Rise From the Embers (Lightness Saga #4) Page 5

  “Lars is no longer King.” Emotion flicked quickly through me, my heart splintering, but I shoved it back before it made it to the surface. It was taking a lot for me to even stand. Whatever Stavros had done to me had destabilized me. I stood here for my daughter. For Lars. I would never stop fighting until I got them back.

  Kennedy knew everything. About Piper, about me and Lars. Stavros. The stone. All of it. She was the only one who would get certain details. She might trust these dark dwellers, but I didn’t.

  “I’m sorry, but what?” Ember was the first to break the tense silence. Even with blood and some greenish goo all over her, the girl was unnerving to behold, and not entirely because of her two different color eyes and hair. She was unearthly beautiful. So striking that it was unsettling. I could see how people were drawn to her. And feared her. Her mate was even more intimidating. Gorgeous. I wasn’t blind. Tall. Broad. His brown hair hung to his shoulders, scruff lining his strong jaw and face, and his green eyes popped even in the brightly lit room. Ember and Eli together were overwhelmingly beautiful.

  But looking around, each man and woman in this room was unbelievably sexy. I already could sense who Cole was, the leader of half the dark dwellers. Power and confidence leaked from him. He was more reserved than I had imagined, someone who watched, noticed every detail, but no doubt as ruthless as the rest. And of course, with his reddish-brown beard and hair, intense hazel eyes, he was sexy as hell. That was fae for you. But Eli and Lorcan had a bonus “danger” chromosome or something. Part of me wanted to run and the other part fancied throwing myself at them.

  My feet yearned to shuffle nervously, but I glued them to the floor, not letting one ounce of anxiety show. I had lived too long preparing to fight and kill fae. Just because I was on their side now didn’t make that feeling disappear completely.

  Kennedy didn’t touch me, but her eyes gave me the strength and comfort I needed to go on. It was still peculiar to have a sister, one I only knew as an infant and thought dead until a few months ago.

  “Lars is no longer himself. Stavros, his uncle, is now King and contains all the power. He is holding my daughter and Nic as collateral until I bring Lars and Ember to him. Marguerite and I barely made it out. Stavros has taken over the compound and Lars’s men.”

  More silence followed my statement. Blinking eyes.

  Kennedy stepped closer to me. “It’s true. That’s why I had you all come here. We are on lockdown. I spoke with this Stavros earlier. Lars is gone.”

  The same as a wave coming into shore, the room flooded with the chaos of yells and questions being thrown at me.

  “What?”

  “Gone?”

  “Excuse me?

  “What are you talking about?”

  “What do you mean gone?” Ember pushed to the front. “Where is he?”

  “Guys!” Kennedy held up her hand. “Be quiet. Let her answer.”

  Ember’s gaze landed on me like a cement brick, fear crimping her pretty face. “Where is Lars? Where’s my uncle? He would never leave. That’s not like him.”

  “I know.” My gaze met hers head-on. “He thought he was doing the right thing. For you, them…” I motioned to the group, holding in my emotions. “For my daughter. For me.”

  Ember’s head jerked, taking me in, her eyes widening.

  “Crap on ash bark,” she whispered, realization opening her mouth. “Are you guys…together?”

  “Yes.” The knot in my throat bobbed as I swallowed. “That’s not important right now. What is…is the Stone of Fáil is now controlling Lars. I tried to stop him, but he couldn’t fight it. And he knew he didn’t have enough power to kill Stavros. He made a decision for his people. But it was the wrong one. His body may be Lars, but his mind is not in control anymore. And Stavros is here, claiming his right to the throne, and he is the furthest thing from a democratic leader.”

  “You mean we have another Aneira.” Eli folded his arms. “Another ruler who wants Ember for a play toy? Are you fucking kidding me?”

  “I wish.”

  “Okay, start from the beginning.” Cole moved forward, rubbing frantically at his beard. “Where did this Stavros come from? Where has he been?”

  Not one to overshare, I did understand they needed to hear the whole story. I began to divulge my story, though I left out how Lars and I had bonded. No one except Lars and I needed to know about that, or the sex. The incredible sex. Shite, I missed him.

  I described how we went to Prague and Scotland to get the cauldron. How his uncle showed up in different forms, taunting Lars. How Lars broke the cauldron saving my life, but now the stone had nothing to counterbalance it.

  “Wait.” Ember held up her hand. Terror and liquid lit up her one blue and one green eye like fireworks. “Not only do I have some asshole great-uncle I didn’t know about, but he can shift into different people? And he is now the true King? And the only things that could have taken him down, the actual stone and the cauldron objects, are now useless pieces of metal? And Lars is being held captive by the energy of this stone, the Stone of Fáil, inside his own body?”

  “Unfortunately, yes.” I nodded.

  Ember let out a small growl, turned her face for the window, and walked to it, her hands shaking at her sides.

  I understood her fear, her sorrow, more than anyone. It took everything in me to keep calm. I wanted to lash out and storm back to the compound and get my daughter, to fall on the floor and cry.

  “It’s supposed to happen this way. I’ve seen it, Mummy. You will see.”

  I moved to the tight circle, my mind trying not to think of my daughter scared and possibly hurt. The line between me losing it or not was growing thinner with every passing second.

  “Lars’s father never killed his uncle but locked him away and spelled the chamber enough that the power of the King transferred to him, then down to his sons. But now Stavros is back, and when he challenged Lars, the energy willingly returned to him. He has all the power, but he still wants Lars dead, so there is no question he is the leader. Some fae will follow him, but I think most will still stand by Lars. Stavros wants no uncertainty. What he has planned will make Aneira’s actions look like a child’s temper tantrum. And with his gift of shifting into different people, we have to be even more careful.”

  “Guys, we have a lot to discuss and to plan on how to deal with this.” Kennedy brushed back her loose hair. “But first, I want you to get what you need from your homes and come back here. I want you protected and safe within the castle walls.”

  “And you think it’s safe here?” West’s head was already shaking. “No fuckin’ way I am stayin’ here.”

  “West, I know this must be—”

  “No.” He gritted his teeth while Rez took his hand in hers. I saw him take a staggered breath at her touch, calming himself. “You have no idea.”

  “Stavros will come after you anywhere.” I planted my feet strong on the floor, looking straight at West. “He has been studying Lars for years. Knows all the players. This is not something he planned on an impulse. He’s been hiding out in South America, gathering his troops. Preparing. Learning all about his enemies.”

  “South America?” Ember’s head jerked away from the glass.

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “That’s been a hotbed for fae activity lately. Large groups of strighoul.” She licked her lips, glancing at Eli. “We just left a group of trolls congregating together. Every night more and more came, as if they were gathering for a war party. And you all know that goes against their nature.”

  “Shite.” I dropped my head, rubbing it. It had to be connected to Stavros. I didn’t believe in coincidences. He had brought the strighoul with him to Scotland. It would be like him to have a massive army ready to fight us. “He is preparing for war.”

  “He’s going to fuckin’ get one.” Lorcan leaned against the far wall, his expression emotionless, but I could feel the anger radiating off him. He knew Kennedy was also on the new King�
��s hit list. Stavros would probably love to collect almost everyone in this room.

  “This is the only place guarded well enough to protect you.” Kennedy’s gaze danced to everyone in the room. “We have been through so much together. Shared so much loss. I will not allow any more of you to be hurt if I can help it. For some, I understand this place brings back horrendous memories. But please…try. We need each other more than ever now.” She gulped, blinking the unshed tears gathering in her eyes. “The thought of losing anyone of you… Nic and my niece are already too high of price. We will rescue them. And we will get Lars back as well.”

  “Are you ordering us?” West shifted on his feet, holding Rez’s hand tighter.

  Kennedy watched him for a bit.

  “No.” Her voice was quiet.

  West pinched his mouth together, looking at the floor.

  “Fine.” He bobbed his head. “I’ll do it for my family.”

  “Thank you, West.” Kennedy clasped her hands together. There were a few beats of silence before she spoke again. “I’d like us to gather again in a few hours. I know we are all tired and it’s the middle of the night, but I don’t want to waste a minute. He is already way ahead of us.”

  Cole bowed his head at Kennedy and made for the door.

  “Dax, Dom, and I will do another perimeter run.” Lorcan slid up next to Kennedy, kissed her forehead.

  “I’ll go with you.” Eli moved to his brother’s side. Lorcan stared at him before giving him a nod, looking a little surprised.

  “I’m going to stay here.” Ember joined the circle, glancing over at me, like she was not done probing me yet.

  “Hey, Coop.” Eli yelled at the blond surfer-like dweller walking to the door. “Can you grab some extra stuff from the house for us?”

  “Sure, man.” He nodded before he left the room, followed by most of the party.

  Eli leaned over and gave Ember a kiss before he and Lorcan left the room as well, only leaving Kennedy, Ember, and me.

  The moment the door swung close, Ember’s gaze snapped to me. “Please tell me he’s still there. That there’s—” still hope. I could sense her unsaid thoughts.

  “I think so.” My hand went to my stomach. “The arsehole better be.”

  Ember barked a sharp laugh.

  “I think Lars met his match.”

  “Yeah.” My finger went to my mouth, trying to hide the soft smile. “And I certainly found mine.”

  “I’m sorry about your daughter. We will get her back. And no one touches my sexy incubus and gets away with it.” Ember mouth flattened. “How’s Marguerite?”

  “She’s in the healing unit. She’ll be fine. That woman is tougher than all of us.” Kennedy leaned back on the desk, exhaustion dragging down her usually smooth face.

  Ember sighed with relief, running her hands over the dried blood on her brow. “Tell me everything about this stone. I skimmed over the other treasures, the sword being my only concern at the time.”

  This was going to be a long night.

  “The Stone of Fáil and the Cauldron of Dagda are similar to yin and yang—the brains of the treasures, so to speak. The sword and spear are merely their weapons, neither good nor bad; they take on the holder’s intention.

  “The stone and cauldron have agendas. The stone especially. The more power it can take and absorb, the better. It will promise all your wishes to come true while sucking life from you until you’re dust and then it moves on. The cauldron was designed to counter its power. Control it.”

  “But they were kept separate.”

  “Druids realized their mistake quickly when fae could not resist using the gifts for their own personal gain. Wars, famine, diseases. They destroyed everything so the Druids hid them away, separating them in hopes no one would ever find them all again.”

  “Leave it to Lars.” Ember folded her arms, pacing around the table. “Why did he do it? I knew giving him the sword would bite me in the ass someday. But he’s too smart not to realize what would happen. I didn’t think even his lust for power would lead to this.”

  “That’s not the whole story.” I sat on top the table, putting my feet on the chair. “He felt he had to. To protect his kingdom.”

  “From who?”

  “Himself.”

  “What?” Ember swung back to me. A small groan came from Kennedy.

  “He said you foresaw it, Kennedy.”

  “What I saw was Lars destroying everything in his path.” She rubbed her temples. “But it wasn’t Lars. I could feel it… The man I knew was gone.” A strangled cry vibrated in her throat. “It’s coming true…”

  “But why? Why was he protecting us from himself?”

  “He was afraid he was going insane.” I linked my fingers together. “Like his uncle…like your father.”

  Ember hissed in a breath.

  “It runs in his family. He thought it was slowly happening to him. With the treasures together, he believed they would help him.” I opened my hands. “Or throw him over the edge.”

  “Shit. Shit. Shit.” Ember stomped her boots, her fists clenched. “Ah! Damn you, Lars. Why didn’t you talk to me? Maybe I could have helped.”

  I could feel her frustration. Sympathize with it. “That’s not Lars.”

  “I know, but dammit, he’s really fucked us. We’re fighting both a crazy great-uncle and the stone for him.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, what else do we know about the stone? Any weaknesses?”

  “Besides the broken cauldron?” I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “Wait.” Kennedy jumped up. “I have a few books where I made notes in the margin.”

  “Of course you did.” Ember shook her head, smiling.

  I couldn’t help a stab of jealousy because Ember knew her so well. They had years together, while I had only known my own sister for a few months. Many of which I’d spent in a dungeon.

  Kennedy strode to a shelf and grabbed two books with sticky notes peeking out the tops. My sister was definitely the organized one. She walked back to the desk, stroking the leather covers as if they were beloved pets.

  “I haven’t had time to read them over, just tagged where they talked about the stone.”

  She opened the first book and Ember took the other, quickly scanning the marked pages. I peered over Kennedy’s shoulder at the book. We were quiet, scanning over the information that seemed to be simply explaining the history.

  “What’s this?” Ember spoke, turning her book to face us, where a design occupied the bottom part of the page.

  “It’s the Druid symbol for the stone. Basically, it means ‘mark’ or ‘signature,’” I said, the years Owlyn had me study everything on Druid history coming back to me.

  “Holy…” Kennedy gasped, grabbing the book from Ember, her eyes growing round. “Nerf-herder…”

  “What?” My heart thumped, feeling the shock whisking off her. Her finger traced the symbols, one that looked similar to the mathematical symbol pi but with vertical lines curved out at the end. The second was similar to a lowercase cursive R.

  “I know these symbols,” she whispered.

  “You should. They’re Druid.”

  “No.” Her eyes shot to mine. “You don’t understand. I’ve seen them in person.”

  “In person?” Ember frowned with confusion

  “On a person.” Kennedy swallowed, standing up straight. “They were scarred into her skin like a brand.” She turned away walked the few steps to the window. “I can’t believe I forgot. I saw her in the vision as well... Shit!”

  Ember and I looked at each other, both sets of our eyes wide. I didn’t know Kennedy well, but I bet she rarely swore.

  Fear instantly ran down my spine, and I stood straighter.

  “Who, Kennedy?” Ember began breathing rapidly, her anxiety evident to all of us. “Who did you see?”

  Chapter 5

  Zoey

  Zoey…

  My name was like a rope, pulling me forward. Even though I fe
lt frozen with dread, my body moved without my permission.

  You can’t fight me. The robotic voice pounded my heart. All I could see was darkness, but its presence whispered in my ear, my muscles jerking. The time has come.

  “No.” Panic pounded in my throat, barely letting me speak.

  A strange laugh rippled up my throat.

  The more you fight, the more I will enjoy your fall. You know it’s true. You dream of me all the time. I am in every thought and fiber of you.

  My heart pounded, feeling the truth like a dagger to my soul.

  Come to me.

  My mind screamed no, but my body moved down the tunnel, a glinting light at the end, beckoning me to grasp for it. I needed it. Wanted it. I could not resist the call; it sang in my blood the same as a craving. My arm lifted, the marks on my hand glowing as I reached out for the power.

  Cries of pain, shrill and shattering, rocked through me.

  Suddenly I was on the other side of the light, in a street filled with crumbled buildings, burning cars, dead bodies, and blood pouring into the gutters. Oh gods, no. Familiar faces lay at my feet, their dead eyes burning into my soul. People I loved. I peered at my hand, dripping with blood. I had killed them.

  Labored breaths hacked at my lungs, spinning my head. No-no-no-no.

  “Zoey.” A voice rang through my head. Only one other being stood in front of me, his back to me. Tall, dark, and familiar.

  “Lars?”

  Lars’s head jerked to me. His eyes were black, a creepy smile stretched across his face, which was covered in blood. The power radiating from him pulsated against my chest. My muscles locked up against a terrible feeling of doom.

  “This is only the beginning. You are mine, Zoey. Forever.”

  I bolted up with a cry, sweat drenching my chest and trickling down the back of my neck. Throbbing singed my palm, the stone’s marks flaring with life. I rolled it tighter, squeezing it until my nails dug into my skin, blending the pain together. My head pounded with the remnants of the dream as I gazed into the dark room, confused as to where I was. The fan dusted my skin with cool air, goosebumps dimpling my flesh. It was humid and hot, but the dream stamped an icy path along my spine.