Dwellers of Darkness (Darkness Series #3) Read online

  Although I knew he’d never purposely hurt me, a spark of anxiety sizzled up my spine. No matter what we had been through, he could still startle me. The ruthless killer was never far from the surface no matter how “human” he acted.

  “You are anything but simple,” I uttered.

  “I’m a Dark Dweller, so I’m going to choose screwing you over talking. Always. It’s who I am. But don’t think you can pull one over on me.”

  I tugged away from him. “Shit. Give me a break. I just found out I have an uncle and a deceased father. No one thought to let me know about them even when I was living under their roof.” I spit out, fury crackling under my skin. “And even better... Lars murdered my father because Devlin went insane and started slaughtering people right and left. Guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

  “Is that what you think?” Eli eyes burned into me. “You are not insane or homicidal.”

  “I’m sure some would beg to differ.”

  Eli snatched my wrist again, pulling me into him. “Believe me I know about being a killer, and you’re not one.”

  An overwhelming ache clenched at my throat, emotion chipping away at my wall. I stared at my feet, the ache wiggling into my heart. “They both lied to me. Why would they keep something like this from me?”

  Eli watched me. His hands still locked around my arms. “Lily did it to keep you safe.”

  “I don’t know if I buy that anymore.”

  We stayed quiet for a minute. Biting my lip, I took in a deep breath and asked, “Did you know who my father was?” I had learned all too well Fae loved to keep their secrets. Even those you felt should tell you the truth didn’t. Maybe the centuries of hiding from humans and keeping their existence secret from the world kept them so tight-lipped.

  “No.” He shook his head. “Not definitely. I had my suspicions, though.”

  My head wrenched up. “Suspicions?”

  “You are too strong to come from an ordinary Demon. It now makes sense. When the last Unseelie King went insane and was killed, it was not too long after that you were brought to this realm. But, no, I didn’t know for fact who your father was.”

  “Do you know why he lost his mind?”

  Eli kept his eyes focused on mine, but he paused for a couple of breaths. “No.”

  I continued to observe him. I suspected he was not telling me the whole truth, but he didn’t flinch. I broke first.

  “I was always curious about my real dad, but when Mark came into my life, he was enough. I was happy.” Tears filled my eyes. “Why can’t he still be enough? Why do I care about this man I never met? A Demon who killed people. Why does it make me sad he’s dead?”

  “Because he was your father.” He tilted his head. “You secretly thought it was Lars,” he said. Blurry-eyed I looked down at the ground and nodded. “You wanted it to be him.”

  A strangled cry broke free, confirming his assumptions. At least my father would be alive. Good or bad, it was someone I would know. Now that was lost to me forever.

  Eli cupped the back of my head and pulled me tightly against his warm body, enfolding me. Sobs surged from my chest. The protective walls I spent years perfecting tumbled away. He let me cry and held me till I quieted.

  “Speaking of Lars, I saw he was here. I’m assuming he had something to do with us getting away from Weiss tonight,” Eli said after my heavy tears subsided.

  I nodded against his chest. Pulling back, I wiped my eyes. “He caused the accident, so we could escape. He knows the location of the map on my back.”

  Eli leaned away. “And you didn’t think to tell me this till now?”

  I glared at him. “I’ve had other things on my mind. And don’t assume I forgot about Ms. Tits and Ass earlier. We are still going to talk about that.”

  “Good to see you have your priorities straight, Brycin.” He heaved a sigh and put a hand on my lower back, pushing me to the house.

  “Oh, believe me, they will become important to you if McTramp comes anywhere near you again.”

  “Be careful, Brycin, you’re starting to sound jealous.”

  As our feet hit the stairs to the deck of the ranch house, someone yelled at us. “You two are hell to be around.”

  “Shit!” I jumped.

  Cooper sat in the rocking chair on the porch, drenched in darkness. Only his bright, brown eyes showed. “I’m getting really tired of jackin’ off. I need to get laid. Now.” Cooper got up from the chair and headed toward the door. “I was supposed to get you two a while ago. Let’s agree I did.” Cooper huffed.

  “You got it, man.” Eli slapped Cooper’s back. “Wait, didn’t you get laid by the waitress the other night?”

  “Yeah, but with you two around, I’m painfully reminded how even a couple of hours without is too long.” Cooper grumbled and moved to the door. It squeaked open revealing the family room abuzz with commotion and people screaming at each other.

  Crap.

  Cole, Mom, and Lars were bunched together. Their bodies were tense and angry, and voices were raised.

  “We are going with you. You think we’ll simply sit back and let you get the sword for yourself?” Cole yelled.

  Lars looked calm and in control, but this was when he was his most dangerous. “I never denied you coming. I have come to understand the relationship between Ember and Elighan. It is futile to keep them apart. I do not waste my time or energy heedlessly. But only a few of you need to come, and your job will be to protect her.”

  “We always protect our own,” Cole seethed. “You will not come here and order us around.” His pupils stretched vertical. “I don’t care who you are.”

  “I am the Unseelie King. I will have your respect.”

  “You are not our king. We are not ruled by anyone but ourselves.” Cole pounded on his chest.

  “If you inhabit Earth, you are under my rule,” Lars howled. “I was the one who protected Ember when she was captured and held by Aneira. I do not actually need any of you, except the Druid and Ember.”

  I saw Eli’s shoulder muscles tightened. “You knew the whole time she was there and alive?”

  “Yes. Not telling you the truth saved her life and yours,” Lars responded.

  This is going to be fun.

  Eli’s movement toward Lars was quick, but I was quicker. I threw myself in the middle. “Whoa! Time out.” I had my hands in the T-formation, tapping them together. “I know you’re mad, Eli, but that’s not what’s important right now. It’s done. We need to forget everything but getting the sword.” I turned to face the whole group and looked at each one in the tight circle. “All of us need to make obtaining it our priority.” Eli’s hackles were still raised, his fists clenched, but he stepped back from Lars. “Since most think I am the one who is prophesized, I think I get a say as to who goes. Cole, Eli, Kennedy, and Cooper will come with us.”

  “Oh, hell no! I’m going.” Gabby pushed into the circle.

  “Me, too,” Mom insisted. I was about to refute this when Jared echoed her sentiment.

  Josh stood from the chair’s arm where he had been perched. “I’m going, also. There is no way I’m being left.”

  “You might need me. I will go as well,” Owen spoke up.

  I started to deny their requests.

  “My lady. Where you go I go.” Simmons flew up into my eye line. Cal and he had been sitting on the mantelpiece watching the drama unfold.

  Cal came up beside Simmons. “You, girlie, will only get into trouble if I don’t go.”

  “Ember, we are in this together. There is no way you are doing this without me,” Mom said, determination fixed on her face. I recognized this look, and I knew better than to argue.

  I pressed my mouth into a hard line and nodded. “Fine.” I turned back to Lars. “We are all going. Make whatever arrangements you need to get things in order, but that’s how it’s going to be. No more fighting or ‘my plan is better than your plan’ bullshit. We need to be a team. You may not like each
other, but we all hate Aneira. We have a common goal. Let’s not forget it.”

  This was probably the stupidest decision ever, but it was made.

  Then I started thinking about what would happen when you put a Demon King, an unhappy mother, a group of killers, an unpracticed Druid, and a Dae on a road trip together?

  There’s no doubt. This is the most stupid decision ever made.

  Family time is fun time... whoever said this needs a hard slap to the head.

  TWENTY

  I pressed my face against the tiny window of the plane. The Pindus Mountain terrain spiked and fell in dramatic surges below me. It was breathtaking. This wasn’t some family vacation, but I was still excited to be in Greece. I had traveled to quite a few places in Europe, but the center of the ancient wonders of the world wasn’t one of them. Though I doubted sightseeing was on the itinerary.

  A hand gripped mine in a painful clutch as turbulence dribbled the private jet like a basketball. I turned to look at Eli leaning back in his seat next to me. His eyes were closed, his face white, his jaw clenched, and his breathing was fast and shallow.

  “I finally found something you’re afraid of.”

  One of Eli’s eyes opened, peering at me. “Not afraid, just extremely untrusting of this human contraption. This isn’t natural; it shouldn’t be able to be in the air.”

  “So I’m gathering you have never flown before?”

  He turned his head forward and looked at the ceiling. “Never needed to. I was meant to be on the ground with my feet touching the earth. I prefer running or riding my bike.”

  Most everyone in the group agreed using the doors would be suicidal. Aneira would have her soldiers watching them. Since the Dark Dwellers couldn’t use them anyway, we decided on other means of transportation. Lars had his private jet prepared for us, and within the hour we were in the air.

  The plane was sleek, plush, and installed with all the latest gadgets. Every video game and touch-screen device you could imagine was set up in the chairs. Each one included its own separate pod of gizmos and contraptions. Josh was in World of Warcraft heaven. I don’t think he closed his eyes once or stopped thumping the buttons on his chair.

  Our pilot was Fae and so were the gorgeous flight attendants, Jessica and Melanie. They worked for Lars, and he was their first priority. Lars had retired to his private office in the rear of the cabin as soon as we boarded and had not been seen since. Melanie hovered close to his door and went in and out with refreshments a few times.

  It had been a stressful plane ride. All fourteen hours of it. Even after my appeal to “get along,” the collaboration of Lars, the Dark Dwellers, and Mom had been less than friendly and cohesive. Lars had declared several times he was none too happy about the extensive entourage escorting us to Greece.

  The aircraft dipped again. My hand received another crushing squeeze. “Pansy.” I smirked and his grip tightened. “Ow!”

  Now Eli smirked. “You really want to screw with an edgy Dark Dweller? Haven’t you learned anything?”

  I leaned in; my face was only a breath away from his. “I enjoy screwing with edgy Dark Dwellers.”

  The corner of his mouth hooked up in one of his bad-boy grins. “Well, I am really tense and edgy right now.”

  I grinned. “Ever heard of the mile high club?”

  “Funny enough, I have.” His lips grazed mine as he spoke, sending flutters in my stomach. “And I’ve always been curious about becoming a member. How does one go about it?”

  Heat scorched my skin where his lips brushed. Peeping over the headrest of my cushy, swivel chair I spotted Mom, Thara, and Torin seated in the built-in sofa near the back of the plane—across from the bathroom. Icy blue eyes locked onto mine as Torin returned my stare. Anger flecked with tortured longing appeared in his eyes. I quickly turned to the front.

  “Think we’ll have to wait.” Sneaking back there for a “quickie” would be awkward, embarrassing, and cruel. This wasn’t the first time I had caught Torin watching me and Eli with a wistful, furious, or pained look. I felt both sad and guilty. His hurt was hard to take. Our connection wanted me to do everything in my power to make him happy. But the thing that was causing his pain was me and my own happiness. I was far too selfish to give Eli up.

  The bond frustrated me because I wanted it to go away. I had been trying to center on where it came from. To see what made me want to protect or go to Torin. When Lars pulled me, it was a physical thing. My arms and limbs moved without thought, and the more I fought it, the more it hurt. My connection to Eli was in my veins, body, my skin... everything. It was my need to be near him not a physical pull.

  Torin’s bond was somewhere in the middle. My brain would shut down, and I would just respond. It was like a code embedded in me long ago, which turned me off and the connection on. I would react first. When I gave myself a moment and forced myself to think, I would realize it wasn’t really me who was feeling that way. It was almost like an outside entity had latched onto me, controlling my thoughts and actions. It didn’t feel particularly good when I went against it, but it wasn’t painful or unmanageable like with Lars.

  Eli’s hot breath against my neck brought me out of my thoughts. “Are you sure? It would really calm me. You would be doing the community a service,” he said into my ear, his hand moving up my leg.

  Breath caught in my throat. It was tempting, but I shook my head. “Sorry, guess you’ll have to earn your wings on the way home.”

  A barely audible growl emitted from his throat. “You know better than to tempt me and take it away. You ready for the repercussions?”

  I did, and I was. If the plane wasn’t full of people, I would gladly let him show me. “Punish me later.”

  “Oh, I will. Tenfold.” He sighed, giving me a quick kiss before leaning back in his seat.

  A crackle came over the jet’s loud speaker. “This is your captain. We will be landing shortly. Melanie and Jessica will be coming by to see if you need anything.”

  Cooper had flirted excessively with Jessica from the moment we took off. They had both disappeared awhile back, and I had little doubt he had gotten his wish to get laid. Probably several times. Jessica came down the aisle straightening her shirt, looking a lot more unkempt than she did at the beginning of our flight. Cooper followed only a minute behind. His strut to the seat was self-satisfied. I wasn’t sure if I was jealous or grossed out at the thought Cooper and the stewardess were getting it on in the lavatory.

  Josh spent most of the trip playing video games that hadn’t even been released yet. Gabby, Owen, and Cole sat in front of us, sleeping most of the way. They were not thrilled to be in the air either. Sitting up, I looked past Eli. Kennedy was curled in her seat, her head on Jared’s lap as they whispered and giggled together.

  So freakin’ cute.

  I turned to the window and watched the sweltering tarmac greet the wheels of our plane. Eli kept his eyes shut the entire time. He let out a huge breath when the plane came to halt.

  “I want to welcome you to Larissa, Greece. The current time is nine twenty am, and it is already eighty degrees on this August morning,” the captain announced.

  Larissa had the closest landing strip to the Meteora region, but it wasn’t a commercial airport. We were on a military base. Because we could land here told me a lot about Lars’ authority and power. Whether it was through glamour, money, or blackmail, I didn’t know. I didn’t especially want to.

  Lars had a luxury shuttle waiting for us as we exited the plane. The trip from the base to the town of Kalambaka was uneventful. No one looked twice as six huge tough-looking Dark Dwellers, three ethereal Fairies, a yellow-eyed Demon, a human, a Druid, two flying pixies, and a Dae exited the van in the middle of town square. I had to wonder if Lars glamoured all of us to look like ordinary tourists, or if the people here saw strange things all the time. I knew keeping us under the radar from the Otherworld spies was vital.

  Lars checked us into the local hotel giving f
irm instructions. “You have sixty minutes to rest and prepare. We will not be returning. From here on, we will be camping and hiking through some rough terrain.” He waved his hand. “Now go. I want you all back here in an hour.”

  “I need a shower,” I grumbled and turned toward the room I had been allotted.

  Eli grabbed my waist from behind, pulling me into him. His lips grazed my ear. “Me, too.”

  Exactly one hour later, we stood in front of the hotel. I hadn’t gotten any rest, but the shower refreshed me. The feeling was quickly fading as the heat pounded down relentlessly. I squinted up at the view, shielding my eyes from the blinding sun. Above the quaint town of Kalambaka, giant rock formations stood strong and prominent, reaching toward the sky. Visible through the puffy clouds, stone pillars balanced a sun-toasted stone monastery high on their shoulders. Worn white-washed stone buildings with red-tiled roofs circled the square, which included hotels, bakeries, restaurants, souvenir shops, and a church.

  I was already in love with this area; it felt alive and full of mystery and intrigue. The landscape along with the delectable food brought people here. The scents of tomatoes, pesto, and bread filled the air. I took a deep breath, and my stomach growled with need to taste each delicious smell wafting my way.

  “I did a little research on the way over.” Kennedy pulled out a piece of paper with her notes. “Meteora means ‘middle of the sky,’ ‘suspended in the air,’ or ‘in the heavens above.’ The six monasteries were built on natural rock pillars. Scientists think the pinnacles were created some sixty million years ago, developed from the river and earthquakes. It is said the first people came to this area in the ninth century. To escape everyday life, some eventually settled in small caves, embarking on lives of solitude, and meeting occasionally to worship and pray. As time progressed, the cave dwellers grew into a small community concentrated around the growing number of monasteries.”

  She never did a “little research” on anything. It was one of the reasons she had been called a nerd and geek through school. She loved facts as much, if not more, than I did.