Dark Alpha's Fury, page 22
It was still dark out when Aisling opened her eyes. She was lying on her side, looking out one of the broken windows. She had never cried herself to sleep before. It was an exhausting, draining experience. She might have felt rested except for that. As it was, her head was stuffy, and her heart heavy with the onslaught of all the emotions.
She pushed up to a sitting position, then got to her feet. Instead of searching the rest of the structure, she made her way outside and onto the street. In the silence, she still heard her daughter’s sweet little voice in her mind, which kept the pain constant and achingly horrific.
It was all she could do to keep going. Her explorations of the buildings hadn’t given her any clues as to who the people were or where they had gone—or even if anyone was still in the city. The scope of the metropolis hinted that it had been a thriving community at one time. There had to be a reason everyone had abandoned it.
She took advantage of the night and the street’s cooler stones to walk. Her target was the wall to leave. She didn’t want to spend any more time here than necessary. Something about the city felt wrong. It was odd that she hadn’t sensed anything amiss upon first entering. It was only after she had fallen asleep and heard her daughter’s voice that she began to sense that something wasn’t quite right.
Maybe it wasn’t the city. Perhaps she was the one who was wrong. Everything Aisling touched went awry eventually. Things started off well enough, but with plenty of time, things usually went sideways. All she had to do was look at her life for justification.
She’d had a supportive, loving family. She’d had a place in the Light Army. She’d had friends. She had given all of that up for what she’d thought was love. Aisling snorted. That hadn’t been love. It had been about control. Him controlling her. And she had been too weak to notice the small changes, turning her into someone she didn’t recognize.
But even that relationship had begun to deteriorate. She’d become everything he professed to want, yet he hadn’t been satisfied. Then, she’d gotten pregnant. Her daughter was the brightest light of her life. That wee bairn’s birth had shown Aisling just how far she had sunk and how miserable she had been. Instead of dealing with it, Aisling had turned her attention to her daughter, giving her all the love Aisling had to offer and more.
As the child grew, Aisling realized she wanted a better life for herself and her child. But she hadn’t even been able to do that correctly. A mother should be able to protect her child from danger. Aisling wiped away tears and kept walking. She came to a sudden halt, her head jerking up. Had that been a…voice?
She turned to look back the way she had come and strained to hear. She held her breath listening intently. Then she heard it again. Her name.
“I’m here!” she shouted and started running. “I’m here!”
She ran so fast she tripped and fell, slamming her shoulder into the corner of a building. Aisling righted herself and kept running. She didn’t stop until she ran out of breath. She listened for her name again, but she didn’t hear anything.
Where were they? Where had they gone? It was so far to the doorway, but if that was where they were, she would go back. Aisling started jogging. She was so focused on putting one foot in front of the other while listening for her name that it took her a while to see the lights flickering from one building to the other, keeping up with her.
She slid to a stop, her breathing loud to her ears. Who was controlling the lights? And what did they want? Aisling forgot about the voices she’d heard and studied the outside of the house. Then she slipped through the narrow space between the door hanging by one hinge and the frame.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Lena stumbled backward and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. Something within Xaneth delighted at the sight of it. He would spill much more before he was finished with her.
“You think you have me at a disadvantage,” Lena stated.
Xaneth shrugged as he considered his next move. “I’ve planned this moment between us for a long time.”
“You’d leave your friends to fend for themselves?”
“They came to keep yours entertained while I dealt with you.”
Lena’s brows rose as she walked to the other side of the corridor. “You talk as if I have a reason to fear you.”
“It’s a fact I’ve noted.”
She rolled and squared her shoulders, positioning herself in the middle of the hall. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, Xaneth, but I can fight with more than magic. I’ve been at this a lot longer than you.”
But she didn’t have his beast inside her, the one gnawing at him to be free so it could unleash its fury upon her. He raked a scathing gaze over her. “I know exactly what you’ve been doing skulking in the shadows, lying to your family and friends.”
“It’s taken me a long time to get here, and I’m not going to give up so easily.”
“I don’t plan on stopping until there’s nothing left of you.”
“Then there’s no more to be said.”
Xaneth flexed his fingers. “There never has been.”
Lena struck quickly, her fists punching his face and abdomen. He dropped down onto one knee and jabbed his balled fist into her stomach. She grunted, but she didn’t go down. Her blows turned to his head.
Xaneth lifted her as he got to his feet. He grabbed her legs and swung her. She shielded her head with her arms as she collided with the wall.
Erith pivoted and flung out her left arm, releasing an orb of magic. The soldiers shifted slightly, giving her a glimpse of a familiar face. “Cael,” she whispered at the sight of him.
After that, she spotted the rest of the Reapers and even the Dragon Kings.
Erith redoubled her efforts. Eventually, they would run out of soldiers to fight, but she wasn’t sure when that would happen. Lena had been prepared. But so were they.
When she next looked up, Cael had made his way to her. He gave her a smile that made her heart sing. There was no time for words, though, as a fresh wave of soldiers appeared. The room was so thick with ash that it was becoming difficult to see.
Erith swung her sword above her head in a circle. The ash followed the movement, gathering high. Then she lowered her blade and released magic. The windows blew out on the first floor, sucking the ash outside.
“Duck!” Cael bellowed.
Erith didn’t hesitate to do as he asked. She spotted the large ball of magic that came flying over her head from behind. Erith turned as she straightened and raised her sword in time to slice another orb in two.
Eilish ignored the waves gently lapping at her boots as the five of them studied the ground. There was no barrier around the island, but there had been. Even she could feel it. That was how strong the magic had been.
“I don’t like this,” Shara said as she straightened.
Esther had her hands on her hips and shrugged. “None of us does.”
“Where are the doorways?” Gemma asked.
Shara gathered pebbles at the water’s edge and used them to mark either side of each doorway. Then she returned and pointed to each, naming its color.
“Do the colors mean anything?” Darcy asked.
Shara twisted her lips. “Sometimes, a Fae can color it themselves when they make it. Other times, it creates its own.”
“In other words, no,” Eilish said.
Shara briefly met her gaze. “Exactly.”
“Which one do we try?” Esther asked.
Gemma shrugged a shoulder. “We have a one in eight chance of finding Aisling.”
“So, eeny, meeny, miny, moe?” Eilish asked.
Once the children’s counting rhyme was done and the door chosen, Eilish, Gemma, Darcy, and Esther made their way toward it.
“I don’t like this. We should wait for the others,” Shara cautioned.
Eilish knew she was taking a risk, but she had to do this. She was no stranger to danger. And, like Gemma had said, Aisling wouldn’t hesitate to come for them if they were the ones in trouble.
“Just tell Ulrik and the others,” Eilish told Shara.
“No magic,” Shara warned, right as Eilish stepped through the doorway.
It was another fekking feast. Aisling stared at the table of food before turning on her heel and hurrying out. The light continued following her. After two more streets, she went into another home where the light shone and found another table of food.
She hadn’t heard her name being called again. She was weak, tired, hungry, and more scared than she had ever been. Her emotions were raw, and she was on edge. Perhaps she could eat, and nothing would happen. Maybe she could do magic and leave whenever she wanted. Or…either one could kill her and give her magic to Lena, tipping the balance more in the Dark’s favor.
Aisling covered her face with her hands and fought the scream of frustration bubbling up. The answers were right before her. She knew it, but she couldn’t sort them out. She was too tired, her brain too locked on what-ifs. Too wrapped up in fear and worry.
Her stomach hurt from hunger. All that delicious food was just steps away. Her mouth watered at the aromas. She stumbled to the table and grabbed a loaf of bread, sinking her teeth into the buttery goodness. She tore off a piece and closed her eyes as she chewed. It was only after she had swallowed that she realized she was still alive. Her fear that the food would kill her had been nothing but her imagination.
Aisling’s gaze darted around the table before she rushed from one place to another, grabbing food and stuffing it into her mouth.
The wall next to Cael exploded as Ulrik tossed a soldier through it. There wasn’t a wall on the first floor that wasn’t cracked, smashed, or shattered. Even the floor and stairs bore evidence of the battle. He heard a loud groan before the stairs snapped and broke in half.
Cael caught Erith’s gaze. “Enough of this.”
“Agreed,” she said.
Together, they rapidly cut through the throng around them. The Reapers and Dragon Kings redoubled their efforts. As the last soldier turned to ash in Cael’s grip, everyone stood silently, waiting for another wave. Instead, the ominous creaking of the house greeted them.
“I think we finished them,” Eoghan said.
Erith turned her head to Cael. “Or Lena called them to her.”
“Nay,” Balladyn said. “Xaneth would take her somewhere she couldn’t use magic.”
“The maze,” Cael and Erith said in unison.
Rordan frowned. “How do we get there?”
“We don’t,” Torin said. “No magic can be used, remember?”
Cael reached for Erith and looked at those before him. “There’s a way in and out of the labyrinth. We’ll find it.”
“Xaneth may need us,” Erith said. “And if Lena comes out, she’ll have us to battle.”
The strike snapped Xaneth’s head to the side, banging it against the wall. Pain exploded in his skull, skating through his head and face. He barely had time to register that before Lena landed another punch on his cheek. The taste of blood filled his mouth. Xaneth ducked as she swung again. He rammed his shoulder into her stomach and propelled her into the wall. A grunt passed his lips as she elbowed him in the spine.
He dug his fingers into her thighs as he got ready to throw her again. The last one had cracked her skull, if the amount of blood that covered her short hair was any indication. Just as he was about to lift her, Lena raised her knee, connecting with the underside of his chin.
Spots dotted his vision. She grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked. Hard. He felt the hairs pull from his scalp as she tried to move him away, but he wasn’t going anywhere. She kneed him a second time, then a third. His fingers loosened, and she was able to slip free.
Lena put distance between them. He straightened and locked his gaze on her. He hadn’t thought she would know how to fight without magic. It didn’t matter, though, he had her now. It was only a matter of time before he got in the killing blow.
“So intent on your quarry,” she said with a shake of her head.
Her pristine clothes were torn, wet, and stained. Her face was splattered with blood, and it dripped from the gash on the back of her head. She had removed her heels sometime during the fight—or maybe they had come off. Xaneth didn’t really know or care.
“I’m not here to converse.”
“That’s right. You’re here to kill,” she stated angrily. “It’s too bad you aren’t thinking this hard about your lover.”
At the mention of Aisling, Xaneth heard a growl. Belatedly, he realized it had come from him. “Don’t speak of her.”
“Why? Is it too difficult to know you’ll never see her again?”
“She’s alive. I’ll find her.”
Lena’s smile was too cocky, too confident. “Nay. You never will. I’ve made sure of that.”
He took a step toward Lena. “Tell me where Aisling is.”
“Let me go.”
“Never.”
“Then you’ll never find her.”
Something broke inside of Xaneth. Something deep within him he hadn’t known was there. He’d held onto hope that he would locate Aisling when this was all over, but at Lena’s words, he realized he’d been clinging to a tiny, thin thread when, deep down, he knew he might never be with her again.
It was that realization which released the last vestiges of control he had on the beast. When it burst forth, Xaneth didn’t stop it. Didn’t hold back. He didn’t only embrace who he was, he greeted the monster with open arms.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Aisling rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling above her, where shadows danced from the candlelight. Had she fallen asleep? She remembered stuffing herself with food and not much after that.
She looked outside to discover it was still night. Or had she slept through another day? She yawned and contemplated closing her eyes again. Her belly was full, but she was still so tired. Any kind of movement took great effort. She had never felt so lethargic.
“Aisling.”
Her eyes snapped open as awareness shot through her. Had she just heard her name? She forced herself to her feet and rushed to the open window. Aisling poked her head outside and listened.
“Aisling.”
Yes. She had heard her name. She didn’t imagine it. And it sounded like Eilish’s voice. Aisling started for the door, but as she reached it, she paused and glanced back at the table with all the food. She would remember this place so she could return. She didn’t ever want to be without food again.
But what if she couldn’t locate the building? What if she got lost? What if she became so hungry again that she couldn’t go on? Aisling bit her lip, trying to decide whether to leave the feast. Just as she was about to remain, she remembered that she had never gone hungry before. Because she had magic. All she had to do was return with her friends. And Xaneth. She smiled as she thought of him. How could she have forgotten about him? And to think she had believed herself too broken for anyone. Yet, somehow, she felt…if not whole, at least better. Because of Xaneth. He had a way of looking at her with those stunning silver eyes of his that healed her. And his smile. It was breathtaking.
Aisling forgot about the food and being hungry or tired. She was focused once more, and she knew what she had to do. She walked from the house, eager to get back to Xaneth.
“Eilish! I’m here,” she called.
Aisling didn’t run this time because she didn’t have the energy for it—odd since she had eaten. Her body should’ve been replenished, but she’d worry about that later. She continued calling for Eilish. Aisling caught her name on the wind a few times, so she knew her friends were here somewhere. The city was huge. They could be anywhere. She just needed to keep looking.
Except it became harder and harder to keep going. She had to lean against the buildings to keep herself upright and catch her breath. She was only thankful for the fact that it was night, so the sun didn’t bake the cobblestones and burn her feet.
When it became impossible to keep her eyes open, Aisling paused at the corner and rested her head against the structure. She gripped the stone tightly to stay upright. “Eilish?” she shouted.
Aisling frowned when she thought she heard laughter. But then she didn’t have the energy to care. She cracked open an eye and spotted light from inside the building across the street. It was like a beacon. She knew she would find a place to rest and more food. She forgot about everything but getting inside. Aisling pushed off the edifice and walk-stumbled to the house. She tried to step over the threshold, but her toe caught the edge, and she fell instead.
She winced as her knees slammed into the hard stone. Aisling managed to catch herself before her face hit. It would be so easy just to lay down right here. Then she remembered the food. It took her three tries before she got her hands and knees under her. There was a smile on her face as she crawled into the house and followed the tempting aroma of food.
When she found the lighted room and another long table of food, something kept niggling at the back of her mind. She was supposed to remember something. Or was it someone? It was too difficult to recall. It was much simpler to focus on the fare before her and how good it would taste. Aisling let her mind go blank as she pulled herself to her feet. She clutched the table to steady herself and make her choices.
“Bloody hell,” Gemma grumbled.
Eilish looked around the busy Temple Bar district of Dublin in confusion. “What the actual fuck?”
“It makes sense. Some doorways lead to places like the maze, while others to freedom,” Esther said.
Darcy looked behind them, where they had walked from the doorway. “Do we go back through?”
“We have no choice but to return to the island and try a new door. But I’d rather use my finger rings than a Fae doorway,” Eilish said as she held out her arm for them to grab.
