The Heart of the Darkness Read online

  “You... care about me?” I asked, pointing to myself.

  Jemma rolled her eyes but said nothing as Stella nodded slowly. “Maybe it’s because we share Brant, or maybe it’s because... I really don’t know, but I do care about you and don’t want anything to happen to you. Going with Brant is the best way I can think of to prepare to fight this thing. We need more people on our side, Sierra.”

  I knew it was a death wish, but I couldn’t stop myself. I lunged across the bed and took Stella into a tight embrace. She stiffened like a plank of wood but didn’t shove me away, which I took as a vast improvement over her beating the snot out of me. Just as I was releasing her, the door burst open, and four rambunctious men filed in, covered in mud and grass.

  “What on earth happened to you? Ross, what are you doing here?” Jemma asked.

  “You didn’t think I wouldn’t at least come to see you off?” Ross leaned over and kissed Jemma’s cheek, making me blush. Who would have thought after so many years, the boys who tried to keep Cecily and me safe would show up in the middle of a giant war to help us? I was happy my cousin found love with a man who was like a brother to me.

  “You’re sweet,” Jemma said and closed her suitcase. “But that doesn’t tell me why you’re covered in mud and grass.”

  “That would be because—oomph!” Ari had the wind knocked out of him when Hans tackled him from behind.

  “We were playing with some of the kids before we came in. They’re ruthless little snots,” Jack said.

  Ely leaned against the wall and smiled at me. It had been almost a year, and I still couldn’t get used to the idea that we were married—not just married but with my father’s approval and support.

  “Well, that does it then. I’m all set if you are,” Jemma said and looked at Stella, who was still a little weirded out by my impromptu hug.

  Ari stood beside Stella and stared down at her. Despite everything, it was amazing how so many people were able to find love and happiness in the middle of a battle against the darkest evil the world had ever seen. He looked up at me and smiled, reminding me his eye had been seriously damaged by an accidental shift. It was getting better by the day, but the mother instinct in me kicked in anyway.

  “Ari, don’t forget to keep up with your eye treatments. My mother made enough salve to keep you in stock for a week or so,” I said.

  “Is that your way of saying we need to come to visit in a week?” Stella asked with a smile.

  Everyone else was caught up in conversation, so I took a moment to ask Stella a favor—one I knew she would try hard to keep. “Can you please... just look out for Jemma? I’m not sure what I would do if—”

  Stella grabbed my hand to stop it from flailing around. “Yes, I swear. I’ll keep her safe, Sierra. No matter what happens, I will always fight to keep her, and you, safe.” Her long brown hair was tied into a braid that was tucked neatly underneath, a style that exhibited her strong cheekbones and beautifully arched eyebrows. But assessing her beauty was not what I was meant to be doing at that moment. It was merely my mind’s way of distracting me from what haunted me.

  “I mostly worry about...” My voice faded as my gaze fell on my son, playing with his father and uncle.

  “To the death, Sierra. I will protect him and fight for him until my last breath.” Stella’s words were solid and unshakeable. I knew, no matter what, Hans would be safe. He would live even if I didn’t, and that thought alone made an odd strength grow inside of me.

  “Thank you,” I whispered.

  “Well then, we better get going,” Stella said, leaving me sitting on the bed with tears in my eyes. She threw a smile over her shoulder and took Ari’s hand, but I swore her own eyes were glistening with unshed tears. Ari ruffled Hans’ hair as the two left to gather their own things for the relocation.

  Ross picked up Jemma’s bag and waited while she hugged me goodbye. “I’m going to go say bye to Cecily, but I promise we will be back in a week or so to visit, okay?”

  I nodded and let my sorrow fade just a little, knowing she wasn’t walking out of my life forever. Once she and Ross left, Ely picked Hans over his shoulders and sighed.

  “We’re headed to his room to change and get ready for dinner,” Ely said, and side-eyed Jack, which was code for talk to your brother about whatever is bothering him, then left the room.

  Ely was right. Something was bothering Jack, but it was more than likely the same thing that was bothering me—we had a brother, and our parents had lied to us about it in both our first lives and in our present ones. I stood from Jemma’s bed and began pacing, just like Cecily always did when she was stressed.

  “You too?” Jack asked, following me.

  “Yeah. Why didn’t they just tell us? I sort of understand why they wouldn’t in the first life, but this one? With all these other people coming back from the dead or returning from the future, it doesn’t make sense to keep it a secret.”

  “I keep telling myself it was because they just couldn’t believe their son might return, that maybe the thought of it was just too painful. I talked to Hayden, and she said the same thing, but I think it’s maybe easier for her.”

  I paused my pacing. “How so?”

  Jack bumped into me and sighed. “I don’t know. She takes everything so much better than I do, even this thing with Annabell. I hate that everyone thinks she betrayed us, Sierra. She would never do that, and she would never hurt any of us on purpose. Something must have gone wrong with her magic, or maybe it was Cole. I don’t know, but I know she didn’t mean to hurt Alorna and the others.”

  I hugged my brother, desperate for him to know that I loved him no matter what. “I know there must be a reason she left, Jack, and for what happened when she did. I don’t know what it is, but I know that little girl loved you with her whole heart.”

  “Not so little anymore.” His puffs of breath tickled my forehead, but he was right. Annabell had aged twelve or so years right in front of our faces.

  “How did she do that? What did she do?” I asked.

  He shrugged and released me. “I have no idea. If she really is Elfriede, then her power must be unimaginable. I can only hope she is devising a plan to end the Darkness rather than...”

  “Jack?” I pushed away from him and stared into his face. “You can’t possibly think otherwise. You’re the one who just told me you were sure it was a mistake or that something had gone wrong. Of course, there is no way Annabell meant to do this.”

  He shook his head and ran his hands over his face. “Of course. You’re right. She wouldn’t hurt anyone on purpose, but we’ve all seen what that evil can do to even the kindest of us.”

  “What happened with Hayden was different, Jack. It was—”

  “Was it? The Darkness knew how strong she was and tapped into that. Imagine if it somehow gets its claws into Annabell again.”

  A shiver coursed down my spine.

  “Enough of this,” Jack said. “We don’t know how much time we have, so let’s spend it making happy memories with our families rather than contemplating things that might not even happen. Besides, I promised Hayden I’d call with an update today.”

  “When will she return from Schattenland?” I asked, hoping it would be soon. Jack was never quite right when Hayden was away.

  “She should return soon. She just... needed her brother and sister. I understand that. Now go on and tell your husband I’m fine. He keeps asking me if I’m okay, and it’s driving me crazy.”

  I chuckled and left Jack alone to sort through his muddled thoughts. I knew once he spoke to Hayden, his mood would improve, but all I wanted at that moment was to hug my son and spend some time with him before the next disaster inevitably hit. Any time we had even a moment of peace, disaster struck. Before long, we would move Hans to the underground bunker with the other kids at the Salien castle, but I couldn’t bear thinking about that just yet.

  Inside Hans’ room, Ely was sitting by the fire. Hans was spread across his
bed, fast asleep. I chuckled. “You wore him out already?”

  Ely glanced up and placed his book on the table. “It’s been an eventful day with the return of a brother you never even knew you had. How is Jack?”

  I sat on my husband’s lap and snuggled in. “He’s okay, just lost without Hayden here.”

  “Mmm... I can understand,” Ely said as he rested his chin on my head. “How do you feel about everything?”

  I thought for a moment over everything that had happened already that day. It wasn’t the first time I discovered I had a brother, but it didn’t change the severity of the situation. Not only did I have another brother, but he was the adoptive brother of an honest-to-goodness monster hunter. Add to that the fact Marcus had killed him and sent him back to the forest... There was just too much to think about—too much to feel.

  “I think the only thing we can do is let the feelings settle a little before we try to figure them all out. But Ely?”

  “Hmm?”

  “No matter what, I need to know... I mean, if I do...”

  “Shh,” Ely said and held me tighter. “You won’t, but hypothetically, I can promise you he will grow up in a family full of love. I can take him back to America, and we can live in—”

  A knock at the door interrupted Ely.

  “Come in,” I said.

  Cecily and Felix entered, but it wasn’t a social call. I could tell by the look on Cecily’s face and by the very fact that Felix wasn’t in Scarlett’s room trying to help her settle her addled mind. I stood, followed by Ely, whose mood changed in an instant.

  “What? What is it?” Ely asked.

  “Marcus called. He... They know what it is,” Cecily said. “They figured out who Cole is and what he is.”

  “What?” I asked, my stomach bottoming out.

  “They know what the Darkness is. We need to talk.” Felix pushed the door open all the way, allowing Hans’ nanny to enter. She smiled and squeezed my arm, then went to pick up Hans’ toys and books.

  Ely took my hand and let his eyes connect with mine. It was the moment I had dreaded since I discovered I was one of the Seven Sworn. It seemed I was about to discover the true identity of the monster that would steal my life.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Annabell

  Elfriede’s Castle, Das Unbekannte

  THE CASTLE LOOKED THE same—dark and soaring with an intricate floral design carved in the stones that made up the entry archway. At the top of the tallest tower, a spire reached toward the Heavens. I used to lay in the grass and wonder if there had ever been a grander castle in all the world, but of course, there was not. Cole made sure of that. Just beneath the tower was a balcony that stretched the length of half the castle, where we often stood and looked out over all that was ours—the darkest parts of the forest where no one dared tread.

  “It’s darker than I remember,” I said.

  Cole took my hand, careful not to ignite the spark that transferred energy between us. It took us ages to master the technique centuries ago, but it was much like riding a bicycle. It seemed we fell easily into our old routine once I no longer fought against him—or so he believed.

  “It needs a woman’s touch, but it can live again. Look there. Even the lilies are delighted you have returned.” Cole pointed toward the blood-red lilies that bloomed even in the dead of winter, for nothing could kill the enchanted bulbs.

  Once the pairing ceremony was complete, I would be better able to judge Cole’s shifts in mood, his waning powers, and most of all, when the darkness took him, and he was no longer himself. I followed him inside the castle, which was, even after centuries, neat and clean. He still lived there, evidenced by the energy that flowed through each room we passed until we stopped at what, I assumed, were to be my quarters.

  Long ago, the room had been used as a sitting room that boasted two massive fireplaces and cushioned chairs that swallowed me whole. I had loved the room, and with the bed added to it, it seemed Cole had made me a bedroom fit for a queen.

  He motioned for me to enter, then closed the door behind us to keep out the chill. A fire roared in each fireplace as if he knew he would eventually convince me to come back to this place. Cole materialized the dagger from thin air—much like the Siphon Dolce, it was slender and decorative, boasting not a ruby but an emerald at the end of the handle. He placed it on the hearth and stepped away while I stared into the fire.

  “If it matters, I do wish there was another way, Ellie.”

  His silvery voice sent multiple chills up and down my spine. It wasn’t because I was still cold or because deep inside, there was still some spark of feeling I had for him. No, this time it was because what he said was true. He did wish it, but it did not change the reality of the situation. He would do what he was meant to do, and for him to continue on his path, he needed more pure power to fight the dark energy he dissolved within himself.

  “How long will the absorption with the Seven keep you stable?” I asked.

  He sighed and sat on the floor with his knees pulled up to his chest. “Maybe forever, at least a millennium. I cannot say for sure, but the last time... I’ve tried for at least six hundred years to control it, but, more often than not, it is bubbling under the surface.”

  “Is that why you were a dragon this morning?”

  He nodded. I sat across from him, feeling the warmth of the fire against my back.

  “It helps,” he said. His coal-colored eyes flickered orange in the firelight. “The dragon is the strongest of any animal I can imagine, and as such, it controls the surges of power until it is manageable as a human again. It’s painful these days, shifting from one form to another. It takes more control to ensure the things do not escape when I do.”

  “But they have, Cole. Each time you let one of those bratty princesses take some of your power, you let those things escape, too. The hounds, those blood-sucking demons, winged-creatures—Cole, they even turned villagers into trolls!”

  He leaned back against the bed and let his legs unfold in front of him. “I know.”

  “Why? Why would you let them do these things? Yes, you are meant to contain evil, but why do you let it—”

  “Enough, Elfriede. You do not understand what I am, and you never wished to fully comprehend it, so do not try to do so now to save the world.”

  I sighed and wrung my hands in my lap. “I have grown, you know. I am wiser now, and perhaps now is as good a time as any for you to explain those things that I did not wish to know back then,” I said.

  “They were never meant to go rogue, Ellie. I gave them the power to help me, but they all turned against me when they saw how much power the Darkness gave them.”

  “To help you do what, exactly? Take back my land?”

  “Not entirely, but yes, that was part of the reason. They were to reclaim the land and release it to me, but they chose to reign over it themselves. Then the Darkness grew jealous and leaped from one to the next until it ran out of tyrannical queens to torture.”

  “And now?” I asked.

  “And now we wait, and when I absorb the Seven, I shall seek it out and—”

  “Oh, Cole. Why do you still speak of the Darkness as if it is not you? I do not understand. Help me to see it the way you do.”

  Cole pursed his lips and clenched his jaw for the hundredth time. “I am but one part of the larger picture, my love, but I am weary of explaining myself. Soon enough, you will remember. I can only hope you forgive me once you do.”

  Silence fell upon us again as it often did, but this time I felt moved to speak again, to keep him talking even if it was not about the topic I desperately wanted to discuss.

  “You were right about me back then. I was a petulant child, but only because you were so good to me,” I admitted.

  He laughed. “So, then, it was all my fault that you ran off a cliff when you didn’t get your way?”

  “That’s not what I meant at all. It was just that my entire life, I had been shoved in a corne
r, alone, forgotten... Then you... When I found you, it was the first time in my life that anyone cared to look at me, let alone speak to me as if I were of any importance in the world. You spoiled me with your gifts of power and... Well, with this,” I said, motioning around the room.

  “What you are saying is, my treating you well made you greedy for more?” he asked with a grin. He knew it had. It was his plan all along—make me yearn for more and more until I was as dark as he was. But I could not forget that first kill, the first time I had taken more than I was meant to have... and blood stained my hands.

  “Yes, I suppose I am. I needed to help you as much as I needed air, and when I killed that girl because of... what happened...”

  “You changed when you took that young girl’s power,” he said. “Why?”

  “Why? Cole, I killed her!” I shot up from my seated position and crushed the urge to find that cliff and leap off of it again. “And you let me do it. That’s why I... You let me become a monster, Cole, and that is why I left. I don’t want to be that way again.”

  “I never wanted what happened, Ellie,” he said, standing just behind me. “You needed her light to save your life, but it was not meant to end that way. I wish you could remember what really happened and that all I want is to have you here with me. I will figure out how to manage everything else without your light to neutralize what I cannot manage. There are other ways, though you abhor them as well.”

  “Then let us complete the ceremony so that the difficult parts are over,” I said. I felt tears slip over my cheeks, worried that I might make a wrong move, take a misstep that would lead to the death and destruction of all I held dear. If he figured out my plan, it was over. He would not only kill the Seven but everyone. Every living thing in the forest would be at his mercy.

  “You are sure?” he asked, but even as he did, he retrieved the dagger from the hearth. It was red-hot, so it would quickly cauterize the wounds. We would have to work quickly. I held out my palm. Cole slashed it wide open, forcing a whimper from my lips. I hated the sound, so human and weak, but Cole seemed intrigued by the whimper. So much so, he wiped the stray tears from my cheeks and kissed my forehead before returning to his work.