Dwellers of Darkness (34 page)

The sickness in my stomach rolled. Between the news about Lars and Josh and the effects of the iron, I won’t deny I was a blubbering mess. It became too much. She had won.

Broken. Enough. My head fell forward and tears leaked down my cheeks. “What do you want, Aneira?”

“I want revenge.” She said this quietly, but every syllable was resolute. I forced myself to look at her. My body was trying its hardest to fight the new dose of iron poisoning. The earth was helping me as much as it could, but it was not enough. Opposing sides gave and took at the same time, tearing trenches into my gut.

“Against whom? Humans? For taking Earth from you? Is that what all this about?”

She watched me carefully. “You have no idea what it is like to live in fear of something that should fear you. We were here first. This was our rightful home
,” she spouted and then took a breath. “But you are part of my revenge. You should never have existed. I want to destroy you and everyone you love... slowly and painfully... as they did to me.”

Her fingers gripped my chin, squeezing hard. Her fury was pointed at me. This woman truly hated me with every fiber of her being. There were other Daes who had existed. Had she despised them this much?

“Using you to destroy the precise thing your mother tried so hard to keep from me renders it so deliciously perfect.” With a maliciously beautiful smile, she stepped back from me. “Let us go
home
, Ember.”

The guards had only taken a stride forward when my blood ignited, tearing through my veins. My feet dug into the ground and stopped our group from progressing. I couldn’t see him, but I knew he was there.

“No...” I muttered to myself, looking around. Even if the idea of him being near comforted me, I did not want him here. I wanted him safe.

A solid crunch of gravel broadcasted Eli’s arrival. He could slink up on someone in the middle of the day without a hint he was there. He wanted to be heard.

Aneira stopped and turned, glancing around. The guards became twitchy, looking for a new threat.

“I hope I am invited to this little soirée.” Eli sauntered up. He was bleeding everywhere; cuts and teeth marks pitted most of his body. Chunks of flesh had been taken out of his side and shoulder. Battle wounds from the Strighoul. “Fairies do know how to throw a party. Please tell me someone invited the nymphs and water fairies.” Eli rubbed his hands together. He kept his attention off me, purposely not looking my way.

What is he doing?

“
Elighan, it has been a while. The last time I saw you, blood covered you as well.” Aneira replied with disgust. “What brings you here?” The Queen pressed her lips together and looked at me, then back to him. “Please don’t tell me it is for
her
.” She frowned.

Eli was naked, which became more and more apparent the closer he got. I guess I should be flattered he didn’t stop to change before coming after me.

Aneira was not immune to his nude physique either. Her annoyance flipped the closer he got to us, changing into a look I recognized. It was the expression I saw on most women who looked at Eli. Her eyes flared with desire. I had gotten used to him being naked, but I still didn’t like her seeing him exposed.

“If I had known you would grow up so sexy, and large, I would have kept you as one of my pets.” She sashayed up to Eli; her hand reached to his face. His body stiffened under her touch.

“I’m not really good at being potty-trained,” Eli retorted, looking bored. But I could feel his tension raging underneath.

Her hand drifted down from Eli’s face to his chest. “My, you have grown. I can imagine you would be a real beast in bed.”

My hackles rose, almost choking me with anger and possessiveness.

“You’ll have to ask her about that.” Eli nodded toward me. His eyes finally met mine.

What are you doing? Are you completely insane?

Yeah. I told you, Brycin, where you go I go.

You are nuts.
My lids blinked double time trying to keep the tears back.

I think that’s been well established.
His mouth stayed neutral, but his eyes held the glint of a smile.
I am not letting you go in there alone, again. Cole went to find the rest of our group and then they will go after Kennedy. I came for you.

My mom?

I convinced her it would be best to go because she could help more from the outside.

I let out a sigh of relief. I could not fathom the idea of Mom returning to Aneira’s prison. I didn’t know what happened to Lars, but there was this annoying bit of hope in my gut that said:
He’s the Unseelie King. He cannot die easily.
But if he wasn’t dead, where was he?

“I’d prefer to see for myself.” Aneira’s comment brought me back to the present. Her lids
lowered hungrily as she took in his crotch. She continued, salaciously looking him up and down. “You will be much more fun than your brother. Harder to break. I love a challenge.”

The implication was not at all subtle, and she was not one for empty threats. Since my mother’s “death,” I knew I was capable of handling a lot, much more than I thought I could. This was not one of them. The thought of her having Eli—oh, hell no—things would go down. I charged forward, the guard behind grabbed me, drawing me back into his chest. The Queen didn’t even flinch; her attention was still on the male in front of her.

“You’re not really my type.” Eli shrugged indifferently.

There was a brief flicker of annoyance on her face before a twinkle of laughter filled the air like music. “I am everyone’s type. I will be glad to show you.” Her eyes glinted with a challenge.

Like the pop of a balloon, my fury erupted. Through the iron, my power dredged up from the depths of my soul. The thought of her touching Eli or using him like she had Torin drew a curtain of red. I didn’t see anything. I only felt.

With a gust of energy, Aneira was torn off her feet and thrown back through the air. A hard thud sounded as she landed on the rocky terrain and skidded across the ground. The silence that came after was deafening. The soldiers stood in shocked muteness as they watched their Queen lying flat on her back.

Crap... .

Eli obviously felt the same. His head sagged forward, swearing under his breath, as he shook his head back and forth.

“My Queen.” A guard ran to her, waking the other soldiers out of their daze. A handful scrambled to her.

She lifted her head. “Get off of me.” She stood without help as rage ignited her eyes and burned into me.

“You disgusting half-breed...” She persisted with a slew of insulting words, but it was in Gaelic, so I only understood the angered, biting tone. Power thundered off of her as she barreled toward me. The guard behind gripped me harder, keeping me in place. Her hand flew up, colliding with my face. A torrent of pain slammed through my cheek, and I stumbled to the side. Spots dotted my vision.

A deep growl came from the form next to me.

“Your girlfriend here needs to learn her place, as you do.” A handful of my hair was yanked up. Cool, blue-lavender eyes met mine. “If you ever do that again, Ember, I will kill you.” Her voice was icy-calm. She was back in control again.

I straightened. A fevered anger still locked my muscles. “And if you
ever
touch him, I. Will. Kill.
You
.”

Another blinding sting ripped across my face as she hit me again. “I touch what I want, you insolent girl. You will respect your Queen.”

“You are no Queen of mine.” I never could keep my mouth shut. She hit me again, and this time I tasted blood.

Eli snarled and launched himself at her. In that moment the Queen pulled something from the folds of her dress and sliced her arm toward Eli. A torrent of blood spurted from his neck in a gush. Eli’s body crumbled to the ground.

“Nooooooo!” A scream so guttural and primal ripped from my throat. I pitched forward. “Eli!” I wailed. Horror cut across my heart, cleaving it in half. Guards immediately seized my arms and hauled me to my feet, away from Eli. He tried to gasp for air but gurgled, choking on his own blood. Panic reached deep into my soul. All my senses went primitive. Spitting with rage I bit at my capturer’s hands. I fought against them snarling like a beast. I twisted and screeched, and the world spun underneath me. I did not know which way was up or down. My only instinct was to get to him.

Violent cries kept coming from me as I watched more blood soak the earth beneath him. It was almost like I was twelve again, and my mother’s body was lying in a pool of her blood. Tears rained down my face, filling my mouth as I continued to yowl in agony.

The Queen turned my face up to hers. “Silence.”

My chin pointed toward her, but my eyes would not leave him. He took a shallow breath. A whimpering sob reverberated in my chest. His neck gaped open, and muscles, tissue, and veins protruded from the vast hole. Bubbles of blood oozed out of his mouth and neck as he struggled for breath. My nose picked up the strong smell of blood and the magic from the Queen’s blade that had torn through his skin. It was a Fae-welded blade. He would die.

Nails dug into my chin as Aneira forced my attention back on to her. “You can save him, Ember.” Her lips twisted into a cruel smile. “Your Fay powers can heal him.”

It took me a few seconds before her words registered. I could heal him. My earth powers had done it before when he had been shot by a rival gang. A surge of hope filled my chest.

“Please, let me save him,” I sobbed as I struggled to move to him. The soldier’s grip on me was ironclad.

“Let us make a deal.” Her voice curled around me like a venomous snake.

“Anything. I will do anything you want. Please let me revive him.” The thought of losing him, of being without him, left a void in my heart so big nothing could fill it. I had barely lived through my mother’s death. I was pretty sure I would not get through his.

“It’s what I was counting on.” A smug grin twisted her features. “This prophecy has been a thorn in my side for years. I lost count of how many Daes I obliterated over it. But you are the one who is supposed to fulfill it, aren’t you?” It was not really a question. “I don’t want to destroy you right now, Ember. You are valuable to my plan, but you will no longer be able to touch the Sword of Nuada. Unbearable pain will come to you if you try to take the sword for your own to use against me. And he will die on the spot.” Her head motioned toward Eli. His breath had grown so light I could no longer see his chest moving. “In exchange for this, I will allow you to try and save him. You better decide quickly, Ember. He only has a few moments of life left. Then he will be lost to you forever.”

A new flood of panic burst through my chest. There was no question what I’d do. She understood that. Even if it meant the chance to kill her was gone for good, I would do it.

“Do we have a deal?”

“Yes. Yes. I’ll do it. Whatever you want.” Tears trailed down my face.

A weighted energy skimmed down my skin. It prickled and reminded me of when I made a deal with Lars, locking me into the transaction. Breaking Lars’ deal had been excruciatingly painful, and he had gone easy on me for violating the contract. Aneira would not. The bond she cast would kill Eli in a blink of an eye, and she would enjoy it. This was a contract I would not
and could not break. Ever.

Aneira smiled complacently. Her soldiers still held me.

“Let me go,” I choked through my tears. “Please... I agreed to your bargain.” I struggled to get free.

Aneira paused and then gestured to her men to release me. When their hands let go, I gave no pause and flung myself to Eli’s dying body. He had lost so much blood.

“Please stay alive. Do not dare die on me.” I tried the best I could, with my wrists bound, to grip the sides of his face, my hands marinating in his blood. I brought his mouth to mine. The blood he gurgled stained his lips. The salty taste of my tears mixed with blood and the raw, masculine taste of Eli coated my taste buds. All I could focus on was pouring every ounce of energy I had back into him.

My filters were down and panic kept me from processing all this clearly. I called on the earth’s power, and it came in abundance. I tugged ruthlessly at it, wanting more. It filled me with warm light. Plants crawled and slithered to me, hearing my cry.

Energy poured from me into Eli, but his body lay still. No movement or response. I moaned, pressing my lips harder to his. The warmth in me built hotter and hotter. I could feel Eli’s muscles and skin molding back together. Blood stopped seeping from his neck, but there was no life in him.

“Don’t you do this to
me. You have to live,” I hissed at him. “For once don’t be so damn pigheaded.” My lips came back down to his. My energy was waning, but the heat inside was growing, becoming painful.

Goddamn you, Eli. Sit up and fight me.

He didn’t move. His chest stayed level.

“You ass. You are not allowed to die on me.” I pushed at his chest. Uncontrollable sobs shook my shoulders. The buzz my blood normally got when he was near had dissipated. It was growing so feeble, I could barely sense it. It would soon be gone soon. For good.

“Retrieve her.” I heard the Queen order her men. A hand came down on my shoulder, lugging me back on my butt.

“No!
Noooo!” I screamed. “You told me I could save him.”

“Yes, and you tried. I did not promise he would live.” Aneira tapped her nails impatiently against her arm. “A minor detail you missed. Now, get her up.” She motioned to her men.

With a heartbreaking wail I wrestled away from the guards, crawling over to Eli.

Hands fumbled to pull me. “He is dead, Ember,” the Queen said.

My mind shut down. All I could see was him. The connection between us was no more. I felt nothing from him. My blood was silent. This was not the way we were supposed to end. We had been through too much together. My heart and soul were completely his.

I will not lose him.

From depths I didn’t know existed, I dug into my core and summoned the earth. When my lips touched his, energy went through me like a sonic boom, stripping me of my senses. I tumbled in the air, landing in a crumpled ball, a few feet away. The Queen and her men stumbled back from the pressure. Eli’s limp form flung back, hitting the rocks with a crack. His mouth and eyes popped open on impact. He took a gasp of air. The liquid in my veins hummed back to life.

“Eli!” Drained and dizzy, I zigzagged to him, collapsing on the ground at his side. “You’re alive.”

He swallowed a few times before he spoke. “I always knew you’d be the end of me.” He winced in pain. His voice was low and ragged. Blood soaked his chest. The scar across his neck was enflamed, but already starting to heal. The wounds from the Strighoul had also healed.

Hearing his voice again submerged me in happiness. I let out a relieved sob. “Don’t you ever die on me
again. You got that? Ever!” My eyes continued to water.

Eli’s hand gently wrapped around the back of my neck. “For future reference, the next time I’m about to die, I want to go out fucking you. Only way to die.”

I hiccupped a laugh. “Duly noted.”

His green eyes met mine when I touched his face. Our eyes hungrily scoured each other. In a rare moment, Eli’s expression became serious. He pulled my ear to his lips and whispered hoarsely, “When you are about to kill that bitch, I want to be there. I want to help tear her apart, limb by limb.”

My lips went into a narrow line. I dipped my head and nodded. I would tell him of the pact, just not now. It was devastating for me think about coming all this way for nothing.
No!
I don’t know how I was going to do it, but Aneira had to die. Right now Aneira had the sword. That was the first thing I needed to deal with. The second would be getting us free of her. Third was freeing me of that bond.

“This is absolutely nauseating,” Aneira said behind me.

I hadn’t forgotten she was there, but Eli had a way of blocking out the rest of the world. I swung around and stood in front of him. Eli rose, using the rocks as his support. He was weak, but he held his head rigid trying not to show it. I was shaky and exhausted, but if the Queen came after him again, I would rip her apart with my own hands.

“Oh, I am so pleased you are all right,
Elighan. I was disappointed to lose a play toy like you. Such a waste.” Aneira brushed her long, red hair off her shoulder. “Though, I wonder, would Ember have tried to save you so fiercely if she knew the truth about your past?”

My head whipped around to look at Eli. His eyes flickered red,
and he pushed off the rock with a growl. I knew Eli still held secrets about his past, but Aneira enjoyed provoking people. Right now I could not let her get into my head.

“Eli.” I flung out my arm to stop him. He looked at me. His pupils elongated and burning with rage.
Stop. She’s only trying to goad us. She has the sword now. We have to get it back,
my gaze conveyed to him. He held my stare. I could feel he wanted to destroy her. Letting out a breath, he shook off his fury and stepped back. I knew how hard such a thing was for him. It went against his nature. Once his anger was out, it was hard to get it back in the box.

“Well, well, well
... how interesting. You are able to communicate with Eli like you are one of them.” My head whipped back to Aneira. She was looking curiously at me. “When Torin told me you are part Dark Dweller, I was astounded at how that could possibly be. I was intrigued. Would you take on their traits? Would you become more invincible? I never imagined having Dark Dweller blood would enable you to communicate with him or become immune to iron.” She let the last remark hang in the air, her gaze on the handcuffs that still wrapped around my wrists.

Shit
. I had been so consumed with defending and saving Eli, I completely forgotten the implications of using my powers through the iron cuffs. I had a sinking feeling her knowing this information was not going to be good for me.

“Joshua told me of this possibility.
Elighan gave me the perfect way of testing this theory. I knew if you could do it, you’d use it while trying to save him.”

“That was a test?” I exclaimed. “What if I couldn’t?”

“Then he would have died, and I would have known your limitations.” Her lips pressed together in a devious sneer. “However, I was right. You are going to be exceedingly useful to me, Ember.”

A snake of anger and dread wrapped around my gut just thinking that I might not have been able to save Eli. I shook my head trying to clear my mind of the thought.

“Whatever is in his blood that has made you immune, I will be interested to discover. To never have to worry about iron poisoning. To have this Fay weakness eradicated.” Aneira’s eyes glinted with possibility. “Yes, I am especially interested in your blood.”

Nope. Not good for me.

“It still won’t help you. I lived through the blood exchange. Will you be able to say that about yourself? I am a Dae, a species that is even more formidable than your Fairy ass.”

Why, oh why, can’t I ever keep my mouth closed?

Instead of the anger I thought would furl my way, she laughed, throaty and alluring. “You remind me so much of your mother, passionate and stubborn to a fault and for all the wrong things.” She put her hands on her hips. “I will not be transferring your blood, but your power.”

“What? How?”

“I know of a way that I can transmit your powers to me without a blood exchange.” She smiled like a Cheshire cat. I had no idea what she was talking about. Whatever it was it didn’t matter if I understood or not. She did. And she was giddy with this knowledge.

“You want to transfer my powers to you? And I am simply going to let you have them?”

“I do not only want to, I will. And getting you to do it will be easy enough. Not that I am asking.” She eyed Eli again. "Iron may not perpetually control you, but your connection to him and the others still back in the Otherworld do. That is your failing. You will help me, Ember. Have no doubt of it. Now let us go see how your
dear
human father, that other Dark Dweller, and your chubby friend are doing.”