Fire in the Darkness (42 page)

“Josh, we don’t have much time. You have to jump now.” I moved to him.

“I-I don’t want to.”

With an agitated breath, “I am sorry if you are scared. I get it, but you have to go.” My hand pushed him to the window.

“I am not scared,” he yelled at me, anger flushing his face. I took a step back.

“Josh, honey, I am sorry to push you into this, but you are going to have to jump. Now,” my mom spoke, her voice sympathetic but firm. Josh grunted and with a heavy sigh climbed onto the window sill and leaped.

“Good work.” I bowed my head in appreciation.

“Simply takes a mother’s firm hand.” She smiled. “Now, you get your ass up there.”

“Did you not hear me? I am going after Mark.”

“No, you are not. I will go after him. You need to get out of here! I need you safe.”

“I don’t care. I am not leaving without you or Mark!”

Cal flew through the window. “Uh . . . there is a slight problem with that. The wards must have sounded because the guards are aware of your escape and are heading this way. I’d get both of your asses out of the window now!” We could hear yells and commotion from down the hall. Getting closer. “GO!” Cal’s arms waved vigorously in my face.

Hesitating for one more moment before I hopped on the ledge and leaping into the rich blackness of the night.
Flying through the air felt incredible, giving me a buzz of adrenaline.
My senses distinguish the landscape around me targeting where to land. And
being part Dark Dweller helped my body land on all fours soundlessly. My mom’s soft impact followed mine. The fact she was so weak and still tried to keep up with me reminded me of her strong character. Against popular belief, Fairies can’t actually fly. She could have hurt herself, but without complaint she followed me and did remarkably well.

“Oh, there you are, my lady.” Simmons circled my head.
Pixies on the other hand were born to fly. Simmons just had a slight problem with the landing part.
“I have been dutifully on lookout. The coast is clear.”

“Yes, but it won’t be for long.” And with that, a drum-like sound penetrated the night—the warning bell. Our window of opportunity was closing with each wailing clang coming from the castle.

“RUN!” I screamed.

Simmons waved us forward. “Follow us. We know a good door for your escape.” Cal was already taking off for the forest.

“Go-Go-Go!” I pushed everyone forward. Josh didn’t move. “Josh what are you doing?” The way he looked at me caused icy dread to fill me. I knew what he was going to do. “Josh, no!”

“I’m sorry, Ember.” He shook his head. “There is nothing for me back there. This is where I belong. I always have. I'm meant to be here.”

“No. You’re not. You are human, Josh. You have friends who care about you.” I could see in the distance soldiers beginning to swarm out from the castle like ants. “Josh, come on. This place is not like your video games. This is real. You can’t go back if you decide this isn’t fun anymore. I am your friend. I want you with me; I care about you. You have more than you think back there. Please . . . .” I held out my hand.

His jaw was set with resolve as he backed away from me, then he turned and ran straight to the guards who were coming after us. He held up his hands in surrender. They quickly surrounded him, and he disappeared in the throng of uniforms. “Fuck!” I yelled. I didn’t want to give up on him but, somewhere deep inside, I knew I had already lost him, forever. There was nothing I could do now. I ran away from the threat heading my way.

The stars shone so radiantly I saw the outlines of my family merging into the forest. Following them, I came to the tree line and turned briefly to see if we were being pursued. We were not safe by any means, but the soldiers, who were occupied with capturing Josh, did not see where we went. I almost felt safe when movement in a castle window stopped me dead in my tracks. Mark stood a floor above where we had jumped. He couldn’t see me, but seeing him changed everything.

“MARK!” My plans to get him free were crumbling in front of me. I never planned on leaving him, but the situation had changed. Frozen in my spot, my heart wrenched in my chest. I could not leave him. But, how was I going to get to him now? With no thought, my body started back for the castle.

“Ember, no!” Jared grabbed me around my waist and stopped me. The army of men hearing my cry had begun to move in our general direction.

“I have to get Mark,” I screamed, fighting and struggling against his hold.

Jared swung me around to face him. Taking my shoulders, he shook me. “Ember, you can’t help any of them if you are captured. Mark will be okay. You know she will keep him alive. Do you understand me? You cannot help him now.”

I had heard it so many times now, but it didn’t get any easier. Leaving my loved ones behind didn’t sit well with any part of me.

“I know . . .” I admitted, although there was an unspoken “but” hanging in my sentence.

“No. You cannot hesitate. The best thing is to leave them. It is the only way we can eventually get them out. You think I want to leave them behind? Ryan or West? West is my family, but he would be the first to tell me to get my ass out of here.”

Jared had matured into a leader. He was not the same hyper kid I met only a few months back. He had grown into a man.

Nodding, we all started to move deeper into the forest. My head turned to see my mother standing there, agony written on her features. “Mom, come on. Let’s go.” I gripped her arm hard, tugging her to follow me.

“I am not leaving Mark here.” Mom shook her head, trying to fight against my pull. I was stronger, but her resolved determination made it hard for me to gain any real ground.

“You think I want to?” I shot back as I rushed her along. “He is my dad and the main reason I came here, but Jared’s right. What kind of help will we be to him if we're dead or locked in jail?”

“Ember, you don’t understand. He shouldn’t even be here. This is my fault. I should have known from the start I was putting his life in danger. But I was selfish and wouldn’t give him up.”

I had always blamed myself for Mark’s situation. I now understood something I hadn't thought about before . . . . “Do you think if Mark knew the outcome, it would have stopped him? He loved . . . loves you more than life itself. He would have chosen this. He would never give us up, no matter the outcome and we will do everything we can to get him back. He wouldn’t want us to be martyrs. He’d want us to fight.”

Mom’s resilience faded away. “Damn, you’ve grown up into an amazing person. Mark did an exceptional job, not that you weren’t already incredible. I always knew how lucky I was to have you.”

“Let's save the family bonding for later, okay?” My gaze drifted over her shoulder. It was pure torture for both of us to leave Mark.

When the Queen’s soldiers shouted behind us, we ran toward Kennedy and Jared. The dark shielded us as we all slipped farther into the dense forest.

“This way, my lady,” Simmons called, zipping through trees. We followed behind, trying to keep up with his rapid pace. Adrenaline propelled my body forward. Glancing behind, I saw Jared had fallen back. He stuck close to Kennedy, his arm wrapped around her, helping her keep up with our inhuman speed.

An object zipped by my head. “I made enough noise so they think we went to the other door. We need to hurry. They will come through here soon.” Cal called out. Relief fluttered in my chest, but it was too soon to relax.

“Here is the door, my lady. Hurry, let’s get you through before they figure out which way we went.” Simmons stopped at a disturbance of air. This time I could see the portal clearly; I had finally let go and accepted what I was—every part of me, including the Dark Dweller part.

Turning, I waited for Jared and Kennedy to catch up. “GO!” I waved them on. Without hesitation, Jared clung tighter to Kennedy and took her through the space, vanishing.

“You go first. I need a moment,” I said to Mom as I nodded up at the pixies.

“Make the moment fast,” Mom directed her gaze to Cal and Simmons. “Thank you. I am forever in your debt.”

I determined from their deep sighs that Cal and Simmons took this as a big deal. “You are most welcome,” Simmons replied.

Mom gave me a quick smile. “See you on the other side.” And then she was gone.

Hesitating, I stared up at Cal and Simmons.

“What are you waiting for? Go.” Cal motioned towards the entry.

“I just want to say thank you also . . .” There was so much I wanted to say. “You risked so much . . . I-I don’t know . . .” Words weren’t coming to my brain.

“My lady, it was our honor.” Simmons gave a slight bow. “Now, do not take this wrong, but please get out of here so it won’t all be for naught.”

“I still owe you those kisses, Cal.”

“And juniper juice,” he added.

“Of course.” Smiling, I gave them a nod then disappeared through the wavering space.

The exit plunked me into Earth’s realm. I blinked a few times from the bright sunlight. Jumping from night into day was a bit unsettling. Looking around I realized this was the spot I had been before. It was the same place the Queen had brought me to destroy Seattle. High up in the Olympia National Park, Seattle loomed far in the distance. Squinting, I walked up next to Kennedy, Jared, and Mom as they stared at the city below. My eyes took in the landscape below, but my mind would not accept it.

The ruins of Seattle were gone. The skyline was dominated with newly erected pristine metal. The hazy sun glimmered off the new buildings as new construction soared up into the sky. Modern high-rises clustered together in the heart of the city, thinning out as the circle spread out. The Seattle landmark, the Needle, was gone, but cranes filled the space, bringing up beams of steel. Rebuilding.

Disbelief resonated deep in my core, keeping me immobile. When I left, Seattle had just restored the electricity and was beginning to clear out the rubble. Now the city stood before me, reconstructed. Looking over at Kennedy and Jared, they shared the same astonished expression.

“What the hell?” Jared looked back at the city in awe.

Kennedy looked even more dumbfounded. She was shaking her head back and forth, not accepting the reality sprouting in front of us. “I-I don’t understand. This can’t be possible.”

“Clearly it is possible.” A deep voice rumbled behind us. We all jumped, whipping around, assuming defensive stances, ready to fight the threat hiding in the forest. But my blood sizzled through my veins with a familiarity I knew could only come from the nearness of one person.

Eli’s figure stepped out of the shadows.

Air ripped through my lungs as I tried to suck in a breath. His head was shaven. His jaw was lined with stubble. The scar across his face seemed more defined. It all added up to make him look even more dangerous and threatening. Circles darkened the bags beneath his eyes, making him look like someone walking the high wire of instability. He was still so ruggedly beautiful and hot my stomach and heart fluttered harshly within. Uncomfortable with the notion he could evoke such a dramatic response from me, I looked away. Despite all the lies and the betrayal, my body still desired him beyond reason.

Only days earlier we had lain together under the stars. My desire now was involuntary because it went against everything my head was telling me. I knew they hadn't killed my mother so why would Lorcan tell me they did? What kind of sick joke was it? Though Eli hadn’t murdered my mother, I was still leery of him. Besides the new look, there was something about him that was hostile and foreboding. Something had changed. I recoiled back, feeling the ominous, dark mood emanating from him.

Jared’s reaction to him was the opposite of mine. “Eli!” His face broke out with a huge, giddy grin as he ran to Eli who took him into a brief hug.

“Good to see you, J.” His voice held little emotion. This was the normal way he acted towards outsiders, but to Jared . . . Something was definitely wrong.

Eli’s eyes took in the group then snapped onto the woman next to me, nodding in acknowledgment. “Lily.”

“Elighan,” she responded with the same guarded reproach.

“You guys know each other?”

A strange smirk crossed Eli’s lips. “We go way back, huh?”

“That we do.” My mom held her ground, but I could see her trembling. Whether it was out of fear or anger I couldn’t tell. The pure abhorrence they held for each other was evident.

“Of course you do.” Aversion filled my tone. “Why would you lie to me? Why would you and Lorcan say you killed my mother when you didn’t? Why would you do that?”

Eli stepped closer, his fists clenched, his muscles tight. “I never actually said I did. You said I did. But, if you really want the truth—”

“Ember, this is not the time or place for this,” Mom interrupted, stepping between us. Her eyes glared viciously at Eli.

Kennedy stood staring at the new construction unaware of our little tiff. “How—how is this possible?”

Eli’s fingers went up to his shaved head, absently running through his nonexistent hair, a habit he hadn’t seemed to break even without hair. “A lot of things can get done in time.”

“In time? I’ve only been gone for a couple of weeks,” she said.

An icy smile tugged at Eli’s lips. There was something wild and unhinged about him, which made me not trust him. “Maybe in the Otherworld, but remember time is not the same there as it is here on Earth.”

Taking another look over her shoulder, she looked at the resurrected city. “So, what are you saying? How long have I been gone?”

“I’m saying you have been gone for more than a few weeks.” A dark smile thinned Eli’s lips, addressing Jared and Kennedy. “It has been over four years now.” He then looked at me. “You have been gone almost three.”

“What?” All except my mother exclaimed in unison. We struggled to understand his words. Jared had been raised knowing about the time difference between realms, but experiencing it was different. It was very surreal. What felt like a day or so to me was really three years. Three years of my life had gone by without me.

“A lot has taken place while you guys were away.” Eli leaned up against a tree, looking directly at me. “I couldn’t feel you. I couldn't sense you at all. So I figured you were either dead or had done something exceedingly stupid. Seems it was the latter.” His fuming, volatile anger was barely concealed beneath the surface. “But I am not the only thing you should be worried about, Ember. Since your disappearance, you are number one on the Unseelie King’s most wanted list.”