Dark Alpha's Night_A Reaper Novel Page 13

  “He gave me his word,” Ettie said, appalled at the idea of losing her sisters despite everything.

  Daire met her gaze. “He can’t be trusted.”

  “Yet he expects me to keep my word?” How she hated the situation.

  Any way she looked at it, she was trapped. Because Bran had Jamie and Carrie. Ettie had no choice but to give him exactly what he wanted. And that galled her.

  Daire took her hand, holding it tightly. “As soon as he releases Jamie and Carrie, we’ll take all three of you away.”

  “That’s our only option, isn’t it?” she asked.

  Cael twisted his lips. “Anything else will likely end in the deaths of your sisters as well as you.”

  The room felt heavy with frustration and anger. It was no wonder the Reapers wanted Bran killed so badly. Every time they turned around, they were fighting him with few options available to end his spree of violence.

  If only she could hold a Fae weapon, then all of it could end that night. But for whatever reason, Fae weapons were out of her reach.

  She looked out the window to see the sun sinking behind the mountains. Her time was up.

  Chapter Nineteen

  For all her years of training, not once had Ettie realized how that which was spoken had more power than a weapon or fist. It was words that had changed her fate starting with her father, then Daire, and now Bran.

  Except it was Bran who wanted to destroy everything she had.

  Daire was attempting to help her keep what was hers.

  She shivered against the cold as well as the fear that threatened to crush her. Each time she thought how differently things could’ve gone had Daire and the Reapers not found her, her stomach pitched.

  But Daire had found her. Now, she stood a chance against Bran. It was a slim one, but it was better than what she would have had without Daire and the Reapers.

  She fisted her hands in the pockets of her jacket. She was a Halfling. A human with Fae blood. It set her family apart from others. Partly because the magic of her ancestry allowed those in her family to excel at certain things.

  Yet it was the attention placed upon them by the Fae that really made the difference.

  Every few minutes, she tried to call the sword as Daire had shown her, but her mind wasn’t focused. Any second now, Bran would arrive to demand everything she owned in exchange for her sisters.

  She would have to match wits with him again, and frankly, she wasn’t sure she was up for it. Though she didn’t have a choice. The responsibility fell to her. Except, this time, the lives of her sisters were on the line.

  Every action she took, every word that passed her lips would determine their fates. This time, she was skidding on ice, slamming against one wall or another, unable to right herself.

  It was a horrible sensation. She was putting all of her faith and trust in Daire and the Reapers. If anything went wrong. . . .

  No. She wouldn’t think like that. She had to stay positive. For her sisters and for herself.

  She faced the sunset, watching the giant orange ball dip below the mountains. The last little bit of light that vanished in a blip made her feel as if she were shrouded in darkness now, as if she were the last soul on earth.

  The waiting was the hardest part. She expected Bran to arrive the minute the sun was gone, but he was nowhere to be seen. The bastard was toying with her.

  Her temper flared, but she managed to keep it in check. She wanted to shout and scream his name, to call him out and demand he show himself. But she kept her mouth shut.

  This wasn’t just about her family. This was about all Fae, and if she were honest, all humans, as well. Bran had to be stopped. She’d seen the evil in his silver eyes. It didn’t take a lot of imagining to realize what he could do if he were able to defeat Death and take that position himself.

  She wasn’t about to face Bran just for herself, but also for the Reapers, the Fae, Halflings, and all of humanity. Her training had consisted of using her hands and body to fight—not her wits. Yet that’s exactly what she was about to do.

  Whether it was because she was hyper aware or just more focused, she knew the moment Bran arrived. He stood behind her, and somehow, she managed to ignore him despite the chill that skittered down her spine at his arrival.

  “Are you looking for the Reapers?” Bran asked in a mocking voice.

  Ettie took a deep breath and slowly released it. “Where are Jamie and Carrie?”

  “Safe.”

  “Nothing is happening until I see them.”

  Bran snapped his fingers, the sound as loud as a shot in the quiet valley. Almost at once, her sisters appeared, each held by a Dark.

  Ettie’s heart skipped a beat when she gazed into the blood red eyes of the Dark Fae holding Jamie. The one restraining Carrie wouldn’t stop staring at her baby sister.

  Daire was right. Bran wasn’t going to let any of them free. As soon as he had what he wanted, his army would take her sisters away. They might take her, too, but it wouldn’t surprise her if Bran made sure she was left alone never to know what had become of her family.

  “There they are,” Bran said. “I do believe we had an agreement.”

  Ettie faced him. She was suddenly calm, something that should’ve frightened her, but she gladly accepted it. She would use it against Bran because she didn’t know how long it would last.

  “Our agreement was for you to release my sisters, unharmed, in exchange for me signing over the land, house, and our belongings to you,” she said.

  Bran’s lips curved into a smile. “That’s right.”

  “You hold all the cards. I have nothing to use against you.”

  “Again, that’s correct.”

  His smile widened, and she controlled the urge to punch him in the face. “I can’t stand against you, or any Fae.”

  “Your point?”

  “Why didn’t you demand all of this from the beginning?”

  Bran chuckled and moved a step closer to her. “It was a game.”

  “A game? With a half-Fae? Did you need to feel superior?”

  “I am superior. In every way,” he stated. “It amused me to see how I could bend you to my will.”

  She cocked a brow. “It amused you? Are you in such need of entertainment that you find your descendants only to mess with their minds and destroy their lives?”

  “What fun would it have been for me to show up and simply force you to give me what I want?”

  “You’ve done that anyway.”

  The smile dropped. His face hardened with anger and a malevolence so revolting that she took a step back. “I get what I want. Always.”

  “What is it exactly that you want here?”

  “Why should I tell you?”

  She shrugged, her lips twisting. “Why not? It’s not as if I can stop you.”

  “How can you be of my blood and unable to protect yourself?” he asked as he sneered at her.

  “You’re the one attacking your own kin.”

  He rubbed a hand over his chin. “I should warn you that trying to make me feel pity or remorse is useless. Even if you were my own daughter, I’d still do this.”

  “How were you ever Light?”

  “What you see now is the result of Death. Everything I am now is Death’s fault.”

  Ettie snorted. “You don’t think your actions caused things?”

  “Do you want to die, Ettie?”

  She’d known that threat would come. “I don’t, but we both know I won’t be leaving here alive. Just as we both know you never had any intention of releasing my sisters.”

  “A spark of potential.” Bran clasped his hands behind his back and grinned. “So you’re not as stupid as I originally thought. Is this where you try to bargain with me?”

  “No.”

  “Ah. Your intelligence is growing by the second. Why not?”

  She gave him a flat look. “As I stated earlier, you hold all the cards. I have nothing.”

  He look
ed her over and preened. “No. You don’t.”

  She held his gaze, refusing to look away. “I just want one thing.”

  “What’s that? For me to allow you and your sisters to live?”

  “I want to know what it is you’ve come for. Tell me why I’m giving up my home and my life.”

  “Why should I?”

  She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Why not tell me? It’s simple curiosity. Nothing more.”

  “Why aren’t you asking for your life?”

  “Would you give it to me?”

  “No.”

  She flattened her lips. “Precisely.”

  “Everyone begs. Everyone.”

  “I’m not everyone.”

  His gaze narrowed on her. “You’ll beg for your sisters.”

  She hadn’t looked their way since they arrived, and Ettie wouldn’t now either. She might very well break if she did. “What good will it do? You have your mind made up.”

  “I want to hear you beg.”

  “Tell me what you’ve come for, and I’ll do it.”

  “I thought you said you had nothing to bargain with.”

  She gave a bark of laughter and shook her head. “I stood here for hours trying to think of what we could have that would cause you to go to such extremes, and I came up with nothing. I’m completely alone. You’ve made sure of that.”

  “The Reapers were never a group you could count on.”

  “They were all I had.”

  “So you gave them your trust.”

  She slowly nodded. “I didn’t expect them to abandon me.”

  “They’re no match for me, and they know it.”

  “I don’t care anymore about them. I’ve lived my entire life preparing for an event that was never explained to me. Now, I’ll never know what I was training for. The least you can do is show me what you’re searching for.”

  He studied her for a long moment before looking over her shoulder. At his smile, she knew he must have spotted Cael and the others.

  From what Ettie could see, none of Bran’s men realized the Reapers were inside the dome with them. So far, at least.

  “A sword.”

  She blinked, her stomach falling to her feet. “A sword.”

  “One that was discarded eons ago. It’s buried here.”

  Ettie started shaking her head. “If something like that was here, my family would’ve known. We would’ve dug it up and protected it.”

  Bran laughed. “That would be rather difficult since it’s far below the earth. The blade is so powerful that Fae are repelled by it. It’s why there’s none of my kind in Killarney.”

  “But you’re here. As were the Reapers.”

  “We’re different,” Bran stated.

  Ettie was going to be sick. She didn’t need to ask what it looked like to know that it was a black blade. How had it come to be in her grip?

  She pulled her hands from her pockets and dropped them to her sides. Then she imagined the weapon in her hand. But there was nothing. “You believe you can find the sword?”

  “Of course.”

  Within her mind, she screamed “No!” The sound reverberated in her head and through her soul. She knew then that she had to protect the sword at all costs.

  The weight of something suddenly filled her hand. Ettie glanced over to see the thick wooden spear with the long blade at the end that Daire had tried to give her. She turned and twirled the spear before she pointed it at Bran.

  “You’re not touching that sword,” she stated.

  Chapter Twenty

  Daire didn’t know who was more surprised when Ettie called up a weapon, him or her. There was a brief widening of her eyes before she faced off with Bran. Daire motioned to Kyran and Fintan to spread out from their places behind the garage.

  When Bran arrived, he didn’t check to see if any Reapers were within the shield. That told Daire just how confident Bran was in his ability. It also meant that they would get their surprise attack.

  And they needed to make the most of it.

  While Daire came up behind Bran, Cael was on the outside of the dome punching the barrier while Neve, Talin, and Baylon did the same. Bran didn’t pay any of them a moment’s notice. Which was just what Daire wanted.

  Bran slowly dropped his arms to his sides when Ettie pointed the spear at him. “Don’t think I won’t kill you and your sisters.”

  “You can try,” Ettie said.

  Daire didn’t know how she got the spear, and he didn’t care. Not only had she called up a weapon, but it was Fae. Which meant it could kill Bran if she were able to get in a good hit.

  Bran was close enough that Daire could wrap his hands around the bastard’s neck. He might not be able to strike the ending blow, but he could set everything up.

  Their plan had been to get the girls out. That changed the moment Ettie called up the weapon. Daire glanced at Fintan and Kyran, who stood near Searlas and the other Dark who held the sisters.

  Daire called up his sword. As soon as Ettie spun and attacked, the Reapers inside the shield dropped their veils and launched themselves at the Dark.

  Fintan gutted Searlas while Kyran slashed the throat of the other Dark before Fintan teleported away with Jamie and Carrie. Daire kicked the backs of Bran’s knees, buckling them so he went down on all fours.

  The dome vanished, and the rest of the Reapers spilled into the area. Ettie used that time to jab the spear toward Bran’s heart. He leaned to the side at the last minute, causing the blade to pierce his arm.

  He let out a bellow and jumped to his feet. With his lips peeled back and his teeth bared, Bran ignored Daire and went straight for Ettie.

  Daire and Cael closed in on Bran while Ettie used the spear to knock away the orbs of magic Bran threw at her as he advanced. Meanwhile, more of Bran’s army arrived. Soon, the valley was filled with the sounds of battle.

  Despite her training, Ettie was no match for the sheer power of Bran. Daire saw her weakening and sought to turn Bran’s attention to him. He let a large bubble of magic form in his hand before he hurled it at Bran’s back.

  Bran jerked at the impact of the orb and halted. He shifted to look Daire’s way before turning back to Ettie. Except, this time, it was Cael who stood in his way.

  Daire teleported to Ettie’s side and moved her away from Bran. Sweat covered her face, causing her hair to stick to her cheeks and neck. He held out his hand to her. Ettie’s fingers linked with his.

  “It’s not your time, Cael,” Bran said, causing Daire to turn his focus back to the pair.

  With a wave of Bran’s hand, Cael was surrounded by twenty Dark, who immediately began attacking him. Daire glanced at Ettie, who gave him a nod of assurance. They dropped their hands and prepared for Bran’s assault.

  “You can’t stop me,” Bran said to Daire.

  Daire tightened his grip on his sword. “We’ll see about that.”

  As one, Daire and Ettie attacked Bran. With no weapon, Bran used his body to block them and his magic to thwart them. But Daire didn’t give up. Neither did Ettie.

  Again and again, they attacked. Ettie got in several strikes, but none was a killing blow. Worse, she was growing tired. She might be a Halfling, but she didn’t have the stamina of a Fae, which put her at a distinct disadvantage.

  Daire knew they needed to find an opening for Ettie before she was too exhausted to deliver the killing blow. He launched a vicious attack on Bran that focused all of Bran’s attention on him.

  His plan allowed Ettie a few seconds to catch her breath, but that’s all she got before Bran hurled two large orbs of magic right at Daire. He managed to knock one aside, but the other hit his left side.

  Daire pushed aside the pain. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Cael and Fintan fighting side by side. With Ettie’s sisters away, Bran no longer had any leverage over Ettie. But that didn’t mean she was safe. In fact, it meant she was in even more danger.

  Ignoring the burning in his side, Daire rush
ed toward Ettie right as she went in for another attack on Bran. Only this time, her leg gave out. She fell to one knee before rolling on the ground and coming up on her feet.

  She recovered, but not quickly enough. Bran was waiting for her, as if he’d anticipated her move. He knocked the spear out of her hands and swept her feet out from under her.

  Daire’s heart stopped. He shouted her name as everything moved in slow motion. Ettie was on her knees, looking up at Bran, who held a massive bubble of magic.

  It didn’t matter how fast Daire moved, he wouldn’t make it to Ettie in time. He threw his sword at Bran in an attempt to buy her some time. The blade impaled itself in Bran’s upper arm, but that didn’t even draw Bran’s attention.

  Daire gritted his teeth and teleported to Ettie, even as Bran’s hand started the downward arc toward her. Daire was about to witness her death, and no matter his outrage, he wouldn’t be able to do a damn thing to Bran.

  “Nooooooo!” he yelled as he slid on his knees toward Ettie to knock her out of the way and take the magic himself.

  Except when she raised her hands over her head, something flickered and appeared. He gaped in astonishment when his gaze landed on the black sword.

  The bubble of magic landed on the sword and ricocheted off. For a second, no one moved as they all stared at the weapon. Then Ettie gave a battle yell and swung the blade toward Bran.

  Just when Daire thought the nightmare would end, Bran vanished before the blade could touch him. A second later, the rest of his army followed.

  Daire watched as Ettie slowly lowered the sword. He was close enough to touch it, but it was the last thing he wanted to do. There was something about the weapon that made him want to get far, far away from it.

  “Well, shit,” Kyran murmured as he walked up.

  One by one, the other Reapers approached, yet none of them tried to touch the sword. And then, without a word or movement, it disappeared.

  “I didn’t do that,” Ettie said.

  Cael released a breath. “It served its purpose. Now it’s gone again.”

  “Served its purpose?” Neve asked.

  Daire took Ettie’s hand, and they climbed to their feet. “That sword belongs to a powerful being. Bran said it was discarded here where it’s lain dormant.”