Darkness of Light (31 page)

“I knew that the moment I saw her tattoo, if not the moment I first saw her. I am prepared for how this will end.”

I swallowed nervously, why did I feel like I was “dead girl walking”? How well did I know Eli, really? There had been times I had felt so much abhorrence from him, as if it took everything he had not to hurt me. But why? Did he really want to kill me? I knew I hadn’t done anything to deserve that amount of hatred, but it didn’t stop me from feeling there was a real threat there. I looked around the room, debating on what to do. A window over the toilet caught my attention. 

I flushed the toilet and turned on the faucets to mask any sounds I might make. Daggers stabbed my still-mending legs as I climbed onto the toilet. I held my breath as I opened the window silently, listening for any signs of Owen or anyone else outside the door. Thankfully, it was a one-story house, so I slid through the open window and let myself drop to the ground. As I landed, I bit my lip and covered my mouth to stop myself from screaming in pain. Tears stung my eyes as I breathed in and out deeply, hoping the pain and dizziness would subside quickly. I shivered as cold air and light drizzle seeped quickly through the thin t-shirt I was wearing. I had no idea where I was, but I didn’t care. I just had to get out of there.

A familiar voice came from behind me. “Going somewhere?”  

Twenty-nine

I whipped around to see Eli leaning against the side of the house. Rage emanated off him and from his eyes. He looked like he’d been waiting for me. How did he know I’d sneak out the window? 

“How far did you think you’d get?” 

There was no point in denying that I was trying to escape—think that ship had sailed. Barefoot and half-naked, I stood there staring back at him, terrified. Adrenaline rushed through my veins, making me feel antsy and hyper-aware of him. It was like I could feel him without touching him. 

He shook his head and scoffed. “So you think making a break for it—barefoot and hurt—was the wisest plan? Think I wouldn’t be able to find you?” 

Icy dread consumed me as his words sunk in. It was true, I wouldn’t have gotten far, and it was even more frightening because of that fact. “What do you want with me?”

A slow grin tugged at his lips as he looked me up and down. “I want many things.” Heat sliced through me. I became overly conscious of the thin t-shirt I was wearing. I shut my brain down fast to all thoughts leading in that direction. He was trying to distract me, get me off kilter. I couldn’t let myself show weakness. I twitched with the desire to bolt, but running would have been pointless. 

“Are you going to go quietly back into the house?” His expression was stony again. “You’ve got two options. Either you save my back and the tiny eardrums of the local squirrel population, or you go the other way, over my shoulder and most likely muzzled. You’re going inside either way.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you ‘til you tell me the truth.”

“The truth?”

“Stop. I’m done with your bullshit.” My anger flared. “What are you, Eli? Did you think I wouldn’t notice that something about you isn’t right? That I look like a freakin’ fairy with your blood in my system?” Eli stared at me in silence. “Yeah, I know what you did. Did you think I wouldn’t find out about your little blood donation?” I tried to keep my teeth from chattering as I railed into him. 

His expression darkened. Fury rolled off him. I was walking a thin line and knew it. Instead of waiting for him to throw me over his shoulder, I turned and headed for the house entrance. He followed closely behind, ready for me to try to run again, but I knew when something was a waste of time and energy. I had to save mine and come up with an actual plan.

I opened the front door and almost walked straight into Owen and another man. Someone who seemed very familiar to me. “Ah, our runaway has returned,” said the man I didn’t know. Power resonated off him. Instinctively, I knew he was the leader. 

He looked to be in his mid-thirties and was a few inches shorter than Eli, but he was just as toned and muscular. His hazel eyes glowed. He had chin-length, shaggy, dark reddish-brown hair, and a hint of a beard around his jaw line. His t-shirt and jeans fitted snugly to the contours of his body. He was exceptionally good-looking . . . of course, he had to be, right? It seemed you couldn’t be in this little group unless you had a rockin’ hard body and were unbelievably hot and rugged. His face had evidence that he too had been in a few scuffles. Like Eli, it seemed to suit him and made him even sexier.

All these boys are lethal. It really isn’t fair.

Seeing him up close triggered a fuzzy memory. I had met him before . . . 

“We have not officially met. I’m Cole,” he said. At his name my memory flooded back. 

“Nice to meet you, Cole,” I said dryly as I moved around them, not responding to their reproachful glances. 

To the right of the front door was the bed I had recently occupied. Not knowing where else to go, I went there. I wanted to keep standing. It made me feel more prepared for whatever was coming, but my calves were already aching and weak. I sat down on my bed. My escape attempt would have been very short. 

Eli came in, silent fury clouded around him as he shut the door, giving Cole a pointed look. Owen, noticing this look, cleared his throat. “Let me look at her first.”

“First? First, before what?” The thought popped out of my mouth.

Owen came to my bedside. The resemblance between Cole and Owen was undeniable; no doubt they were brothers. Both had the same hazel eyes and reddish brown hair. Where Cole was rugged, powerful, and dangerous, Owen was clean-cut, reserved, and a tad nerdy. His hair was cut short and smoothed back neatly. Owen was good looking, but in a more unassuming way than the other two guys. He was also a lot less muscular, not that he didn’t have an attractive body. You could tell he spent more time inside than the other guys, working in a hospital somewhere. For some reason I had this suspicion he worked hard to be unassuming, so he wouldn’t stand out, but no matter how hard he’d try, he could never be plain or ordinary. I was sure he still sent plenty of patients’ and nurses’ hearts fluttering. 

His eyebrows rose when he saw the torn and missing gauze on my legs. The room was unnervingly silent as Owen checked my legs, face, and vitals. He made strange grunts here and there as he conducted the examination, but it seemed that Cole and Eli understood them, exchanging knowing looks between them. “Well, Ms. Brycin, it seems you are healing nicely.”

“Yeah, no kidding. It doesn’t take a genius to notice I healed exceptionally fast, even for me.” I was taking a leap here, and if this was all in my imagination they could call me crazy. So be it. My gut told me I was right. “But now that Eli has bestowed me with some of his blood, I’ve become a super-freak. I mean, look at me. My glowing skin, hair, and eyes kind of tipped me off that something was different. But I don’t think it’s just his blood that caused this, huh? There’s something different about me.” All three went completely still as they looked back at me. Tension grew so thick and volatile I had to force myself not to slink back in fear. “I want the truth.”

“Ember, you were attacked and you are highly emotional right n—“

“Don’t,” I cut Cole off. “Please don’t act like you have no idea what I’m talking about or try and make me feel stupid or crazy. I now know I’m not. I’ve been trying to ignore things for too long.” I took in a breath. “Tell me, what am I?”  

“Ms. Brycin, I think it’s best if you get some rest,” Owen said in a calm, doctor-like voice. 

“Good luck with that,” Eli mumbled from across the room. 

“I will not back down ‘til I get some answers,” I said, my jaw clenched in stubborn determination. “Tell me, now!”

“Ember, you’ve been under some serious emotional distress and have been heavily medicated,” Cole exclaimed with a mix of forcefulness and calmness, as if he was trying to mollify me but really wanting to strangle me.

“Don’t you dare try to pacify me. And don’t you dare presume you can so easily distract or brush me off, or dismiss me as a foolish girl with delusions and an overactive imagination!” My knuckles were white as they tightly grasped the bedding. I wanted to tear it to shreds. “I’m not stupid. Don’t treat me as such.”

“We never meant to suggest you were stupid, Ember. I just think you need to lie down and rest for a while.”

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice this?” I pulled at the ends of my glimmering hair. “Or this?” I pointed to the disappearing scrapes on my face. “And that I wouldn’t notice, only hours after my legs were turned into shredded beef that I can walk? Don’t you think I haven’t known deep down for a long time there’s something different about me? That things happen around me I can’t explain? That I see things that shouldn’t be there or shouldn’t be real? That I don’t fit into this world no matter how hard I try?” It felt good for my fears to finally find a voice. “I’ve always somehow known it, and I know you guys don’t fit here either. So you might as well tell me what’s going on now.”

Eli shot Cole and Owen a sarcastic grin. “Told you.” 

Cole and Owen exchanged glances, communicating silently before Cole sighed and nodded reluctantly. He moved a chair over and sat down.

“Just so you know, Ember, I never figured you for a fool or stupid. I assumed this would happen sooner or later,” Cole stated coolly.

“Then why?”

“Because once the truth is out, there’s no going back, and you will wish you could,” he replied. “There is also something you must understand. No one can learn the truth about us—no one.” Cole’s look was so severe that I had to hold back the hysteria gripping me. There was no reassurance from either Owen or Eli. Were they going to kill me? Did I just sign my own death warrant? 

“There was one instance a
human
learned about us. She didn’t live long enough to tell anyone else.”

I gulped. Terror slashed my chest, making me dizzy and weak. My eyes darted around the room. The door and two windows were my only means of escape, and escaping was about as likely as them letting me walk out of this room. I was trapped. 

Cole picked up on my fear. “We’re not going to hurt you, Ember. You are safe for now.” 

I did not miss the not-so-subtle implication of “for now,” but I didn’t linger on it. Something else caught my attention. 

“You said the word ‘human’ like you don’t belong to that classification?” I forced a wobbly smile, still not sure if I was ready to hear the truth. “It sounds like you’re implying you’re not.” None of them disputed my words. I looked between them and burst out laughing. “This is some kind of joke, right?” But their solemn expressions were unchanged. “Okay, I’ll play along. So, what are you supposed to be? 

Eli launched himself off the wall and was inches from my face before I could blink. His warm breath brushed my face. “This isn’t a game, Brycin. This isn’t going to be a cute little storybook you can close when you’re done. You open this and you’re going to be letting things out you cannot possibly imagine. And believe me when I tell you this is no fairytale.” A brutal smile formed on his lips. “You still ready to hear a bedtime story?” 

There was no going back, but I could no longer ignore the truth. “Y-Yes,” I forced myself to say through the fear.  

“Even if it endangers your life?” he snapped.

“Are you threatening me, Dragen?” 

“It’s not a threat.” His carnal grin made my pulse start to pound. It affected me on two disturbing levels.

“Eli,” Cole shot him a warning look.

Eli stepped back, but the cold smile never left his face. How could he turn me on so much while scaring the living crap out of me? 

“So why does your blood affect me like this?” 

“As you figured, we are not human, Ms. Brycin,” Owen said calmly. “And neither are you.”

If he hadn’t said it so emotionless, I would have burst out laughing again. But Owen’s reserved tone made me shiver. Only a tiny, nervous giggle escaped my lips. “Oh come on, you expect me to believe you’re being serious?” 

“What do you think?” Eli replied. “You think we’re just having a bit of fun with you?”

I knew they weren’t. The truth I had been denying for so long was finally being said out loud. I was not human. “So, what are you telling me exactly?” I swallowed apprehensively; heaviness weighed down on me. 

Cole cleared his throat. “The world is not always what it appears to be. There are things out there, things you truly should be afraid of—beings and creatures that aren’t in any book. How much do you know about the Otherworld?” Taking my shocked look as ignorance, Cole started again. “Okay, how about mythology, particularly Celtic or Scottish mythology?”

“You’re talking about things like leprechauns and the Loch Ness monster?”

Eli frowned. “The Loch Ness monster was just a kelpie who went insane and got caught without its glamour. But, yeah, I guess if you want to put it in layman’s terms, kelpies and leprechauns are part of the Otherworld.”

“Have you ever heard of the
Tuatha Dé Danann
?” Cole tilted his head as he spoke.

And, finally, there goes Alice, down the rabbit hole . . . 

I took in a sharp breath. I knew the name well. When I was little, my mom would tell me bedtime stories about the Otherworld, its beautiful land, and magical fae-folk of Tuatha Dé Danann. She would make up these incredibly detailed stories about the Court of Inner Light, called the Seelie, and the Court of the Outer Darkness, called the Unseelie. I would later pretend to live in this world and make-believe I was a fairy at this magical court. But, I was a child and those were just stories, right?

Eli noted my reaction and gave a slight nod. “So, you’ve heard of it. I imagine from your mother?”

“Yes, she would tell me bedtime stories about it. Why?”

“They weren’t bedtime stories. Fairies, Seelie, Sidhe, fae, whatever you call them, are not some cute, little winged creatures that go around sprinkling fairy dust on children,” Eli scoffed. “They are elitist snobs who can be vindictive and cruel, especially that bitch of a Queen.”