Fire in the Darkness (18 page)

“Point to this story, Brycin?” Back to calling me by my last name. “Don’t need to reminisce about you and your boyfriend.”

“Don’t be an ass. He was able to heal me, wasn’t he? By kissing me?”

“I wish I could say no, but Fay have healing powers. Like Cole said, Otherworlders heal quickly, but Fay can also use their earth forces. By pulling energy from the earth they help heal even faster. The force they draw can then be transferred to another. It can be done in a few ways, but kissing is probably one of the best. It invokes the most emotion and passes energy to the person the fastest.”

“So, I can do this too, right?” He nodded in response. “You didn’t tell me I could do that.”

“Sorry, I keep forgetting my Fay handbook at home.”

Eli . . .
My eyes shot him a warning. He merely huffed, which made him wince in pain as he looked away. I bit my lip, afraid of what I was about to say. “I can help you.”

“I’ll heal.”

“Before you bleed out?”

He was already starting to slump farther down from so much blood loss and as much as he tried to hide the pain from me, I could feel it in him. It was excruciating.

“Let me help you.” I moved closer to him.

He turned his head and looked up at me. “You lookin’ for an excuse to make out with me, Brycin?”

Don’t cause me to regret being nice to you.
My eyes held his.

He turned away, conflicting emotions running across his face before he muttered, “Fine.”

“Gee, don’t sound all grateful or anything,” I snipped. “You know what? Never mind. Bleed out for all I care.” I was about to stand up and walk away when he grabbed my arm, pulling me back down.

"Hey . . ." he muttered. His smoldering, green eyes seemed to draw me back to him.

I swallowed nervously and moved over his legs, straddling him. What was I getting myself into? Did I want him to agree or wish he would say no? Giddy butterflies twirled in my stomach. My feelings hit both happiness and pure fear. I couldn’t tell what I was really hoping for. But now I had committed myself.

“Okay, I don’t really know what I’m doing . . .” I trailed off.

“Think you’ll figure it out.” His cheeky smile twitched with pain, his eyes growing a little more distant.

“You’re probably right.” I laughed nervously. “It’s probably instinct or like riding a bike or—”

“Brycin, shut up and kiss me.” He pulled me to him, our lips meeting with force. The feel of his lips on mine sent fire through my veins. My tongue quickly found his as the kiss deepened. His hands moved to the back of my head, pulling me closer to him. It still didn’t feel like it was close enough. Everything in me burned with life, and it took me a while to remember I was supposed to be doing something. Concentrating on the energy zinging in my veins, the light bubbling and dancing around in me, making me feel alive, I focused on it. Mentally pushing it towards him, I tried to give everything to Eli.

His body jerked and twitched, gripping tighter to me. My skin tingled as his hands moved under my top and up my back. I could feel the shift happening—the bullets moving out of the wounds, plopping onto the ground, slick with blood. His pain was lessening, being replaced by strength. I continued to kiss him with abandon even when I felt my own vitality draining away. I would have to learn how to manage this. With practice. Lots and lots of practice.

The iron bracelet attached to my wrist was limiting the force I needed to pull from the earth. The fact I was able to pull any at all was incredible. Eli’s blood was making me immune to the exact thing they wanted to use to control me. Every day I felt better, a little stronger, strengthening my immune system.

When his body no longer needed my energy, I sensed it. He could feel it, too. But neither one of us stopped. Once again there was no doubt what I wanted. I had no reservations. It was the most sure I felt about anything. He was what I
always
wanted—heat, passion, and desire. His arms went around my back as he lifted me, shifting me onto my back. His body moved on top of mine. Eli’s fingers started pulling up my tank, as my hands tugged at the top button of his jeans.

A voice came from out of the dark, a voice I knew.

“So, little brother, I see you’re still enjoying the perks of your job.” Eli and I froze. Through the dark shadows I could barely distinguish the silhouette of Lorcan.

Gasping, Eli pulled away from me, tearing a hole through the connection we had created, leaving me limp and drained.

“You were always big on the benefits.”

Eli pulled me to my feet and stepped in front of me. “Lorcan, what are you doing here?”

“Wow, brother, I can feel the love all the way from here. Missed me, didn’t you?”

“Why are you here?”

“We a tad cranky? Sorry, I must have interrupted a little too soon. She not able to get you off? Don’t worry. I’ve heard that happens to some guys.”

“Make your point now,” Eli responded in warning.

“Whoa.” Lorcan raised his arms in surrender. “I didn’t come to fight with you or hurt lil’ Emmy here. I just want to talk.” His cool smile made me reach out and grip Eli’s arm.

“Then talk.”

“Manners, little bro.” He shook his head. “I came here to let Ember know she has a choice, other than being stuck with your limp dick. She can come with me and save her human father’s life.”

“What?” I exclaimed. My legs still wobbly, I held onto Eli’s arm firmly.

Em, he’s trying to provoke you
. Eli turned around warning me.

“I'm letting you know you can do the right thing here. Don’t you want to save your father? Or do you want to let him be tortured and killed because you’re too weak to take his place?”

As I started to rush forward, Eli’s arm whipped across my chest, halting me.

“Look at you. All fluffed up,” Lorcan jeered, crossing his arms over his chest.

“What do you really want here, Lorcan? You think you can walk away with Ember to leave on the Queen’s doorstep like a trained monkey.” Eli stopped and a crazed laugh sputtered out of his mouth. “I should have known.” He motioned at the shot-up house behind us. “You were behind this. How else would they have known where to find us?”

“Too obvious?” Lorcan sneered. “I needed a distraction. You were supposed to go off with Cole; I didn’t figure on you staying here and getting shot. Slight oversight of mine.”

“Y-You son of—” I pitched forward again, but Eli continued to block me.

“Need help mastering your
striapach
?”

This time Eli charged. Barely grabbing his arm in time, I yanked him back. “Eli, don’t. You're right, that’s what he wants. He's already tried to get rid of you today so he could snatch me without a fight. But, it didn’t happen so don’t let him now.”

Eli stopped, gripping my hand and stepping back.

Lorcan broke into a thunderous laugh. “Are you kidding me? My brother is seriously whipped and on a piece of Dae ass. How ironically pathetic is that? And well, frankly, kind of disgusting. What would our parents have thought about this?”

Eli looked away from me and dropped my hand. It stung, but I was grateful he had listened to me and hadn’t tried to go over and pummel Lorcan, no matter how much he was asking for it.

“Eli?” Cooper’s voice hollered from around the house. “Where in the hell are you, man? You will never believe whose scent we picked up!” He came running around the corner, stopping short as he spotted Lorcan. Gabby and Jared practically slammed into the back of him as they came hurrying up behind. “Speak of the devil.”

“What are you doing here, Lorcan?” Gabby moved around Cooper and sauntered over, coming up beside Eli. The rest of them followed suit. None seemed scared of Lorcan, plainly curious and maybe a little leery.

“You’ve missed me too, Gabb. Come on, you know you have.”

She crossed her arms in response, glaring at him. “Where are the others?” Gabby nodded toward the woods “Hiding behind a tree?”

“They are here . . . well, all except West.”

“Where’s West?” Gabby asked.

“West has been detained.”

The knot in my chest tightened. The way he said it turned my stomach. If they had killed or even harmed him . . . My skin became clammy as a hot flash crept over my body.

“What does that mean?” Gabby demanded.

“All I’ve ever tried to do is help my family, but they keep making the wrong decisions, which only hurt us.” Lorcan directed his response at Eli.

Eli crossed his arms, keeping his voice level. “So, this is what you want—a feud between us? How is that helping the family?”

“It’s not what I want, but I will fight you if I have to. I seem to be the only one who hasn’t forgotten what this girl means to us.” Lorcan looked steadily back at Eli. “I am not the reason we are here—that everything was taken from us. You are. But yet they chose you to be leader?”

The accusation snapped my head over to Eli. He was the reason they were exiled? How? Why?

“What do mean?” Jared’s voice broke the tension-filled silence.

Without moving his gaze off Eli, Lorcan addressed Jared. “J, why don’t you go back to the house? Let us handle this.”

Jared’s chest puffed up. “No. I’m staying here. I’m a part of this group, too. How could you do this to us, Lorcan? I thought we were family.”

“Things have changed, kid,” Lorcan responded. “Your leader here has chosen a Dae over his family.

“Jared, go back to the house,” Eli instructed.

“No. I’m not leaving. I’m not a kid. I’m a part of this clan as much as anyone.”

“Jared. Now.” Eli ordered. Jared's Alpha had spoken. He swore, kicking at the dirt, but turned around and walked towards the house.

“Lorcan, don’t be a fool. Don’t do this.” Cooper stepped closer to Eli.

“Do what? I did this for you guys. I’m the only one who is a true leader here. I sacrificed for you, and this is the thanks I get?”

“Sacrificed?” Eli blurted out. “You have a warped version of what a true sacrifice is, which is why you would never be a good leader.”

A deep growl vibrated out of Lorcan’s chest. “You are the one with his priorities screwed up.” He took a few steps forward. This was going to turn into a fight.

I stepped in between them. “If I go with you, will you let my father go?”

“It doesn’t quite work like that. Daddy dearest is the best way to keep you cooperative.”

“She’s not going with you, Lorcan.” Eli grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

“I think it should really be Ember’s choice,” Lorcan said, turning to me. “And, I wouldn’t be too hasty in saying no. It is more than your father’s freedom on the line now.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You should know me by now, my pet. I always come with assurances.”

The sound of people walking over foliage brought our attention over Lorcan’s shoulder. My eyes had grown used to the darkness, but it took me a moment to identify who moved in behind him. My stomach sank. Samantha, Dax, and another guy I didn’t know, stepped out from behind the trees, each accompanied by another body. Dax held two.

“Look who I found earlier today posting missing persons fliers of you around town?” Lorcan nodded toward the four hostages. The world slid out from under my feet.

Oh God, no.

FOURTEEN

Standing there, bound and gagged, were Kennedy, Ian, Ryan, and Josh. My brain could not comprehend the scene in front of me. And why was Josh among them? He was a friend from Silverwood and didn’t even know the other three. My nightmare had come to life. My friends were being used against me.

Through their gags I could hear their shocked, muffled exclamations at seeing me. They were looking at me with the same confused, scared look Mark had shown a few weeks earlier. Their minds were unable to contemplate what was going on or what I had to do with it. The last time they saw me was over a month ago at a party, where I disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again. Now here I stood with someone they thought was in some dangerous motorcycle gang. For all they knew they had become leverage in a drug or weapon deal. In a way, that was the truth. They just didn’t know the weapon was me.

“Nooooo,” I cried out as my brain began to grasp the scene unfolding before me. Kennedy automatically took a step toward me, but Dax kept a firm hand around her throat. Her body went rigid as he squeezed her delicate neck tighter. Ian was tied to Kennedy so neither could get away from Dax. A gorgeous, Brazilian-looking man kept a knife tight against Ryan’s side, threatening to plunge it deep at any second. By process of elimination, I knew it was the man they called Dominic. Samantha restrained Josh, a giddy happiness on her face as she watched the scene around her.

“Please Lorcan, let them go. They have nothing to do with this!”

“They have everything to do with it. They have to do with you.” Lorcan rubbed his hands together. “I told you. I am a man who likes to get what he wants. No matter the costs.”

Eli’s body stiffened next to me. “Lorcan, you don’t know what you are dealing with here.”

“You’re the one who doesn’t know what he’s dealing with. You never have.”

“No, Lorcan.
You
don’t understand.” Eli’s attention was directed towards Kennedy. His fear only upping mine. I feared for all my friends, but Kennedy was on a whole other plane. If Lorcan learned what she was, it would be “game over.”