Dwellers of Darkness (Darkness Series #3) Read online

  “Ember, you, too.” He waved me over and ignored the stunned glances from the camp.

  “But my breakfast...” I looked down at the plate of steamy, scrambled eggs. The coffee thermos was still within my reach.

  “Now!” He practically stomped his foot with impatience. The niceties only went so far. He had been in a foul mood the moment he walked out.

  I threw down my plate on a nearby tree stump. “Does he really want to deal with me before I get my coffee?” I mumbled as I walked to him.

  My mom grinned and squeezed my arm as I passed. “Even at two years old you were not a morning person.” This brought a small smile from me.

  I huffed when I stood in front of him. “What?”

  “I want Kennedy to do another revealing spell.”

  “Again? We’ve done it every day. There is nothing there you guys haven’t already seen. What’s it going to do except drain both me and Kennedy for the day?”

  “Because I said so.”

  “Why don’t you do it then? Leave Kennedy out of this.”

  “I am doing my own as well.” He jerked his head, “Now, turn around.”

  Everyone in camp watched, apprehensive of Lars’ temperamental mood. I lifted the back of my shirt. Eli came and held onto my arms, making himself my rock.

  “Start,” Lars directed Kennedy. She nodded and murmured her incantation. Lars touched my back the moment Kennedy finished. The energy entering my back yanked away all my senses. I didn’t even feel myself slam into Eli. Then everything rushed back into me like a broken levee. Eli grabbed me as my legs collapsed. I gasped, blinking.

  “Holy crap. What did you do?” I hissed.

  “I turned Kennedy’s spell up a notch. I want to ascertain there is nothing we are missing.” Lars brushed lose strands of my hair off my back.

  If there was something new to see, I was sure we would have seen it by now. I didn’t want to risk angering Lars more, so I stayed quiet.

  Cole, Owen, and Mom had moved around me and stood by as Lars inspected my back.

  “Sorry, Lars, but there is nothing we haven’t seen.” Cole sighed.

  Lars stayed silent, but I could feel his frustration growing into a force ready to burst.

  “Unfortunately, I agree with Cole,” Mom said.

  “Me as well.” Owen nodded.

  Jared came around; his cold fingers touched my back. “That’s cool. I never noticed this before.”

  “Noticed what?” Lars asked.

  His finger came back in contact with my back. “Right here. It’s tiny but consider the white and black lines as one. The bottom of this S-shape and the top of this one connect into an infinity sign.”

  Several beats passed before Lars let out an oath in some language I didn’t recognize. “How blind am I? I have been treating them as separate entities.”

  “I don’t remember ever seeing this mark before. Your power must have pushed it to the surface.” Cole was jumping with excitement. “Eli, will you come here?”

  Eli let go and walked around me.

  “Do you see the marks? They’re fading, but what’s the design look like to you?” Cole touched the spot on my back.

  Eli moved in closer, his finger stretching the skin at the area where they were looking. A hiss of air sucked through his teeth.

  “It’s the infinity dragon...” he trailed off. “My family’s symbol, our sign.”

  “What?” I turned to face Eli, but Lars grabbed my shoulders twisting me forward. “What do you mean your family symbol? Why would it be on my back?”

  Eli didn’t respond and continued to touch the image.

  “Somebody please tell me what’s going on.”

  Lars swore. “Dragon Cave. That’s where it is.”

  “Where is that?” Mom questioned.

  “Dragon Cave is under the Varlaam Monastery, which is several kilometers northwest of here.” Lars was already walking away. “Be ready to leave in thirty minutes.”

  “But...” So many questions went through my head.

  Lars turned back sharply and glared. “The infinity dragon is an ancient symbol. It might be related to Mr. Dragen here, but most likely it is not. It also happens to be the figure used for this cave on earliest maps. Now get moving.”

  With that our army of people dissipated in all directions collecting camping gear. Eli and I continued to stand there.

  “He’s right. It probably has nothing to do with me.” Eli rubbed at his head.

  I peered at him out of the corner of my eye. “Yeah, because things with Fae are always simple happenstances.”

  TWENTY-TWO

  “My lady? The cave is over the next hill. You are almost there.” Simmons circled my head.

  “Simmons, will you stop screeching?” Cal growled, holding his head. He curled tighter in my backpack.

  “Is someone a little sensitive this morning?” I teased. The Greek juniper plant grew in abundance here, and Cal was the one hung-over this morning. He had opted out of scouting the area and reporting back. Simmons gladly accepted the role.

  The longer we were out here the more alert we needed to be. Discovery by the Queen was always something we had to worry about. Lars helped Kennedy set enchantments in place when we camped, but when we were on the move we had no protection.

  “The area is clear of any humans and Fae, my lady.” The tiny man flew at my eye-level.

  “Thank you, Simmons.”

  “Oh, look. I guess they are good for something,” Eli quipped.

  “How dare you, sir.” An angry pixie grabbed for his swizzle stick at his belt.

  “Simmons, you know better than to take his bait. Please keep watch ahead. Your lookout is vital to our plan.”

  He adjusted his sword. “Of course, my lady.” He shot Eli a withering look and flew off.

  “Why must you do that?” I exhaled.

  Eli flashed a smile. “Part of my charm.”

  “To piss people off? Oh, yeah, you are good at that.”

  I glanced over my shoulder and saw Torin was in the rear. Since my last encounter with him, he kept a wide berth. Now his eyes penetrated mine, and they were cold and hard. The thought of him hating me felt like barbs stabbing my heart. Would Torin and I ever be okay? It seemed highly doubtful. I also felt the intense stare from Thara next to him, and I quickly turned away.

  Josh came beside us, taking my attention away from the personal drama. “So you really think the Sword of Light is in this cave?”

  “Don’t know. I hope so.”

  A nerve twitched at Josh’s smile. “It better be there.” He adjusted his heavy backpack. His tone was unusually serious. I stared at him. “I really want to take her down. Revenge for what she did to me. To all of us.”

  “Of course you do.” I nodded. His dedication to find this sword almost rivaled my own. Whatever had happened to him had been more than he told me. My gut knotted at that thought.

  The moment we stepped up to the cave’s opening, I felt it. Iron. The cave was laced with it. Soil usually contained a form of iron, but it was so diluted it didn’t normally have the power to affect Fay. This cave had more than the other caves we had explored so far. Another coincidence or on purpose?

  Torin and Thara stepped back cautiously as they felt the metal grope hungrily at their skin. My attention then locked on Mom. She did not step back like her fellow Fay did. She caught my questioning stare.

  “Aneira had me locked up in iron for years.” Mom took a determined step closer to the cave. “I will be okay.”

  I turned back on Torin and Thara. “You guys should stay here and keep watch—

  Torin’s head started to shake before I even finished my sentence. “No.”

  “You’ll be in pain. It could cripple you.”

  “I am not weak.” He glowered at me.

  “I never said you were.” I threw up my arms. Arguing with him was useless. He wouldn’t listen no matter the consequences or how much pain. He would go, and Thara would go w
herever Torin did.

  “We will not leave either, my lady.” Simmons hovered beside me.

  Cal, still curled up on my bag, mumbled something in agreement to this.

  “Okay.” I exhaled and moved forward. “Let’s go.”

  Lars already stood at the imposing entrance of Dragon Cave. The town of Kalambaka loomed in the valley below. Way above us perched the Varlaam monastery. Both the cave and priory were open to the public, but because it was really early, and the cavern was not advertised, it sat empty.

  “I read last night in my travel book there is a legend associated with this cave.” Kennedy withdrew her notes from the Greece guide and started reading to us. “There’s a story told to the children about a dragon that used to live inside a huge cavern underneath the monastery of Varlaam. The dragon went to the nearby village of Kastraki every night to feed on the locals and their livestock. People became desperate and were unable to deal with the creature on their own, so they sought assistance from the monastery of Varlaam. A monk who sensed their desperation sacrificed himself to help them. He cursed the dragon and then jumped off the cliff to his death. Immediately after the monk died, the ceiling of the cave collapsed, and the dragon was killed.”

  I started to giggle. “Humans think it’s a fairytale, but in our world it probably happened, huh?”

  Lars looked at me and turned away. My smile dropped. “It is only a legend?” He didn’t answer but cocked an eyebrow.

  I glanced around to all the other Fae. “Right?” They also looked away from me.

  “Seriously?” I exclaimed.

  “I told you, my brother and I were troublemakers,” Lars replied. “The sacrifice of the monk did not cause it to crumple. He was a religious fanatic who thought he could save the people by surrendering himself to the beast. He got caught in the cave when Devlin and I caused it to collapse. People wanted to use his death as some moralistic story, and the legend arose from there.”

  “Dragons exist?” I asked.

  “Not anymore. They were hunted into extinction long ago.” Lars stared off into the blackness seeming to be lost in memories.

  “Why did you bring one here?” I looked deeper into the cave trying to picture a huge, fire-breathing dragon sitting inside.

  “We were young and bored and thought having a dragon would spice life a bit, especially if we could harness its power. It turned out they were a lot harder to handle than we thought.”

  I shook my head. Talk about troublemakers. People thought kids nowadays wreaked havoc. Try twin Demon boys with magical powers and too much time on their hands. I wondered if many other so-called legends were based on true stories involving Fae.

  Lars clasped his hands together, regaining the group’s attention. “All right, enough about my past indiscretions. You have headlamps in the gear packs I gave you. We will be going past where tourists are allowed. It is dangerous and dark, and we will be venturing into some small, tight places.” Lars pulled on his headgear. “Because there will be some constricted areas, we can only bring our day packs, so please switch over now. Leave the bigger packs here.” He pointed to a hidey-hole in the wall.

  One step into the cave, and I went down on my knees. The feeling of everything being ripped from my gut made me feel weak. Thara and Torin followed. I would eventually grow more immune to the Fay poison because of my Dark Dweller and Demon side; the other Fay would not.

  Mom kneeled next to me, and her arm embraced me, helping me stand. She appeared the least affected, so I leaned on her as I got back onto my feet.

  “We do not have time for you to acclimate. Push through or stay behind.” Lars pulled out his lamp, placing it on his head.

  “Okay, I’ll stay here, relax, catch up on my tan, maybe draw or do some sightseeing,” I snipped back.

  He gave me a dour glance. “Except you.”

  “We all go together.” I crossed my arms. “No one is left behind.”

  Lars snarled and threw his bag into the cubby hole. “We are heading out now.” He switched on his lamp, turned, and led the way along the passage.

  “Damn, someone’s being a prick today.” Cooper said, putting on a head lamp.

  “I seem to be permanently surrounded by them.” I lifted my eyebrow at him. Already the effects from the iron were starting to diminish. Gabby strolled up behind Cooper. “Oh, and a few bitches,” I added.

  “Damn right.” She nodded proudly. She had already put her other gear away and leaned forward on her toes, as though ready for the adventure into the unknown.

  Most everyone had moved out, following Lars. Josh was one of the first, eager to begin. Thara and Torin struggled. Because they were slow to switch over their packs or even move, I went over to lend a hand.

  “Don’t.” Torin scowled. “I can do it myself.”

  I jerked my hand back from his bag. “I know. I only want to help.”

  His lips went into a thin, white line, pressing together tightly. His expression was hard, but sadness flickered in his eyes. He didn’t want my help.

  I backed off with a nod. “Okay.” Sorrow got caught in my throat, and I had to turn away before he saw it. I grabbed my smaller pack, threw the other one in the hole, and rushed after Lars.

  Eli slipped up next to me in the dark. His fingers brushed mine. He didn’t say or do anything else, but I didn’t need him to. It was enough.

  Hours went by or what felt like hours. I had no concept of time—only more claustrophobic darkness and oppressive iron-laced walls. It kept me drained and struggling. The passageway was rough and sometimes disappeared altogether. It was pretty clear it had not been used in decades. It was worst when we had to crawl on our bellies, slithering across the sharp rocks. Spiders, bats, and huge bugs moved over the walls, floor, and ceiling around us. We were in a tight crevice. The walls closed in on me; the air was thinner and harder to breathe.

  “Relax, Em,” Kennedy said from behind. “I can sense you freaking out. Your aura is going very dark.”

  I reached back and gripped her hand in mine.

  She gave it a comforting squeeze. “So my weakness is heights and yours is confined places.”

  “With no windows... or light... or way out.” Die. We are going to suffocate and die here. I could feel the panic burning up my throat, rousing my arms and legs to run. Or rock in the corner.

  “Just keep breathing. In and out... in and... ahhhhhhh!” Kennedy screamed, and her finger pointed at my backpack.

  “What?” I demanded wildly.

  “Spider! Huge!”

  Simmons tore off my shoulder into the air; Cal stayed asleep. “Where?” Simmons pulled out his sword. “I must kill it.”

  Eli leaned around me and brushed it off. It fell with a thump in the dirt and ran across Kennedy’s foot. She kicked and screamed, which sent off the bats overhead.

  “Enough!” Lars yelled down the tunnel to us. “Kennedy, I need you to stay focused. You, too, Ember.”

  “Okay.” My words came out strained as a centipede scuttled up my pant leg. I waved frantically to Eli to get it.

  “You’re such a girl.” He rolled his eyes and flicked it off.

  I leaned up to his ear. “But I screw like a Demon.” A naughty grin hitched his lip.

  “Hurry up.” Lars shot as us, shaking his head.

  Lars’ impatience with our slow pace was hitting new highs. He constantly was probing Kennedy to see if she felt or sensed anything. When she shook her head, Lars’ frustration only swelled. Surprisingly, he didn’t take it out on her; his wrath found another outlet. His ire turned toward Torin and Thara who could barely keep up. A few times we had to stop and wait for them. Being in this cave had to be torture for them. The iron constantly brought them to their knees, but they never complained. Owen stayed near, helping when he could. Torin accepted his help with more ease than mine.

  Finally, Lars halted. The cave had opened up into a massive cavern, but then the footpath narrowed into a foot-wide ledge. On one side there was a smoot
h wall; the other was a drop off into a deep void. Cole pointed his flashlight into the vast abyss, but the light never reached the bottom.

  “I hear water down there.” Cole tilted his head.

  “There is a river running through this cave,” Lars said. “This passageway is dreadfully narrow and doesn’t look stable. The rocks are loose around the edge. Please be cautious. It is a long drop.”

  I peered down into the chasm. My stomach rolled at the notion of falling.

  Lars started along the trail, followed closely by Josh; Thara and Torin brought up the rear. Simmons and Cal rode on my pack. Cal snored most of the way, and Simmons was still twitchy from the spider incident. Big spiders look at a pixie as a delicious meal.

  As I stepped onto the ledge, my heart picked up its pace. It was so tight most of us had to walk sideways. I learned an important lesson fast—don’t look down. I gulped, shoving my head back onto the wall.

  Pairs of hiking boots slid along the restricted walkway like a train. My pack was now set on my front, and my back pressed rigidly into the stone. Fragile bits of rock crumbled with every step we took. Behind me Kennedy whimpered.

  “Don’t look down, Ken. Feel with your feet and keep your head looking straight ahead.” I reached sideways and squeezed her hand.

  Her thin fingers gripped mine back. She bit her lip and nodded. My gaze drifted to Torin. The iron was affecting him the most. After what the Queen had done to him, it was clear he would never be the same. It appeared only determination kept him standing. My hatred for her pushed through the pain the iron still caused me. The thought of killing her was becoming an exceedingly welcome idea. She would pay for everything she had done. The weapon of her annihilation was almost in our reach.

  As I turned my attention to securing my footing on the narrow path, I heard Thara cry out.

  “Torin!” His name echoed off the walls. My neck whipped back. Torin stumbled forward, losing balance and hit the ground sliding halfway off the ledge.