Blood Beyond Darkness (30 page)

Josh pointed to the nearest hallway. “This way.”

“No. This way.” Torin headed for one of the antechambers. We paused. Eli turned and followed Torin.

“Sorry, Josh. Torin was raised here.” I trusted Torin’s knowledge of the castle more than Josh’s. Josh grudgingly trailed the rest of us down the corridor.

The moment I saw the large wooden doors at the end, my instincts launched warnings:  my skin tingled and my heart picked up pace. There were no guards and no Simmons or Cal.

“Guys, what ... ?” I trailed off as Eli spun around, his harsh growl shuddering off the rock walls, his focus on the shadows. The sound of Torin’s blade being unsheathed raised my flesh.

“You shouldn’t send pixies to do a man’s job.” A deep, velvety male voice spoke, his outline appearing out of the gloom. The closer he stepped, the more I could see he had something
clutched in his fist.

“Cal!” I rushed forward. Eli grabbed my arm, pulling me back. Cal lay limp in the guard’s hand. “What did you do to him?”

“He got a taste of his own medicine.” The man chuckled. “A lot of it. Poured it down his little bitty throat until he gagged.”

I could feel rage igniting my chest. Cal’s chest moved slowly. He was still breathing. The juniper plant dust put Fay to sleep and got pixies drunk, but how much of the compressed substance could a pixie handle? When the
lamprog attacked us, Cal’s metabolism could only burn off so much. He could die of an overdose. Eli gripped me tighter, feeling my need to take the guard down and grab Cal. Where was Simmons?

“Let him go, Quilliam.” Torin pointed his blade at the man.

Quilliam? The name sounded familiar. Then a memory of slamming this man’s nose under my palm darted into my mind. He’d been a casualty of me trying to sneak into the castle the first time. His hateful glare told me he remembered me clearly.

“I don’t think so, Torin. This guy seems strangely important to you. How many times did I beat you at cards? You know I don’t give up a good hand.” Quilliam stuffed Cal into his pocket and patted it. “I’ll keep him safe, right here.”

“You play cards the same way, by slipping some in your sleeves and pockets to cheat with later.” The muscles of Torin’s jaw strained against his skin.

“You are such the hero, aren’t you? You pick right and wrong, while I pick winning.” Quilliam sneered. “I think the Queen will prefer my way.”

“Speaking of Aneira.” Eli’s shoulders hunched as he scanned the room. “Where is your owner?”

“She is kicking the ass of the Unseelie King right now. Soon he will be dead and so will you.”

Eli chuckled beside me. “You think you can take all of us?”

A handful of the Queen’s men hustled in behind Quilliam. “I do.” He nodded again. A yelp had me spinning around. A few guards had snuck behind us, seizing Josh.

Impulse moved me toward him. The guard holding Josh poked his blade into Josh’s throat. My feet halted, glued to the ground.

“Quilliam. Let him go. The argument is between us.” Torin challenged him and the guy holding Josh.

“You’re right. My real hatred is at you,” Quilliam snarled back.

A tight smile pulled up Torin’s mouth, “Does having to play second fiddle still eat at you? Must have hurt when the Queen passed over you again, especially for a human.”

Quilliam’s shoulders pulled tightly back. “At least I didn’t disgrace myself for a Dae.”

“Looks like your nose has healed.” I tilted my head. “Though I have to say it looks crooked. Suits you.”

Torin snorted and looked back at me. It was the first time I had seen humor in his eyes for a long time. Our eyes connected. Torin and I smiled at each other, the only two in the room, not counting Quilliam, who got the joke. Something flashed in Torin’s eyes, but before I could decipher it, his gaze broke away from mine. He faced Quilliam, and his expression grew dark.

“You used to be something, Torin. You had everything. I looked up to you. Now you are nothing. And it seems you didn’t even get the girl ... so was
that thing
worth it?” Quilliam nodded toward me.

Eli immediately held me back, keeping me from charging the guy like a bull.

Torin gripped his sword tighter. “Yes.”

Quilliam laughed. “Seems both First Knights have a weakness for Daes.” Quilliam sauntered to Josh and grabbed his face with one hand. “This one should never have been the First Knight. A human. What a disgrace to us.”

Josh gulped. He kept his chest up, a stoic front, but I could feel his terror like little darts shooting off him. Quilliam was a soldier through and through. He was raised to put himself in harm’s way to protect his Queen. Josh had been merely a prop, and they all knew it.

Quilliam turned his head to Torin, pushing away from Josh. “Has this finally come down to you and me, Torin? Student versus teacher.”

“You were never any good at listening or learning,” Torin declared.

“Let’s say the student knew he could outfight the teacher at an early age.” Quilliam curled his fingers at Torin, beckoning him to move closer. “Come on, Captain, let’s see who has the better skills.”

“I am still the First Knight. Back down.” Josh addressed the soldiers. “You have to obey me.”

What is he doing?

Quilliam unhurriedly turned his back on Torin and stepped to Josh. “Do I?”

“Yes. It is Fay law. You obey your First Knight without question.” Josh pushed strength into his words.

Quilliam stroked his nose, nodding. “You’re right, I do.” Without warning he pulled his sword and stabbed Josh through the throat. Blood sprayed back onto Quilliam’s face. “Now you are no longer the First Knight.”

“Josh!” A scream tore from my mouth as I watched my friend’s eyes bulge, before his body realized what happened, and he fell to his knees. Eli caught me as my body wanted to collapse and move to Josh at the same time.

“You never really were. You were nothing to her and even less to us.” Quilliam twisted his blade before yanking it out of Josh’s neck. Bubbles of blood gurgled from the open wound. Josh twitched as he fell on his side. “The Queen was looking forward to killing you herself. She could not stand the sight of you, human. But she will have to forgive me. I couldn’t bear listening to your irritating voice for one more moment.” Quilliam kicked Josh’s body. Josh struggled to breathe, gasping for air, as his life force flowed from his body. His gaze flitted across the room and landed on me. It was only a brief moment his eyes latched onto mine, full of fear and sadness. Then they glazed over.

Josh was dead.

My body shook. Eli held me close to him. He was the only thing keeping me from crawling to Josh. The boy who lay dead on the floor had been my first friend at Silverwood, gawky and funny, with a big heart. All his life, he had been betrayed and abused. All he wanted was for someone to love him and to be more than the nothing his father made him feel. He could have easily fallen for Aneira’s words and falsehoods, but he came back to me. He had always been my friend, even when I no longer believed it. I hoped he knew he had been loved.

The scene in front of me blurred as tears filled my eyes. Quilliam and his men moved toward us. “Now it’s your turn.”

“Go, I’ve got it.” Torin waved us toward the door. “I’ll hold them off.”

“What?” I shook my head. “We’re not leaving you, Torin.” There were eight of them and only one of him.

“He won’t be alone.” Simmons nosedived from the ceiling, where he had been lying in wait. “Go, my lady. Sir Torin and I will take care of them.” Simmons drew his plastic sword and dove for a guard’s eye. “No one messes with my friend!” I adored Simmons, but the help Torin needed went way beyond him.

“Elighan, get her out of here.” Torin gave Eli a fierce look communicating more than I could decipher. Torin stepped up, going into battle mode. Eli hauled me and Kennedy toward the opening. It took me a moment to identify Torin’s expression. He was sacrificing himself for us. For me.

“No! Eli, stop. We need to help him,” I wailed. “He will die if we leave him.” I thrashed against Eli. He prodded Kennedy through the door with him and me right behind. He slammed it after us, barricading it. “Eli! We can’t leave them. There are too many guards. Torin and Simmons will die.”

Eli gripped the sides of my face, forcing me to look at him. “It’s his decision. Simmons’, too. They are doing it so you can finish your quest and others may live. Torin understands your mission is bigger than his life.”

My legs bowed as a silent sob cracked through my chest. I had lost three people I loved in a matter of an hour. Torin and Simmons would soon follow. And possibly Cal, if he wasn’t already. And if I continued, I would lose one more. I couldn’t do it. I wouldn’t lose him, too.

Eli kept his arms wrapped around me, helping me stand. He enfolded me in his arms, giving me a moment to mourn.

I gathered all the strength I could, drawing from the sacrifices of my friend’s deaths, and pushed back away from his chest. “Let’s finish this.” The girl who had come into the battle was never going to leave. Even if I lived, most of my heart would never go beyond the walls of this prison. It would stay, along with the ones who died here.

Eli clawed through several more locked doors, moving up a severe set of stairs. Eli’s hand jutted out, halting us. He put his finger to his lips telling us to stay silent. This is when I caught the sound of soft snores coming from the landing above us. The three of us tiptoed to the corner. Eli peeked around the wall then quickly pulled back. “Two guards. Asleep.”

I sighed with relief. This must have been Simmons’ doing.

We crept by them like wisps of fog in the night before we came to the room from my dream. Enchantment swirled around the three of us, crackling the air. In the middle of the room,
the Sword of Light levitated, glowing and pulsating with a protection spell.

Kennedy stepped closer to it, and her hands felt the air. “I don’t usually say this, but
fuck
.”

I faltered at her language. I said the word all the time, but it felt wrong and frightening coming out of Kennedy’s mouth.

“I’ll second that.” Eli stood on the other side of her.

“Yeah, but when she says it, I know we’re screwed.” I tried to laugh, but it came out more a whimper.

“The spell is quite powerful and complex.” Kennedy’s brows furrowed, and her hands shook. “The magic protecting it is beyond my capabilities. I don’t know if I can break it.”

“You have to,” I pleaded. We could not get this far and lose so many people for nothing.

Fear consumed Kennedy’s face and body. “What if I can’t, Ember? What if we got all the way here, and I’m unable to break it?”

Eli’s hands clamped on her arms and turned her to face him. “Jared believed in you, and I have faith in you, too.” Kennedy’s eyes were wide and dilated with panic. “Close your eyes and take a deep breath,” he demanded. For a few agonizing seconds she stood staring, panting slightly, and I worried she had finally cracked and all was lost. But then, she took one solid inhale and nodded. He let her go and turned her toward the sword. “Ignore everything outside of you. Forget the room exists or anybody else is here. Only concentrate on what’s in front of you. Feel the magic and let go. You can do it, Kennedy.”

As if Eli worked a magic of his own, her shoulders relaxed as she inhaled. My skin itched as the magic heightened in the room. Kennedy’s voice started low, but her chants filled the room, strong and determined.

It was like being back in the cave in Greece. The spell thickened around my windpipe, suffocating me. Heaviness pushed down on the room as her voice rose in volume. Spit shot out of Kennedy’s mouth the deeper she fell into her magic. It grew around her, thrusting into the room and building up pressure. It felt like a noose strangling me. Sweat slid from Kennedy’s forehead, and her eyes clenched tightly.

Weight rammed on top of me, and my legs collapsed. A strangled cry broke free as another block of energy crushed me. Spots impeded my vision, and bile climbed up the back of my throat. Eli grunted as his own legs were brought to the ground. Kennedy was in a bubble. Wind I did not feel swirled her hair as her words became more feverish. She fought against the burden of the magic. Her mouth tightened the words pushing from her lips. Tears flowed freely from Kennedy’s face, blood trickling out her nose. The incantation was killing her. I wanted to scream for her to stop, but the words could not travel to my mouth.

Then, I heard a pop. Like a joint being put back into its socket. A blood curdling scream coiled out of Kennedy before she dropped to the ground. The room’s pressure dissipated. The glow around the sword dissipated. The protection spell was broken.

“Kennedy?” I scrambled on my hands and knees to where her white body lay crumpled on the floor. “Oh, God, no!” I pulled her head into my lap, leaning over her, listening. Nothing.

Eli was on her other side. “Kennedy, come on.” He shook her. “Come on,” he roared.

“No-no-no-no.” My hands frantically pumped at her chest. If I had my powers, I could save her, pour my energy into her. I was helpless. “Eli, do something.” I knew he couldn’t do any more than I could, but my wild desperation did not care about logic.

He bent her head back and breathed into her mouth as I pumped at her chest. “Please, Ken, don’t die. You can’t leave, too.”

The thought of losing both the people in the room stirred terror so deeply in me I could no longer even see or think. I was already lost to the agony.
No
. My heart could not take the pain.

“Stop!” Eli shoved my hands off Kennedy’s chest. He bent over, his ear to her chest. His eyes closed, relief spreading over his features. “It’s beating.”

The sound that came from me was nowhere near human, but it was filled with relief. Her chest moved in weak, shallow breaths. She was alive, which was all I cared about. Eli stood. He gave me a moment before he spoke. “The Queen will be heading our way soon. She will know the spell has been broken. Kennedy almost died for this. It’s now your turn to ensure today’s sacrifices are worth it. Jared, Owen, and Josh’s deaths can’t be for nothing.”

My feet pressed into the ground as I stood. Looking at the man in front of me almost had me collapsing again. I could not go through with it ... to be without him.

“You better go grab the sword.” Eli’s eyes were bright and focused on me as he moved around Kennedy and stood before me.

I looked at him, then back at the sword. My head shook before I even thought of my answer. “I-I can’t.”

“Yes. You. Can.”

“No! You don’t understand.”

“You don’t think I know?” His voice rose, cutting me off. “I know what will happen to me if you do.”

“
Wha-what?” I sputtered. “How?”

“The ‘lawn furniture’ has exceptional hearing. I overheard you and Lars talking about it one night.”

“That was a month ago. You’ve known the whole time?”

He grabbed my shoulders, peering at me. Through the sharp, hard gaze, I saw a slight softness. “My life isn’t worth the millions of human and Fae lives lost if you don’t. There is no option. You grab the fucking thing now.” His expression turned fierce.

Anguish so deep tore through my heart and up my throat, blocking me from speaking. Only a guttural cry came out.

“Eli, I can’t lose you. Not now.”

He cupped the back of my head firmly forcing me to look at him. “It is not a multiple choice. You are picking up the sword. It’s an order from your Alpha.”

A tear slid down my cheek, my chest heaved and another noise erupted from me like a wounded animal. The fate of the entire world was riding on my shoulders. It was beyond fathomable. He was trying to make it easier for me by sacrificing himself and telling me I had no choice in the matter. But I did. I could choose him.

If the prophecy was right, I would kill the Queen and take her place. It was in my bloodline. Everything about it felt wrong, especially without him. I didn’t want to become Queen. I didn’t want to sit on a throne and give orders, not without him. I wanted to be out in the world, hunting the bad guy instead of sentencing them. Eli was supposed to be my future. My always. He was a part of me.

But fairness was something the Fae knew nothing about. It was not the cards dealt me. I knew what I had to do, but in this moment with the guy who I loved standing before me, heart beating, his body warm and alive beside me, I didn’t think I could go through with it.

“Hey.” He tugged at my hair, retaining my attention. “Can’t you follow an order for once? The world kind of needs you now.”

“But
I
need
you
.”

His lips turned into a cocky smile. “Let’s be honest, all you ever really wanted me for was
my body and my peanut butter. Probably together. And don’t deny most of the time you did want to kill me.”

I tilted my head against his hand as I glowered at him

“Too soon?” He leaned in closer, that damn arrogant grin tugged his lip even higher.

“Yeah.”

“Well ...”

“Just shut up,
Dragen,” I mumbled, cutting him off. I went on my toes. My lips met his with an explosion of emotion. Raw desperation, pain, love, and anger delved deeper as our mouths tried to communicate every feeling. My hands went through his hair, pulling him to me. I didn’t want to think this was the last time I was ever going to kiss or hold him. His lips ravaged mine, pulling and tugging with need. The taste of his mouth mixed in with the salt of my tears. We did not hold back. I could not get close enough to him. I wanted to crawl inside him and never come out again. The memory of our “almost” first kiss at the waterfall, and then our first real kiss in the forest infiltrated into my thoughts. We had been through so much together. If I had known then we had such little time together ...

I clung to him harder. My tongue searching for his with a need so great it was agony. He held me with a deep desperation that set me on fire. We kissed with the awareness of knowing it would be our last.

He pulled away first, leaning his forehead into mine. “Now go save the world, woman.”

I love you.
My eyes transferred to his.

His bad-boy grin tugged the side of his mouth
. Love is not a substantial enough word for how I feel about you, Brycin. Never has been.

My heart tore into small shards. Turning my head, I glanced at the sword. I couldn’t look at him without losing it again.