Deep Into the Abyss (Darkest Faerie Tale Series Book 2) (5 page)

She smiled her little evil Cheshire grin. “Maybe.”

“Michaela, why would you turn against her?” He held his hand up to stop her response. “Better yet, why were you following her?”

Her shoulders shrugged. “Keeping an eye out for any visitor’s she might have.” She evaded the question with her untruthful response.

“A specific person?” He cocked a brow.

“Maybe.”

“Enough! Tell me what you were doing that night.”

“Obviously, I did nothing wrong. I caught her in the act with our enemy. Seelies are being picked off left and right and we needed evidence.” She stomped her foot. “When I drove by your house to get you to come with me you weren’t there. Ironically, I found your car parked on the street adjacent to Mya’s. Perhaps I should ask what you were doing? You never went home.”

He damn well knew what he’d been up to, waiting for the lights to go off in Mya’s house, so he could ignite the fire. He didn’t go home because he wanted to make sure she got out…alive.

But now, another problem arose. Michaela stalked him. Worried, he might “leave” her and actually be with Mya. Her cause for concern was palpable, because Michaela didn’t even appear as a blip on his radar. He only needed her to gain more information. If she found out, she would turn on him. His third problem? Why was Cole at Mya’s and how did Gavin miss him sneaking in and out? He ran his fingers through his hair. Everything turned into the biggest cluster fuck ever.

Now, he spun an untruth to answer Michaela’s question. “Are you sure you saw my car? I was over at a friend’s house.”

Her eyes, so vindictive, so spiteful, narrowed with suspicion. “Would the friend happened to be named, Mya?”

“Are you suggesting I was there with her and that Unseelie asshole?”

“No. I want to know if you spent the night with her.” She cocked her head at him, planting a hand on her hip.

“Spent the night with her? Okay, now you’re getting all crazy on me.”

Nick asked, “Uh, guys. Are we going to follow up on this lead at the Unseelie compound?”

Gavin forgot about Nick.

Michaela pointed a finger at him. “Our little discussion isn’t over yet.”

“Yes it is. Because I didn’t spend the night with Mya.” Truth. Win, win. Conversation over. He turned toward Nick. “Do we have a map or a layout of the compound? Entrances and exits? Type of security system?”

“The only layout we have is from our satellite images. Their security is pretty tight and we’ve already lost a few men to recon missions there.” He pushed his glasses up again. “Who knows if they’re alive and captured, or dead? They’ve never been found.”

“Any way they could’ve switched sides?”

“No. These guys were hard core Seelies. They’d never betray the race.”

“Okay, well email me all the images and info you have and I’ll see if I can work out a plan of attack.” Gavin intended to find Mya solo. He didn’t want anyone else involved, but he would “see” if he could work out a plan of attack—knowing damn well he would go by himself in the end. He’d haggled Nick into helping him though by agreeing to split the half a million dollar reward…
if
they got it, not if he simply retrieved Mya. Amazing what money and greed could buy with slight omissions in the world of the virtuous.

“I’ll call you in a bit,” he said to Nick. Then he turned to Michaela. “When I get back we’re going to celebrate.” He made sure not to clarify who the “we” would be. Because it definitely wouldn’t be him and Michaela.

His next step—purchase a burner cell, because his phone no doubt had a tracking system in it. Nick was a genius. He wouldn’t miss any step to keep an eye on Gavin. Also meant Gavin needed to buy brand new gear and weapons before he headed out. There could be trackers in all of his stuff. Even though he played on the Seelie side, at this point—nobody could be trusted despite the Seelies Five Eternal Rules.

Do unto others, as you would want others to do onto you.
–Superficiality. That’s how they acted, like high society wannabes and so, they treated everyone else the same way. In return, they got fake friendships, fake relationships—foundations of emptiness. A shallowness they relished in. Because everything appeared united and happy on the surface.

Anything is possible.
—Absolutely. Stabbing each other in the back, despising one another, constantly spinning untruths to get your way. Taking your friend down for one’s own gain? Yes, these were all possible.

Truth sets you free.
—Exactly. Which is why they spun untruths. Because they’re NOT lying, merely telling a different version of the truth. So damned freeing!

Beauty is eternal.
—Right? Especially to the Seelies, without their radiant beauty, they’re nothing.

Love always prevails. —
Self-love. Love is love is love. Whether one loves another being, an animal, or themselves. If a person loves themselves enough, they’ll always prevail.

And there it was laid out. Each rule spun in a different direction than intended. What a person perceived was not always real.

Perception is the biggest lie we’ve ever lived.

A person always needed to make sure they obtained all the facts before making a judgment or form an opinion, because in the end, the results might be shocking. There’s always three sides to every story.

CHAPTER THREE

F
rom her window seat in her lavish bedroom, Mya gazed out the paned glass to the neatly manicured lawn below and twirled a lock of her red hair. She spent the last six days stuck inside the Unseelie fortress…trapped in a tower. Waiting for her prince to come and slay the dragon, keeping her hostage—finally rescuing her.

Okay. She exaggerated a bit. It was a castle, or rather a vast and expensively decorated mansion in the middle of the compound. The prince? Not a prince at all, but a damaged, scarred Unseelie. And the dragon wasn’t in fact a fire breathing monster. No, but the deep dark beast inside of that marred man and she couldn’t get enough of him.

Saying goodbye to him had made her heart ache. Not seeing him for a week, not knowing if she would ever see him again, made her lungs constrict on a daily basis. Breathing became a chore. A task only to make it through another day.

His rejection left a physical pain, a whole in her chest.

Merlin, the all-knowing wizard, interrupted her musings as he entered her secret chambers. Alright, alright. Enough with the fairy tale euphemisms. A gal needed a little fun though, right? She went from a homeless orphan who lost everything to training as a potential queen in literally a day and the last two weeks wreaked a hellish torture on her soul. To top it off, she hadn’t talked to Nicole since her brother died. What a horrible friend she was. In all fairness though, Mya didn’t have a choice. The Unseelies took her off the grid so to speak and she still wasn’t sure why they wanted her to be kept a secret.

Liam, not really a wizard, but another Elder in the Unseelie Court, asked, “Are you ready for today’s magick lessons?”

He didn’t wear the cloak she always imagined him in during her musings, rather jeans and a short sleeve button up. Also, he wasn’t an old man, mid-forties she guessed. An air of sophistication wrapped about him, or maybe the loafers on his feet and his perfectly coiffed brown hair giving off the impression. If there were such thing as a “Stepford husband” it would be him.

“Ready per usual,” she said. It’s not like she had anything else to do. Being confined to her room and these grueling fifteen hour work days wore her to the bone. Practice, sleep, shower, repeat. Yay, go Mya, her inner cheerleader shouted.

“Your enthusiasm is wavering.” Liam’s brows furrowed. “Are you sure you’re ready to handle what is to come?” The Unseelies wanted to unite both factions and bring the ancient powers back to their race and their plan started with her.

She opened her arms wide, a stern expression fixed on her face. “I’m still here, aren’t I?”

His eyes narrowed while he pursed his lips to the side.

Sizing her up? Please, if she wanted to leave she could. She had enough magick in her to take them all down in one swoop and he knew it too.

Harnessing and controlling the energy was the difficult part though. Sometimes, the power consumed her and she locked down in a catatonic state, unable to pull herself out. Even Liam couldn’t snap her back to reality. He had to wait it out. Cole seemed to be the only source to keep her from losing control and yet, he never returned to see her since they arrived. She couldn’t think about him though, because it ripped the hole inside of her open a little more. Wiping the thoughts of him away, she built up her mental brick wall and steeled herself. “I’m ready.”

“You’ve mastered how to mask your visage and how to counter attack another’s magick, now it’s time for you to learn how to calm the masses. This is imperative for you to learn, so you can unite both sides of the faction without casualties when the time comes.”

Changing her visage had been a fun lesson. She could create a mask of illusion over her appearance and look like whomever or whatever she wanted. Counter attacking another Aos sí’s
magick turned out to be an important skill as well because Aos sí couldn’t wield magick over another member of the race, except her—hers trumped everyone else’s. But, the best part about her new tricks? As a hybrid, only she was capable of these numerous powers. The Unseelies put a lot of hope into their expectation of her magick and so far, their assumptions proved correct.

Every day, Liam pushed her further to see how many tricks she could master.

She asked about today’s lesson, “Calming the masses? As in settling people down if they’re angry or upset?”

“Yes. Imagine the possibilities if the Seelies and Unseelies went to war, with one flick of your wrist you could disable and disarm the situation. No blood shed. Also, you will practice on stabilizing yourself and reining in your control. You have to stop letting yourself get so volatile.” Liam crossed his arms over his chest. “Maybe you need a change of scenery. Today, we will practice outside of the house, out near the garden.”

Her heart leapt in her chest and she grasped on to her throat. To go outside—to be able to venture outdoors? Aside from leaving the cabin and getting into the Mercedes to come here, almost two weeks passed since she’d felt the warm rays of the sun directly on her skin, since she smelled the fresh clean scent of the earth and trees. The scent of trees. Her stomach clenched as the memory of forest and oak moss seeped into her senses a dreadful reminder of what he smelled like.
Cole. Damn it.
Everything in her thoughts always circled back around to him. He constantly consumed her mind. She needed to stop doing this.

Mya stood up, smoothing down the black form fitting, racer-tank dress Cole gave her at the cabin. On a deep exhale, she closed her eyes.
Stop thinking about him.
Quickly numbing herself, she opened her eyes. “After you.” She followed him into the hallway and down the stairs.

The house was truly magnificent with large Corinthian columns separating the different rooms. Tapestries and paintings adorned the plastered walls and elegant furnishings filled all the rooms, made fit for a queen.

When Liam opened the front door and stepped outside, she went with him. Her breath caught in her throat. She’d seen the grounds during the day from the windows, but nothing captured the essence or beauty of the gardens and orchards as actually being near them. So alive, they radiated happiness and joy. They did not merely exist to be pleasing to the eye, no. They were full of celestial magic. She inhaled the fresh and floral scents weaving through the air.

“Do you like it?” Liam asked.

“It’s—amazing.” In awe, she stepped down the stairs toward the grass. Mya slipped her sandals off and walked barefoot in the nimble blades, letting their edges tickle her feet. As natural spirits, Aos sí
thrived in nature, specifically around plants, trees and shrubs. They revived a fatigued spirit—and by damn, she was more than weary, having been locked up and kept from the actual sustenance of life which re-energized her.

Liam caught up with her. “I know we’ve kept you indoors since you’re arrival and you weren’t able to enjoy the splendor of the earth, but you’ve made some excellent strides in the work of your magick without the aid of nature. I’m impressed with how quickly you are catching on, so I thought it was time to give you more freedom. The Seelies are actively searching for you and we couldn’t risk you being seen outdoors by satellite images either, but I feel confident enough in your magick now that you can defend yourself if need be.”

Defend myself against my own race.
The mere idea vexed her.
Because now, she truly knew why she’d been on trial after her house burned down. The Seelies procured photographic evidence of an Unseelie at her home. And the simple act of being a traitor could be punishable by death and she walked into their court unawares of the fate looming over her.

However, the Unseelies were right there to rescue her, prepared to make her their queen.
She didn’t necessarily agree with their ways of handling her or the way Liam trained her, but she knew there was a method for Liam’s madness.
Like Cole’s.
The empty ache settled in her stomach.
Stop.
This twisted obsession with him would drive her insane. He was like a poison in her veins.

She needed to talk to Nicole. Mya needed some sort of balance, a connection to find herself again, and she missed her friend so much her heart ached. “I want to call Nicole.”

“The Seelies know of your friendship to her. They are no doubt tracking and tracing her every step and I don’t need to remind you that you were on trial in their court. End of discussion.” Liam always used the excuse of her trial to prevent her from leaving. He must know deep down, she feared the consequences.

If Mya had anyone else to turn to—anything else, she would abandon the silly notion of becoming queen. Surely, the Seelies would understand how the Unseelies took her. They wouldn’t hold her kidnapping against her. She could plead innocence to the photo of Cole leaving her house and somehow convince them, he came to try and kidnap her on the night in question. Crossing her arms over her chest, she said, “I didn’t do anything wrong. It was just common procedure.”

He drew a brow up. “Because your house burned down? You were placed on trial even before the photograph of Cole was presented before their court.”

“All of the Elders know I’m a hybrid and they’ve kept it a secret for twenty four years. If they wanted to hurt me, they had plenty of leverage by exposing the truth, but they didn’t. They could’ve arrested me, but once again, they didn’t.”

The expression on his face turned dead serious. “What if they were about to?”

“No.” A shiver trickled down her spine. “None of it makes sense. I was raised and accepted in their court. For all I know, you guys shunned me at birth. Anyone can spin a fairy tale.”

“Mya, I think there’s something you should know.” He stopped a grave expression on his face. “Up until recently, you were raised as a Seelie—the perfect and angelic Seelie who could do no wrong. You were taught that the Unseelies were the epitome of malevolence, but as you know since you’ve arrived, our intentions are far from malicious.”

“Well, it’s still up for debate.” She ground her teeth. So far, she’d been kidnapped, practically dumped by Cole, kept as a hostage, and not given any real answers.

“Nothing to debate. Have you been harmed during this process?”

Uh. Yeah.
My heart was crushed to pieces by one of you.
Oh great, she exhaled in a huff, now she had to spin an untruth, so he didn’t find out about her and Cole. “No, none of you have physically hurt me.”

His eyebrows shot up, exposing his dark hazel eyes even more. “And the rest? Emotionally, spiritually?”

Damn it. The guy was intuitive.

Evade.
“Well, I was broken down and am now forced to rebuild myself. How would you feel?” At least she spoke the utter truth.

“Did Cole mishandle you?”

She gulped, actually, gulped. “The trials were tough.”

“How so?”

Ugh!
The man wouldn’t let up. “Look, Liam, the last few weeks have been very trying on me and my nerves. I’d rather not get into this now.”

He stepped closer. “If something happened you need to tell me. Cole may be an Elder, but he has no right to have caused you injury in any way, shape or form.” Liam paused for a moment, “He’s not like the rest of us.”

He’d never spoken so cavalierly with her. She took the bait. “Because of the scar?”

Liam shook his head. “Because of what the scar did to him.”

“How did he get it?”

“It’s not my story to tell.” Curiosity crossed over his face and he tilted his head slightly. “What exactly did Cole do to get you in touch with your Unseelie side?”

Sooo
not going there. Time for her to change the topic before he backed her into a metaphorical corner. “What’s done is done, but you still haven’t answered my question. Are the Unseelies responsible for the Seelie deaths?”

Those hazel eyes studied her. “What do you feel in your heart?”

“No.” Deep down inside she knew the truth, especially since she connected with both halves of herself. The Unseelies weren’t as bad as the tales. She trusted them, maybe even more than the Seelies, but she hadn’t been able to ascertain those feelings before, because she was never around both sides of the courts. “Do you think someone in the Seelie Court committed the murders using foul play and framed the Unseelies to start a war?”

“It’s very possible. They have easier means to their own people than we do. Look at what they did to you.”

Nothing, absolutely nothing was as it seemed and the verity of reality gnawed in her gut. How could she have been blind for so long? “But why kill your own people? Why not just declare war and attack?”

“Things between our factions have been tense for millenniums, but things turned for the worse when one Unseelie and a Seelie fell so deeply in love, they broke all the rules and bore a child mixed of both races.”

“But, I don’t understand.” She swallowed back at the lump in her throat. “If they loved each other, if they weren’t harming anyone else, what is the big deal?”

“You,” he said with ferocity.

“Little, ole me?” Mya glanced away before meeting his eyes again. “
I
was enough to fracture both sides so completely that the Unseelies and Seelies became mortal enemies? I realize the sides were split after the Great Atonement, but come on! I’m not a threat to anyone. I’m not even involved in the politics.”