Born of Darkness Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  CHAPTER ONE 1

  CHAPTER TWO 2

  CHAPTER THREE 3

  CHAPTER FOUR 4

  CHAPTER FIVE 5

  CHAPTER SIX 6

  CHAPTER SEVEN 7

  CHAPTER EIGHT 8

  CHAPTER NINE 9

  CHAPTER TEN 10

  CHAPTER ELEVEN 11

  CHAPTER TWELVE 12

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN 13

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN 14

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN 15

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN 16

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN 17

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN 18

  CHAPTER NINETEEN 19

  CHAPTER TWENTY 20

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE 21

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO 22

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE 23

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR 24

  The Watchers

  Book One

  Born Of Darkness

  Jamie Avery King

  Copyright © 2018 Jamie Avery King

  All Rights Reserved

  This is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It cannot be re-sold, reproduced, scanned or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written consent from the author.

  For my sister and her beautiful soul of fire. May you light the world with your strength and beauty - Always

  Mom, thank you for being my number one fan and supporter. You have been an unimaginable inspiration to me.

  CHAPTER ONE

  1

  I apply my ruby red lipstick and pop my lips together. Perfect. How on earth did I let Tiffany convince me to do this? I must have been in a very generous mood when I agreed to go clubbing on Halloween, of all nights. I slide into the black lace corset dress and tug the strings to the perfect tightness. “Where did I put those shoes?” I murmur as I fumble through the closet in search of the black suede heels that match the black suede witches hat I found in the thrift store. I toss a few things onto the floor behind me and spot them under a pile of dirty clothes. I yank them out and climb over the mountain of clothes behind me. “I should really do laundry.”

  The bedroom door swings open. I wobble and catch myself on the dresser before sliding my foot into the four inch heels. The short blonde bounces in to my room leaving a trail of glitter in her wake. The purple halter dress flows elegantly down her slender hips before splitting into spindles of satin that float around her thighs. Her calves are decorated in silver lace up heels that tie just below the knee. Her matching glitter filled purple and silver wings shimmer in the bedroom light. Her sapphire eyes twinkle with excitement as she stops beside me.

  “Nuri! Guess who is going to be there tonight! Just guess!” Tiffany says as she rocks back and forth on her toes clasping her fingers together.

  “Uh, that guy from your accounting class?” I imagine she would only be this excited for him because she’s “In love” with him. She has only ever said three words to the guy and somehow she’s planning their future together.

  “Yes!” She squeals and spins in elation. Her purple and silver strap on fairy wings whack me in the face with the full force of her twirl.

  “Ow,” I rub my cheek, “Calm yourself before you poke my eye out with those things.” I poke the edge of the wing and watch it spring back. “Who told you he would be there anyway?”

  She looks away sheepishly. “Well, um,” stares down at her toes, “I uh, I logged into your Magni account and friend requested him about two weeks ago. Then I saw him post that he was going to be at club Pyrien for Halloween, so I messaged him and invited him to join us at our table for your birthday.”

  “You did what?” I close my eyes and take a deep breath. “You mean that I messaged him and invited him to our table, right?”

  She nods at me apologetically. “Yeah, and he said he was going to bring his roommate too.”

  I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Well, what can I say?” I lean against the dresser. “But, for all this trouble you at least need to get his number tonight.”

  She squeezes me in a tight hug. “You’re the best, Ri.”

  “Uh, huh.” I groan and place my witches’ hat on top of my head.

  “Oh, by the way, Ri. Don’t forget to use the fake ID.”

  “Oh right! I totally would’ve forgotten about it.” Tiffany was able to snag us each one from a friend of hers over the summer before we arrived for freshman orientation. I never thought I would end up using it.

  I stare out of the window of the cab and watch the town of Pine Hills pass by. This is the reason my mom and I chose Pinewood University. It has the perfect amount of small town, mountains, and horse country, but it’s also only about thirty minutes from the bustling town of Oak Hill. The cabbie passes a line of people in various costumes that seems to wrap around the small warehouse style building.

  “And this is why I’m glad we reserved a table.” I reach into my bra and pull out the small money clip. “It looks like the line would take an hour to get through.”

  Tiffany glances up from her purse. “Yeah, I’m so glad that Maggie told me about the reserve online deal.”

  Maggie is miss beauty pageant sorority girl from Tiffany’s English Literature class. I never liked her, but she knows about all of the good parties. I hand the cabbie cash before stepping into the brisk evening. The sign for Pyrien casts a green neon glow over the crowd around us. The faces of the long line watch curiously as we approach the entrance.

  “Oh, hell-o.” Tiffany purrs beside me. I follow her gaze to find black silky hair and broad shoulders. He and his friend’s sandy blonde hair enter through the ropes and disappear into the club. “I wish you had seen his face.” Tiffany fans herself. “Perfection.”

  The gentle thrum of music streams out into the street disrupting the silence of the cool October night. Tiffany pulls out our tickets and flashes them to the bouncer who smiles and pulls the rope back for us. I smile at him flirtatiously. I can pretend to be confident for one night. I grab Tiffany’s hand before we get separated. She knows where our table is and still has both tickets. As we step through the club’s threshold the music slams into me vibrating my chest. I follow Tiffany like a child through the mass of bodies. A man bumps into me and unapologetically continues on his way as if I was a figment of his imagination.

  Tiffany leads me to a metal stairway. A line of people are shoving their way up and down the narrow steps. The cast iron design is elegant, yet industrial and thick with fake rust painted on to give a grungier aesthetic. We push our way up the crowded staircase and come to a loft filled with brushed metal tables and booths with dark gray cushions.

  “This has to be a hazard.” I grumble.

  We push through a sea of people and stop near a table with a big sign that says, “Happy Birthday, Ri!” I want to melt away as my cheeks flush. I stare at the people enjoying food and drinks at the table. One or two are people I have class with and I think the rest belong to Tiffany. One of the guys seems familiar. His disheveled sandy blonde hair shines like the sun under the small area light above.

  “Come on.” Tiffany tugs me toward the table. She smiles and waves to the party of strangers. A large body slams into me and I stumble forward a couple steps.

  “For God’s sake!” I shout in irritation as I whirl around to confront them. I falter as gorgeous ice blue eyes stare back at me. His silky black hair glints in the light. A twinge of familiarity tickles the back of my mind. The muscles under his black sweater bulge as he holds his hands up in surrender.

  �
�I’m so sorry I bumped you Madame, please don’t hex me.” A small smirk crawls up his face.

  “You may be forgiven yet.” I scowl and his smile widens fully displaying his perfectly white teeth.

  “Shall I escort m’lady to her table?” He asks while extending his arm in the direction of my table. He places his hand gently on my lower back. I can see Tiffany huddled up and talking with the sandy blonde. The more I observe him the more I feel as though I’ve seen him somewhere. It must be his hair. Sandy blonde and silky black. I look up at the man beside me. I see, this guy is the “oh hell-o” that Tiffany had spotted. We edge to the table and an earth shattering “Happy birthday!” overtakes the noise of the club.

  The blue eyed mystery guy leans into my ear. “Happy birthday.” He says gently and then releases me from his grasp. “T-Thank you.” I sputter and slip into the booth beside Tiffany who is completely involved in the sandy blonde. Blue eyes slides in next to me and I scoot closer to Tiffany who is now giggling uncontrollably.

  She reaches her hand over and touches my leg. “Ri, this is Kevin from my accounting class.”

  He looks at her in confusion. “Tiffany, Nuri and I have met in a sense. She’s the one that invited me out tonight.” He smiles at me casually. “And I’m so glad that she did because I met you.” He brushes a hand over her shoulder.

  Oh gross. He didn’t even know they were in the same class. What a guy she picked out here. I’ll have to remember this for when I’m picking up her broken pieces after he’s done with her. I smile back and pat her hand feigning happiness. “I am just so glad that you two met. It’s nice to meet you in person though, Kevin, truly.” God is going to strike me down for that lie.

  He glances to my right at the blue-eyed wonder. “Oh, I see you met Jake.” He leans closer to Tiffany. “He’s the roommate I was telling you about.”

  Jake leans into me and presses his solid chest against my shoulder, “Nice to meet you, Nuri, was it? That’s a very pretty name.” Suggestion drips from his lips.

  My cheeks warm and my heart skips. Oh my god. A few of the girls announce their desire to dance and Tiffany leaps with joy and drags Kevin off with her. What am I supposed to do now? I’m alone. Alone with a random guy I’ve just me. I’ve never really done this guy thing before. Well there was the one time at senior prom. No, that was just comfortable and sweet. Jake is a fire that I’m unprepared for.

  “No need to be nervous, Nuri.” He whispers into my ear sending a trail of goosebumps down my right side.

  I have nothing to say. What am I supposed to say to this? My stomach turns. “I will be right back.” I push around the long empty side as to not make him get up. God this is uncomfortable.

  I rush to the glowing restroom sign and turn down a dark hallway.. I push open the women’s restroom door and walk to the sink. He can’t think I’m as pretty as half the girls here. I look at myself in the mirror. I’m awkward looking with my long auburn curly hair, average body shape, and five-foot five stature. I can’t forget my oddly colored amber eyes that tend to cause stares. I grab a towel and dry my hands. I’m nothing special. Does it matter? Isn’t this normal college teen behavior? Shouldn’t I be ecstatic to have some hot guy drooling over me? This is normal behavior, right? I toss the paper towel into the trash bin with a sigh and step into the dark hallway.

  A man steps in front of me. “Sorry.” I say and step to the side to move out of his way. His towering body maneuvers past me without a word. His scent engulfs me. It’s comforting, like standing in a field of wildflowers on a warm summer day. I catch a glance of his bare arm. The golden-brown skin glistens with liquid beads, like crystals adorning his body. He seems, familiar, like I’ve known his presence forever. I catch a flash of bright green eyes before I turn away. I hope he didn’t notice me staring. Ri, stop being so weird, you’re making yourself look like an idiot.

  Jake sips gingerly on a blue drink as he watches the dance floor below. I slide in beside him and stare at a menu on the table. “So, your birthday is today?” He motions at the balloons and party hats sitting on the table.

  “Well, technically tomorrow.” I fiddle with one of the strings that tie my dress.

  “I see.” He sips on his drink.

  I glance at his wrist as he takes a sip of his drink. A tattoo of a black ouroboros with a dragon head sits on the underside of his wrist. “That’s very pretty.” I point to his tattoo.

  “Oh, this?” He strokes it with his thumb as he presents his hand to me. “Everyone in my family gets one, you can think of it like a family crest.”

  “Does it have a special meaning?”

  “You could say that.” He shrugs. “You know some traditions you just follow and don’t really know why.” He takes another sip of his drink.

  I giggle nervously. “At least it looks cool, right?” Oh god. At least it looks cool? How awkward could I get?

  He slides closer. “At least it looks cool.” He whispers to me in a husky tone, the smell of alcohol on his breath.

  “How old are you?”

  He smiles coyly. “Eighteen.” He sips his drink. “I have a fake ID.”

  “Me too.” I giggle. “I should order something too.” Something feels off tonight. Like the feeling you get right before something bad is about to happen.

  “Nuri.” He breathes. “Nuri, a good name that is.” He nods in agreement to himself.

  “My mom seemed to like it a lot.”

  “My light.” He smiles at me.

  “Not many people know the meaning of it.”

  He gently laces his fingers in mine. “Do you know the story behind your namesake, Nuri?”

  “My name has a story?”

  He turns my palm to face up and strokes the soft skin with his finger. “Millions of years ago, maybe even billions. When earth was still an infant and the worlds were growing and changing rapidly. The guardians of the realms wandered the planes of existence watching over each realm.”

  “Guardians?” This guy has got to be off his rocker.

  He nods. “They have been known as the watchers. It’s said that they are even older than the gods.”

  “Jake, there is only one God.”

  He smiles at me. “No, there are thousands of Gods, my light.”

  I scrunch my face. “I don’t believe you.”

  He shrugs. “You’ll see soon enough.” He tickles my palm with his finger. “Solas was the watcher of balance. She was the largest and most inspiring of the dragons.”

  “Wait, you’re saying the guardians were dragons?” This guy is crazy.

  “Of course, and Solas was the most important. She insured that balance remained safe among the realms.”

  “Balance of what?”

  “Of life. Of this.” He waves his hands around at the ceiling. “Oíche, the guardian of destruction and Gael, the guardian of rebirth ruled the watchers together with Solas.”

  “How many watchers were there?”

  “We have no idea, but I assume it was thousands.”

  “What does this story have to do with my name?”

  “Ah, yes.” He smiles and pokes my nose playfully. “Solas was killed by an unknown adversary. This was said to have happened because of Oíche, but no one knows the true story. Oíche loved Solas, the two were said to have been mates.” He kisses my palm. My skin tingles where his lips touch. “It’s said that upon her death she exhaled one last breath of light unto the worlds. This light could be seen throughout the realms. When her light ceased to exist, Oíche cried out for nuri, meaning my light in the ancient tongue of the dragons.” Each word tickles my skin and chills move over my arm with each breath.

  “That’s a pretty interesting story.” His breath caresses my hand as he lets out a soft chuckle.

  “It’s an old family story passed down through the generations.” I wonder why they didn’t choose something nicer as their crest, like their balance dragon. “They say that one day the gods will reincarnate Solas and restore balance once mor
e.” He lays a kiss on my palm. “If they could only find her soul.” He mumbles into my palm.

  His hand cups my face and his lips gently press into mine. He tastes of alcohol. My body warms and a rush of energy like an electric hum dances through my veins. His tongue traces my bottom lip. I gasp at the caress and tangle my fingers in his hair. The warmth grows stronger and my skin pricks with electricity. He pulls away for a moment and smiles down at me. His eyes seem like they’re brighter. No, they can’t be. It must be the lights. His lips descending on mine again. An uncomfortable heat and electrical buzz surges under my skin in waves through my body.

  The heat intensifies and I whimper. “My veins are burning.” I tremble as his fingers caress my face. “Something’s wrong with me.”

  “Don’t worry, my light, you’re only waking up.”

  Another searing wave of heat shoots through my veins. Screams come from the dancefloor as lights pop and explode over the crowd. A light directly above us shatters and sparks fly like fireworks around us. I scream as a powerful surge of fire rolls over my skin. Flames spread across a drape near us.

  Fire. Jake there is fire. Why isn’t he running away? “Fire.” I manage to choke out.

  “Quiet, my light, don’t worry about the fire.” He rubs my cheeks and stare into my eyes.

  I don’t have the energy to pull away. The world blurs and spins. My vision darkens. I try to push the darkness away, but the struggle brings a wave of nausea. What’s happening to me? Am I burning? I’m going to die here.

  Jake grins down at me and presses his lips gently against my forehead. A ringing overtakes the sounds of screams and cries. Darkness creeps in blotting out the flames.

  CHAPTER TWO

  2

  I trail my hand down the dark cool stone as I walk toward the light of the coven’s gathering. My hair sways against my back with each stride. Ceri is being initiated tonight. Jealousy settles in the pit of my stomach. I hate being the youngest. I can’t even do magic yet. I sigh and drop my hand to my side. The sound of my bare feet slapping against the cool stone of the underground pathway echoes like a beating drum. My black silk dress drags on the stone behind me. The warmth from the ritual room extends into the hallway at my approach. The candle light dances over the walls and murmured discussions float on the air.