ll get you a
floaties and curly straw, too.”

There was a pause before he uttered, “I’d appreciate your gifts, my lady. Thank you.”

My grin widened.

I detected Eli walking up behind me. He still could make my body tingle, although the reaction to my tattoo was almost gone. If I really allowed myself, I could ever so slightly feel it
prickle in warning when he touched me. It would probably never truly go away. A reminder of the past, which was no longer a bad thing.

His fingers brushed mine. In my peripheral vision, I saw him next to me, looking at the sky. My fingers found his and curled around his large, warm hand. He grasped mine back. Eli turned his head to me. Lightning and the vibrant glow of the atmosphere reflected in his eyes. He didn’t utter a word, but his strong presence was enough to calm me. It would be too hard to talk. To say all the things we left unsaid between us. I couldn’t let my mind land on the idea I would lose him.

Cole stepped close and clasped Eli’s shoulder. Eli glanced at him, and their eyes met. The love ran deeper than mere pack mentality. They were family and loyal brothers.

Another sharp crack ignited over us. In the light, an outline of a castle loomed in the distance, more than a half a dozen football fields away from us, perched on a hill surrounded mostly by water. The already fragile wall between the two worlds diffused and thinned even more. Aneira planned to shred the barrier so it could never return to normal. If we didn’t stop her before the day was out, Earth’s atmosphere would never be able to heal itself. The worlds would be fused for good. She had already broken holes in it when she destroyed Monterey, London, New York, and with my unwilling help, Seattle. Magic spilled over. No matter what happened, I doubted we Fae could hide our secrets any longer. All over the world, humans would experience and see things they could not explain with science. The panic of the masses would create a doomsday effect. And they wouldn’t be wrong for reacting this way. I had to stop Aneira; her death was my destiny.

On the other side of the frail wall separating the two worlds, thousands of Seelie soldiers and Light Fae stood dressed for battle. A rumble shook the ground as both sides pounded their weapons on the damp earth. Deep, guttural battle cries sent the hair on my arms and neck straight up.

“Crap on ash bark,” I mumbled. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cal stick his fingers in the bag and lick them quickly. I couldn’t blame him. My free hand stuffed into my pocket touching the cool metal of the goblin bracelet. It was an anchor, keeping me grounded in what I needed to do.

The level of energy emanating in the air between the two sides flowered in my chest. Terror like I had never experienced clapped down on my muscles. I had been nervous and scared before. But being here, seeing the other side with their weapons, feeling their desire to kill us made me want to run like hell. But the fear riding through my body weakened my muscles. I fought against the urge to fall to the ground, curl up, cover my head and hope no one would see me. I had seen these kinds of battle scenes in movies and always imagined what it would be like in real life. They didn’t even come close. Death would find many of us today. Stealing us away from our loved ones and soaking the field with our blood.

An object flew over my head, and I spotted Lars on the back
of Ori. The sleek, regal bird cut through the sky like a ballet dancer. Lars was dressed in full battle gear, and his commanding presence sent gasps through the crowd. The wall would be thin enough to walk through soon. The Unseelie King was here to rally his troops.

Lars held out his arms, and immediately everyone on our side hushed. “My fellow Dark, for too long we have been under Queen Aneira’s control, suffering under the Light’s prejudices and rules against us!” A wave of cheers and weapons being struck in agreement reverberated through my shoes, tingling my feet. “She wants to
enslave
or
kill
our energy source.” Boos and hisses broke through the cheers. “She wants to see us destroyed!”

Lars’ powerful voice thundered. I wanted to cheer and pound the ground along with everyone. “The Dark will no longer be controlled by the Light. This is our world, and she will not take away what belongs to us. Today we fight. For our lives, for our freedom, and for our world!”

The Dark exploded in united harmony of songs and battle cries that shook the lungs in my chest. The energy was addicting, pumping my adrenaline higher.

All we needed was Mel Gibson in Scottish attire on horseback.

Another fractured bolt ripped through the night and collided with part of the wall still up. The layer between worlds shriveled, curling in on itself and creating a gigantic hole like plastic wrap in fire. I could feel in my bones Aneira was breaking down the barrier with my powers. Anger and outrage filled me. It was my magic. She used
my
magic to control the worlds.

The ear-splitting sound of shrieks pummeled me, almost knocking me over. Both pixies went into the air, hollering. There was a rush towards the opening from both sides as Aneira sent one more blast of lightning and tearing another crack into the atmosphere.

Alki sounded the horn from the back of the bird-shifter, Deryn.

The war had begun
.

Eli grabbed me by the collar of my jacket and tugged me into his body, aligning every part of us. His hand came up, cupping the back of my head, bringing me in. His lips crushed mine, and he kissed me so passionately and deeply everything around me disappeared. He pulled back abruptly, turning his body forward again. I wobbled at the intensity of both the kiss and the departure. Now, I was battle ready. Aneira would not take him away from me. No one would.

“Let’s go kill the bitch,” Eli declared. Lorcan, Eli, Cole, Owen were staying in man-shape while the rest of the Dark Dwellers were going to be in beast form. It was easier for the non-Dwellers to communicate if some Dwellers could speak. But in case Eli had to shift, I had an extra set of clothes inside my tiny backpack attached to my sword sheath for when he needed to return to man-form. The Dwellers didn’t seem to like the idea of parts of them so accessible to being stabbed or sliced off. I backed the sentiment heartily.

The Dark killers emerged, slick and black as night, and surrounded me. I knew without looking it was Cooper, West, and Gabby. My connection to the Dark Dwellers was burrowing so deeply in the fibers of my soul I could no longer imagine what it felt like to not be one of them. Without seeing, you could feel each one. Their individual presence crawled over you, declaring their voice. My connection to them had gone from a spindly rope bridge to a concrete, steel enforced roadway. I heard full conversations between them.

West bumped my leg, and our eyes met as I looked down at him.
I wish I could be the one to do it. When you kill her, make her feel the agony she inflicted on me and so many others.

I nodded.
I will.

West’s eyes glowed red as he roared his own form of a battle cry and charged ahead. My skin prickled at the sound. It was the call for death.

The blade on my back whooshed as I drew it from its sheath. Cal and Simmons both drew their tiny swords, merely for show as their job had to do with juniper powder and getting us into the castle.

Kennedy stood behind me and also carried a pack and sword. Torin stayed to the side, Thara next to him. They were dressed like warriors: thick leather pants, impenetrable long-sleeved black shirts, with a silver plated metal shield. These did not have the Queen’s insignia, nor the King’s. They were fighting for themselves and for all our freedoms. Their swords hung from their right hands.

“Kennedy, stay close to me.” I gripped the handle of the blade tighter. She also held a Fae gun. It was her best defense till it ran out of bullets. She could only carry one extra round as they were pure iron and extremely heavy. The girl was not built for battle. Her first weapon was her magic, but she could do nothing more than knock someone out for few moments. It would have to do. Behind her was Lorcan’s group. As much as I disliked the thought, we were a united front today. Samantha sidled up to Lorcan. She and I would have our time, and one of us would be dead by the end of it. Her red eyes met mine, glinting brighter as she snarled. Her feelings for me were mutual. But right now was not the moment.

The echo of metal clashing, armor clanging, and people shouting dominated my senses. Lars led his troop from the sky. The Queen was nowhere to be found on the field, but she had to be there somewhere. She would want to be close but also in a space where she could safely use
my
magic to destroy the layer between the worlds.

“Let’s move,” Cole called out. “You know the plan. Let us see it through.”

Holy crap!
This was actually happening. My insides twisted into knots, and my shoes struck the dirt as I trotted with my group. The occasion we had schemed and trained for had arrived. There was no do-over. No trying again tomorrow. We had one chance to fail or succeed.

Our group skirted the main battle trying to blend in while appearing to be part of the fight. Sounds of loud, bone chilling screams of pain, metal clanging, bones crunching into dust, screeching beasts on the field and in the air dominated the sky around the battlefield. There were hundreds of creatures before me, from the beautiful to the most hideous, slicing their blades across the others’ throats. Trolls and goblins tore into willowy elf-looking Fae, who seemed like they came from a Disney movie. The odor of blood wafted up my nose.