Fire In The Darkness (Darkness Series #2)

The acrid aroma of cheap, processed coffee and burnt beans seeped down the long food line, assaulting my nose. The strong smells did little to cover up the eye-watering stench of urine and body odor that hovered around me. It had been over four days since I last had access to a shower. No doubt I contributed to this stench.

Although it felt like a lifetime, it had only been a month since I had a roof over my head, a hot shower whenever I wanted, and a warm meal every night. Now I understood what it was to be so hungry the hollow, crushing pain consumed your every thought and action. To be so cold your bones felt like they would shatter.

Another whiff of beans seeped into my nose and my stomach rumbled in response. I inhaled a deep breath and savored the slight tang that grazed my taste buds. Food had been scarce for me, and I had taken what I could when I could. Leaning out, I scanned the dozens of people lined up in front of me. Tired, despondent faces looked ahead hungrily anticipating the food soon to be scooped onto their plates.

Food and water were everyone’s biggest concerns. Other necessities, such as medicines and supplies, were used to trade or control the city; a warm shower or hot food was a luxury. What I had taken for granted, I now struggled for every day: clean drinking water, a place to sleep, clothes, food. Some days I lucked out, but most days I didn’t. Looted candy bars from convenience stores were my usual dinner.

Red Cross had set up aid and refuge centers around Seattle, but I only used them when absolutely necessary. Four days of not eating or sleeping properly had me seeking out protection tonight.

The line moved glacially slow, my stomach protesting the lack of headway with each tiny step. I had just made the monumental approach to the first stack of trays when two men entered the food tent. Dressed in pedestrian clothes, they looked almost human. But something was slightly off and their attempt to blend in didn’t disguise what they really were. Not to me. A few weeks ago, I would have thought they were normal people. Now I knew better. Their stunning, nearly impeccable appearance, complexion, and icy blue eyes told me they were the Queen’s soldiers.

Fay. Fairies. Fae. Seelie. They were Otherworlders no matter what description you used. As I was new to the Fae realm, I didn’t know much, but I knew enough to know Fae was a general term for all creatures from the Otherworld. Fay was short for Fairy, which was the top of the food chain there. The Seelie Queen was a pure-blooded Fairy.

It didn’t matter if a bunch of dancing leprechauns had entered the tent. These men were here for me. I had avoided being caught while on the streets. I wasn’t going to break my streak now.

Ducking my head, I flipped up the hood of my borrowed sweatshirt. Okay, some people might call it stolen. When I had run from the Queen, I was in nothing but my underwear, Eli’s tattered shirt, and a cloak. Everything I had acquired in the last couple of weeks was stolen. The looted stores, with their broken windows, had made it a little easier to swipe clothes and a pair of shoes. With everything in chaos and the Queen of the Otherworld combing every inch for me, my best chance for survival was losing myself deep in the city. Seattle was in complete turmoil and hiding among humans was the only thing that had kept me alive for the last four weeks.

Looked like my luck had run out.

Stooping behind the person in front of me, I watched the two Fays gauge the room. If I bolted, it would only draw attention to me. Hoping they’d look around, not see me, and move to the next tent was probably too much to ask. The two men started at the end of the line, studying each person with impudent regard.

Humans are funny—they ignore their natural instinct because they’re afraid of appearing rude to others. I could see their nervous, unsettled glances as the men approached them, knowing something was not right. But they turned away and disregarded their suspicions.

If only they trusted their intuition.

As the men moved closer to me, my nose prickled with the smell of magic. Since I had Dark Dweller blood running in my veins, my sense of smell had increased. My sight and hearing had also improved. Normally Fay couldn’t smell magic, but I could now. The sweet, tingling sense that was like snorting a glass of champagne had saved my butt more than once in the last couple of weeks. I had learned to pay attention to the slight indications that told me Fae were near.

Since my escape, the Queen had relentlessly searched for me. In time I’m sure the Unseelie King would throw his hat in the ring for me as well. Evidently being a Dae—half Fay, half Demon—was a hot commodity for both the Light and Dark. They had different agendas, but both wanted to use me as a weapon to destroy the other.

Each step brought my pursuers closer. I needed a plan. Edging closer to the stack of trays, I frantically searched for the best possible escape route.

Do not even think about running, a voice whispered in my ear. Hands clamped down on my arms as his partner came around my other side, blocking my escape.

The men moved in tighter, pinning my arms to my sides. Do not fight. You cannot get away from us. All you will do is alarm and upset all these humans by bringing attention to yourself. This will only cause us to do more harm. You do not want that. His voice was smooth, slipping like velvet over my skin. Into my ears.

Like hell I didn’t.

I knew what I had to do.

I screamed.

Help! These guys are trying to kidnap me! Like I hoped, every head turned our way. People were too weary to jump in and help, but at least it gave me the briefest moment of surprise to break away from my abductors. With all my strength, I yanked my arms out of their grasps. The momentum pitched me forward into a stack of plastic trays. The crash echoed throughout the tent with a deafening clatter. People stood in shock, taking in the scene. Scrambling up, I slid and skidded over the mass of serving trays. One of the Fays leaped, grabbing for me. His foot slipped, and he tumbled. As he fell back, his head smacked on the cement. The other man was right behind him, coming for me.

Seizing a tray, I swung. His face collided with my choice of weapon with an audible thwack. This was my only chance. I took off for the exit, trying to maneuver and dodge people as they stood there, dazed. My mistake was looking to see if the men were pursuing me. When I turned back it was too late. A tall bakery cart stood in my path. Plowing into it hurt like a bitch. Sharp, flat metal baking sheets jammed into my ribs, face, and arms as we toppled over together. Gritting my teeth, I waited for it to be over, already feeling blood seeping from the gashes on my hands and arms. The Fay soldiers were on me in a flash.

Hey. I heard a man call out as people started to respond. Stop those guys!

About fucking time.

A large hand closed around my neck and pulled me to my feet. You are not getting away from us again. He tightened his grip, cutting off my air. Panic rumbled deep in my core, and that’s when I felt the darkness inside me surge its way up.

I had used my powers minimally since the day I caused Seattle to burn to the ground. Every time I had tried to use them, they caused more damage, more pain. I had hurt so many people. There was this one boy about ten who was searching for food in a liquor store like I was. He startled me, and I sent an entire rack of soda falling onto him. I caused a car to blow up because someone was chasing me for a can of corn. My powers were volatile and unpredictable since the day the Queen forced them to the surface. The energy scared me. Unfortunately, fear brought them out even more.

A large cart shot off the ground crashing blindly into the innocent people in line, knocking over anyone standing in its way, including children.

Oh, God, no! It was happening again. Both the anxiety of the situation and the hand tightening around my throat directed the energy towards the standing heaters and lights. A loud buzz whined through the tent. People covered their ears, hunching down in protection. Sparks licked out of heaters, popping and crackling while energy pulsated through them.

Stop that, the Fay soldier commanded, squeezing my neck harder.

My building panic forced a dozen baking sheets through the air toward him and anyone who stood close. The sharp, metal edges drove into his head and back. Instantly his grip loosened and fell away from my neck as he crumpled to the ground in agony. He wasn’t the only one attacked by baking sheets. The other soldier and two men who were trying to help me lay on the ground, blood oozing from gashes on their foreheads and arms. Guilt rooted in my gut. They were only trying to help me, now look what I’d done to them.

Hundreds of eyes stared at me in terror. Kids cried, some with cuts and bloody noses from the cart that fell on them. I choked down my guilt, whirling around and bolting to where I’d be safe from the Fay, and the people would be safe from me.

TWO

The sun slipped quickly below the horizon. The air clung to the last bit of warmth, hinting at the changing season. It didn’t stop the goose bumps from breaking out over my skin, and the hoodie I wore did little to keep in my body heat. The chills soon turned to sweat as I raced through the city, dodging, ducking, scaling over walls, through tunnels, and down alleyways.

I had always hated running and had teased my step-father, Mark, because he enjoyed running marathons for fun. Lately, it had become easier because I did a great deal of it. I could run farther and longer than I ever imagined possible. Funny the things one is capable of doing when your life is on the line.

My calves still didn’t care for all the exercise they were getting now. Lorcan, Eli’s brother, had torn them to shreds a month ago. Lorcan was also the one who had turned me over to the Queen. My legs continued to ache, mainly at night when I tried to sleep. I was lucky even to be walking, but the painful leg cramps kept the night of my attack fresh in my mind.

Keeping to the shadows, I slunk down a vandalized back street toward the abandoned warehouses. Dusk enveloped everything in its path. With no electricity, it was harder to see, but it was also harder to be seen.

I had become quite familiar with the shipping harbor. Painful as it was, there was a lot of iron around here that discouraged Fay from coming in after me. The area gave me many places to hide from my pursuers—Fae or human.

Seattle had become a battle ground for gangs and those individuals using the catastrophe as an excuse to act out. Over the last several weeks, I had learned not to underestimate humans. They could be as scary and dangerous as the monsters that hid in the dark, especially when pushed into a corner. A girl alone on the streets was asking for trouble, and it usually found me. But I had no other option. I was stranded in Seattle with no means of getting out. The airport, buses, and trains were down. With no electricity there was little transportation, except on foot.

Even if getting home was easy to do, I wouldn’t have gone back. Besides Olympia being over sixty miles away, Mark was gone and my home was likely the first place the Queen would have her minions watching. It would put my friends in danger as well.

Torin, who until recently I thought was a figment of my imagination, was a beautiful Fay who had come to me mostly in my dreams. He had tried to keep me informed as much as he could to what was happening in the Otherworld. But I had seen little of him in the last few weeks. He said it was extremely dangerous to contact me as the Queen was constantly with him. She was obsessed about finding me.

I was on my own now.

Footsteps clicked from the other side of the broken window of the abandoned warehouse where I hid, bringing me back to the present.

Come out, lass. We know you’re there, a man cooed. He couldn’t disguise the sinister tone underneath. We saw you come this way. Running from something? Who else is after you, little Dae? His voice was raspy and harsh.

Two warning bells rang in my head. First, I had hid here because Fay, like the Queen’s soldiers, couldn’t be around iron. It made us sick, although in the last couple of weeks, I had become a little more tolerant to it. Barely. Second, the man’s voice wasn’t Fay. Fay had voices like silk. This meant I had more than one group after me tonight.

You can’t get by us. Might as well come out now, another gravelly voice spoke. There were at least two of them.

Biting my lip, I pressed myself tighter into the corner. My powers would not work well with so much iron around. Not that I wanted them to. I had hurt too many people already, and tonight only confirmed I should stay as far from humans as possible. My powers were not only dangerous but erratic.

I had discovered the best place to hide was in the iron-filled shipping yard. Iron was Fay kryptonite. Being only half Fay didn’t make being around iron any easier for me. It was torture, but when your life is at stake, you push through. Either the Queen had gotten wise to my trick and sent Fae who wouldn’t be deterred by iron, or there was a whole different group now after me. The chance it might be the Unseelie King’s men was pretty good. He probably wanted me as badly as the Queen. Neither option seemed especially good for my well-being.

You are only hurting yourself being around all this iron. We won’t harm you... we simply want to talk.

Yeah. And I believe that one.

There was a soft scuffling sound. My eyes darted to the noise. A large rat trotted along the wall, scurrying towards me. I threw myself back into the brick wall, and my hand flew up to my mouth, blocking the scream that clawed at my throat. I had almost gotten used to rats over the past month. I slept with them practically every night. But this was no ordinary rat. The façade of the rat quickly changed in front of me. A small, flesh-colored, gremlin-like creature sniffed at the hem of my jeans.

Oh crap, I croaked out.

Why did they always disguise themselves as rats?

The tiny, alien-looking creature, with its bat ears and long claws, looked up at me. A vibrating noise came from its throat as it assessed me.

Did you just purr? The little creature huffed at me with annoyance, and then tore off up the wall and out the broken window.

It seemed like only a few seconds after the creature’s departure when I felt a familiar pull. Oh no. Not now, Torin! I shouted in my head. He either didn’t hear my plea or ignored it because the pull in my head and gut became stronger. No-no-no-no! I fought against it, trying to keep myself awake, but it was useless. My mind caved to the pressure, my head falling back against the wall.

"Torin!" I belted out the moment my eyes opened up. We were in our usual place—a forest somewhere in the Otherworld. This seemed to be his preferred spot. Glistening dew sparked the trees in a halo glow. The colors were so vivid and bright my lids blinked a few times to adjust. A deep turquoise stream trickled through the green grass. A fox settled itself into the exact same spot it had in a prior dreamscape with Torin.

"Send me back right now. I have two Fay soldiers and some other unknown Fae after me right now. I’m a sitting duck while I’m asleep."

"That is what I wanted to warn you about. I sent an imp to find you before I tried to contact you." He stepped in front of me.

"Imp?" The tiny, rat-gremlin creature?

"Yes, this one owed me a favor. My sources have to stay off the Queen’s radar."

My eyes finally focused on Torin. He could still take my breath away. There was no denying Fay were gorgeous—almost painfully beautiful. His dark hair was tied back neatly, displaying his high cheek bones and crystal blue eyes. His usual outfit of leather pants and tight, black shirt clung to every muscular curve.

"The Queen went on a rampage today. I sent two of my most inane Fay soldiers to come after you, thinking you could probably get away from them. But she knows you are hiding near iron. The fact you seem to handle it when her top soldiers can’t, makes her exceedingly unhappy. She’s promised a reward to those dark Fae if they bring you back."

"They’re already here. That’s why I have to go. They could find me at any moment."

A small whine from behind Torin caught my attention. I felt it trying to communicate with me as it paced back and forth.

"Hey, little guy." I took a step towards it. It was a beautiful animal. Red foxes always reminded me of my mother. She had a fondness for them and had spent a lot of time studying them. Now I knew she had come from this realm and had grown up with animals like this.

"No. He grabbed my arm, stopping me from moving closer. Don’t."

I looked back at the little animal. Its gaze locked onto mine, and then Torin’s, before turning and disappearing into the brush. Something in my gut tugged, wanting to run after it.

"Ember, his voice dragged my attention away from the empty spot and back to his face. I need you to be careful. The Queen is determined to capture you. You need to find Lars soon. He will protect you."

"Who is this Lars?"

Torin’s hands moved to my arms, pulling me in closer.

"I am not permitted to tell you. The Queen has bound me and has limited what I can say. But I am trying in every way I can to let you know what’s going on. Please, trust me." He leaned his forehead against me; his lips mere inches from mine.

The more time I spent with Torin, the more natural it felt being with him. I couldn’t deny he made me feel safe and protected. Even in his limited way, I knew he would do anything for me. He had risked his life helping me escape the Queen a few weeks back. Just seeing me now put him in jeopardy. He was the only one I could turn to.

Eli was no longer someone I could trust. Lorcan had confirmed that Eli had been planning the whole time to trade me to the Unseelie King. I had to keep reminding myself Eli was among my enemies. I had to run from him like all the rest.

"I need to get back," I said quietly but didn’t move away from him.

"I know," Torin mumbled. He didn’t seem inclined to move either. It was foolish. My body was completely unprotected back at the warehouse, but I couldn’t seem to compel myself to go. His head moved slowly toward mine. His lips brushed mine....

My lids opened, and I found myself staring at rafters of the old dingy warehouse. It was solid metal with a few large rollaway doors. The only light came from the windows that were at the very top. At least three stories up.

Damn it, Torin.

Standing, I quickly evaluated everything around me. There were no dark Fae standing over me, so they hadn’t found me yet, which was always a good thing. But how long had I been out? Time was different in the Otherworld. Had hours passed here or merely minutes?

Leaving my hiding spot wasn’t the brightest idea, but I needed to know if the men had left or were still outside waiting for me. Moving up to the roof would give me a better idea and advantage. Decision made, I slunk down, stayed close to the wall, and headed for the stairs.

Only a few steps from them, I came to a grinding stop. A gun cocked. Where do you think you’re goin’, lass? A man moved in closer behind me and pressed the barrel to the back of my head. You’re worth a pretty penny. His buddy stepped around to my side. He was tall and lanky; his face long and narrow with a tuft of hair covering his chin. When I peered at him all I could think was he looked like a goat. Not a goat you’d find in a petting zoo, but like one you’d find in the Andes Mountains—tough and bouncing from boulder to boulder. Goat-like or not he had a gun pointed at me.

I tried to swallow my panic. The disadvantage of hiding out in iron buildings was coming to bite me in the ass. There was too much of it for my powers to be strong enough to fight both of them. My magic could destroy an entire city, killing thousands. But here I was defenseless, and officially screwed by a dark Fae with a pistol.

Move it. The man pressed the gun harder against my head, encouraging me forward. His partner-in-crime pulled out restraints from his pocket. No doubt iron, giving them more assurance they would get their prisoner to the drop-off point for payment.

I don’t think you want to do that, a deep, familiar voice declared from the doorway, his large silhouette leaned apathetically against the door jam.

And my night only continues to get better and better, I muttered, annoyed at myself for missing my internal warning system that alerted me when my biggest threat was near.

I heard a small scoff. Now is this how you treat your savior? Your liberator, your rescuer, the redeemer?

It was my turn to scoff. Oh, hell. Are you and your ego done preening?

Knight-in-shining armor then?

Please. Goat-boy here is more likely going to be my knight-in-shining armor than you. I pointed to the guy with handcuffs.

Ouch, Eli’s voice stayed level. He didn’t even pretend it hurt his feelings. Now you’re just trying to be mean.

You haven’t seen me even get close to being nasty. I crossed my arms.

Threat or promise?

That’s a pro—

What the shit is going on? The man behind me cut me off. I jumped. Eli had a way of making me forget there was anybody else in the room besides us. Who the hell are you?

Someone your mommy told you not to mess with, Eli said calmly. His coolness scared me. I knew this tone, and it meant nothing good. A shadow fell across my vision from above. Looking up I saw Cole and a blonde guy I didn’t know come in the top window.

Moonlight, streaming through the windows, was the only light. But when Eli stepped out from the shadows, I couldn’t stop the gasp of air at seeing him again. My traitorous heart slammed against my ribs.

The dark Fae beside me prickled. This is our take. Get lost. He clearly didn’t know who he was dealing with.

I don’t think so. You have something belonging to me, and I’d like it back now.

I bristled at his words. I was a piece of property Eli could sell off to the Unseelie King. It hadn’t solely been the Queen’s minions who had kept me on the run for the last several weeks. Eli’s blood, which ran through my veins, had kept me constantly moving. His blood allowed me to sense when he was near. It had become my warning system but also his beacon—it never let me get too far or him too close. It had turned into a tiring game of hide and seek.

The running had been pointless. There wasn’t a place on Earth where he couldn’t track me down. So why did I keep doing it? Because the only thing I had left was my tiny slice of false independence. And it now seemed even this was coming to an end.

Sorry, we found her first. She’s worth a big reward, and we’re gonna be the ones to cash in.

The man behind me moved, pointing his gun at Eli.

You really think that’s going to stop me? Eli nodded toward the gun.

It will hurt like hell and slow you down enough.

Eli’s eyes blazed, the pupils shifting into vertical slits. No more than a pinprick.

Cole and his partner silently walked the rafters, positioning themselves above our heads. This conflict would be over before it started. I had a limited window of opportunity to get away. Surprisingly, it seemed no matter how many things were stacked against me, my self-preservation wouldn’t go down without a fight.

Through the dark shadows, I saw Eli’s body start to shift, lowering closer to the ground, his eyes now turning from their bright green to flaming red.

Holy shit! You’re a Dark Dweller, the man yelped. The Queen led us to believe you were all dead.

Sorry to disappoint, Eli’s voice growled, his words garbled as his form shifted.

The gun went off. The bullet hit the cement at Eli’s feet. Sensing movement from above, I felt the whooshing air as Cole and his companion dropped silently down. Like a brilliantly executed plan, the moment their feet hit the ground, I dropped to my knees, getting out of the way of both gun and men.

My feet scrambled underneath me as I scurried towards the exit. The fight behind me was deafening with gun shots, bones crunching, and frightening, deep growls. Taking a quick glance over my shoulder, I could see the outlines of them fighting. Dark Dwellers clashed with shapes of large, spikey-horned goats.

I ran for the door—their reward money was fleeing out the door. I sprinted out the entrance and around the corner, toward freedom.

With a piercing shatter, glass flew out from the window next to my head, raining shards down on me. A body hurled through the window taking me to the ground. I thrashed against the unrelenting force of my assailant.

Stop fighting me, a deep voice growled.

I looked up into his face as fierce, green eyes locked on mine. They were still vertical, in his Dark Dweller state, but his body was all man and pressed up against me. My heart instantly tripped over itself, while my mind tried to look at him as no more than another enemy.

An exceedingly exposed enemy. Eli was naked, his body covering mine, letting me feel everything.

I wrestled against his hold on me. Let me go.

Try again.

Get off of me.

Nope, not that one either, he replied icily.

Do you have her, Eli? The blonde guy stuck his head around the corner. There was something about him I recognized. Had I met him before?

Yeah. Eli sighed deeply against me, his cock pressing into me.

The blonde guy smirked, shaking his head. Yep, I would say you definitely do.

Get. Off. Of. Me. Now! Embarrassment and anger burned deep. Eli had become the bane of my existence—when I didn’t want to kiss him, which was all the time. I wanted to be cured of him since I’d found out he had only been faking an attraction to me. He wanted to get closer to learn more about me and my capabilities before turning me over to the Unseelie King.

Eli’s eyes narrowed, his grip only becoming tighter as he pushed off me, pulling me up with him. There was no barrier now between me and all of Eli’s glory. And, wow, was there glory. The man was massive. I had seen enough porn to know he was beyond anything I had ever observed. Heat crept between my thighs, blushing my cheeks, my eyes darting to the side, looking away from his unclothed body.

You’re naked.

And you’re observant. He led me around the corner where a black Cadillac Escalade Hybrid was waiting. Now get in.

Are you kidding me? I tugged against his grip. You think I’m going to get into the car? I’m not going anywhere with you.

It is not a choice.

Cole came from behind tugging on some jeans. We’ve got to go, Eli, before those Phooka assholes come to.

Those what?

A Phooka. An Irish goblin that turns itself into a goat. Prone to violence, stealing, and vicious pranks. Not nice guys.

I looked around. All the other Dark Dwellers were moving toward the car. By the dim moonlight I could make them out. They were all naked.

Damn...

Eli grabbed my arm and hauled me into the backseat of the SUV. We don’t have time for this.

Watch it, I protested as I fell in. He pushed me over, sliding in next to