Page 9 of Bound By Darkness

Cambion seems equally evasive. “We don’t know,” he tells me after a protracted silence. “She disappeared during the Great War. No one has seen nor heard from her since.”

“Call it what it is,” Dragan growls at Cambion before facing me again. “She abandoned us, her loyal emissaries… What a load of...”

Cambion and I both look at him, and he looks right back at us. We wait for him to finish his sentence, but instead, he leavesthe haphazard meeting circle without ceremony and disappears behind the trees. I fight the desire to follow. I know it’s better to leave him alone. I’m probably the last person he wants to see, anyway…

I turn my gaze back over my shoulder to Baron, wishing he would come out of his vision so we could discuss what we both just witnessed. Right now, he seems to be my only ally. I fight the instinct to laugh at the unlikeliness of that scenario.

The soft purr of wings announces Flumph’s arrival as he comes to rest on my shoulder. I suppose I have two allies. But as endearing as the sprite can sometimes be, I doubt he has much to contribute in my search for answers.

Cambion speaks again. “Let’s leave him,” he says, looking over at Baron. “We could both use some rest.”

He’s not wrong; I’m beyond tired but I’m also worried about Baron. “Should we leave him… like that?”

Cambion nods. “He’s in the visionary state, and who knows how long it will last. Regardless, we can’t be the ones to wake him from it.”

I nod and suddenly feel light-headed in my exhaustion. My legs ache in protest of standing and my head thrums with a headache that clouds both my thoughts and sight.

I wonder how long we’ve all been awake—it feels like forever. The last reserves of my energy are gone. I think back to Dragan’s explanation of Succubae in the woods, how I get energy from sex. The thought makes me shudder, because I can feel the truth of his words.

I feel the pull Dragan described—this burning need or desire within me. For every day that passes, the need grows stronger. It scares me, to have this thing within me I didn’t even know existed.

And I still know nothing about my past—my memories, why I hear Morrigan’s voice within my head, why Dragan distrusts me so much...

Am I someone worthy of such scrutiny and dislike? I don’t feel any different than I did before we crossed the River of Souls, and yet I am different. Imustbe different.

I want to rip the thoughts from my head.

As an angel, I was a creature of light and purity. Now, I don’t know what I am.

Slowly, I make my way over to a patch of ground that hasn’t been covered by the nearly ubiquitous shade of the trees. The spot is warm; leaves fall softly to the ground from the branches above. The whole forest is buzzing with happy life, completely unaware of the thoughts plaguing my mind.

Such is nature.

It exists with firm, unwavering confidence.

As I allow my body to melt into the warmth of the soft, leaf-covered ground, I find myself envious of the trees—only everwitnessesto the trials and tribulations of men. I crave their disinvolvement, their anonymity, their assuredness of self… or, perhaps, no knowledge of self at all. No identity to confuse.

My eyes fold into the comfort of the thought and, before I can even think to protest, I fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.

CHAPTER THREE

EILISH

Mortal Realm

When I awaken, I’m lying on the forest floor; the sky around me is now gray and chilled. Night is rapidly approaching. The bird songs and soft melodies of the wood have faded, replaced by an intimidating silence, like we’re all being watched by… something. Gently, I lift my body into a seated position, wincing at the ache in my muscles. Stretching to relieve the stiffness, I scan our patch of forest in search of the rest of my group.

Baron is still holding theTransmutation Stone, his face beneath the shade is cast in shadow and impossible to see. Cambion sits at the base of a nearby tree, gold embers circling his hands as he focuses on something small sitting before him. Dragan is nowhere to be seen.

I rise and approach Cambion, “How long was I out?” I ask, my voice still thick and my overall feeling one of sluggishness.

He looks up at me, as if noticing me for the first time. The embers around his hands disappear and a rock falls from between them, landing with a softthud.

“Five or six hours?” he asks. His voice is cold and unfriendly. He picks up the stone and throws it against the nearby trunk of a tree before standing. He towers over me in a way that intimidates me. Or maybe it’s his closeness. Either way, my breath catches and I look at Cambion as though I’m seeing him for the first time.

He’s tall and stately, though not as tall or broad as Dragan. And though he’s muscular, his muscles aren’t bulky and overly large like Dragan’s. His hair is dark gold and curls around his pointed ears, matching the tone of his bronze skin, the same hue echoing in his amber eyes.

As Cambion’s fae, there’s a brightness that surrounds him, almost as though he glows.

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