Entangled Darkness Read online

  Entangled Darkness

  Others of Edenton Book 8

  Brandy L Rivers

  Copyright © 2016 Brandy L Rivers

  Edited by Kathy Lapeyre

  Cover Design by Brandy L Rivers

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Also by Brandy L Rivers

  Box Sets

  Others of Edenton – Series Volume 1

  Others of Edenton – Series Volume 2

  Others of Edenton – Series Volume 3

  Others of Seattle – Series Volume 1

  Others of Seattle – Series Volume 2

  Others of Edenton

  New Beginnings

  In Too Deep

  Shadows Fall

  Shadows of the Past

  Falling Into Place

  Fated Love

  Breaking Free

  Mending Scars

  Labor of Love

  Light in Darkness

  Blissful Agony

  Entangled Darkness

  Deadly Design (Coming 10-24-16)

  Untitled: Declan’s story (Coming Summer 2017)

  Others of Seattle

  Nights Embrace

  Storm Mistress

  Accepting Fate

  Red Queen

  Seductive Solutions

  Changing Destiny

  Coming Together

  Storm Wrath

  Twisted Bonds (Coming Spring 2017)

  Nights Embrace Spin Off

  Summer Rhythm

  Stand Alone Contemporary Romance

  Heart on Fire

  Falling Star

  Sweet Tooth

  Backburn (Coming 1-6-17)

  Pine Barrens Pack Co-Written with Rebecca Brooke

  Cursed Vengeance

  Vengeance Unraveled (coming 2017)

  To keep up with upcoming releases and news visit me at my

  Website – Facebook - Twitter

  Or join my newsletter or reading group Rivers’ Shenanigans.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  About Brandy L Rivers

  Also by Brandy L Rivers

  Reference Guide

  Acknowledgements

  Preview: Deadly Design

  Dedication

  To my amazing street team, Rivers Others

  Thank you for all you do and all the support

  You all are amazing

  And make this journey so much more fun

  Chapter 1

  Two hundred ten years ago…

  Pain burst through his head as Tremaine’s face hit the plate in front of him. He’d been sitting at the table, scarfing down breakfast, looking forward to spending the day with his mother, alone.

  “Filthy bastard. I should have killed your whore of a mother,” Sebastian snarled.

  When his stepfather moved in front of him, Tremaine squeezed his eyes shut. Worse punishment was coming. He wanted to lash out, but the last time he tried that, Sebastian hurt his mother. Tremaine would endure anything to prevent that from happening again.

  As soon as he had the power to give Sebastian worse than he’d endured—a matter of time, a few more skills—he would destroy the man who had spent years slowly tearing his mother apart. A good, kind woman trapped in a marriage she didn’t choose.

  He’d have preferred to have been raised by his father, but both of his parents were well-respected members of their own communities. Marcus was a druid, and his mother a talented mage healer. The two types of Others didn’t mix, usually. She needed her own protection in their world, but her family had promised her to a piece of trash Tremaine couldn’t call a man.

  Sebastian snapped his fingers. “Stand, boy. I want to see the damage.”

  Tremaine obliged, keeping his face down. Better if Sebastian didn’t see the rage burning in his young eyes.

  A harsh laugh burst from his tormentor. “That’s it? Not even a whimper? You’re bleeding. Or do you even care, bastard?”

  He did care. Facing Sebastian’s punishment was better than seeing his mother hurt. Not to mention one of his first lessons was that answering with this much rage churning through him would earn a beating. Then again, nearly anything he did or didn’t say or do would earn the same.

  His mother entered the room, behind Sebastian. He felt her presence but didn’t see her because he refused to lift his head.

  Sebastian noticed. Fire sizzled and crackled to life.

  Tremaine glanced up in time to see the fireball flying at his mother. His hands shot up, energy sweeping out and around the spell to sling it back at Sebastian. He lunged forward, infusing his own magic into the fire, burning it hotter, brighter. Tremaine shoved Sebastian off balance, shielding as his true father had taught him. He landed on the monster’s chest, intending to wring the life out of his stepfather and funneling every ounce of magic he possessed into the fire as his hands closed around Sebastian’s throat.

  Mother screamed, “Don’t kill him! We need him!”

  Too late. Sebastian’s skin bubbled and sizzled under Tremaine’s grip as the older man’s screams filled the air. The smell churned his gut, but his shields insulated him from the heat that melted Sebastian’s face, singed hair, and destroyed the man who had meant to do the same to his mother. Tremaine could hardly breathe through the rank smoke filling the room.

  When the screams died, and Sebastian’s heart finally stopped, Tremaine stumbled back to meet his mother’s gaze. Finally free, yet she looked devastated.

  Sebastian’s spirit was no more. He’d never touch Mother again—never hurt her. She blinked, breaking her stare at the remains of the man who’d spent years abusing them both.

  Confusion filled Tremaine’s heart and mind. “He’ll never hurt you again,” he whispered.

  Tears streamed down her face. “No, but the other mages might.” She sniffled. “Though you can pass as either druid or mage, we can’t go back to Marcus. Thanks to Sebastian, I’m not welcome at their compound.”

  “He’s no longer a threat,” Tremaine insisted. “They have no reason to stop you from going to my father.”

/>   “Doesn’t matter. I can’t go back. Your father has moved on. He’s married now.”

  Tremaine sank onto the chair. His soul shuddered, and his heart sank. He’d always hoped his mother and father would reunite. Together, they could have made a loving family.

  He had another idea. “Draecyn? He said he would assist you, no matter what.” The same mage who had helped them reach Tremaine’s father in the past. He wanted to ensure Tremaine was trained by both mages and druids from an early age. He’d been instrumental in keeping Tremaine’s secret and being a good friend to both his parents.

  Forcing a sad smile, she agreed, “Yes, you’re right. Maybe he can fix this.” Mother sighed heavily while surveying the room. “Help me remove the corpse. I’ll get rid of the evidence. I can’t lose you. You’re too important.”

  Tremaine never had understood why she thought he was important. Only a boy. And apparently a foolish one. He had always imagined she would be happy, even relieved, if Sebastian was no more.

  He blinked up at her. “Mother, are you upset that I killed Sebastian? He meant to do the same to you.”

  “Not for the reasons you’re thinking. I’ll not miss him. And now you’re finally safe from his wrath. However, our path has become more difficult.”

  “But you would have died.” Tremaine wiped away his tears.

  “And then you would have gone to your true father. You would have been safe from the men who want to use your powerful gifts.”

  “What gifts?” he asked in frustration, grabbing Sebastian’s charred body. He yanked and pulled, slowly dragging him outside and into the forest behind their home.

  “I don’t fully understand all of them. One day, you’ll be the deciding force between two factions that have waged war for ages. You are the key, Tremaine. You’ll be tested, torn apart, and rebuilt, many times in your long life. Choose your path with care.”

  Tremaine shot off the bed, his breath coming in heavy pants as he stood naked. Liz murmured in her sleep, reaching for him. Her presence warmed the chill and chased away the dark memories.

  One thing missing. Robert probably lost track of time while researching leads. The red glare of the clock showed it was two in the morning. Tremaine scrubbed a hand over his face and walked to the balcony door. Gripping the frame, he pressed his forehead against the cool glass.

  Secrets, so damned many secrets.

  With Robert and Preston digging into HARP, the information needed to come out. His past threatened to destroy his future, and he’d buried those years, like so much else.

  Sometimes, the only way to move on is to forget. However, what was forgotten usually came back to bite one in the ass.

  For Robert to have any chance of breaking the case wide open, they needed Tremaine’s knowledge. Probably his help. That meant remembering all the shit he’d long since buried. A terrifying prospect, facing the darkness that lurked in his past.

  Arms wrapped around his waist as soft hair fell against his back before Liz’s long body pressed tight. “Too early for brooding. Come back to bed. I’ll take your mind off everything.”

  His hands covered her arms, holding her to him.

  Liz would understand his choices, his decisions.

  But Robert? Could he? The one who wanted to follow all the rules.

  Liz had always been willing to break conventions when searching for answers and bringing justice. Robert often fought against those methods, unless there was no other choice.

  Tremaine turned in her arms and caught her under her ass, hauling her up against his body.

  She wrapped herself around him as he carried her back to the bed. He sank into her heated core as he laid her back.

  “Better way to spend the early hours.” He pushed into her, watching pleasure play across her face. Her fingers twined through his hair as she pulled his mouth down for a kiss.

  He drove into her harder, faster, his tongue dueling with hers. Love so strong it reforged his broken soul. Having saved her as a child, it had taken decades to fall in love and finally accept she had become his reason for living. Despite Liz’s strong love for him, she couldn’t be complete without Robert too. And in the last seven months, Tremaine had come to realize Robert filled as much of his heart as Liz.

  Her magic flowed through the room, sparking Tremaine’s, tapping into a power he’d long since stored away. Every time they were together, more slipped free.

  Her core rippled around his length, pulling him deeper as release washed over them. She echoed his passionate cry, her back arching beneath him. Sweaty and slippery, he pulled her farther up the bed and wrapped around her while they caught their breath.

  “Can’t live without you,” she panted, clinging to him.

  “Never have to, Doll. I’m nothing without you.”

  Her head tipped back to capture his gaze. “You’re the one who always picks me up. What did I ever do to deserve you?”

  “Before you, I was lost, looking for a purpose. You, Liz, were the one who pulled me back from the brink.”

  “Brink of what?”

  “Darkness.”

  “You’ve never been dark.”

  “No, but I was entangled in plots so thick, I wasn’t sure who I served. Trapped in a web, I almost didn’t escape. I could have fallen. Nearly did. I’d gone so deep in a case, my whole perspective had become warped and twisted. If I hadn’t found you, I wouldn’t have pulled myself out of that pit.”

  “Don’t let go, Tremaine. I’m right here with you. Whatever you need, it’s yours.”

  The truth of her words enveloped him. He leaned in for another kiss and sensed a twinge of magic not their own. Tremaine caressed the scars hidden in the phoenix painted on her skin, marveling at the life their love created. “Never. I’ll always cling to you.”

  Happiness warred with fear because he’d given Robert everything he had on HARP, knowing some of the evidence painted him a monster. The fact that Robert wasn’t home at this late hour worried Tremaine. Maybe Robert didn’t know him well enough to know which side he chose.

  Tremaine shut out the pain encroaching on his heart, and held tight to Liz, hoping it wasn’t too late to salvage whatever damage the files had done to the relationship he and Robert had built.

  * * * *

  Robert paced the office. Preston stood, watching with unease.

  Nothing made sense. Tremaine had handed over journals, books, and an assortment of files stricken from the Silver Council’s records. Some of them painted Tremaine as a loyal member of HARP—one of their commanding leaders.

  Once back in the Silver Council, it seemed Draecyn had kept him close to headquarters after finally reinstating his status as his own Lieutenant and second in command. The reports seemed to show Draecyn still didn’t trust Tremaine after his return.

  Preston stepped into Robert’s path and caught his shoulders with both hands. “Robert, if Tremaine was on assignment, he may have had to go deep undercover.”

  “He was expelled as an Enforcer.” Robert jerked away and smoothed down his lapels, then adjusted his sleeves. “In a fifteen-year time span, Draecyn only sent him on one assignment outside of South Carolina.”

  “The mission that freed Liz from your monster of an uncle. Tremaine wanted to be near Liz to watch over her.”

  “That’s a convenient excuse.”

  “Do you honestly believe he didn’t request assignment near Liz? How the hell can you assume he would stay involved with HARP after coming back to the Silver Council? Why can’t you trust he was undercover?”

  “The records were stricken, Preston. You saw the reports. What he allegedly did. Can I even trust him?” Robert paced away, picking invisible lint from his jacket.

  “So were the records about the Dales. That mission was far less critical than Tremaine’s. He’s never led us astray. Hell, he gave you the damned books, knowing what was in them.”

  Preston was right. The case with the Dales was Tremaine’s last straw. The corruption within the Silve
r Council led them to the underground fighting rings, leading them to the more sinister purposes of the Dales. Robert and Preston took in several of the Silver Council members involved, but most disappeared, and still hadn’t been heard from in more than ten years.

  Robert paced away and came back shaking his head. “I don’t understand why he didn’t warn me. He’s the one who taught me to question everything.”

  “He also taught you that sometimes you have to break protocol to find the truth,” Preston countered. “Do you honestly believe Tremaine is capable of what those files seem to indicate? You know he must have had a damned good reason.”

  Robert pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to hold back the headache that wanted to rage to life. “I don’t know.”

  “Do you think he would ever hurt Liz? Or you?”

  Robert pointed to the stacks of books. “You read what I did. How can I be sure of anything at this point?”

  Letting out a heavy sigh, Preston pointed to his head. “Think about it. Really think about it. Tremaine always put Liz first. He has kept us grounded. Gave you records no one else has access to. How can you even suspect he’s the monster some of those files depict?”

  “Maybe he wants to self-destruct.”

  “And pull Liz down with him? You too? Why the fuck would he do that?” Preston shrugged and raised both hands, palms up.

  “Maybe he wants to tear the Council apart. Perhaps drag Liz into his world and take her away from me.”

  “That’s fucking bullshit. Here’s an idea. Talk to him. Listen to what he has to say. The man’s like the damned Pentagon, secrets buried so deep he might not remember half of them. Give him a fucking chance.”

  “Oh, he remembers. Tremaine remembers everything.” Robert squeezed his hands into fists.

  “You know what I meant. When you bury secrets for so long, you tend to forget about that side of yourself. Remember me, and that whole fae thing?” Preston’s brow arched. “Talk to him.”